Energy saving methods and equipment.

Abstract

Invention details;

Description

Energy-saving method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 29, 2022, with application number 202211204860.8 and application name “A Energy-Saving Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an energy-saving method and device. Background Art

[0004] As wireless services continue to grow, network scale continues to expand, and equipment energy consumption continues to rise. High energy consumption of wireless access network equipment has gradually become one of the main reasons for operators' high operating expenses (OPEX). Reducing the operating energy consumption of access network equipment and thus reducing operators' OPEX is a current research direction.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide an energy-saving method and apparatus to reduce energy consumption of access network equipment and lower the operating costs of operators.

[0007] In a first aspect, an energy-saving method is provided, which is applied to a baseband unit. The main body of the method is the baseband unit, or a component in the baseband unit (processor, chip or other, etc.), including: determining whether there is a mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on a first received detection signal; if there is a mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state; or, if there is no mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit is a non-monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state; or, if there is no mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit is a monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state; wherein, the monitoring radio frequency unit operates in an awake state in the initial stage of the first time period, and the non-monitoring radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state in the initial stage of the first time period.

[0008] With the above design, the access network device's radio frequency unit includes a first radio frequency unit operating in an awake state. If a moving object is detected within the first radio frequency unit's service range, the first radio frequency unit continues to operate in the awake state. If no moving object is detected within the first radio frequency unit's service range and the first radio frequency unit is not a monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit switches to a dormant state. The radio frequency unit adaptively saves energy on demand, achieving maximum energy conservation for the access network device.

[0009] In one design, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state, including: starting or restarting a timer of the first radio frequency unit; during the operation of the timer of the first radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in the awake state.

[0010] With this design, each RF unit operating in the awake state is equipped with a timer. During the timer's duration, the corresponding RF unit operates in the awake state. After the timer expires, the corresponding RF unit automatically switches to the sleep state. With this design, when a RF unit is awakened, it automatically switches to the sleep state after the timer expires, further reducing RF unit energy consumption.

[0011] In one design, when the first radio frequency unit operates in the awake state, it also includes: waking up the radio frequency unit in the sleep state among the adjacent radio frequency units of the first radio frequency unit; starting or restarting the timer of the awakened adjacent radio frequency unit; and during the operation of the timer of the adjacent radio frequency unit, the adjacent radio frequency unit operates in the awake state.

[0012] With the above design, when the first RF unit is awakened, its neighboring RF units are also awakened. This is mainly because when a user is within the service range of the first RF unit, as the user moves, they are likely to enter the service range of the neighboring RF units of the first RF unit. Waking up the neighboring RF units in advance can avoid the problem of the neighboring RF units being in sleep mode and unable to provide service when the user moves into the service range of the neighboring RF units, thereby improving the user's service experience.

[0013] In one design, the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state, including: after a timer of the first radio frequency unit expires, the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state.

[0014] In one design, the first reception detection signal is sent by the first RF unit and received by the second RF unit; or, the first reception detection signal is sent by the second RF unit and received by the first RF unit; or, the first reception detection signal is sent by the first antenna of the first RF unit and received by the second antenna of the first RF unit.

[0015] Through the above design, one radio frequency unit in the access network device sends a detection signal, and another radio frequency unit receives the detection signal. Alternatively, an antenna connected to a radio frequency unit in the access network device sends a detection signal, and another antenna connected to the same radio frequency unit receives the detection signal. The received detection signal can be called a first received detection signal, and the range of the first received detection signal propagated over the air interface can be considered to be the service range of the radio frequency unit. By performing subsequent radar processing on the first received detection signal, it can be determined whether the service range of the radio frequency unit, that is, the range of the detection signal propagated over the air interface, is within the range of the mobile object. When the mobile object is a user, its handheld terminal device can be in a connected state, an idle state, a dormant state, etc. Using the above method, it is possible to more accurately detect whether a terminal device is within the service range of the radio frequency unit, thereby achieving more precise energy-saving operations for the corresponding radio frequency unit based on the detection result.

[0016] In one design, determining whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on the first received detection signal includes: determining whether there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object based on the first received detection signal; determining that there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit if there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object; or determining that there is no mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit if there is no Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object.

[0017] With the above design, radar processing is performed on the detection signal received by the RF unit, i.e., the first received detection signal, to determine whether a mobile object is within the RF unit's service range. Furthermore, when a mobile object is detected, the first RF unit operates in an awake state, thereby ensuring that the first RF unit provides network services to any terminal requesting service from the mobile object.

[0018] In one design, there is no connected terminal device within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

[0019] Through the above design, the method in the first aspect can be directly used to perform energy-saving operations. Alternatively, it is possible to first determine whether there is a connected terminal within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; when there is no connected terminal, it is then determined based on the first received detection signal whether there is a moving object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit and other operations. Since the process of detecting a connected terminal is relatively simple, there are many ways to implement it. When there is a connected terminal within the service range of a certain radio frequency unit, the radio frequency unit can be directly kept in the awake state, without the need to perform the radar-related detection operations of the first aspect, further saving the energy consumption of the access network equipment.

[0020] In a second aspect, a method for detecting a moving object is provided, which is applied to a baseband processing unit. The main body of the method is the baseband unit, or a component in the baseband unit (processor, chip or other, etc.), including: determining whether there is a mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on a first received detection signal; wherein, the first received detection signal is sent by the first radio frequency unit and received by the second radio frequency unit; or, the first received detection signal is sent by the second radio frequency unit and received by the first radio frequency unit; or, the first received detection signal is sent by the first antenna of the first radio frequency unit and received by the second antenna of the first radio frequency unit.

[0021] The above design can determine whether a mobile object exists within the service range of the first radio frequency unit. Furthermore, the mobile object is a user of a terminal device, and the terminal device can be in a connected, idle, or inactive state, thereby enabling relatively accurate detection of whether a terminal device exists within the service range of the radio frequency unit.

[0022] In one design, determining whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on the first received detection signal includes: determining whether there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object based on the first received detection signal; determining that there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit if there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object; or determining that there is no mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit if there is no Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object.

[0023] With the above design, radar processing is performed on the detection signal received by the RF unit, i.e., the first received detection signal, to determine whether a mobile object is within the RF unit's service range. If the mobile object is a user of a terminal device, the presence of the terminal device within the RF unit's service range can be detected. The RF unit's service range can be considered the range within which the detection signal propagates over the air interface.

[0024] According to a third aspect, a device is provided. The device may be a baseband unit or a component configured in a baseband unit.

[0025] For example, the device includes a unit that performs the method / operation / step / action described in the first aspect in a one-to-one correspondence. The unit can be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0026] For example, the device includes a processing unit, and the processing unit can perform any corresponding function of the design in the first aspect above, specifically:

[0027] A processing unit, configured to determine, based on a first received detection signal, whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; if there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state; or, if there is no mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit is a non-monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state; or, if there is no mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit is a monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state; wherein, the monitoring radio frequency unit operates in an awake state in an initial stage of a first time period, and the non-monitoring radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state in an initial stage of the first time period.

[0028] Optionally, the device further includes a transceiver unit; the transceiver unit is used to receive a first reception detection signal from the radio frequency unit.

[0029] For the specific execution process of the processing unit and the communication unit, please refer to the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0030] Alternatively, the device includes a processor for implementing the method of the first aspect above. The device may also include a memory for storing instructions and / or data. The processor is coupled to the memory, and the processor executes program instructions stored in the memory to implement the method of the first aspect above. The device may also include a communication interface, which is used for the device to communicate with other devices. The communication interface can be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, pin or other type of communication interface. In one possible design, the device includes:

[0031] a memory for storing program instructions;

[0032] A processor is used to determine whether there is a mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on the first received detection signal; if there is a mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state; or, if there is no mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit is a non-monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state; or, if there is no mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit is a monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state; wherein, the monitoring radio frequency unit operates in an awake state in the initial stage of the first time period, and the non-monitoring radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state in the initial stage of the first time period.

[0033] Optionally, the communication interface is used to receive a first reception detection signal from the radio frequency unit.

[0034] Regarding the specific execution process of the communication interface and the processor, please refer to the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0035] According to a fourth aspect, a device is provided. The device may be a baseband unit or a component configured in a baseband unit.

[0036] For example, the device includes a unit that performs the method / operation / step / action described in the second aspect in a one-to-one correspondence. The unit can be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0037] For example, the device includes a processing unit, and the processing unit can perform the corresponding functions in any one of the designs of the second aspect above, specifically:

[0038] A processing unit, configured to determine whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on a first received detection signal; wherein the first received detection signal is sent by the first radio frequency unit and received by the second radio frequency unit; or, the first received detection signal is sent by the second radio frequency unit and received by the first radio frequency unit; or, the first received detection signal is sent by the first antenna of the first radio frequency unit and received by the second antenna of the first radio frequency unit.

[0039] Optionally, the device further includes a communication unit configured to receive a first reception detection signal from the radio frequency unit.

[0040] For the specific execution process of the processing unit and the communication unit, please refer to the second aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0041] Alternatively, the device includes a processor for implementing the method described in the second aspect above. The device may also include a memory for storing instructions and / or data. The processor is coupled to the memory, and the processor executes program instructions stored in the memory to implement the method of the second aspect above. The device may also include a communication interface, which is used for the device to communicate with other devices. The communication interface can be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, pin or other type of communication interface. In one possible design, the device includes:

[0042] a memory for storing program instructions;

[0043] A processor, configured to determine whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on a first received detection signal; wherein the first received detection signal is sent by the first radio frequency unit and received by the second radio frequency unit; or, the first received detection signal is sent by the second radio frequency unit and received by the first radio frequency unit; or, the first received detection signal is sent by the first antenna of the first radio frequency unit and received by the second antenna of the first radio frequency unit.

[0044] Optionally, the communication interface is used to receive a first reception detection signal from the radio frequency unit.

[0045] Regarding the specific execution process of the communication interface and the processor, please refer to the second aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0046] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enable the computer to execute the method of any one of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, a chip system is provided, which includes a processor and may also include a memory, for implementing the method of either aspect 1 or aspect 2. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method of either the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0049] In an eighth aspect, a system is also provided, comprising a radio frequency unit and the device described in the first aspect or the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided by the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a three-layer architecture of an access network device provided by the present disclosure;

[0052] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the O-RAN architecture provided by the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG4 is another schematic diagram of the O-RAN architecture provided by the present disclosure;

[0054] FIG5 is a flow chart of the energy-saving method provided by the present disclosure;

[0055] FIG6a is a schematic diagram of a detection signal provided by the present disclosure;

[0056] FIG6 b is another schematic diagram of a detection signal provided by the present disclosure;

[0057] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring radio frequency unit and a non-monitoring radio frequency unit provided by the present disclosure;

[0058] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of radio frequency units operating in an awake state and radio frequency units operating in a sleep state provided by the present disclosure;

[0059] FIG9 is a flow chart of mobile object detection provided by the present disclosure;

[0060] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of radar detection provided by the present disclosure;

[0061] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a device provided by the present disclosure;

[0062] FIG12 is another schematic structural diagram of the device provided by the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 to which the present disclosure can be applied. As shown in Figure 1 , communication system 1000 includes a wireless access network 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300. The wireless access network 100 may include at least one access network device (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1 ) and at least one terminal device (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1 ). The terminal device is wirelessly connected to the access network device, and the access network device is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network. The core network device and the access network device may be independent, distinct physical devices, or the functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the access network device may be integrated into the same physical device, or a single physical device may integrate some of the functions of the core network device and some of the functions of the access network device. Terminal devices and access network devices may be interconnected via wired or wireless connections. Figure 1 is merely a schematic diagram. The communication system may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1 .

[0064] The access network device may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, an access network device in an open radio access network (O-RAN), a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The access network device may be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG1 ), a relay node or a donor node, etc. The present disclosure does not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the access network device.

[0065] Terminal devices can be referred to as terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminal devices, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used for communications in various scenarios, such as but not limited to at least one of the following scenarios: device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, or smart city, etc. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablet computers, computers with wireless transceiver functions, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, or smart home devices, etc. The present disclosure does not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal devices.

[0066] The access network equipment and terminal equipment can be fixed or movable. The access network equipment and / or terminal equipment can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on the water surface; they can also be deployed on aircraft, balloons and artificial satellites in the air. The present disclosure does not limit the application scenarios of the access network equipment and terminal equipment. The access network equipment and terminal equipment can be deployed in the same scenario or different scenarios. For example, the access network equipment and terminal equipment are deployed on land at the same time; or, the access network equipment is deployed on land and the terminal equipment is deployed on the water surface, etc., and no further examples are given.

[0067] The roles of access network devices and terminal devices can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile access network device. For terminal devices 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal device 120i is an access network device. However, for access network device 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via an interface protocol between access network devices. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also an access network device. Therefore, both access network devices and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with access network device functionality, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal device functionality.

[0068] The communication between the access network device and the terminal device follows a certain protocol layer structure. The protocol layer structure may include a control plane protocol layer structure and a user plane protocol layer structure. For example, the control plane protocol layer structure includes the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) layer, the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, the radio link control (RLC) layer, the media access control (MAC) layer, and the physical layer. For example, the user plane protocol layer structure may include the functions of the PDCP layer, the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the physical layer. In one possible implementation, the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer may also be included above the PDCP layer.

[0069] In different scenarios, access network devices have different structures. The following examples illustrate the structures of access network devices:

[0070] 1. Baseband unit and radio frequency unit.

[0071] Access network equipment includes a baseband unit (BBU) and a radio frequency unit (RFU). These units can be physically located together or separately, creating distributed access network equipment. The interfaces between the BBU and RFU can be optical, allowing data to be transmitted between them via optical fiber.

[0072] The baseband unit is primarily responsible for baseband signal processing and controlling access network equipment. Baseband signal processing includes one or more of the following: channel coding, multiplexing, modulation, spread spectrum, or carrier power limiting. Exemplarily, a baseband unit consists of one or more units, which can collectively support a single access standard radio access network or radio access networks with different access standards.

[0073] The RF unit is primarily responsible for transmitting and receiving RF signals, as well as converting RF signals into baseband signals. The RF unit operates by converting, filtering, and amplifying the downlink baseband signal before transmitting it to the antenna feeder through a transmit filter. Optionally, the RF unit can also implement some baseband functions, such as one or more of the following: fast Fourier transform (FFT) / inverse fast Fourier transform (iFFT), or beamforming.

[0074] In this disclosure, there is no restriction on the structure of the access network equipment. For example, the structure of the access network equipment is: baseband unit (BBU) + remote radio unit (RRU) + antenna of an outdoor macro station, or BBU + active antenna unit (AAU). Alternatively, the structure of the access network equipment is: traditional indoor BBU + RRU + distributed antenna, or new digital indoor BBU + remote radio unit hub (RHUB) + pico remote radio unit (pRRU), etc. In the above structure, the structure of the access network equipment can be summarized as: baseband unit (BBU) + radio unit (AAU or RRU), etc.

[0075] As shown in Figure 2, the three-layer structure of access network equipment in indoor coverage technology is described: BBU+RHUB+pRRU.

[0076] BBU: A major component of distributed access network equipment. It primarily performs one or more of the following functions: baseband signal processing (such as channel encoding and decoding, modulation and demodulation), transmission management and interface provision, wireless resource management, or clock signal provision. PBUB: Provides interface convergence between the BBU and pPPRU and remote power supply to the pRRU. This interface can be a common public radio interface (CPRI) or other possible fronthaul interface, without limitation. pRRU: Implements RF signal processing, etc.

[0077] A BBU connects to one or more PHUBs, which in turn connect to one or more pRRUs. The operation process is as follows: During downlink transmission, the BBU sends downlink signals to the PHUB, which is connected to the pRRUs via a network cable. The PHUB distributes the downlink signals to each pRRU. Each pRRU processes the downlink signals into RF signals, which are then connected to the indoor area via transmission equipment such as RF feeders, combiners / splitters, and antennas. During uplink transmission, indoor terminal devices send uplink signals to the pRRUs. Each pRRU sends the uplink signals to the PHUB, which aggregates the uplink signals and transmits them to the BBU.

[0078] 2. Centralized unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU).

[0079] The access network equipment includes CU and DU. Multiple DUs can be controlled by one CU. As an example, the interface between CU and DU can be called F1 interface. Among them, the control plane (CP) interface can be F1-C, and the user plane (UP) interface can be F1-U. The present disclosure does not limit the specific names of each interface. CU and DU can be divided according to the protocol layers of the wireless network: for example, the functions of the PDCP layer and above protocol layers are set in CU, and the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the RLC layer and the MAC layer, etc.) are set in DU; for another example, the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer are set in CU, and the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer are set in DU, without limitation.

[0080] The above division of processing functions of CU and DU according to the protocol layer is only an example, and can also be divided in other ways. For example, CU and DU can be divided into functions with more protocol layers, and for example, CU or DU can also be divided into partial processing functions with protocol layers. In one design, some functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers above the RLC layer are set in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers below the RLC layer are set in the DU. In another design, the functions of CU or DU can also be divided according to service type or other system requirements, for example, by delay, the functions whose processing time needs to meet the delay requirements are set in the DU, and the functions that do not need to meet the delay requirements are set in the CU. In another design, the CU can also have one or more functions of the core network. Exemplarily, the CU can be set on the network side to facilitate centralized management. In another design, the radio unit (RU) of the DU is set remotely. Optionally, the RU can have radio frequency functions.

[0081] Optionally, the DU and RU may be divided at the physical layer (PHY). For example, the DU may implement high-layer functions in the PHY layer, and the RU may implement low-layer functions in the PHY layer.

[0082] For example, the high-level functions of the PHY layer include one or more of the following: forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling, or modulation / demodulation. The low-level functions of the PHY layer include one or more of the following: fast Fourier transform (FFT) / inverse fast Fourier transform (iFFT), digital beamforming, or physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering.

[0083] For another example, when used for transmission, the functions of the PHY layer may include at least one of the following: adding a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code, channel coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource mapping, physical antenna mapping, or RF transmission function. When used for reception, the functions of the PHY layer may include at least one of the following: CRC check, channel decoding, rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, layer demapping, channel detection, resource demapping, physical antenna demapping, or RF reception function. The high-level functions in the PHY layer may include a portion of the functions of the PHY layer, such as the portion that is closer to the MAC layer, and the low-level functions in the PHY layer may include another portion of the functions of the PHY layer, such as the portion that is closer to the RF function. For example, the high-level functions in the PHY layer may include adding CRC codes, channel coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, and layer mapping, and the low-level functions in the PHY layer may include precoding, resource mapping, physical antenna mapping, and radio frequency transmission functions; or, the high-level functions in the PHY layer may include adding CRC codes, channel coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, and precoding, and the low-level functions in the PHY layer may include resource mapping, physical antenna mapping, and radio frequency transmission functions. For example, the high-level functions in the PHY layer may include CRC checking, channel decoding, rate matching, decoding, demodulation, and layer mapping, and the low-level functions in the PHY layer may include channel detection, resource demapping, physical antenna demapping, and radio frequency reception functions; or, the high-level functions in the PHY layer may include CRC checking, channel decoding, rate matching, decoding, demodulation, layer mapping, and channel detection, and the low-level functions in the PHY layer may include resource demapping, physical antenna demapping, and radio frequency reception functions.

[0084] The RU can communicate with terminal devices using radio frequency signals. The CU and DU can be included in the baseband unit (BBU). The interface between the BBU or DU and the RU is called the fronthaul interface.

[0085] For example, the functions of the CU can be implemented by one entity, or by different entities. For example, the functions of the CU can be further divided, that is, the control plane and the user plane are separated and implemented by different entities, namely the control plane CU entity (i.e., CU-CP entity) and the user plane CU entity (i.e., CU-UP entity). The CU-CP entity and the CU-UP entity can be coupled with the DU to jointly complete the functions of the access network device.

[0086] Optionally, any of the above-mentioned DU, CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, and RU can be a software module, a hardware structure, or a software module + hardware structure, without limitation. The existence forms of different entities can be different and are not limited. For example, DU, CU, CU-CP, and CU-UP are software modules, and RU is a hardware structure. These modules and their execution methods are also within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0087] The structure of the access network equipment includes: CU, DU and RU. As shown in Figure 3, in one design, the access network equipment includes a near real-time access network intelligent control (RAN intelligent controller, RIC) module, CU, DU and RU. Optionally, the access network equipment also includes a non-real-time RIC. RIC is the intelligent controller of the access network equipment, which is used to collect network information and perform tasks such as network optimization. Alternatively, the CU in Figure 3 is separated into CU-CP and CU-UP. As shown in Figure 4, the structure of the access network equipment includes a near real-time RIC, CU, DU and RU.

[0088] In this disclosure, an access network device includes a unit that implements radio frequency functions. For example, when the access network device includes a baseband unit and a radio frequency unit, this unit is referred to as a radio frequency unit. Alternatively, when the access network device includes a CU, DU, and RU, this unit is referred to as a RU. For ease of description, the following example uses the radio frequency unit as an example.

[0089] In the present disclosure, a device for implementing the functions of a radio frequency unit may be a radio frequency unit; it may also be a device capable of supporting the radio frequency unit in implementing the functions, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit and a software module. The device may be installed in the radio frequency unit or used in conjunction with the radio frequency unit. In the present disclosure, a chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete devices. For ease of description, the following describes the technical solutions provided by the present disclosure using the radio frequency unit as an example.

[0090] In this disclosure, access network equipment includes a unit that implements baseband functions. For example, when the access network equipment structure includes a baseband unit and a radio frequency unit, the unit that implements baseband functions is the baseband unit. Alternatively, when the access network equipment structure includes a CU, DU, and RU, the unit that implements baseband functions is the CU and / or DU, such as the BBU. For ease of description, the following example uses the baseband unit as the unit that implements baseband functions.

[0091] In the present disclosure, a device for implementing the functions of a baseband unit may be a baseband unit; it may also be a device capable of supporting the baseband unit in implementing the functions, such as a system-on-a-chip, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a combination of a hardware circuit and a software module. The device may be installed in the baseband unit or used in conjunction with the baseband unit. For ease of description, the following description of the technical solutions provided by the present disclosure uses the baseband unit as an example.

[0092] In the new radio (NR), terminal device states include connected, idle, and inactive. The connected state can also be called the active state. The idle state refers to the state in which the terminal device has completed camping in the cell but has not performed random access. The terminal device usually enters the idle state after it is powered on or the RRC connection is released. The corresponding state is the connected state, which refers to the state in which the terminal device completes random access, establishes an RRC connection, and the RRC connection is not released. In the connected state, the terminal device can transmit data with the access network device. The inactive state is a state between the connected state and the idle state. In the inactive state, the user plane of the air interface is suspended, and the user plane bearer and control plane bearer between the radio access network (RAN) and the core network (CN) are maintained. When the terminal device initiates paging or service request, the user plane bearer of the air interface can be activated and the existing user plane bearer and control plane bearer between RAN and CN can be reused. Compared with the idle state, the inactive state retains the NG interface (NG interface is the interface between the access network and the core network) and the context of the terminal device. After the terminal device quickly restores the air interface connection, it can immediately transmit data.

[0093] In the present disclosure, access network equipment includes a baseband unit (BBU) and a radio frequency unit (RFU). The BBU uses detection signals received by the RFU to determine whether a mobile object exists within the RFU's service range. If a mobile object exists within the RFU's service range, the RFU enters an awake state; otherwise, the RFU enters a dormant state, thereby achieving energy conservation in the access network equipment.

[0094] In one energy-saving solution, the presence of connected terminals within the RF unit's service range is determined by measuring the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the RF unit. For example, when the measured RSRP of the RF unit is greater than or equal to a first threshold, it is determined that a connected terminal exists within the RF unit's service range, and the RF unit is operating in an awake state. When the measured RSRP of the RF unit is less than the first threshold, it is determined that no connected terminal device exists within the RF unit's service range, and the RF unit is operating in a dormant state. The following are the disadvantages: Because connected terminal devices transmit reference signals, the RF unit determines whether connected terminals exist within the RF unit's service range by measuring RSRP. However, it cannot effectively detect whether idle and / or inactive terminal devices exist within the RF unit's service range. Using this solution may cause a RF unit to be shut down and operate in a dormant state, while idle and / or inactive terminal devices exist within its service range, resulting in a poor service experience for the terminal devices.

[0095] In addition, for idle terminal devices, the tracking area code (TAC) of the access network device can be changed to prompt the idle terminal device to initiate a tracking area (TA) update process, allowing the access network device to determine whether there are idle terminal devices within the service range of a certain radio unit. This solution only determines whether there are idle terminal devices within the service range of the radio unit and does not provide a related solution for detecting inactive terminal devices.

[0096] In the present disclosure, the presence of a mobile object within the service range of the radio frequency unit is determined based on a detection signal received by the radio frequency unit. When the mobile object is a user, the solution implemented in this application detects the user's movement, regardless of whether the user's terminal device is in any state, such as connected, inactive, or idle. Energy-saving operations are then performed based on whether a mobile object is detected within the service range of the radio frequency unit, thereby avoiding the situation where the radio frequency unit's service is shut down when there are idle and / or inactive terminal devices within the service range of the radio frequency unit, thereby improving the service experience of the terminal device.

[0097] The energy-saving method provided by the present disclosure is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG5 , the method includes:

[0098] The access network device includes a baseband unit and at least one radio frequency unit. One of the at least one radio frequency unit is called a first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state. The method in the process of Figure 5 uses the example of performing energy-saving operations on the first radio frequency unit. It is understood that many units in the access network device can implement the process of Figure 5. In the following description, the baseband unit is used as the example of the execution entity of the process of Figure 5.

[0099] Step 501: The baseband unit determines whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit according to the first received detection signal.

[0100] For example, the baseband unit determines, based on the first received detection signal, whether a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by a mobile object exists; if a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by a mobile object exists, it determines that a mobile object exists within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; or, if no Doppler frequency shift signal caused by a mobile object exists, it determines that no mobile object exists within the service range of the first radio frequency unit. For the specific process, see the description in FIG9 .

[0101] The access network device includes at least one radio frequency unit. As previously mentioned, the radio frequency unit is the unit that implements radio frequency functions in the access network device. The unit that implements radio frequency functions has different names in different access network device structures. In this disclosure, for ease of description, the unit that implements radio frequency functions is referred to as a radio frequency unit. For illustrative purposes, the method for determining the first access detection signal is as follows:

[0102] Mode 1: The first reception detection signal is sent by the first radio frequency unit and received by the second radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit is different from the second radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit and the second radio frequency unit are both in the awake state.

[0103] For example, an access network device includes a first radio frequency unit and a second radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit and the second radio frequency unit can be considered a combination. The first radio frequency unit transmits a detection signal, and the second radio frequency unit receives the detection signal. The detection signal received by the second radio frequency unit is called a first received detection signal. The detection signal can also be called a sensing signal and can be a ZC sequence or a Golay sequence.

[0104] Mode 2: The first reception detection signal is sent by the second radio frequency unit and received by the first radio frequency unit. The first radio frequency unit is different from the second radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit and the second radio frequency unit are in the awake state.

[0105] Similar to Method 1, the access network device includes a first radio frequency unit and a second radio frequency unit, and the two radio frequency units are different radio frequency units. The second radio frequency unit sends a detection signal, and the first radio frequency unit receives the detection signal. The detection signal received by the first radio frequency unit is called a first received detection signal.

[0106] As shown in Figure 6a, taking the three-layer architecture of access network equipment as an example, the access network equipment includes the BBU, RHUB, pRRU0, and pRRU1. In a specified time slot, the following process is performed:

[0107] 1. The BBU sends a detection signal to pRRU0 through the RHUB.

[0108] 2. pRRU0 is placed in the transmitting state and transmits a detection signal.

[0109] 3. pRRU1 is placed in a receiving state, receives a detection signal, and forwards the received detection signal to the BBU.

[0110] 4. The BBU performs radar processing on the received detection signal to determine whether a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by a moving object exists. If a frequency shift signal exists, a moving object is determined to be present; otherwise, no moving object is determined to be present. The range for detecting moving objects is shown in Figure 6a. This range for detecting moving objects can be referred to as the service range of pRRU0 and / or the service range of pRRU1.

[0111] Mode 3: The first reception detection signal is sent by the first antenna of the first RF unit and received by the second antenna of the first RF unit.

[0112] The first radio frequency unit is connected to a first antenna and a second antenna, the first antenna sends a detection signal, and the second antenna receives the detection signal. The detection signal received by the second antenna is called a first received detection signal. The first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state.

[0113] As shown in Figure 6b, taking the three-layer architecture of access network equipment as an example, the access network equipment includes BBU, RHUB and pRRU0. In a specified time slot, the following process is performed:

[0114] 1. The BBU sends a detection signal to pRRU0 through the PHUB.

[0115] 2. Antenna 0 of pRRU0 is placed in the transmitting state and transmits a detection signal.

[0116] 3. Antenna 1 of pRRU0 is placed in a receiving state, receives a detection signal, and forwards the received detection signal to the BBU.

[0117] 4. The BBU performs radar processing on the received detection signal to determine whether a moving object is present. The range of moving object detection during this process is shown in Figure 6b. This range is also referred to as the service range of pRRU0.

[0118] It is understood that in the above-mentioned method 1, the detection signal is sent by an antenna connected to the second radio frequency unit, and the detection signal is received by an antenna connected to the first radio frequency unit. In the above-mentioned method 2, the detection signal is sent by an antenna connected to the first radio frequency unit, and the detection signal is received by an antenna connected to the second radio frequency unit.

[0119] Step 502: There is a mobile object within the service range of the first RF unit, and the first RF unit operates in an awake state; or, there is no mobile object within the service range of the first RF unit, and the first RF unit is a non-monitoring RF unit, and the first RF unit operates in a sleep state; or, there is no mobile object within the service range of the first RF unit, and the first RF unit is a monitoring RF unit, and the first RF unit operates in an awake state.

[0120] The monitoring radio frequency unit operates in an awake state during the initial phase of the first time period, and the non-monitoring radio frequency unit operates in a dormant state during the initial phase of the first time period. Optionally, the dormant state is also referred to as an energy-saving state, and the awake state is also referred to as a service detection state or a service perception state. The monitoring radio frequency unit and the non-monitoring radio frequency unit are described as follows:

[0121] 1. The monitoring radio frequency unit and the non-monitoring radio frequency unit are fixed.

[0122] For example, when access network equipment leaves the factory, the manufacturer configures which RF units in the access network equipment are monitoring RF units and which are non-monitoring RF units. Monitoring RF units are always awake, while non-monitoring RF units are in sleep mode when the access network equipment is powered on or restarted. These units are subsequently awakened and returned to the awake state as needed. For example, if a moving object is detected within the service range of a non-monitoring RF unit, the non-monitoring RF unit is awakened and returned to the awake state. After a period of time, if no moving object is detected within the service range of the non-monitoring RF unit, the awakened non-monitoring RF unit can be shut down and returned to sleep mode. In other words, in this design, monitoring RF units are always awake. Non-monitoring RF units are initially in sleep mode. The operating state of the non-monitoring RF units can be adjusted later based on whether a moving object is detected within their service range.

[0123] In this design, the aforementioned "first time period" may refer to a permanent time period. The monitoring radio frequency unit always operates in the awake state, and the non-monitoring radio frequency unit operates in the sleep state in the initial stage of operation.

[0124] 2. Monitoring radio frequency units and non-monitoring radio frequency units are configurable.

[0125] The monitoring and non-monitoring radio frequency units in access network devices are not fixed and can be configured. For example, the monitoring and non-monitoring radio frequency units in access network devices can be configured based on the application scenario or requirements of the access network devices. Alternatively, the monitoring and non-monitoring radio frequency units in access network devices can be configured at regular intervals, or periodically.

[0126] In this design, the monitoring and non-monitoring radio frequency units can be configured at the factory on the access network equipment. The factory-configured monitoring and non-monitoring radio frequency units can be changed during use of the access network equipment. Alternatively, the access network equipment may not be configured with the monitoring and non-monitoring radio frequency units at the factory. Users can configure the monitoring and non-monitoring radio frequency units on the access network equipment.

[0127] In this design, the aforementioned "first time period" may refer to the time period between two configurations of the monitoring RF unit and the non-monitoring RF unit. During each configuration, the monitoring RF unit is set to the awake state. The non-monitoring RF unit is initially set to the sleep state.

[0128] Optionally, in the present disclosure, a timer can be set for the first radio frequency unit in the access network device, and the first radio frequency unit is a monitoring radio frequency unit or a non-monitoring radio frequency unit. During the operation of the timer of the first radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state. After the timer of the first radio frequency unit expires, if the first radio frequency unit is a non-monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit switches to a sleep state. Therefore, in the present disclosure, when a mobile object is detected within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, it is necessary to restart the timer of the first radio frequency unit. When no mobile object is detected within the service range of the first radio frequency unit operating in the awake state and the first radio frequency unit is switched to the sleep state, specifically: after the timer of the first radio frequency unit expires, the first radio frequency unit operates in the sleep state.

[0129] Optionally, when it is determined that the first RF unit is operating in the awake state, the adjacent RF units of the first RF unit are also awakened. The purpose of such operation is mainly: the user is mobile, and when it is determined that there is a user or a mobile object within the service range of the first RF unit, the user is likely to move into the service range of the adjacent RF units of the first RF unit, so the adjacent RF units are also awakened, thereby improving the user's service experience. For example, in one implementation: when waking up the first RF unit, it is also necessary to wake up the RF units in the sleep state in the adjacent RF units of the first RF unit; restart the timer of the awakened adjacent RF unit; and during the operation of the timer of the adjacent RF unit, the adjacent RF unit operates in the awake state.

[0130] In the present disclosure, the process of Figure 5 is used to determine whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the corresponding energy-saving strategy is executed based on whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit. Alternatively, it can be determined first whether there is a connected terminal device within the service range of the first radio frequency unit. If there is no connected terminal device within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, the process of Figure 5 is then executed. That is, in the process of Figure 5, there is no connected terminal device within the service range of the first radio frequency unit. There is no limitation on the method of determining whether there is a connected terminal device within the service range of the first radio frequency unit. For example, it is determined whether the RSRP detected by the first radio frequency unit is greater than or equal to (or greater than) the first threshold. If it is greater than or equal to (or greater than) the first threshold, it is determined that there is a connected terminal device within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; if it is less than (or less than or equal to) the first threshold, it is determined that there is no connected terminal device within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

[0131] For example, an access network device includes N radio frequency units (RFUs), numbered 0 to N-1. Among these RFUs, there are monitoring RFUs and non-monitoring RFUs. Monitoring RFUs operate in an awake state, while non-monitoring RFUs initially operate in a dormant state. Monitoring RFUs can be considered "sentinels." Non-monitoring RFUs wake up on demand based on whether a mobile object enters their service range, thereby saving energy on the access network device. Awakened RFUs can be either monitoring RFUs or non-monitoring RFUs. Timers can be set for both monitoring RFUs and non-monitoring RFUs, as described below. Alternatively, a timer can be set for non-monitoring RFUs, while a timer is not set for monitoring RFUs, leaving the monitoring RFUs awake. When a RFU is awakened, its timer is restarted. While the timer is running, the corresponding RFU operates in an awake state. After the timer expires, the corresponding RFU switches to a dormant state.

[0132] The energy saving method in the above scenario is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG7 , the method at least includes:

[0133] Step 701: Start / restart the timers of N radio frequency units, where the N radio frequency units are numbered from 0 to N-1.

[0134] Step 701 is optional. For example, step 701 can be performed during the startup or restart phase of the access network device. In the present disclosure, energy-saving operations are periodically performed on N radio frequency units. For example, at a first time, steps 702 to 715 are performed to perform energy-saving operations on non-monitoring radio frequency units among the N radio frequency units as needed. After a period of dormancy, steps 702 to 715 are performed again at a second time, and energy-saving operations are performed on non-monitoring radio frequency units among the N radio frequency units as needed.

[0135] Step 702: Obtain the working status of N radio frequency units, the detection results of the connected terminal devices, and the detection results of the moving objects, and set the value of i to 0.

[0136] The radio frequency unit's operating status specifically refers to whether the radio frequency unit is operating in awake or dormant mode. The connected terminal device detection result indicates whether a connected terminal device is detected within the radio frequency unit's service range. The mobile object detection result indicates whether a mobile object is detected within the radio frequency unit's service range.

[0137] Step 703: Determine whether the value of i is less than N; if so, execute step 704; otherwise, execute step 705, sleep for a certain period of time, and execute step 702 again;

[0138] Step 704: Determine whether the radio frequency unit i is in the awake state; if the radio frequency unit i is in the awake state, execute step 707; otherwise, execute step 706;

[0139] Step 706: Set i=i+1;

[0140] Step 707: Determine whether a connected terminal device is detected within the service range of the radio frequency unit i; if a connected terminal device is detected, execute step 708; otherwise, execute step 712.

[0141] Step 707 is optional. For example, step 707 may not be performed in the process of Figure 7 . For example, in step 704, if it is determined that RF unit i is operating in the awake state, step 712 is directly executed to determine whether a mobile object is detected within the service range of RF unit i. When the mobile object is a user, the user's terminal device can be in the connected state, idle state, or inactive state. In other words, step 712 can be used to determine whether there is a terminal device within the service range of RF unit i, that is, whether there is a connected terminal device within the service range of RF unit i. Therefore, step 707 may not be performed. Alternatively, step 707 may be performed in the process of Figure 7 . For example, in step 704, if it is determined that RF unit i is operating in the awake state, step 707 is executed to determine whether there is a connected terminal device within the service range of RF unit i. If no connected terminal device is detected, step 712 is executed to determine whether a mobile object is detected within the service range of RF unit i.

[0142] Step 708: Restart the timer of RF unit i;

[0143] Step 709: Determine whether the adjacent RF unit of RF unit i is operating in the awake state; if it is operating in the awake state, execute step 710: restart the timer of the adjacent RF unit; if it is operating in the sleep state, execute step 711: wake up the adjacent RF unit and restart the timer of the adjacent RF unit.

[0144] Step 712: Determine whether a moving object is detected within the service range of radio frequency unit i; if a moving object is detected, execute step 708; if no moving object is detected, execute step 713;

[0145] Step 713: Determine whether the RF unit i is a monitoring RF unit; if it is a monitoring RF unit, execute step 706; if it is not a monitoring RF unit, execute step 714;

[0146] Step 714: Determine whether the timer of RF unit i has expired; if so, execute step 715; if not, execute step 706 and continue to perform energy saving operations on RF unit i+1;

[0147] Step 715: The working state of the radio frequency unit i is switched to the sleep state, and the radio frequency unit i works in the sleep state.

[0148] In this disclosure, non-monitoring RF units are awakened on demand based on the RF unit's detection results. For example, the non-monitoring RF unit is awakened only when a connected terminal device or a moving object is present within the non-monitoring RF unit. Otherwise, the non-monitoring RF unit remains in a dormant state, saving energy on access network equipment.

[0149] As shown in Figure 8, the access network equipment includes nine radio frequency units (RFUs). These nine RFUs include two monitoring RFUs and seven non-monitoring RFUs. The two monitoring RFUs operate in an awake state, while the seven non-monitoring RFUs initially operate in a dormant state. The seven non-monitoring RFUs are awakened as needed. See Figure 8 for the distribution of the two monitoring RFUs and the seven non-monitoring RFUs.

[0150] In the initial stage, as shown in the first diagram of Figure 8, the two monitoring RF units are in the awake state. When a moving object is detected within the service range of at least one of the two monitoring RF units, the adjacent non-monitoring RF units of the monitoring RF unit are awakened.

[0151] In the second schematic diagram of FIG8 , it is taken as an example that the monitoring RF unit in the upper left corner detects a moving object and wakes up the adjacent RF unit of the monitoring RF unit in the upper left corner.

[0152] When the radio frequency unit is working in the awake state, the indicator light of the radio frequency unit is on. When the radio frequency unit is working in the sleep state, the indicator light of the radio frequency unit is off. Therefore, in the present disclosure, when the user moves into the service range of a radio frequency unit or near a radio frequency unit, the indicator light of the radio frequency unit is on. At the same time, when the radio frequency unit is awakened, a timer is set, and when the timer expires, the radio frequency unit will switch to the sleep state again. That is, when the user moves out of the service range of the radio frequency unit or near the radio frequency unit, the indicator light of the radio frequency unit will go out again after being lit for a period of time. Therefore, in the present disclosure, for non-monitoring radio frequency units, it can be realized that as the user enters, the indicator light will light up and work in the awake state. When the user leaves, the non-monitoring radio frequency unit switches to the sleep state and the indicator light goes out, realizing "the light turns on when the person leaves and the light turns off when the person leaves".

[0153] In the third diagram of Figure 8, the non-monitoring RF unit awakened in the second diagram switches to sleep mode as the user leaves and the timer expires, and the indicator light of the awakened non-monitoring RF unit in the second diagram turns off. Simultaneously, as the user moves to the monitoring RF unit in the lower right corner, the monitoring RF unit detects a moving object within its service range and awakens the adjacent RF unit. When the user leaves the access network's service range, the operating state of the access network device's RF unit switches back to the first diagram of Figure 8.

[0154] In this disclosure, there is no need to purchase dedicated hardware, change the hardware of the access network equipment, or affect the communication of the access network equipment, thus achieving energy conservation of the access network equipment. Furthermore, the non-monitoring radio frequency units in the access network equipment are awakened on demand, adaptively saving energy and achieving maximum energy conservation for the access network equipment.

[0155] In the present disclosure, radar detection is introduced into a wireless communication system, and the radar detection is used to realize the positioning of objects (such as terminal devices) in the wireless communication system. For example, an access network device uses radar detection to detect a moving object. The present disclosure provides a method for detecting a moving object, as shown in FIG9 , comprising:

[0156] The access network equipment includes a baseband unit. The baseband unit is used as an example to implement mobile physical detection. It is understood that many units in the access network equipment can implement mobile physical detection. The following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the present disclosure.

[0157] Step 901: The baseband unit determines whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit according to the first received detection signal.

[0158] The process of the baseband unit determining the first reception detection signal is shown in Figure 5. For example, the first reception detection signal is sent by the first radio frequency unit and received by the second radio frequency unit; or the first reception detection signal is sent by the second radio frequency unit and received by the first radio frequency unit; or the first reception detection signal is sent by the first antenna of the first radio frequency unit and received by the second antenna of the first radio frequency unit.

[0159] The implementation process of step 901 may include: determining whether there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by a mobile object based on the first received detection signal; if there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by a mobile object, determining that there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; or, if there is no Doppler frequency shift signal caused by a mobile object, determining that there is no mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

[0160] The processing of step 901 may be referred to as radar processing. There is no limitation on the implementation of radar processing. The following exemplary description, referring to FIG. 10 , illustrates the radar processing process:

[0161] 1. Multi-frame cumulative channel estimation. For example, channel estimation is performed on the first received detection signal to obtain a vector. Each received detection signal is transmitted in a corresponding frame. The multi-frame accumulation process sorts the channel estimation results obtained from multiple frames in chronological order and combines them into a matrix.

[0162] 2. Phase compensation: The phase compensation process is to compensate for phase noise and fill in the initial phases of the channel estimation results of different frames.

[0163] 3. Static clutter elimination: In the process of static clutter elimination, filters are used to remove clutter.

[0164] 4. Doppler calculation. The Doppler calculation process can use discrete Fourier transform to calculate the range Doppler spectrum;

[0165] 5. Constant False-Alarm Rate (CFAR) detection of moving targets. The CFAR detection algorithm searches for a target signal, which can be a Doppler-shifted signal, at range Doppler. If a Doppler-shifted signal is detected, the detection result indicates the presence of a Doppler-shifted signal caused by a moving object. Alternatively, if no Doppler-shifted signal is detected, the detection result indicates the absence of a Doppler-shifted signal caused by a moving object.

[0166] 6. Report the test results. Report the test results to the corresponding unit. The step of reporting the test results is optional and can be performed. For example, if other units need to perform corresponding operations based on the test results, the test results can be reported to the corresponding units. Alternatively, the above step of reporting the test results can be omitted. For example, the baseband unit performs the above steps 1 to 5 to obtain the test results. The subsequent baseband unit directly uses the test results to perform energy-saving operations on the radio frequency unit. The base station unit directly uses the test results without reporting to other units, and the above step of reporting the test results is no longer performed.

[0167] Step 902: The baseband unit performs an energy-saving operation on the first radio frequency unit according to whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

[0168] The process of performing the energy-saving operation is described in FIG5. For example, the first RF unit is a non-monitoring RF unit. When there is no moving object within the service range of the first RF unit, the first RF unit operates in a dormant state.

[0169] Step 902 is optional and may or may not be performed, without limitation. For example, if the purpose of the present disclosure is to detect whether a mobile object is within the service range of the RF unit, then no further steps need to be performed, and step 902 may not be performed. Alternatively, if an energy-saving operation is performed based on whether a mobile object is within the service range of the RF unit, then step 902 may be performed. Alternatively, if other operations are performed based on whether a mobile object is within the service range of the RF unit, then step 902 may not be performed.

[0170] The above design can detect whether there are moving objects within the service range of the radio frequency unit, and further effectively detect terminals in connected, idle or inactive states.

[0171] It is understood that in order to implement the functions of the above method, the baseband unit includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in combination with the various exemplary units and method steps described in this disclosure, the present disclosure can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a manner driven by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0172] Figures 11 and 12 are structural diagrams of a possible device provided by the present disclosure. The device can implement the functions of the baseband unit in the above method embodiment, and thus can achieve the beneficial effects of the above method.

[0173] As shown in Figure 11, the apparatus 1100 includes a processing unit 1110 and a transceiver unit 1120. The apparatus 1100 is used to implement the functions of the baseband unit in the above method.

[0174] When the device 1100 is used to implement the function of the baseband unit in Figure 5 above: the transceiver unit 1120 is used to receive a first reception detection signal from the radio frequency unit; the processing unit 1110 is used to determine whether there is a mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on the first reception detection signal; if there is a mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state; or, if there is no mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit is a non-monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state; or, if there is no mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit, and the first radio frequency unit is a monitoring radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state; wherein, the monitoring radio frequency unit operates in an awake state in the initial stage of the first time period, and the non-monitoring radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state in the initial stage of the first time period.

[0175] In one design, the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state: the processing unit 1110 starts or restarts the timer of the first radio frequency unit; and the first radio frequency unit operates in an awake state while the timer of the first radio frequency unit is running.

[0176] In one design, the first RF unit operates in an awake state: the processing unit 1110 wakes up a RF unit in a sleep state among adjacent RF units of the first RF unit; and starts or restarts a timer of the awakened adjacent RF unit; while the timer of the adjacent RF unit is running, the adjacent RF unit operates in an awake state.

[0177] In one design, the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state: after a timer of the first radio frequency unit expires, the processing unit 1110 causes the first radio frequency unit to operate in a sleep state.

[0178] In one design, the first reception detection signal is sent by the first RF unit and received by the second RF unit; or, the first reception detection signal is sent by the second RF unit and received by the first RF unit; or, the first reception detection signal is sent by the first antenna of the first RF unit and received by the second antenna of the first RF unit.

[0179] In one design, when the processing unit 1110 determines whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on the first received detection signal, it is specifically used to: determine whether there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object based on the first received detection signal; if there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object, determine that there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; or, if there is no Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object, determine that there is no mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

[0180] In one design, there is no connected terminal device within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

[0181] When the device 1100 is used to implement the function of the baseband unit in Figure 9 above: the transceiver unit 1120 is used to receive a first reception detection signal from the radio frequency unit; the processing unit 1110 is used to determine whether there is a mobile object in the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on the first reception detection signal; wherein the first reception detection signal is sent by the first radio frequency unit and received by the second radio frequency unit; or, the first reception detection signal is sent by the second radio frequency unit and received by the first radio frequency unit; or, the first reception detection signal is sent by the first antenna of the first radio frequency unit and received by the second antenna of the first radio frequency unit.

[0182] In one design, when the processing unit 1110 determines whether there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit based on the first received detection signal, it is specifically used to: determine whether there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object based on the first received detection signal; if there is a Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object, determine that there is a mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; or, if there is no Doppler frequency shift signal caused by the mobile object, determine that there is no mobile object within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

[0183] A more detailed description of the processing unit 1110 and the transceiver unit 1120 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0184] As shown in Figure 12, communication device 1200 includes a processor 1210 and an interface circuit 1220. Processor 1210 and interface circuit 1220 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 1220 can be a transceiver, an input / output interface, or a pin. Optionally, communication device 1200 may also include a memory 1230 for storing instructions executed by processor 1210, input data required by processor 1210 to execute instructions, or data generated by processor 1210 after executing instructions.

[0185] When the communication device 1200 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 9 , the processor 1210 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1110 , and the interface circuit 1220 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 1120 .

[0186] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to a baseband unit, the baseband unit module implements the functions of the baseband unit in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The baseband unit module receives information from other modules in the baseband unit (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the radio frequency module to the baseband unit; or the baseband unit module sends information to other modules in the baseband unit (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the baseband unit to the radio frequency unit. The baseband unit module here can be the baseband chip of the baseband unit, or it can be a DU or other module. The DU here can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0187] The present disclosure provides a system including a first device and a second device, wherein the first device is used to implement the function of the baseband unit in FIG. 5 or FIG. 9 , and the second device is used to implement the function of the radio frequency unit.

[0188] It is understood that the processor in the present disclosure may be a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0189] The memory in the present disclosure may be a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art.

[0190] An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium may also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC may reside in a base station or terminal. Of course, the processor and storage medium may also reside as discrete components in a base station or terminal.

[0191] The methods of the present disclosure can be implemented in whole or in part using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, they can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the present disclosure are performed in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, a core network device, a BBU, an RRU, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0192] In this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their internal logical relationships.

[0193] In the present disclosure, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of the present disclosure, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of the present disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B or C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0194] It is understood that the various numbers used in this disclosure are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The order of execution of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution. The order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic.

Claims

DEPCT6804 / 06 / 25681. Energy saving method, in which the method is applied to the baseband unit and consists of: Determination, based on the first received detection signal, whether a moving object is present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, in which case if a moving object is present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in the wakeful state; or if the moving object is not present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit and the first radio frequency unit is an unobserved radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in the sleep state; or if the moving object is not present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit and the first radio frequency unit is an observing radio frequency unit, the first radio frequency unit operates in the wakeful state, in which the observing radio frequency unit operates in the wakeful state at the initial phase of the first period, and the unobserving radio frequency unit operates in the sleep state at the initial phase of the first period.2.The method under Recourse I, in which the first radio frequency unit operates in a wakeful state, includes: the initiation or restart of the first radio frequency unit's timer, in which case during the operation of the first radio frequency unit's timer, the first radio frequency unit operates in a wakeful state.

3. The method under Recourse I or 2, in which, when the first radio frequency unit operates in a wakeful state, includes: the awakening of a sleep radio frequency unit in an adjacent radio frequency unit to the first radio frequency unit; and the initiation or restart of the timer of the awakened adjacent radio frequency unit, in which case during the operation of the adjacent radio frequency unit's timer, the adjacent radio frequency unit operates in a wakeful state.

4. The method under any one of Recourses I through 3, in which the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state, includes: after the first radio frequency unit's timer has expired, the first radio frequency unit operates in a sleep state. 5.Any of the methods under Claims 1 through 4, where the first received detection signal is transmitted by the first radio frequency unit and received by the second radio frequency unit; the first received detection signal is transmitted by the second radio frequency unit and received by the first radio frequency unit; or the first received detection signal is transmitted by the first antenna of the first radio frequency unit and received by the second antenna of the first radio frequency unit.6.One of the methods under Claims 1 through 5, in which a decision is made, based on the first received detection signal, whether a moving object is present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, is comprised of: a decision is made, based on the first received detection signal, whether a Doppler shift signal emitted by a moving object is present; and if a Doppler shift signal emitted by a moving object is present, the decision is made that a moving object is present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; or if a Doppler shift signal emitted by a moving object is absent, the decision is made that a moving object is absent within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

7. One of the methods under Claims 1 through 6, in which no connected terminal device is present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit. 8.The method for detecting moving objects, where the method is applied to the baseband processor and comprises: a determination, based on the first received detection signal, whether a moving object exists within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, where the first received detection signal is transmitted by the first radio frequency unit and received by the second radio frequency unit; the first received detection signal is transmitted by the second radio frequency unit and received by the first radio frequency unit; or the first received detection signal is transmitted by the first antenna of the first radio frequency unit and received by the second antenna of the first radio frequency unit.9The method under Claim 8, in which a decision is made, based on the first received detection signal, whether a moving object is present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit, consists of: a decision, based on the first received detection signal, whether a Doppler shift signal emitted by the moving object is present; and if a Doppler shift signal emitted by the moving object is present, the decision is made that the moving object is present within the service range of the first radio frequency unit; or if a Doppler shift signal emitted by the moving object is absent, the decision is made that the moving object is absent within the service range of the first radio frequency unit.

10. An instrument, comprising a unit configured to implement any of the methods under Claim 1 through 7 or a unit configured to implement the methods under Claim 8 or 9. 11.

12. A machine, which includes a processor and memory, in which the processor is configured to execute one of the methods of Claims 1 through 7 or methods of Claims 8 or 9.

13. A machine, which includes a processor and interface circuitry, in which the interface circuitry is configured to: receive signals from other machines and transmit signals to the processor, or transmit signals from the processor to other machines, and the processor is configured to execute one of the methods of Claims 1 through 7 or methods of Claims 8 or 9 through logic circuitry or by executing code instructions.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, in which the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed on the computer, the computer is enabled to execute one of the methods of Claims 1 through 7 or methods of Claims 8 or 9.A computer program product, which contains instructions, which, when these instructions are executed on the computer, enable the computer to perform any of the methods described in Claims 1 through 7 or methods described in Claims 8 or 915. A chip, which contains a processor, which is connected to memory, and configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory, enabling the chip to perform any of the methods described in Claims 1 through 7 or methods described in Claims 8 or 916. A system, which contains: a first machine and a second machine, in which the first machine is configured to perform any of the methods described in Claims 1 through 7 or methods described in Claims 8 or 9; and the second machine is configured to perform radio frequency unit functions.

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