Antenna system, and antenna system control method and apparatus

Abstract

An antenna system, and an antenna system control method and apparatus, relating to the field of communications. The antenna system comprises a control module, a first switch group, at least three antenna arrays, a transmitter, a receiver, and a second switch group; a second antenna array is located at the upper end of a first antenna array, and a third antenna array is located at the lower end of the first antenna array; the first switch group is used for controlling the turn-on or turn-off of any one of the at least three antenna arrays; the second switch group is used for controlling any one of the at least three antenna arrays to be connected to the transmitter or the receiver; and the control module controls a working mode of the antenna system by means of the first switch group and the second switch group, and the working mode of the antenna system is a communication mode or a radar mode. By means of the antenna system, air-ground communication and radar detection functions can be realized, and switching can be performed between two different working modes.

Description

Antenna system, antenna system control 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 the People's Republic of China on August 29, 2023, with application number 202311107919.6 and invention name "An antenna system, antenna system control method and device", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an antenna system, an antenna system control method and a device. Background Art

[0004] UAV, short for unmanned aerial vehicle, is an unmanned aircraft that uses radio equipment and self-contained programmable control devices. UAVs include unmanned helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and multi-rotor aircraft. As drone technology matures, characterized by miniaturization, low cost, and intelligent features, consumer drone applications are booming, and industrial drone applications are also increasing rapidly.

[0005] 5G cellular networks are currently the most widely used wide-area mobile communication system, capable of communicating with both ground-based and aerial drones. To address the limited flight and control range of traditional drones, 5G cellular networks are replacing the drones' built-in communication links, enabling remote control of drones. The widespread use of drones across various industries is a future trend.

[0006] However, as the application scenarios of drones become more and more diverse, while bringing convenience, they have also caused frequent "illegal flying" incidents, seriously endangering public safety and personal privacy.

[0007] How to ensure both drone communication and radar detection at the same time is an issue worthy of attention.

[0008] Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present application provides an antenna system, an antenna system control method and a device for achieving radar detection of targets such as drones while ensuring low-altitude drone communication.

[0010] In a first aspect, the present application provides an antenna system, comprising a control module, a first switch group, at least three antenna arrays, a transmitter, a receiver, and a second switch group; the at least three antenna arrays include a first antenna array, a second antenna array, and a third antenna array; the normal direction of the first antenna array is parallel to the horizontal direction, the angle between the normal direction of the second antenna array and the horizontal direction is a first angle, and the angle between the normal direction of the third antenna array and the horizontal direction is a second angle; the second antenna array is located at the upper end of the first antenna array, and the third antenna array is located at the lower end of the first antenna array; the first switch group is used to control the opening or closing of any one of the at least three antenna arrays; the second switch group is used to control the connection of any one of the at least three antenna arrays to the transmitter or the receiver; the control module controls the operating mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, and the operating mode of the antenna system is a communication mode or a radar mode. The above-mentioned antenna system can realize air-to-ground communication and radar detection functions, and can switch between two different working modes. It can ensure low-altitude UAV communication while performing radar detection on targets such as UAVs.

[0011] In a possible design, the first angle and the second angle are both acute angles.

[0012] In one possible design, the antenna system also includes a phase shifter group; the phase shifter group is used to control the beam direction corresponding to any one of the at least three antenna array surfaces; the control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is a ground mode and an air mode.

[0013] In one possible design, the antenna system operates in radar mode; when the control module controls the antenna system's operating mode through the first and second switch groups, the control module controls the second and third antenna arrays to be turned on, and the first antenna array to be turned off, through the first switch group; the control module controls the second antenna array to be connected to the transmitter, and the third antenna array to be connected to the receiver, through the second switch group, or the control module controls the second antenna array to be connected to the receiver, and the third antenna array to be connected to the transmitter, through the second switch group. The above design enables the transmitting and receiving antenna arrays to select different antenna arrays, ensures isolation between the transmitting and receiving antenna arrays, and reduces interference between the transmitting and receiving signals.

[0014] In one possible design, the operating mode of the antenna system is a communication mode; when the control module controls the operating mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, the control module controls the second antenna array surface and the third antenna array surface to be turned on, and the first antenna array surface to be turned off through the first switch group; the control module controls the second antenna array surface to be connected to the transmitter, and the third antenna array surface to be connected to the transmitter through the second switch group, or the control module controls the second antenna array surface to be connected to the receiver, and the third antenna array surface to be connected to the receiver through the second switch group.

[0015] In one possible design, the phase shifter group includes a phase shifter corresponding to the second antenna array face and a phase shifter corresponding to the third antenna array face; the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode; when the control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, the control module controls the beam corresponding to the second antenna array face to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the second antenna array face, and the control module controls the beam corresponding to the third antenna array face to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third antenna array face. The above design can be used to switch between different antenna array faces in time, and combined with the beam weight configuration of the phase shifter, the vertical coverage angle range is expanded, the vertical coverage blind spot is eliminated, especially the coverage blind spot for the overhead airspace, and communication coverage over a large vertical angle range between air and ground is achieved.

[0016] In one possible design, the first antenna array surface includes a first sub-antenna array surface, a second sub-antenna array surface and a third sub-antenna array surface, wherein the first sub-antenna array surface, the second sub-antenna array surface and the third sub-antenna array surface do not overlap with each other, the first sub-antenna array surface is located at the upper end of the second sub-antenna array surface, and the third sub-antenna array surface is located at the lower end of the second sub-antenna array surface; the first switch group is also used to control the opening or closing of any one of the first sub-antenna array surface, the second sub-antenna array surface and the third sub-antenna array surface.

[0017] In one possible design, the operating mode of the antenna system is radar mode; when the control module controls the operating mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, the control module controls the first sub-antenna array surface and the third sub-antenna array surface to be turned on, and the second sub-antenna array surface to be turned off through the first switch group; the control module controls the first sub-antenna array surface to be connected to the transmitter, and the third sub-antenna array surface to be connected to the receiver through the second switch group, or the control module controls the first sub-antenna array surface to be connected to the receiver, and the third sub-antenna array surface to be connected to the transmitter through the second switch group.

[0018] The above design can realize the selection of different antenna array planes for transmitting and receiving antenna array planes, and can ensure the isolation between the transmitting and receiving antenna array planes, thereby reducing the interference between the transmitting and receiving signals.

[0019] In one possible design, the phase shifter group includes a phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface and a phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface; the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode; when the control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, the control module controls the beam corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface, and the control module controls the beam corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface.

[0020] In one possible design, the phase shifter group includes a phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface and a phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface; the coverage mode of the antenna system is a ground mode; when the control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, the control module controls the beam corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface, and the control module controls the beam corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface.

[0021] In one possible design, the operating mode of the antenna system is a communication mode; when the control module controls the operating mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, the control module controls the second antenna array surface and the third antenna array surface to be turned off, and the first antenna array surface to be turned on through the first switch group; the control module controls the first antenna array surface to be connected to the transmitter, or the first antenna array surface to be connected to the receiver through the second switch group.

[0022] In one possible design, the phase shifter group includes a phase shifter corresponding to the first antenna array surface; the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode; when the control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, the control module controls the beam corresponding to the first antenna array surface to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first antenna array surface.

[0023] In one possible design, the phase shifter group includes a phase shifter corresponding to the first antenna array surface; the coverage mode of the antenna system is a ground mode; when the control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, the control module controls the beam corresponding to the first antenna array surface to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first antenna array surface.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present application provides an antenna system control method, comprising: obtaining configuration information, the configuration information indicating the operating modes corresponding to N sub-time units within a first time unit; and setting the operating mode of the antenna system to the operating mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit at the start position of the first sub-time unit, where the first sub-time unit is any one of the N sub-time units, and the operating mode of the antenna system is either a communication mode or a radar mode. Using this method, a control module can switch to different operating modes based on the configuration information, implementing air-to-ground communication and radar detection functions.

[0025] In one possible design, the configuration information also indicates the coverage modes corresponding to the N sub-time units, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air mode or a ground mode; at the starting position of the first sub-time unit, the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to the coverage mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit.

[0026] In one possible design, the first time unit is a time slot, and the first sub-time unit is a symbol, or the first time unit is a subframe, and the first sub-time unit is a time slot.

[0027] In a third aspect, the present application provides an antenna system control device, comprising a transceiver unit and a processing unit; the transceiver unit is used to obtain configuration information, wherein the configuration information indicates the working modes corresponding to the N sub-time units within the first time unit; the processing unit is used to set the working mode of the antenna system to the working mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit at the starting position of the first sub-time unit, wherein the first sub-time unit is any one of the N sub-time units, and the working mode of the antenna system is a communication mode or a radar mode.

[0028] In one possible design, the configuration information also indicates the coverage modes corresponding to the N sub-time units respectively, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air mode or a ground mode; the processing unit is also used to set the coverage mode of the antenna system to the coverage mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit at the starting position of the first sub-time unit.

[0029] In one possible design, the first time unit is a time slot, and the first sub-time unit is a symbol, or the first time unit is a subframe, and the first sub-time unit is a time slot.

[0030] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which can be applied to a terminal device or a network device, and includes a unit for executing any of the methods described in the second aspect above.

[0031] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one processing element and at least one storage element, wherein the at least one storage element is used to store programs and data, and the at least one processing element is used to read and execute the programs and data stored in the storage element, so that the method described in any one of the above-mentioned second aspects of the present application is implemented.

[0032] In a sixth aspect, the present application further provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any of the methods described in the second aspect.

[0033] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes: an interface circuit; the interface circuit is used to provide input and / or output of programs or instructions to at least one processor; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions so that the communication device can implement any method described in any one of the above-mentioned second aspects.

[0034] In one possible manner, the communication device includes the at least one processor.

[0035] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer storage medium storing a software program. When the software program is read and executed by one or more processors, the software program can implement any of the methods described in the second aspect above.

[0036] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any of the methods described in the second aspect.

[0037] In a tenth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising at least one chip and a memory, wherein the at least one chip is used to read and execute a program stored in the memory to implement any one of the methods described in the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the bending angle of the antenna array surface in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the main beam direction of the air beam in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the directions of the first antenna array surface 300, the second antenna array surface 400, and the third antenna array surface 500 in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the shapes of the second antenna array surface 400 and the third antenna array surface 500 in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first antenna array surface 300, the second antenna array surface 400, and the third antenna array surface 500 in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an antenna system including the phase shifter group 900 and an antenna system including the phase shifter group 900 in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG8 is a schematic diagram showing an antenna system in a radar mode according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG9 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first sub-antenna array face, the second sub-antenna array face, and the third sub-antenna array face in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG10 is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application in which the antenna system operates in a radar mode;

[0048] FIG11 is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application in which the antenna system operates in a radar mode;

[0049] FIG12 is a schematic diagram showing an antenna system in which the working mode is a communication mode according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG13 is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application in which the antenna system operates in a communication mode;

[0051] FIG14 is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application in which the working mode of the antenna system is the communication mode;

[0052] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of the working mode and coverage mode of the antenna system in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG16 is a flowchart illustrating an antenna system control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG17 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG18 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: global system for mobile communications (GSM) system, code division multiple access (CDMA) system, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, general packet radio service (GPRS), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WIMAX) communication system, fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), or applied to future communication systems or other similar communication systems.

[0057] The following is a brief description of the technical concepts involved in this application:

[0058] 1. Beamforming: A technology that achieves directional signal transmission or reception by adjusting the amplitude and phase of each transmitting or receiving channel.

[0059] 2. Radar: Radar is an electronic device that uses electromagnetic waves to detect targets. Radar emits electromagnetic waves to illuminate the target and receives the echoes, thereby obtaining information such as the distance from the target to the electromagnetic wave emission point, the rate of change of distance (radial velocity), direction, and altitude.

[0060] 3. RF phase shifter, referred to as phase shifter, is a microwave network module that provides controllable phase difference for RF signals and is commonly used in phased array antennas.

[0061] 4. Antenna array bending angle: refers to the angle between the normal direction perpendicular to the antenna array and the horizontal direction, as shown in Figure 1.

[0062] 5. Ground beam: The main beam direction of the ground beam is aimed at the ground terminal equipment.

[0063] 6. Aerial Beam: The main beam of the air-to-air beam is aimed at the airborne terminal device. When the main beam direction of the air-to-air beam is within the range of 0 to 45 degrees upward, the air-to-air beam is also called the distant air-to-air beam. When the main beam direction of the air-to-air beam is within the range of 45 to 90 degrees upward, the air-to-air beam is also called the near-head overhead air-to-air beam, as shown in Figure 2.

[0064] Existing 5G communication base stations generally use two-dimensional plate-shaped directional antennas, which are difficult to meet coverage requirements. Although the mechanical tilt angle can be adjusted during installation, there may generally be problems with air coverage holes or insufficient ground coverage, making it difficult to meet the coverage requirements of the entire airspace. In addition, in order to achieve air communication and radar coverage, it is currently necessary to deploy communication equipment and radar equipment at the same time, that is, two sets of equipment need to be deployed, resulting in high deployment costs. The present application provides an antenna system for achieving radar detection of targets such as drones while ensuring low-altitude drone communication.

[0065] As shown in FIG3 , the antenna system includes: a control module 100 , a first switch group 200 , at least three antenna arrays, a transmitter 600 , a receiver 700 , and a second switch group 800 .

[0066] The at least three antenna array surfaces include a first antenna array surface 300, a second antenna array surface 400, and a third antenna array surface 500. The normal direction of the first antenna array surface 300 is parallel to the horizontal direction. The normal direction of the second antenna array surface 400 forms a first angle with the horizontal direction, and the normal direction of the third antenna array surface 500 forms a second angle with the horizontal direction. As shown in Figure 4, the first angle and the second angle are independent of each other and can both be acute angles. The first angle can be the same as or different from the second angle. Alternatively, the bending angle of the first antenna array surface 300 is 0 degrees, the bending angle of the second antenna array surface 400 is greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees, and the bending angle of the third antenna array surface 500 is greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees.

[0067] The second antenna array surface 400 is located at the upper end of the first antenna array surface 300 , and the third antenna array surface 500 is located at the lower end of the first antenna array surface 300 .

[0068] For example, the first antenna array 300 can be used to achieve ground coverage and air coverage, where ground coverage primarily covers ground-based terminal devices, and air coverage primarily covers distant areas in the air, specifically including the area with an upward elevation of 0 to 45 degrees. The second antenna array 400 and the third antenna array 500 can be used to achieve air coverage, where air coverage primarily covers the area near the head, specifically including the area with an upward elevation of 45 to 90 degrees.

[0069] This application does not limit the specific shapes of the second antenna array surface 400 and the third antenna array surface 500. The shapes of the second antenna array surface 400 and the third antenna array surface 500 can be curved or non-curved, as shown in Figure 5. In addition, as shown in Figure 6, a gap may exist between the second antenna array surface 400 and the first antenna array surface 300. And / or a gap may exist between the third antenna array surface 500 and the first antenna array surface 300. This application does not limit this.

[0070] It is understandable that the antenna system may also include other antenna array surfaces, which may be located at the upper end of the second antenna array surface 400 or the lower end of the third antenna array surface 500. The normal direction of the other antenna array surface may be parallel to the horizontal direction or have an angle with it, and this application does not limit this.

[0071] The first switch group 200 is used to control the opening or closing of any one of the at least three antenna array planes. It should be noted that the first switch group 200 may include multiple switches. This application does not limit the specific composition of the first switch group 200. The connection relationship between the various switches in this application is only an example and does not constitute a limitation of this application.

[0072] The second switch group 800 is used to control any one of the at least three antenna arrays to be connected to the transmitter 600 or the receiver 700. The second switch group 800 may include multiple switches, and the present application does not limit the specific structure of the second switch group 800.

[0073] The control module 100 controls the working mode of the antenna system through the first switch group 200 and the second switch group 800. The working mode of the antenna system is a communication mode or a radar mode.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the antenna system may further include a phase shifter group 900. It should be noted that the phase shifter group 900 is an optional module. The phase shifter group includes multiple phase shifters, and different phase shifters may correspond to different antenna planes. For example, the phase shifter group 900 is used to control the beam direction corresponding to any one of the at least three antenna planes. That is, different phase shifters in the phase shifter group 900 are used to control the beam direction corresponding to the corresponding antenna plane.

[0075] The control module 100 controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group 900. The coverage mode of the antenna system is a ground mode and an air mode.

[0076] It is understandable that when the antenna system does not include the phase shifter group 900, the antenna system is a digital beam forming (DBF) structure, as shown in Figure 7. When the antenna system includes the phase shifter group 900, the antenna system is a hybrid beam forming (HBF) structure, as shown in Figure 3. Among them, if there is no phase shifter group, the antenna system can also adjust the beam direction. By increasing the number of RF channels, a similar effect to adjusting the beam direction through the phase shifter group can be achieved. By introducing the phase shifter group to obtain the HBF structure, the number of RF channels can be reduced. The DBF structure is relatively more flexible, but the number of RF channels is greater and the cost will be higher.

[0077] The following describes the antenna system's operating mode and coverage mode:

[0078] Case 1: The antenna system operates in radar mode.

[0079] Radar systems generally require full-duplex operation with simultaneous transmission and reception. Therefore, strict isolation requirements are imposed on the transmitting and receiving antennas, typically requiring sufficient distance between them. Using Solution 1 or Solution 2, the control module 100, the first switch group 200, and the second switch group 800 enable the transmitting and receiving antennas to select different antenna faces, ensuring isolation between them and reducing interference between the transmitted and received signals.

[0080] Solution 1: The control module 100 controls the second antenna array 400 and the third antenna array 500 to be turned on, and the first antenna array 300 to be turned off, through the first switch group 200. For example, as shown in Figure 8 , switches a and b in the first switch group 200 are set to the upper position, switch e is opened, and switches c and d are set to the lower position. This turns the second antenna array 400 and the third antenna array 500 on, and the first antenna array 300 off. Consequently, the second antenna array 400 and the third antenna array 500 are in an active state, while the first antenna array 300 is in an inactive state.

[0081] The control module 100 controls the second antenna array 400 to connect to the transmitter 600 and the third antenna array 500 to connect to the receiver 700 through the second switch group 800. Alternatively, the control module 100 controls the second antenna array 400 to connect to the receiver 700 and the third antenna array 500 to connect to the transmitter 600 through the second switch group 800. In other words, one of the second antenna array 400 and the third antenna array 500 functions as a radar receiving array, and the other functions as a radar transmitting array. The control module 100 can configure the second antenna array 400 and the third antenna array 500 to achieve a full-duplex radar mode, enabling the antenna system to perform radar detection functions. Furthermore, due to the sufficient spacing between the second antenna array 400 and the third antenna array 500, a high degree of isolation can be ensured.

[0082] Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 8, the control module 100 controls the second antenna array surface 400 to be connected to the receiver 700 through the second switch group 800, so that the second antenna array surface 400 is a radar receiving array surface, and the control module 100 controls the third antenna array surface 500 to be connected to the transmitter 600 through the second switch group 800, so that the second antenna array surface 400 is a radar transmitting array surface.

[0083] Furthermore, the phase shifter group 900 may include a phase shifter corresponding to the second antenna array surface 400 and a phase shifter corresponding to the third antenna array surface 500 .

[0084] The control module 100 controls the beam corresponding to the second antenna array surface 400 to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the second antenna array surface 400. The control module 100 controls the beam corresponding to the third antenna array surface 500 to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third antenna array surface 500, so that the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode.

[0085] At the same time, the control module 100 can adjust the beam weights of the phase shifters corresponding to the second antenna array surface 400 and the phase shifters corresponding to the third antenna array surface 500 in the phase shifter group 900. When the adjusted phase shifters make the main beam direction of the air beam in the area of ​​45 degrees to 90 degrees upward to the air, the air mode at this time can be called the air near-head area mode, or the air mode for the area of ​​45 degrees to 90 degrees upward to the air.

[0086] Solution 2: First antenna array 300 includes a first sub-antenna array, a second sub-antenna array, and a third sub-antenna array. The first, second, and third sub-antenna arrays do not overlap. The first sub-antenna array is located above the second sub-antenna array, and the third sub-antenna array is located below the second sub-antenna array. In other words, the first antenna array can be divided into three sections, as shown in Figure 9.

[0087] The first switch group is further used to control the opening or closing of any of the first, second, and third sub-antenna array planes. To ensure sufficient spacing between the first and third sub-antenna array planes, the second sub-antenna array plane includes at least four antenna elements.

[0088] The control module 100 controls the first and third sub-antenna array surfaces to be turned on, and the second sub-antenna array surface to be turned off, through the first switch group 200. For example, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, switches a and b in the first switch group 200 are set to the bottom, switch e is disconnected, and switches c and d are set to the top. The second antenna array surface 400 and the third antenna array surface 500 are turned off, and the second sub-antenna array surface controlled by switch e in the first antenna array surface 300 is turned off. Therefore, the second antenna array surface 400 and the third antenna array surface 500 are in an inoperative state, the first and third sub-antenna array surfaces in the first antenna array surface 300 are in an operative state, and the second sub-antenna array surface is in an inoperative state.

[0089] The control module 100 controls the first sub-antenna array face to connect to the transmitter 600 and the third sub-antenna array face to connect to the receiver 700 through the second switch group 800. Alternatively, the control module 100 controls the first sub-antenna array face to connect to the receiver 700 and the third sub-antenna array face to connect to the transmitter 600 through the second switch group 800. In other words, one of the first and third sub-antenna array faces functions as a radar receiving face, and the other functions as a radar transmitting face. The control module 100 can configure the first and third sub-antenna array faces to achieve a full-duplex radar mode, enabling the antenna system to perform radar detection functions. Furthermore, since there is sufficient spacing between the first and third sub-antenna array faces, a high degree of isolation can be ensured.

[0090] Furthermore, the phase shifter group 900 may include a phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array face and a phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array face.

[0091] The control module 100 controls the beam corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface, and the control module 100 controls the beam corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface, so that the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode.

[0092] At the same time, the control module 100 can adjust the beam weights of the phase shifters corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface and the phase shifters corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface in the phase shifter group 900. When the adjusted phase shifters make the main beam direction of the air beam in the area of ​​0 to 45 degrees upward to the air, the air mode at this time can be called the air far area mode, or, the air mode for the area of ​​0 to 45 degrees upward to the air, as shown in Figure 10.

[0093] Alternatively, the control module 100 controls the beam corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface, and the control module 100 controls the beam corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface, so that the coverage mode of the antenna system is a ground mode, as shown in Figure 11.

[0094] Case 2: The antenna system operates in communication mode

[0095] Solution a: Control module 100 controls the second antenna array 400 and third antenna array 500 to be turned on and the first antenna array 300 to be turned off via first switch group 200. For example, as shown in FIG12 , switches a and b in first switch group 200 are set to the upper position, switch e is opened, and switches c and d are set to the lower position.

[0096] The control module 100 controls the second antenna array surface 400 to connect to the transmitter 600 and the third antenna array surface 500 to connect to the transmitter 700 via the second switch group 800. Alternatively, the control module 100 controls the second antenna array surface 400 to connect to the receiver 700 and the third antenna array surface 500 to connect to the receiver 700 via the second switch group 800. In other words, the second antenna array surface 400 and the third antenna array surface 500 simultaneously function as a communication receiving surface (receiving uplink information from a terminal device) or a communication transmitting surface (sending downlink information to a terminal device). For example, whether the second antenna array surface 400 and the third antenna array surface 500 simultaneously function as a communication receiving surface or a communication transmitting surface can be determined based on the uplink and downlink subframe ratio.

[0097] At the same time, the control module 100 can adjust the beam weights of the phase shifters corresponding to the second antenna array surface 400 and the phase shifters corresponding to the third antenna array surface 500 in the phase shifter group 900. When the adjusted phase shifters make the main beam direction of the air beam in the area of ​​45 degrees to 90 degrees upward to the air, the air mode at this time can be called the air near-head area mode, or the air mode for the area of ​​45 degrees to 90 degrees upward to the air, as shown in Figure 12.

[0098] Solution b: Control module 100 controls the second antenna array surface 400 and the third antenna array surface 500 to be turned off and the first antenna array surface 300 to be turned on via first switch group 200. For example, as shown in Figures 13 and 14 , switches a and b in first switch group 200 are set to the bottom, switch e is closed, and switches c and d are set to the top.

[0099] The control module 100 controls the first antenna face 300 to connect to the transmitter 600 or to connect to the receiver 700 via the second switch group 800. In other words, the first antenna face 300 functions as a receiving face (receiving uplink information from a terminal device) or a transmitting face (sending downlink information to a terminal device). For example, whether the first antenna face 300 functions as a receiving face or a transmitting face can be determined based on the uplink and downlink subframe ratio.

[0100] The phase shifter group 900 includes phase shifters corresponding to the first antenna array face 300. The control module 100 controls the beam corresponding to the first antenna array face 300 to be an air-to-air beam through the phase shifters corresponding to the first antenna array face 300, so that the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode. At the same time, the control module 100 can adjust the beam weights of the phase shifters corresponding to the first antenna array face 300 in the phase shifter group 900. When the adjusted phase shifters cause the main beam direction of the air-to-air beam to be in the range of 0 to 45 degrees of upward elevation to the air, the air-to-air mode at this time can be called an air-to-air distant area mode, or an air-to-air mode for the range of 0 to 45 degrees of upward elevation to the air, as shown in Figure 13.

[0101] Alternatively, the control module 100 controls the beam corresponding to the first antenna array surface 300 to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first antenna array surface 300, so that the coverage mode of the antenna system is a ground mode, as shown in FIG14.

[0102] Currently, flat panel antennas are generally used, but their vertical coverage is insufficient, leaving coverage gaps above the head. Alternatively, complex motor transmission devices are required to adjust the coverage of the overhead antenna array. The aforementioned solutions a and b enable time-division switching of different antenna array planes through the control module 100 and the first switch group 200. Combined with the beam weight configuration of the phase shifter, this expands the vertical coverage angle range, eliminates vertical coverage blind spots, and particularly addresses coverage blind spots above the head, achieving communication coverage over a wide vertical angle range between air and ground.

[0103] Based on the above-mentioned schemes 1, 2, a and b, it can be seen that the above-mentioned antenna system can be configured into two different working modes, and can also be configured into multiple different coverage modes, as shown in FIG15 .

[0104] It can be seen that through the design of three antenna arrays, in conjunction with the first switch group for switching the antenna arrays, the second switch group, the transmitter, the receiver, and the phase shifter for controlling the beam pointing, air-to-ground communication and radar detection functions can be realized. It can switch between two different working modes and multiple different coverage modes, and can also solve the problems of limited vertical coverage and gaps in overhead coverage.

[0105] Furthermore, based on the above antenna system, the present application also provides an antenna system control method for controlling the operating mode and coverage mode of the above antenna system. As shown in FIG16 , the method includes:

[0106] Step 1601: Obtain configuration information, where the configuration information indicates the working modes corresponding to N sub-time units within a first time unit, where N is a positive integer.

[0107] In one possible design, the first time unit is a time slot and the first sub-time unit is a symbol, or the first time unit is a subframe and the first sub-time unit is a time slot.

[0108] Exemplarily, the control module may obtain configuration information, as shown in Table 1, which configures the working modes corresponding to the respective time slots in a subframe.

[0109] Table 1

[0110] Among them, the coverage mode number 1 indicates that the coverage mode is the ground mode, the coverage mode number 2 indicates that the coverage mode is the distant air area mode, and the coverage mode number 3 indicates that the coverage mode is the near overhead air area mode.

[0111] Step 1602: Set the working mode of the antenna system to the working mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit at the starting position of the first sub-time unit, where the first sub-time unit is any one of the N sub-time units, and the working mode of the antenna system is the communication mode or the radar mode.

[0112] In a possible implementation, the configuration information further indicates coverage modes corresponding to the N sub-time units, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to the coverage mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit at the starting position of the first sub-time unit.

[0113] The coverage mode of the antenna system is either an air-to-ground mode or a ground-to-ground mode. The air-to-ground mode also includes an air-to-ground mode for an area with an upward tilt of 0 to 45 degrees (also referred to as a far-air-to-ground mode), and an air-to-ground mode for an area with an upward tilt of 45 to 90 degrees (also referred to as a near-head-to-ground mode), as shown in Table 1.

[0114] For example, in conjunction with Table 1, at the start of time slot 1, the operating mode of the antenna system is set to communication mode, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to ground mode, corresponding to Figure 14 in the above-mentioned solution b. At the start of time slot 5, the operating mode of the antenna system is set to communication mode, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to remote air mode, corresponding to Figure 13 in the above-mentioned solution b. At the start of time slot 6, the operating mode of the antenna system is set to communication mode, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to remote air mode, corresponding to Figure 12 in the above-mentioned solution a. At the start of time slot 7, the operating mode of the antenna system is set to radar mode, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to remote air mode, corresponding to Figure 11 in the above-mentioned solution 2. At the start of time slot 8, the operating mode of the antenna system is set to radar mode, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to remote air mode, corresponding to Figure 10 in the above-mentioned solution 2. At the start of time slot 9, the operating mode of the antenna system is set to radar mode, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to remote air mode, corresponding to Figure 8 in the above-mentioned solution 1.

[0115] By adopting the above method, the control module can switch to different working modes and different coverage modes according to the configuration information, thereby achieving air and ground communication coverage and radar detection coverage.

[0116] It is understood that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the control module includes hardware structures and / or software modules that perform the corresponding functions. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in combination with the units and method steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0117] Figures 17 and 18 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the control module in the above method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 17 , the communication device 1700 includes a processing unit 1710 and a transceiver unit 1720 .

[0119] The transceiver unit 1720 is configured to obtain configuration information, where the configuration information indicates the operating modes corresponding to the N sub-time units within the first time unit;

[0120] Processing unit 1710 is used to set the working mode of the antenna system to the working mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit at the starting position of the first sub-time unit, where the first sub-time unit is any one of the N sub-time units, and the working mode of the antenna system is communication mode or radar mode.

[0121] A more detailed description of the processing unit 1710 and the transceiver unit 1720 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG16 , and will not be repeated here.

[0122] As shown in Figure 18, communication device 1800 includes a processor 1810 and an interface circuit 1820. Processor 1810 and interface circuit 1820 are coupled to each other. It will be appreciated that interface circuit 1820 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 1800 may also include a memory 1830 for storing instructions executed by processor 1810, input data required by processor 1810 to execute instructions, or data generated by processor 1810 after executing instructions.

[0123] When the communication device 1800 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 16 , the processor 1810 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1710 , and the interface circuit 1820 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 1720 .

[0124] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or 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.

[0125] The present application provides another example of a device, which includes at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being coupled together, the at least one memory being used to store instructions. When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the communication device executes the method in the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG18 , a communication device 1800 includes a processor 1810 and a memory 1830. The processor 1810 and the memory 1830 are coupled together, and the memory 1830 stores instructions. When the instructions stored in the memory 1830 are executed by the processor 1810, the communication device 1800 executes the method executed by the network device or terminal in the above-described embodiment.

[0126] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a network device or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a network device or a terminal as discrete components.

[0127] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented 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 embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may 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 may 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 may 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 may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or 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.

[0128] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0129] In this application, "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 this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and 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.

[0130] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. An antenna system, characterized in that: The antenna system includes a control module, a first switch group, at least three antenna arrays, a transmitter, a receiver, and a second switch group; The at least three antenna array surfaces include a first antenna array surface, a second antenna array surface and a third antenna array surface; a normal direction of the first antenna array surface is parallel to a horizontal direction, an angle between a normal direction of the second antenna array surface and the horizontal direction is a first angle, and an angle between a normal direction of the third antenna array surface and the horizontal direction is a second angle; the second antenna array surface is located at an upper end of the first antenna array surface, and the third antenna array surface is located at a lower end of the first antenna array surface; The first switch group is used to control the opening or closing of any one of the at least three antenna array surfaces; The second switch group is used to control any one of the at least three antenna array surfaces to be connected to the transmitter or the receiver; The control module controls the working mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, and the working mode of the antenna system is a communication mode or a radar mode.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first angle and the second angle are both acute angles.

3. The antenna system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The antenna system also includes a phase shifter group; The phase shifter group is used to control the beam direction corresponding to any one of the at least three antenna array planes; The control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, and the coverage modes of the antenna system are a ground mode and an air mode.

4. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The working mode of the antenna system is radar mode; The control module controls the working mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, including: The control module controls the second antenna array surface and the third antenna array surface to be turned on, and the first antenna array surface to be turned off, through the first switch group; The control module controls the second antenna array to be connected to the transmitter and the third antenna array to be connected to the receiver through the second switch group, or the control module controls the second antenna array to be connected to the receiver and the third antenna array to be connected to the transmitter through the second switch group.

5. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The working mode of the antenna system is a communication mode; The control module controls the working mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, including: The control module controls the second antenna array surface and the third antenna array surface to be turned on, and the first antenna array surface to be turned off, through the first switch group; The control module controls the second antenna array to be connected to the transmitter and the third antenna array to be connected to the transmitter through the second switch group, or the control module controls the second antenna array to be connected to the receiver and the third antenna array to be connected to the receiver through the second switch group.

6. The antenna system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The phase shifter group includes a phase shifter corresponding to the second antenna array surface and a phase shifter corresponding to the third antenna array surface; The coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode; The control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, including: The control module controls the beam corresponding to the second antenna array surface to be an air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the second antenna array surface, and the control module controls the beam corresponding to the third antenna array surface to be an air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third antenna array surface.

7. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first antenna array surface includes a first sub-antenna array surface, a second sub-antenna array surface and a third sub-antenna array surface, wherein the first sub-antenna array surface, the second sub-antenna array surface and the third sub-antenna array surface do not overlap each other, the first sub-antenna array surface is located at the upper end of the second sub-antenna array surface, and the third sub-antenna array surface is located at the lower end of the second sub-antenna array surface; The first switch group is also used to control the opening or closing of any one of the first sub-antenna array surface, the second sub-antenna array surface and the third sub-antenna array surface.

8. The antenna system according to claim 7, characterized in that The working mode of the antenna system is radar mode; The control module controls the working mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, including: The control module controls the first sub-antenna array surface and the third sub-antenna array surface to be turned on, and the second sub-antenna array surface to be turned off, through the first switch group; The control module controls the first sub-antenna array surface to be connected to the transmitter and the third sub-antenna array surface to be connected to the receiver through the second switch group, or the control module controls the first sub-antenna array surface to be connected to the receiver and the third sub-antenna array surface to be connected to the transmitter through the second switch group.

9. The antenna system according to claim 8, characterized in that The phase shifter group includes a phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface and a phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface; The coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode; The control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, including: The control module controls the beam corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface to be an air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface, and the control module controls the beam corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface to be an air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface.

10. The antenna system according to claim 8, characterized in that The phase shifter group includes a phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface and a phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface; The coverage mode of the antenna system is a ground mode; The control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, including: The control module controls the beam corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first sub-antenna array surface, and the control module controls the beam corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the third sub-antenna array surface.

11. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The working mode of the antenna system is a communication mode; The control module controls the working mode of the antenna system through the first switch group and the second switch group, including: The control module controls the second antenna array surface and the third antenna array surface to be turned off, and the first antenna array surface to be turned on, through the first switch group; The control module controls the first antenna array surface to be connected to the transmitter, or the first antenna array surface to be connected to the receiver through the second switch group.

12. The antenna system according to claim 11, characterized in that The phase shifter group includes phase shifters corresponding to the first antenna array surface; the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode; The control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, including: The control module controls the beam corresponding to the first antenna array surface to be an air beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first antenna array surface.

13. The antenna system according to claim 11, characterized in that The phase shifter group includes phase shifters corresponding to the first antenna array surface; the coverage mode of the antenna system is a ground mode; The control module controls the coverage mode of the antenna system through the phase shifter group, including: The control module controls the beam corresponding to the first antenna array surface to be a ground beam through the phase shifter corresponding to the first antenna array surface.

14. An antenna system control method, characterized in that: include: Acquire configuration information, where the configuration information indicates the working modes respectively corresponding to the N sub-time units within the first time unit; At the starting position of the first sub-time unit, the working mode of the antenna system is set to the working mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit, the first sub-time unit is any one of the N sub-time units, and the working mode of the antenna system is the communication mode or the radar mode.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The configuration information further indicates the coverage modes corresponding to the N sub-time units respectively, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode or a ground-to-ground mode; The method further comprises: At the starting position of the first sub-time unit, the coverage mode of the antenna system is set to the coverage mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The first time unit is a time slot and the first sub-time unit is a symbol, or the first time unit is a subframe and the first sub-time unit is a time slot.

17. An antenna system control device, characterized in that: Including transceiver unit and processing unit: The transceiver unit is used to obtain configuration information, where the configuration information indicates the working modes corresponding to the N sub-time units in the first time unit respectively; The processing unit is used to set the working mode of the antenna system to the working mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit at the starting position of the first sub-time unit, the first sub-time unit is any one of the N sub-time units, and the working mode of the antenna system is Mode is either communication mode or radar mode.

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that The configuration information further indicates the coverage modes corresponding to the N sub-time units respectively, and the coverage mode of the antenna system is an air-to-air mode or a ground-to-ground mode; The processing unit is further configured to set the coverage mode of the antenna system to the coverage mode corresponding to the first sub-time unit at the starting position of the first sub-time unit.

19. The device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that The first time unit is a time slot and the first sub-time unit is a symbol, or the first time unit is a subframe and the first sub-time unit is a time slot.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit or a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: include: One or more processors and one or more memories; wherein the one or more memories store one or more programs, and when the programs are executed by the one or more processors, the device executes the method as described in any one of claims 14-16.

22. A chip system, characterized in that: The chip system includes at least one chip and a memory, and the at least one chip is used to read and execute the program stored in the memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 14-16.

23. A readable storage medium, characterized in that: The readable storage medium includes a program, and when the program is executed on a device, the device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

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