Radio frequency front-end module and terminal

Abstract

A radio frequency front-end module and a terminal. The radio frequency front-end module comprises a baseband, and a radio frequency integrated circuit, a first transceiving component, and a second transceiving component which are connected to the baseband. The baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit comprises a first switch, and the first transceiving component is connected to a first end of the first switch and the second transceiving component is connected to a second end of the first switch, respectively. The first switch is used for generating a first control signal, the first control signal being used for controlling a first radio frequency signal generated by the radio frequency integrated circuit to switch from the first transceiving component to the second transceiving component to be sent out. Further disclosed is a corresponding terminal. The first switch is used for switching a sending channel, and the first switch can, when an antenna of the first transceiving component is blocked, switch to the second transceiving component to send out a radio frequency signal. In addition, the first switch is provided in the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, so that PCB wiring is close, the signal power loss is small, and the antenna performance of a terminal is improved.

Description

RF front-end modules and terminals

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 5, 2023, with application number 202311138825.5 and invention name “RF front-end module and terminal”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a radio frequency front-end module and a terminal. Background Art

[0003] Currently, the primary receive (PRX) and diversity receive (DRX) paths of terminals are mostly distributed at the top and bottom of the terminal. As shown in Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the antenna distribution of an example mobile phone, the PRX and DRX antennas of the terminal are distributed at the top and bottom of the terminal. For terminals that support multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, their MIMO primary receive path (MIMO PRX) and MIMO diversity receive path (MIMO DRX) are generally located in the middle of the terminal. However, in scenarios where the terminal is in landscape mode and held with both hands (such as a two-handed gaming scenario), the uplink power of the terminal is significantly degraded due to obstruction at the top and bottom, ultimately deteriorating the antenna performance of the terminal.

[0004] One solution is to use a front-end switch to switch the transmit channel. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing RF front-end module. ANT0 and ANT1 connect to the PRX and DRX, while ANT2 and ANT3 connect to the MIMO PRX and MIMO DRX. Switches 1 and 2 are added to the RF front-end. When ANT0 and / or ANT1 are blocked, switches 1 and / or 2 switch ANT0 and / or ANT1 to ANT2 and / or ANT3, thereby improving the terminal's uplink power and ultimately the terminal's antenna performance. However, the switching process of switches 1 and 2 results in a certain amount of signal power loss. Furthermore, the power amplifier (PA) 1 is located within the PRX, and the long printed circuit board (PCB) routing from PA1 to the MIMO PRX / DRX also results in a certain amount of signal power loss. The PA1's limited output linear power capability makes it difficult to compensate for the signal power loss caused by the long PCB routing. Therefore, the above solution ultimately degrades the terminal's antenna performance.

[0005] In view of this, how to implement the switching of transmission channels and improve the antenna performance of the terminal is a problem to be solved.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a radio frequency front-end module and a terminal, so as to implement the switching of transmission channels when the PRX / DRX antenna performance deteriorates, thereby improving the antenna performance of the terminal.

[0008] In a first aspect, a radio frequency front-end module is provided, comprising a baseband, a radio frequency integrated circuit connected to the baseband, a first transceiver component, and a second transceiver component; the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit comprises a first switch, the first transceiver component and the second transceiver component being connected to a first end and a second end of the first switch, respectively; the first switch is used to generate a first control signal, the first control signal being used to control the first radio frequency signal generated by the radio frequency integrated circuit to be switched from the first transceiver component to the second transceiver component for transmission. In this aspect, the first switch in the baseband or radio frequency integrated circuit is used to switch the transmission channel, and when the antenna of the first transceiver component is blocked, the radio frequency signal can be switched to the second transceiver component to be transmitted. By placing the first switch in the baseband or radio frequency integrated circuit, the PCB routing is shortened, the signal power loss is reduced, and the antenna performance of the terminal is improved.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the second transceiver component includes a MIMO master module, a MIMO diversity module, a first antenna, and a second antenna; the MIMO master module is connected to the second end of the first switch; the MIMO master module is connected to the first antenna and the second antenna; the MIMO diversity module is connected to the first antenna and the second antenna; and the second transceiver component is configured to receive the first control signal and control the first RF signal to be transmitted by the first antenna or the second antenna. In this implementation, upon receiving the first control signal from the first switch, the second transceiver component can detect changes in the efficiency of the first antenna and the second antenna, control the first RF signal to be transmitted by the first antenna or the second antenna, and select the antenna with the highest transmission power for uplink services.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the second transceiver component includes a second switch; the MIMO main set module includes a first amplifier, and the first amplifier is connected to the second end of the first switch; the first antenna and the second antenna are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the second switch, and the MIMO diversity module is connected to the third end of the second switch; the first amplifier is used to receive the first RF signal and amplify the first RF signal; the second switch is used to control the amplified first RF signal to be sent out by the first antenna or the second antenna according to the first control signal.

[0011] With reference to the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the second switch is located in the MIMO master module.

[0012] With reference to the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the MIMO master module is connected to the fourth end of the second switch.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the first switch is further configured to generate a second control signal, and the second control signal is configured to control the second RF signal generated by the RF integrated circuit to be transmitted by the first transceiver component. In this implementation, when the antenna of the first transceiver component is not obstructed, the first switch generally controls the RF signal to be transmitted by the first transceiver component. In other scenarios, the first switch can also control the RF signal to be transmitted by the second transceiver component.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the first transceiver component includes a main set module, a diversity module, a third antenna and a fourth antenna; the main set module is connected to the first end of the first switch; the main set module is connected to the third antenna and the fourth antenna; the diversity module is connected to the third antenna and the fourth antenna; the first transceiver component is used to receive the second control signal and control the second RF signal to be sent out by the third antenna or the fourth antenna.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the main set module includes a second amplifier and a third switch; the second amplifier is connected to the first end of the first switch; the third antenna and the fourth antenna are connected to the first end and the second end of the third switch, respectively, and the diversity module is connected to the third end of the third switch; the second amplifier is used to receive the second RF signal and amplify the second RF signal; the third switch is used to control the amplified second RF signal to be sent out by the third antenna or the fourth antenna according to the second control signal.

[0016] With reference to the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the baseband is used to process the signal to be transmitted into a baseband signal.

[0017] With reference to the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the radio frequency integrated circuit is configured to process the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal.

[0018] In a second aspect, a terminal is provided, comprising the radio frequency front-end module as described in the first aspect or any one implementation of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. It is obvious that the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0020] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of antenna distribution of an exemplary mobile phone;

[0021] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an existing radio frequency front-end module;

[0022] FIG3 is a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of another RF front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of another RF front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0027] The term "one embodiment" or "embodiment" herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present application. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it refer to separate or selective embodiments that are mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "connected," "connected," and "connected" herein, indicating electrical connection, refer to direct or indirect electrical connection.

[0028] The technology provided by this application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, the communication system can be a fourth generation (4G) thgeneration, 4G) communication systems (such as long term evolution (LTE) systems), fifth generation (5 th The present application provides a communication system that is a 5G generation (5G) communication system, or a future communication system, such as a 6G communication system, or a fusion system of multiple systems. Among them, the 5G communication system can also be called a new radio (NR) system. In addition, the communication system provided in this application may include a non-terrestrial network (NTN) and / or a terrestrial network (TN).

[0029] A network element in a communication system can send signals to or receive signals from another network element. The signals may include information, signaling, or data. The network element may also be replaced by an entity, a network entity, a device, a communication device, a communication module, a node, a communication node, etc. The present application uses the network element as an example for description. For example, a communication system may include at least one terminal and at least one access network device. The access network device may send downlink signals to the terminal, and / or the terminal may send uplink signals to the access network device. In addition, it is understood that if the communication system includes multiple terminals, the multiple terminals may also send signals to each other, that is, the signal sending network element and the signal receiving network element may both be terminals.

[0030] Refer to Figure 3, which is a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network 100, a core network 200, and the Internet 300. The radio access network 100 can be a next-generation (e.g., 6G or higher) radio access network, or a traditional (e.g., 5G or 4G) radio access network. One or more terminals (120a-120j, collectively referred to as 120) can be connected to each other or to one or more network devices (110a, 110b, collectively referred to as 110) in the radio access network 100. The core network 200 may include one or more core network elements. Taking the 5G core network as an example, the 5G core network includes a session management function (SMF) network element responsible for session management, a user plane function (UPF) network element responsible for packet routing, forwarding, and QoS control on the user plane, an application function (AF) network element, and the like. The above-mentioned core network elements can work independently or be combined together to implement certain control functions, such as AF, SMF and UPF can be combined together as a core network element. The core network element in the embodiment of the present application can be any one of the above-mentioned AF, SMF, UPF, etc. Among them, Figure 3 is only a schematic diagram, and the communication system can also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices, etc., which are not drawn in Figure 3. For example, in actual applications, the communication system can include multiple network devices (also called access network devices) at the same time, and can also include multiple communication devices at the same time. A network device can serve one or more communication devices at the same time. A communication device can also access one or more network devices at the same time. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of communication devices and network devices included in the communication system.

[0031] The network device may be an entity on the network side for transmitting or receiving signals, and may be an access network device that connects a communication device to the communication system in a wireless manner, such as a base station. The base station can broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), access network equipment in open radio access network (O-RAN), relay station, access point, transmission point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), multi-standard wireless node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), centralized unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) node, centralized unit user plane (CU user The base station may be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node or the like, or a combination thereof. The network device may also refer to a communication module, a modem or a chip provided in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The network device may also be a mobile switching center and a device to device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), a device that performs the base station function in machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network side device in a 6G network, a device that performs the base station function in a future communication system, etc. The network device may support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0032] All or part of the functions of the network device in this application may also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The network device in this application may also be a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the network device functions.

[0033] Network devices can be fixed or mobile. For example, base stations 110a and 110b are stationary and are responsible for wireless transmission and reception in one or more cells from communication device 120. The helicopter or drone 120i shown in Figure 3 can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move according to the location of the mobile base station 120i. In other examples, the helicopter or drone (120i) can be configured to act as a communication device that communicates with base station 110b.

[0034] In this application, the communication device used to implement the above-mentioned access network function can be an access network device, a network device having some of the access network functions, or a device capable of supporting the implementation of the access network function, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit and a software module. The device can be installed in the access network device or used in combination with the access network device. In the method of this application, the communication device used to implement the access network device function is described as an access network device.

[0035] The terminal 120 can be any device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to the user and can communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (RAN). The terminal provided in this application can be applied to various communication scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, aerospace equipment, a drone device, etc. The communication device 120 can be a wireless device in the above various communication scenarios or a device used to be set in a wireless device, such as a communication module, modem or chip in the above device. A communication device may also be referred to as a terminal, terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. A communication device may also be a communication device in a future communication system. A communication device may be used in a dedicated network device or a general-purpose device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used by the communication device.

[0036] For example, a communication device can function as a base station. For example, a UE can function as a dispatching entity, providing sidelink signals between UEs in V2X, D2D, or P2P scenarios. As shown in Figure 3, a cell phone 120a and a car 120b communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Cell phone 120a and a smart home device 120e communicate without relaying the communication signal through base station 110b.

[0037] In this application, the communication device used to implement the functions of the above-mentioned terminal 120 can be a terminal device, or a module having some of the functions of the above-mentioned terminal, or a device capable of supporting the implementation of the functions of the above-mentioned terminal, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal or used in combination with the terminal. In this application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. In the technical solution provided in this application, the communication device is described as a terminal or UE as an example.

[0038] The communication between the access network device and the terminal 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 may include the functions of protocol layers such as the radio resource control (RRC) layer, the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, the radio link control (RLC) layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, and the physical layer. For example, the user plane protocol layer structure may include the functions of protocol layers such as the PDCP layer, the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the physical layer. In one possible implementation, a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer may also be included above the PDCP layer.

[0039] Exemplarily, the protocol layer structure between the access network device and the terminal may further include an AI layer for transmitting data related to the AI ​​function.

[0040] In one example, as shown in FIG2 , which is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an access network device (such as a gNB) provided in an embodiment of the present application, the access network device may include a CU and a DU. Multiple DUs may be centrally controlled by one CU. As an example, the interface between the CU and the DU may be referred to as an F1 interface. Among them, the interface between the control plane (CP) of the CU and the DU may be F1-C, and the interface between the user plane (UP) of the CU and the DU may be F1-U. The CU and the DU may 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 the 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 the DU; for another example, the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer are set in the CU, and the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer are set in the DU.

[0041] It will be appreciated that the above division of the processing functions of the CU and DU based on protocol layers is merely an example, and the division may be performed in other ways. For example, the CU or DU may be divided to include functions for more protocol layers, or to include partial processing functions for a protocol layer. In one design, some functions of the RLC layer and functions of protocol layers above the RLC layer are located in the CU, while the remaining functions of the RLC layer and functions of protocol layers below the RLC layer are located in the DU. In another design, the functions of the CU or DU may be divided based on service type or other system requirements, for example, based on latency, where functions whose processing time must meet latency requirements are located in the DU, while functions that do not meet these latency requirements are located in the CU. In another design, the CU may also include one or more functions of the core network. For example, the CU may be located on the network side to facilitate centralized management. In another design, the RU of the DU is remotely located, where the RU has radio frequency functions. In another design, 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] In the above architecture, signaling generated by the CU can be sent to the terminal via the DU, and vice versa. For example, RRC or PDCP layer signaling is ultimately processed into physical layer signaling and sent to the terminal, or converted from received physical layer signaling. In this architecture, the RRC or PDCP layer signaling can be considered to be sent via the DU, or via the DU and RU.

[0044] For example, 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 application.

[0045] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meanings. For example, in the O-RAN system, CU may be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may be called O-DU, CU-CP may be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may be called O-CU-UP, and RU may be called O-RU.

[0046] It should be understood that the number and type of each device in the communication system shown in Figure 3 are for illustration only, and the present application is not limited to this. In actual applications, the communication system may also include more terminals, more access network devices, more core network elements, and other network elements, such as network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions.

[0047] It is understandable that all or part of the functions implemented by one or more of the terminals, access network devices, core network network elements, or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions can be virtualized, that is, implemented by one or more of the proprietary processors or general-purpose processors and the corresponding software modules. Among them, since the terminal and the access network device involve an interface for air interface transmission, the transceiver function of the interface can be implemented by hardware. Exemplarily, one or more functions of the virtualized terminal, access network device, core network network element, or network element for implementing artificial intelligence functions can be implemented by a cloud device, such as a cloud device in an over the top (OTT) system.

[0048] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application. The radio frequency front-end module in a terminal is used as an example for description. The radio frequency front-end module may include a processor 410, a filter 420, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 430, a PA 440, a switch 450, and an antenna circuit 460, wherein the antenna circuit 460 includes at least one antenna 461.

[0049] The processor 410 may include one or more processing units, for example, the processor 410 may include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a neural-network processing unit (NPU), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband (BB) 411, and / or a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 412. The controller may generate an operation control signal based on the instruction opcode and the timing signal to complete the control of instruction fetching and execution.

[0050] The processor 410 may be provided with a memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in the processor 410 may be a cache memory. This memory may store instructions or data that the processor 410 has just used or is reusing. If the processor 410 needs to use the instruction or data again, it can directly call it from the memory. This avoids repeated accesses, reduces the waiting time of the processor 410, and thus improves the efficiency of the system. In some embodiments, the memory may also be provided outside the processor 410 and coupled to the processor 410.

[0051] The memory in the embodiment of the present application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of realizing a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store a desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. For example, the memory can be a non-volatile memory, such as a digital versatile disc (DVD), a hard disk (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), etc., or a volatile memory (volatile memory), such as a random-access memory (RAM).

[0052] BB411 is used to synthesize the baseband signal to be transmitted and / or to decode the received baseband signal. Specifically, during transmission, BB411 encodes voice or other data signals into the baseband signal (or baseband code) to be transmitted; during reception, it decodes the received baseband signal into voice or other data signals. BB411 may include components such as an encoder, a decoder, and a baseband processor. The encoder is used to synthesize the baseband signal to be transmitted, and the decoder is used to decode the received baseband signal. The baseband processor, which may be a microcontroller unit (MCU), can control the encoder and decoder. For example, the baseband processor can be used to schedule encoding and decoding, communicate between the encoder and decoder, and drive peripherals (it can enable components outside of BB411 by sending enable signals to them).

[0053] RFIC412 is used to process the baseband signal to form a transmit (TX) signal and pass the transmit signal to PA440 for amplification; and / or RFIC412 is used to process the receive (RX) signal to form a baseband signal and send the formed baseband signal to BB411 for decoding.

[0054] The processor 410 may frequency modulate the signal according to a mobile communication technology or a wireless communication technology. Mobile communication technologies may include LTE, 5G, etc. Wireless communication technologies may include wireless local area networks (WLAN) (such as Wi-Fi networks), Bluetooth, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared technology (IR), etc.

[0055] Processor 410 may include at least one BB 411 and at least one RFIC 412. In some embodiments, each BB 411 corresponds to an RFIC to frequency-modulate signals according to one or more communication technologies. For example, the first BB and the first RFIC frequency-modulate signals according to 5G technology, the second BB and the second RFIC frequency-modulate signals according to LTE technology, the third BB and the third RFIC frequency-modulate signals according to Wi-Fi technology, the fourth BB and the fourth RFIC frequency-modulate signals according to Bluetooth technology, and so on. Alternatively, the first BB and the first RFIC may frequency-modulate signals according to both LTE and 5G technologies, the second BB and the second RFIC frequency-modulate signals according to Wi-Fi technology, and so on. In some embodiments, one BB may correspond to multiple RFICs to improve integration.

[0056] In some embodiments, the BB 411 and the RFIC 412 may be integrated with other components of the processor 410 in an integrated circuit (IC). In some embodiments, the BB 411 and the RFIC 412 may each be a separate device independent of the processor 410. In some embodiments, a BB 411 and a RFIC 412 may be integrated in a device independent of the processor 410. In some embodiments, the BB 411 and the RFIC 412 are integrated in different integrated circuits, and the BB 411 and the RFIC 412 are packaged together, for example, in a system on a chip (SOC).

[0057] Antenna circuit 460 is used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals (or radio frequency signals). Antenna circuit 460 may include multiple antennas 461 or multiple antenna groups (multiple antenna groups include two or more antennas). Each antenna 461 or multiple antenna groups can be used to cover a single or multiple communication frequency bands. The multiple antennas can be one or more of multi-band antennas, array antennas, or on-chip antennas.

[0058] Processor 410 is coupled to antenna circuit 460 to implement various functions associated with transmitting and receiving RF signals. For example, when a terminal transmits a signal, BB 411 synthesizes the data (digital signal) to be transmitted into a baseband signal to be transmitted. RFIC 412 converts the baseband signal into a transmit signal (RF signal). The transmit signal is amplified by PA 440. The amplified output signal from PA 440 is transmitted to switch 450 and then transmitted via antenna circuit 460. The path from processor 410 to switch 450 is called the transmit path (also known as the transmit path or transmit link). When the terminal needs to receive a signal, antenna circuit 460 sends the received signal (RF signal) to switch 450. Switch 450 sends the RF signal to RFIC 412. RFIC 412 processes the RF signal into a baseband signal and sends it to BB 411. BB 411 converts the processed baseband signal into data and sends it to the corresponding application processor. The path from switch 450 to processor 410 is called the receive path (also known as the receive path or receive link). The port coupled to the transmit path in the processor 410 is a transmit port TX, and the port coupled to the receive path in the processor 410 is a receive port RX.

[0059] Switch 450 can be configured to selectively couple antenna circuit 460 to a transmit path or a receive path. In some embodiments, switch 450 can include multiple switches. Switch 450 can also be configured to provide additional functionality. The coupling involved in the embodiments of the present application can include a connection state in which a direct connection is made for signal transmission, or a connection state in which a signal is transmitted through spatial coupling instead of a direct connection.

[0060] In other embodiments of the present application, the RF front-end module may include more or fewer components than shown, or may combine or separate certain components, or may have different component arrangements. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. Each transmit path or each receive path may be understood as a transmission path.

[0061] In this application, a processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in this application. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in this application may be directly executed by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0062] FIG4 illustrates only one antenna in the RF front-end module. In practice, the RF front-end module typically includes at least two antennas, for example, four antennas. These four antennas can simultaneously receive downlink signals transmitted by the base station through different receiving paths, thus establishing four transmission paths between the base station and the terminal. When wireless communication is established between the terminal and the base station, the channel state of each transmission path needs to be acquired in order for the base station to control data transmission on different transmission paths to achieve more efficient downlink data transmission. This acquisition can be accomplished by the terminal transmitting a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the base station via an antenna. The SRS enables the base station to acquire the channel state of the transmission path corresponding to the antenna. Furthermore, if the terminal has a small number of transmission paths, for example, only one or two transmission paths for four antennas, SRS transmission may be performed in rotation. This involves switching the transmission path to each antenna using a switch, so that each antenna transmits an SRS in turn. Although only one or two antennas are transmitting at a time, as long as all antennas have transmitted an SRS, the base station can acquire the channel state of the transmission paths corresponding to the four antennas.

[0063] For ease of understanding, the following embodiments of this application will take the RF front-end module mentioned above as an example, and combine the accompanying drawings and application scenarios to specifically explain the RF front-end module and related products provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0064] In response to the problem proposed in the background technology that switching the transmission channel through the front-end switch may cause a certain signal power loss due to the long PCB routing, and the linear power capability of the amplifier is difficult to compensate for the signal power loss caused by the long PCB routing, which ultimately leads to the deterioration of the antenna performance of the terminal, the embodiment of the present application provides a radio frequency front-end module and a terminal, in which the first switch in the baseband or radio frequency integrated circuit is used to realize the switching of the transmission channel. When the antenna of the first transceiver component is blocked, it can be switched to the second transceiver component to send the radio frequency signal, and by setting the first switch in the baseband or radio frequency integrated circuit, the PCB routing is close, the signal power loss is small, and the antenna performance of the terminal is improved.

[0065] As shown in Figure 5, a schematic diagram of the structure of another RF front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The RF front-end module includes a baseband (not shown in the figure, refer to the structure of Figure 4), an RFIC501 connected to the baseband, a first transceiver component 502 and a second transceiver component 503, the baseband or RFIC501 includes a first switch 5011 (Figure 5 is described using the RFIC501 including the first switch 5011 as an example, and the setting of the first switch in the baseband can refer to this embodiment), and the first transceiver component 502 and the second transceiver component 503 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the first switch 5011.

[0066] In this embodiment, under normal circumstances, the default RF signal is transmitted by the antenna in the first transceiver component 502. However, as described in the background technology, if one or all of the antennas in the first transceiver component 502 are blocked, the first switch 5011 is used to generate a first control signal, which is used to control the first RF signal generated by the RFIC 501 to be switched from the first transceiver component 502 to the second transceiver component 503 for transmission. If the antenna of the first transceiver component 502 is blocked, the RF signal can be switched to the second transceiver component 503 for transmission. By setting the first switch 5011 in the baseband or RFIC 501, the PCB traces are shortened, the signal power loss is reduced, and the antenna performance of the terminal is improved.

[0067] In other cases, for example, when it is detected that the transmission power of the antenna of the second transceiver component 503 is larger, the first switch 5011 may also control the RF signal to be switched from the first transceiver component 502 to the second transceiver component 503 for transmission.

[0068] Furthermore, the second transceiver component 503 includes a MIMO master module 5031, a MIMO diversity module 5032, a first antenna 5035, and a second antenna 5036. The MIMO master module 5031 is connected to the second end of the first switch 5011. The MIMO master module 5031 is connected to the first antenna 5035 and the second antenna 5036. The MIMO diversity module 5032 is connected to the first antenna 5035 and the second antenna 5036. The second transceiver component 503 is configured to receive a first control signal and control the first RF signal to be transmitted via the first antenna 5035 or the second antenna 5036. For example, upon receiving the first control signal from the first switch 5011, the second transceiver component 503 can detect changes in the efficiency of the first antenna 5035 and the second antenna 5036, control the first RF signal to be transmitted via the first antenna 5035 or the second antenna 5036, and select the antenna with the highest transmission power for uplink traffic.

[0069] Furthermore, the second transceiver component 503 includes a second switch 5034; the MIMO main set module 5031 includes a first amplifier 5033, and the first amplifier 5033 is connected to the second end of the first switch 5011; the first antenna 5035 and the second antenna 5036 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the second switch 5034, and the MIMO diversity module 5032 is connected to the third end of the second switch 5034; the first amplifier 5033 is used to receive the first RF signal and amplify the first RF signal; the second switch 5034 is used to control the amplified first RF signal to be sent out by the first antenna 5035 or the second antenna 5036 according to the first control signal.

[0070] Furthermore, the second switch 5034 is located in the MIMO master module 5031 .

[0071] Furthermore, the first switch 5011 is further configured to generate a second control signal, which is configured to control the second RF signal generated by the RF integrated circuit to be transmitted by the first transceiver component 502. For example, when the antenna of the first transceiver component 502 is not blocked, the first switch 5011 generally controls the RF signal to be transmitted by the first transceiver component 502. In other scenarios, the first switch 5011 may also control the RF signal to be transmitted by the second transceiver component 503.

[0072] Furthermore, the first transceiver component 502 includes a main set module 5021, a diversity module 5022, a third antenna 5025 and a fourth antenna 5026; the main set module 5021 is connected to the first end of the first switch 5011; the main set module 5021 is connected to the third antenna 5025 and the fourth antenna 5026; the diversity module 5022 is connected to the third antenna 5025 and the fourth antenna 5026; the first transceiver component 502 is used to receive a second control signal and control the second radio frequency signal to be sent out by the third antenna 5025 or the fourth antenna 5026.

[0073] Furthermore, the main set module 5021 includes a second amplifier 5023 and a third switch 5024; the second amplifier 5023 is connected to the first end of the first switch 5011; the third antenna 5025 and the fourth antenna 5026 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the third switch 5024, and the diversity module 5022 is connected to the third end of the third switch 5024; the second amplifier 5023 is used to receive the second RF signal and amplify the second RF signal; the third switch 5024 is used to control the amplified second RF signal to be sent out by the third antenna 5025 or the fourth antenna 5026 according to the second control signal.

[0074] In this embodiment, the baseband is used to process the signal to be transmitted into a baseband signal.

[0075] In this embodiment, the RFIC 501 is used to process the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal.

[0076] According to an RF front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application, a first switch in a baseband or RF integrated circuit is used to realize switching of a transmission channel. When the antenna of the first transceiver component is blocked, the RF signal can be switched to the second transceiver component to send out. By setting the first switch in the baseband or RF integrated circuit, the PCB wiring is close, the signal power loss is small, and the antenna performance of the terminal is improved.

[0077] As shown in Figure 6, a schematic diagram of the structure of another RF front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The RF front-end module includes a baseband (not shown in the figure, refer to the structure of Figure 4), an RFIC601 connected to the baseband, a first transceiver component 602 and a second transceiver component 603, the baseband or RFIC601 includes a first switch 6011 (Figure 5 is described using the RFIC601 including the first switch 6011 as an example, and the setting of the first switch in the baseband can refer to this embodiment), and the first transceiver component 602 and the second transceiver component 603 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the first switch 6011.

[0078] Furthermore, the second transceiver component 603 includes a MIMO main set module 6031, a MIMO diversity module 6032, a first antenna 6035 and a second antenna 6036; the MIMO main set module 6031 is connected to the second end of the first switch 6011; the MIMO main set module 6031 is connected to the first antenna 6035 and the second antenna 6036; the MIMO diversity module 6032 is connected to the first antenna 6035 and the second antenna 6036; the second transceiver component 603 is used to receive a first control signal and control the first RF signal to be sent out by the first antenna 6035 or the second antenna 6036.

[0079] Furthermore, the second transceiver component 603 includes a second switch 6034; the MIMO main set module 6031 includes a first amplifier 6033, and the first amplifier 6033 is connected to the second end of the first switch 6011; the first antenna 6035 and the second antenna 6036 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the second switch 6034, and the MIMO diversity module 6032 is connected to the third end of the second switch 6034.

[0080] Furthermore, the MIMO master module 6031 is connected to a fourth end of the second switch 6034 .

[0081] Furthermore, the first transceiver component 602 includes a main set module 6021, a diversity module 6022, a third antenna 6025 and a fourth antenna 6026; the main set module 6021 is connected to the first end of the first switch 6011; the main set module 6021 is connected to the third antenna 6025 and the fourth antenna 6026; the diversity module 6022 is connected to the third antenna 6025 and the fourth antenna 6026.

[0082] Furthermore, the main set module 6021 includes a second amplifier 6023 and a third switch 6024; the second amplifier 6023 is connected to the first end of the first switch 6011; the third antenna 6025 and the fourth antenna 6026 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the third switch 6024, and the diversity module 6022 is connected to the third end of the third switch 6024.

[0083] 5 , in the embodiment shown in FIG6 , the second switch 6034 is located outside the MIMO master module 6031, and the MIMO master module 6031 is connected to the fourth terminal of the second switch 6034. The functions of the various components can be referred to in the implementation of FIG5 and will not be described in detail here.

[0084] The RF front-end module provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a terminal. The embodiments of the present application also provide a terminal. The terminal includes the RF front-end module involved in the above embodiments. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any restrictions on the specific type of terminal.

[0085] When the above units or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a PLD, a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or not rely on the software to execute the above method flow.

[0086] It should be understood that in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B; where A and B can be singular or plural. Also, in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or plural. In addition, to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily mean different. In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be interpreted as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner to facilitate understanding.

[0087] As used in the following description of this application, the terms "including," "having," and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or elements is not limited to the listed steps or elements but may optionally include other steps or elements not listed, or may optionally include other steps or elements inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0088] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it 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 instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means.

[0089] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art can understand and implement other changes to the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0090] 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.

[0091] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0092] The components in the device of the embodiment of the present application can be merged, divided, or deleted according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can combine or combine the different embodiments and features of the different embodiments described in this specification.

[0093] In this application, under the premise of no logical contradiction, the examples can reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples can reference each other.

[0094] The preferred embodiments of the present application disclosed above are intended only to help illustrate the present application. The preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the present application to the specific embodiments described. Obviously, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of the embodiments of the present application. This application selects and specifically describes these embodiments in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and utilize the present application. The present application is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A radio frequency front-end module, characterized in that: It includes a baseband, a radio frequency integrated circuit connected to the baseband, a first transceiver component and a second transceiver component; The baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit comprises a first switch, and the first transceiver component and the second transceiver component are respectively connected to a first end and a second end of the first switch; The first switch is used to generate a first control signal, and the first control signal is used to control the first radio frequency signal generated by the radio frequency integrated circuit to be switched from the first transceiver component to the second transceiver component for transmission.

2. The RF front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second transceiver component includes a multiple-input multiple-output MIMO main set module, a MIMO diversity module, a first antenna and a second antenna; The MIMO master module is connected to the second end of the first switch; The MIMO master module is connected to the first antenna and the second antenna; The MIMO diversity module is connected to the first antenna and the second antenna; The second transceiver component is used to receive the first control signal and control the first radio frequency signal to be sent out by the first antenna or the second antenna.

3. The RF front-end module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second transceiver component includes a second switch; The MIMO master module includes a first amplifier connected to the second end of the first switch; The first antenna and the second antenna are connected to a first end and a second end of the second switch respectively, and the MIMO diversity module is connected to a third end of the second switch; The first amplifier is used to receive the first radio frequency signal and amplify the first radio frequency signal; The second switch is used to control the amplified first radio frequency signal to be sent out by the first antenna or the second antenna according to the first control signal.

4. The RF front-end module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second switch is located in the MIMO master module.

5. The RF front-end module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The MIMO master module is connected to the fourth end of the second switch.

6. The RF front-end module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first switch is further used to generate a second control signal, and the second control signal is used to control the second radio frequency signal generated by the radio frequency integrated circuit to be sent out by the first transceiver component.

7. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first transceiver component includes a main set module, a diversity module, a third antenna and a fourth antenna; The main set module is connected to the first end of the first switch; The main assembly module is connected to the third antenna and the fourth antenna; The diversity module is connected to the third antenna and the fourth antenna; The first transceiver component is used to receive the second control signal and control the second radio frequency signal to be sent out by the third antenna or the fourth antenna.

8. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The main set module includes a second amplifier and a third switch; The second amplifier is connected to the first end of the first switch; The third antenna and the fourth antenna are connected to the first end and the second end of the third switch respectively, and the diversity module is connected to the third end of the third switch; The second amplifier is used to receive the second radio frequency signal and amplify the second radio frequency signal; The third switch is used to control the amplified second radio frequency signal to be sent out by the third antenna or the fourth antenna according to the second control signal.

9. The RF front-end module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The baseband is used to process the signal to be transmitted into a baseband signal.

10. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 9, characterized in that: The radio frequency integrated circuit is used to process the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal.

11. A terminal, characterized in that: Comprising a radio frequency front-end module as described in any one of claims 1-10.

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