Communication apparatus, communication method, communication device, and passive optical network

Abstract

Provided are a communication apparatus, a communication method, a communication device, and a passive optical network, which relate to the field of communications, and can analyze a message from a received signal corresponding to a communication protocol, and convert same into a signal corresponding to another communication protocol and output the signal. The communication apparatus comprises: a first interface, a processing circuit, a PON circuit and a second interface, the processing circuit being separately coupled to the first interface and the PON circuit, and the PON circuit being coupled to the second interface. The first interface is used for a communication device and is specifically used for receiving a first signal transmitted by the communication device and analyzing a first message from the first signal, the first message comprising a message of a first communication protocol; the processing circuit is used for converting the first message into a second message, the second message comprising a message of a second communication protocol; the PON circuit is used for converting the second message into a second signal; the second interface is used for coupling to a passive optical network and is specifically used for transmitting the second signal to the passive optical network. The embodiments of the present application are applied to the field of communications.

Description

Communication device, communication method, communication equipment and passive optical fiber network

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 27, 2023, with application number 202311414899.7 and application name “A communication device, communication method, communication equipment and passive optical fiber network”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication device, a communication method, a communication equipment, and a passive optical fiber network. Background Art

[0003] The radio access network (RAN) in traditional network architectures primarily consists of indoor baseband units (BBUs), radio remote units (RRUs), and antenna units (AUs). In 5G scenarios, the transmission signal frequency increases, and the bandwidth and number of channels also increase significantly. Multiple BBUs are centralized in a central office (CO), while RRUs are deployed on remote signal towers or poles. Each BBU in the CO is connected to the RRU via one or more optical fibers. This deployment scheme is called a centralized radio access network (CRAN). When using the CRAN deployment scheme, the RRU is not located in the central office, but is deployed on a remote signal tower. This brings the RRU and AU closer together, allowing them to be integrated into a large-scale active antenna unit (AAU).

[0004] Typically, in practical applications, RRUs are deployed using traditional macro base stations (such as tower stations). However, there are numerous scenarios where traditional macro base station deployment is difficult. For example, in scenic areas like ancient towns, traditional macro base stations are difficult to deploy due to the age of the buildings, limited load-bearing capacity, limited installation space, and high aesthetic requirements for the deployed equipment. For these reasons, pole micro base stations (such as the EasyMacro pole micro base station and BookRRU pole micro base station) are increasingly being used to deploy RRUs in locations like commercial streets, residential areas, and squares. Pole micro base stations are typically implemented using either an outside-residential area coverage solution or an inside-residential area coverage solution. The outside-residential area coverage solution involves deploying pole micro base stations outside residential areas, extending signal coverage to encompass the residential area, thereby improving signal coverage within the residential area. However, when pole micro base stations are deployed outside residential areas, the signal must pass through walls multiple times (each wall penetration incurs a certain degree of loss), resulting in high signal losses. Furthermore, the coverage range of pole micro base stations is limited, so this solution does not provide sufficient indoor coverage depth. The residential coverage solution deploys micro-base stations within residential areas, which can improve signal coverage depth. However, since the RRU and BBU (i.e., micro-base stations) must be connected via optical fiber, this solution requires the deployment of optical fiber, which is difficult to implement (for example, deploying optical fiber in old residential areas requires breaking ground) and is also costly.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication device, a communication method, a communication equipment and a passive optical fiber network, which can parse a message from a received signal corresponding to a communication protocol, convert it into a signal corresponding to another communication protocol and output it.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes: a first interface, a processing circuit, a PON circuit, and a second interface; the processing circuit is coupled to the first interface and the PON circuit, respectively, and the PON circuit is coupled to the second interface; the first interface is used for a communication device, specifically for receiving a first signal transmitted by the communication device and parsing a first message from the first signal, the first message including a message of a first communication protocol; the processing circuit is used to convert the first message into a second message, the second message including a message of a second communication protocol; the PON circuit is used to convert the second message into a second signal; and the second interface is used to couple to a passive optical network, specifically for transmitting the second signal to the passive optical network.

[0008] The communication device in the above solution can parse signals received from a communication device to extract messages containing a first communication protocol, convert the parsed messages into new messages containing messages containing a second communication protocol, and convert the new messages into corresponding signals for output to the passive optical network. Specifically, the communication device in this solution can convert messages corresponding to the communication protocol of the communication device into messages corresponding to the communication protocol of the passive optical network, thereby achieving message protocol conversion. Generally, communication devices primarily transmit signals via cables or wirelessly, while passive optical networks use optical fibers as a transmission medium. Therefore, the transmission media of the communication device and the passive optical network are different, and their corresponding communication protocols are different, making signal transmission impossible. The communication device in the above solution can, through communication protocol conversion, convert messages in the signals transmitted by the communication device into messages in the signals transmitted by the passive optical network. This enables signal transmission between the communication device and the passive optical network, achieving communication and improving the quality and efficiency of signal transmission. Typically, the corresponding network architecture for passive optical networks has already been deployed. Furthermore, through this solution, signal transmission between communication devices can be achieved by relying on the existing passive optical fiber network architecture, without the need to deploy more equipment and cables. It has higher compatibility and can effectively reduce the deployment cost of the communication network.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different.

[0010] Then, the above scheme can convert the message of one communication protocol into the message of another communication protocol, thereby realizing the communication protocol conversion of the message. Based on the message that has completed the communication protocol conversion, signal transmission can be realized between the devices or networks corresponding to different communication protocols. At the same time, the signal transmission between two different devices or networks can be realized by relying on the network architecture corresponding to one of the devices or networks. Then, through the above scheme, the message conversion between the two different communication protocols can be completed first, so that signal transmission can be realized between the devices or networks corresponding to the two communication protocols, and the signal transmission of the two communication protocols can be realized based on one network architecture, thereby improving the compatibility of the devices or networks.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the first communication protocol includes: a Universal Public Radio Interface protocol; the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

[0012] The above solution can convert Common Public Radio Interface Protocol (CPRIP) messages into Ethernet protocol messages, achieving communication protocol conversion of the messages. Furthermore, signal transmission between the two communication protocols can be achieved through the devices or networks corresponding to the CPRIP and Ethernet protocols. At the same time, because the CPRIP and Ethernet protocols each include different devices or networks, the above solution allows signal transmission between the CPRIP and Ethernet protocols to be implemented based on either network architecture corresponding to the CPRIP or Ethernet protocols. The above solution can complete message conversion between the CPRIP and Ethernet protocols, enabling signal transmission between the two communication protocols, and signal transmission between the two communication protocols can be achieved based on either network architecture.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes an indoor baseband unit or a radio remote unit.

[0014] The above solution can be applied to indoor baseband units (BBUs) or remote radio units (RRUs). Typically, the access network architecture includes an indoor BBU and a RRU, which require optical fiber connections for signal transmission. With the above solution, signal transmission between the indoor BBU and RRU can be achieved using a passive optical network architecture, eliminating the need for fiber deployment and reducing construction difficulty and costs. For example, fiber deployment often requires breaking ground within a residential complex, which is difficult and costly.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and the PON circuit is specifically configured to perform an optical line terminal function and convert the second message into a second signal.

[0016] The above solution can be applied to indoor baseband units, where the PON circuit in the communication device performs an optical line termination (OLT) function, converting messages into corresponding signals. For example, when the communication device has completed protocol conversion on messages in the signal sent by the indoor baseband unit, namely, converting the public wireless interface protocol (CRI) message parsed from the signal sent by the indoor baseband unit into an Ethernet protocol message, this message cannot be directly output to the passive optical network, making signal transmission between the communication device and the passive optical network difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to perform an OLT function on the PON circuit in the communication device, converting Ethernet protocol messages into corresponding signals, and then outputting them to the passive optical network, thereby enabling signal transmission between the two communication protocols. The OLT functions performed by the PON circuit include supporting point-to-multipoint (P2MP) transmission technology, controlling and managing user-end devices, and performing ranging (e.g., scheduling uplink channel bandwidth for user-end devices). The above solution, through the OLT function of the PON circuit in the communication device, can convert the converted Ethernet protocol messages into corresponding signals, thereby enabling signal transmission between the two communication protocols.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes a radio remote unit, and the PON circuit is specifically configured to perform an optical network unit function and convert the second message into a second signal.

[0018] The above solution can be applied to a remote radio unit (RRU). The PON circuit in the communication device performs the optical network unit (ONU) function, converting messages into corresponding signals. For example, when the communication device has completed protocol conversion on the messages in the signal sent by the RRU, namely, converting the parsed Common Radio Interface Protocol (CRI) message in the signal sent by the RRU into an Ethernet protocol message, this message cannot be directly output to the passive optical network (PON), making signal transmission between the communication device and the PON difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the ONU function in the PON circuit in the communication device, converting the Ethernet protocol message into the corresponding signal, and then outputting it to the PON, thereby enabling signal transmission between the two communication protocols. The above solution, using the ONU function in the PON circuit in the communication device, can convert the converted Ethernet protocol message into the corresponding signal, thereby enabling signal transmission between the two communication protocols. Furthermore, simply multiplexing the corresponding network architecture typically achieves point-to-point signal transmission. For example, a BBU can perform point-to-point signal transmission with an RRU by multiplexing the corresponding network architecture. However, the communication device based on the above scheme can realize point-to-multipoint transmission by deploying a communication device provided by the above scheme on the BBU side to perform the optical line terminal function, and deploying multiple communication devices provided by the above scheme on the RRU side to perform the optical network unit function. That is, one BBU can perform point-to-multipoint signal transmission with multiple RRUs by multiplexing the corresponding network architecture.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes: a control circuit; the control circuit is connected to the processing circuit, and is used to control the communication device to implement one or more of the following functions: startup, software loading, and upgrade.

[0020] In the above solution, the control circuit connected to the processing circuit can also control the startup, software loading, and upgrade of the communication device. In one possible implementation, signal transmission between the communication device and the passive optical network is required only during a fixed time period. The control circuit in the communication device can then control the communication device to start up during this fixed time period, ensuring signal transmission between the communication device and the passive optical network and effectively reducing energy consumption. For another example, due to updates to the communication protocol or technical upgrades to the communication device, the communication device may also need to load and upgrade corresponding software. The control circuit in the communication device can then control the communication device to load and upgrade corresponding software, ensuring compatibility of the communication device.

[0021] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes: a first interface, a processing circuit, a PON circuit, and a second interface; the processing circuit is coupled to the first interface and the PON circuit, respectively, and the PON circuit is coupled to the second interface; the second interface is used to couple to a passive optical network, specifically to receive a second signal transmitted by the passive optical network and parse a second message from the second signal, the second message including a message of a second communication protocol; the processing circuit is used to convert the second message into a first message, the first message including a message of the first communication protocol; the PON circuit is used to convert the first message into a first signal; the first interface is used to couple to a communication device, specifically to transmit the first signal to the communication device.

[0022] Therefore, the communication device in the above scheme can parse the message of the second communication protocol from the signal received from the passive optical fiber network, convert the parsed message into a new message including the message of the first communication protocol, and convert the new message into a corresponding signal and output it to the communication device. Specifically, the communication device in this scheme can convert the message corresponding to the communication protocol of the passive optical fiber network into the message of the communication protocol corresponding to the communication device, thereby realizing the protocol conversion of the message. Because the transmission medium of the communication device and the passive optical fiber network is different, the communication protocols corresponding to them are different, and direct signal transmission is usually not possible. Therefore, through the communication device in the above scheme, it is possible to convert the message in the signal transmitted by the passive optical fiber network into the message in the signal transmitted by the communication device through communication protocol conversion, so that signal transmission can be realized between the communication device and the passive optical fiber network.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the first communication protocol includes: a Universal Public Radio Interface protocol; the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes an indoor baseband unit or a radio remote unit.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and the PON circuit is specifically configured to perform an optical line terminal function and convert the second message into a second signal.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes a radio remote unit, and the PON circuit is specifically configured to perform an optical network unit function and convert the second message into a second signal.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes: a control circuit; the control circuit is connected to the processing circuit, and is used to control the communication device to implement one or more of the following functions: startup, software loading, and upgrade.

[0029] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The communication method includes: receiving a first signal transmitted by a communication device, parsing a first message from the first signal, the first message including a message of a first communication protocol; converting the first message into a second message including a message of a second communication protocol; converting the second message into a second signal; and transmitting the second signal to a passive optical network.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the first communication protocol includes: a Universal Public Radio Interface protocol; the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and converting the second message into the second signal includes: executing an optical line terminal function to convert the second message into the second signal.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes a radio remote unit, and converting the second message into the second signal includes: executing an optical network unit function to convert the second message into the second signal.

[0034] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The communication method includes: receiving a second signal transmitted by a passive optical network, parsing a second message from the second signal, the second message including a message of a second communication protocol; converting the second message into a first message including a message of a first communication protocol; converting the first message into a first signal; and transmitting the first signal to a communication device.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the first communication protocol includes: a Universal Public Radio Interface protocol; the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

[0037] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and converting the first message into the first signal includes: executing an optical line terminal function to convert the first message into the first signal.

[0038] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes a radio remote unit, and converting the first message into the first signal includes: executing an optical network unit function to convert the first message into the first signal.

[0039] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a circuit board, and a communication device according to any one of the first aspect or the second aspect, disposed on the circuit board.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the above-mentioned communication device includes any one of the following: an indoor baseband unit, a radio remote unit, an optical line terminal, and an optical network unit.

[0041] In a sixth aspect, a passive optical fiber network is provided, comprising: an optical line terminal, at least one optical network unit, and at least one communication device according to any one of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the optical line terminal includes the communication device described in any one of the first aspect or the second aspect, and / or the optical network unit includes the communication device described in any one of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0043] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the third to sixth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by the different design methods in the above-mentioned first to second aspects, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a deployment solution for an access network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a CRAN deployment solution provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG3 is a statistical diagram of signal coverage provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a deployment scenario of a pole microstation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a coverage solution outside a residential area provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a coverage solution in a residential area provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG7 is a diagram showing a deployment scenario of a coverage solution in a residential area according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG8 is a statistical diagram of deployment costs provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a passive optical fiber network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of an optical fiber communication network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a communication network provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a communication network provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of a communication network provided in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in yet another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] This application will present various aspects, embodiments or features around a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In addition, a combination of these schemes may also be used. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way.

[0062] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] Fiber-optic communication systems have become the mainstream communication system. They typically include a core network (CN) and a radio access network (RAN). In traditional network architectures, the RAN primarily consists of indoor baseband units (BBUs), remote radio units (RRUs), and antenna units (AUs).

[0064] For example, referring to Figure 1, an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of an access network deployment solution. In this architecture, each equipment room is equipped with a BBU and RRU connected by a coaxial cable. The RRU sends transmission signals wirelessly to the AU. This type of RAN deployment solution is called a distributed radio access network (DRAN).

[0065] When multiple BBUs need to be deployed, operators deploy multiple BBUs separately, which will result in higher deployment costs (such as site rental). Therefore, multiple BBUs need to be concentrated in a central office (CO) to reduce deployment costs. The RRU is deployed on a remote signal tower, and each BBU in the CO is connected to the RRU through one or more optical fibers. This RAN deployment solution is called a centralized radio access network (CRAN). When using the CRAN deployment solution, since the RRU is not inside the central office, but is deployed on a remote signal tower, the distance between the RRU and the AU is closer, and the two can be integrated into a large-scale active antenna unit (AAU). The centralized deployment of AAU effectively reduces the deployment cost.

[0066] For example, as shown in FIG2 , an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a CRAN deployment solution. Specifically, multiple BBUs (BBU0-BBUn) are centrally deployed within a CO, while RRUs are deployed on remote signal towers in close proximity to AUs (the RRUs and AUs are integrated into an AAU module). Each BBU is connected to the RRU via one or more optical fibers, meaning each BBU is connected to the AAU via one or more optical fibers. For example, as shown in FIG2 , BBU0 is connected to AAU0, AAU1, and AAU2 via three optical fibers, respectively; BBUn is connected to AAUn-2, AAUn-1, and AAUn via passive wavelength division multiplexing (WDM).

[0067] In practical applications, RRUs are typically deployed using traditional macro sites (such as tower sites). However, many scenarios are not suitable for traditional macro sites. For example, in ancient town scenic areas, the buildings are very old, have limited load-bearing capacity, and installation space is small. Furthermore, the aesthetic requirements for the deployed equipment are high, making traditional macro sites difficult to deploy. This makes RRU deployment difficult, resulting in poor signal coverage and a negative impact on user experience.

[0068] For example, as shown in FIG3 , the embodiment of the present application provides a statistical diagram of signal coverage. Specifically, (1) in FIG3 is a statistical diagram of the distribution of signal coverage black spots (i.e., signal blind spots), including: rural towns (sector area 1 in the figure), residential areas (sector area 2 in the figure), roads (sector area 3 in the figure), schools (sector area 4 in the figure), commercial centers (sector area 5 in the figure), industrial parks (sector area 6 in the figure), transportation hubs (sector area 7 in the figure), and other scenes (sector area 8 in the figure). Among them, residential areas and rural towns are the two scenes with the largest proportion of signal coverage black spots, and are the main sources of signal coverage black spots. (2) in FIG3 is a statistical statistics of user complaints about mobile Internet access in various scenes by operators, among which, home is the scene that causes the most complaints from users of mobile Internet access, accounting for 60.60%. Elevators / underground garages are also scenes that cause more complaints from users of mobile Internet access, accounting for 29.76%. Other scenes that cause more complaints from users of mobile Internet access account for 9.64%.

[0069] For these reasons, pole micro-stations are smaller and easier to deploy, so they are increasingly being used to deploy RRUs in residential areas, commercial streets, squares, and other locations. Typically, pole micro-stations can be used for coverage outside residential areas or within residential areas.

[0070] For example, with reference to Figure 4, an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a deployment scenario of a pole microstation. Specifically, in conjunction with Figure 4, the pole microstation includes: a spotlight and a spotlight antenna (i.e., (1) in Figure 4), a pole microstation easy macro (i.e., (2) in Figure 4), and a pole microstation bookRRU (i.e., (3) in Figure 4).

[0071] For example, as shown in FIG5 , an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a coverage solution for a pole microstation outside a residential area. Specifically, as shown in FIG5 , the coverage solution includes four pole microstations deployed outside the residential area, namely pole microstation 1, pole microstation 2, pole microstation 3, and pole microstation 4. Each pole microstation has its corresponding signal coverage range (refer to the four circular dotted areas in FIG5 ). By deploying pole microstations outside the residential area, the signal coverage range can be made to enclose the residential area, thereby improving the signal coverage in the residential area.

[0072] However, because the pole micro-stations in the above solution are deployed outside residential areas, the signal needs to pass through walls multiple times (each wall-penetrating process results in a certain degree of loss), resulting in high signal losses. Furthermore, the signal coverage range of the pole micro-stations is limited, and signal coverage within residential areas is difficult or often poor. Therefore, the above solution cannot achieve full signal coverage in residential areas, and the signal coverage depth indoors is insufficient.

[0073] In conjunction with the architecture shown in Figure 2, exemplarily, with reference to Figure 6, an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a coverage solution for a pole microstation in a residential area. Among them, the coverage solution deploys RRU (pole microstation) based on the communication network architecture of CRAN to realize the networking of BBU and RRU. Specifically, in conjunction with Figure 6, the BBU deployed in the central computer room will be connected to the input end of the first-level splitting device through the trunk optical fiber, and one output end of the first-level splitting device will be directly connected to a residential area through a distribution optical fiber. The other output end of the first-level splitting device is connected to the input end of the second-level splitting device through the distribution optical fiber, and the output end of the second-level splitting device is connected to a pole microstation in another residential area through a home optical fiber. Optionally, the above-mentioned splitting equipment includes a splitter and an optical cable junction box.

[0074] As shown in Figure 6, the optical signal sent by the BBU can be transmitted along the trunk optical fiber to the input end of the first-level splitter device. Part of the optical signal is transmitted along the distribution optical fiber to a residential area through one output end of the first-level splitter device. The other part of the optical signal is transmitted along the distribution optical fiber to the input end of the second-level splitter device through the other output end of the first-level splitter device. Then, it is transmitted along the residential optical fiber through the output end of the second-level splitter device to a pole micro-station in another residential area. It is not difficult to understand that the optical signal transmission process in the downstream direction is only used as an example here. The upstream direction is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0075] This solution is simple in structure, requiring no additional equipment, and enables point-to-point transmission via the optical fiber between the BBU and RRU, achieving direct fiber connection. Furthermore, by deploying the pole micro-station within residential areas, the solution extends the signal coverage of the pole micro-station into residential areas, thereby improving signal coverage depth.

[0076] However, since the RRU and BBU (i.e., the pole microstation) need to be connected via optical fiber, the adoption of this solution requires the deployment of optical fiber, which is difficult to construct (for example, the deployment of optical fiber in old residential areas requires breaking ground), and the deployment cost is also high. For example, as shown in FIG7 , an embodiment of the present application provides a deployment scenario diagram of a pole microstation coverage solution in a residential area. Specifically, in conjunction with (1) in FIG7 , the above solution (as shown in FIG6 ) usually requires the deployment of optical fiber to achieve the connection between the BBU and the RRU. The deployment of optical fiber in old residential areas requires breaking ground, and the property requires that the road and the wall should not be broken, which requires constant negotiation and the construction is difficult. New residential areas generally have cable ducts, but they usually belong to the developer and also require corresponding negotiation, making the deployment of optical fiber difficult. Specifically, in conjunction with (2) in FIG7 , it is necessary to break ground and lay optical fiber.

[0077] For example, as shown in FIG8 , an embodiment of the present application provides a statistical chart of the deployment cost of an RRU coverage solution. The horizontal axis in FIG8 is the deployment method, and the vertical axis is the deployment cost, and the deployment methods include traditional macro stations and pole micro stations. Specifically, as shown in FIG8 , the deployment cost of a pole micro station is much lower than that of a traditional macro station, and is about half the deployment cost of a traditional macro station. Then, compared with the deployment solution of deploying traditional macro stations, in scenarios where there are pipelines and wiring space in the cell, the deployment cost can be greatly reduced by deploying pole micro stations. However, in scenarios where there are no pipelines and wiring space in old communities, it is necessary to break ground and lay optical fibers, which results in a significant increase in the deployment cost of pole micro stations.

[0078] Typically, based on the architecture shown in Figure 1, the access network is fiber-to-the-x (FTTx), also known as an optical access network (OAN). Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and fiber-to-the-building (FTTB) fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) are among the most common fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and fiber-to-the-building (FTTB) networks. Passive optical networks (PONs) are a common form of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network.

[0079] Then, the network architecture of the deployed passive optical network can be used to realize the deployment of the pole microstation. For example, as shown in Figure 9, an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a passive optical network (PON) 10 network. Specifically, taking the downstream direction as an example, the PON 10 includes an optical line terminal OLT set in the central control station, an optical network terminal ONT set on the user side, and an optical network unit ONU. Among them, the ONT and the different positions set on the user side have similar functions.

[0080] In one possible implementation, as shown in FIG9 , the PON 10 further includes an optical distribution frame (ODF) located at a central control station. The ODF is connected to the OLT and is used to terminate and distribute trunk optical cables at the central office in the optical fiber communication system, facilitating the connection, distribution, and scheduling of optical fiber lines. Optionally, the PON 10 further includes an optical cable junction box / fiber distribution terminal (FDT) connected to the central control station, which is used to provide optical cable termination and patching for trunk and distribution layer optical cables. Optionally, the PON 10 further includes a junction box connected to the FDT, and a passive optical power splitter (SPL) connected between the junction box and the ONT / ONU for coupling, branching, and distributing optical signals. Of course, the passive optical power splitter can also be replaced by an optical splitter (also known as a splitter) or other device with similar functions.

[0081] The devices in a passive optical network are connected via optical fibers, and these fibers can transmit both upstream and downstream optical signals. It should be noted that the passive optical network shown in FIG9 is used as an example for illustration only, and this does not limit the types and number of devices included in a passive optical network.

[0082] Specifically, taking the downstream direction as an example, in PON 10, the optical signal sent by the OLT is transmitted along the optical fiber to the ODF, the input end of the ODF receives the optical signal, the optical signal is transmitted along the optical fiber to the input end of the FDT through the output end of the ODF, and is transmitted along the optical fiber to the junction box through the output end of the FDT. Part of the optical signal is transmitted along the optical fiber to the input end of the optical splitter 1, and is transmitted along the optical fiber to the ONU through the output end of the optical splitter 1. The other part of the optical signal is transmitted along the optical fiber to the input end of the optical splitter 2, and is transmitted along the optical fiber to the ONT through the output end of the optical splitter 2.

[0083] For ease of description, the transmission process of an optical signal in the downstream direction is taken as an example. In other embodiments, the ONU or ONT may also generate an optical signal in the upstream direction and send it to the OLT. The process of the ONU or ONT generating the optical signal and sending the optical signal to the OLT is not repeated here.

[0084] Based on the architecture shown in FIG9 , the network architecture of the deployed optical fiber transmission network (such as a passive optical fiber network) can be utilized to realize the deployment of the pole micro station, so that the BBU and RRU can be connected through corresponding devices (such as passive optical power splitters) and devices (such as 10G or 25G optical modules, etc.). Exemplarily, as shown in FIG10 , an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of an optical fiber communication network 20. Among them, the optical fiber communication network 20 includes: a BBU, two passive optical power splitters (referring to SPL-1 and SPL-2 in FIG10 ), five 25G optical modules (referring to 25G optical module 1, 25G optical module 2, 25G optical module 3, 25G optical module 4 and 25G optical module 5 in FIG10 ), three pole micro stations (referring to pole micro station 1, pole micro station 2 and pole micro station 3 in FIG10 ) and a passive optical fiber network (referring to PON 10 shown in FIG9 ), wherein each of the above-mentioned devices and devices (or modules) are connected by optical fibers. The optical fiber communication network 20 shown in FIG10 is used as an example, and the types of communication devices included in the optical fiber communication network are not limited thereto. In a possible implementation, the 25G optical module may also be another type of optical module, such as a 10G optical module.

[0085] Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the BBU is connected to a 25G optical module 1, which is connected to the input of SPL-1 via a trunk optical fiber. The output of SPL-1 is connected to the input of PON 10 via an optical fiber. The output of PON 10 is connected to a 25G optical module 2 via an optical fiber, wherein 25G optical module 2 is connected to pole micro-station 1. The BBU is also connected to a 25G optical module 3, which is connected to the input of the passive optical power splitter SPL-2 via a trunk optical fiber. The output of SPL-2 is connected to 25G optical modules 4 and 25G optical modules 4 respectively via optical fibers, wherein 25G optical module 4 is connected to pole micro-station 2, and 25G optical module 5 is connected to pole micro-station 3.

[0086] Taking the downlink direction as an example, the optical signal sent by the BBU is processed by the corresponding algorithm (such as the optical digital signal processor (oDSP) algorithm) executed by the 25G optical module, and then transmitted along the trunk optical fiber through SPL-1 to the input end of PON 10, and then transmitted from the output end of PON 10 along the optical fiber to the 25G optical module 2, and then processed by the corresponding algorithm executed by the 25G optical module 2 before being sent to the pole micro station 1. Among them, the signal transmission process in the uplink direction is similar to the signal transmission process in the downlink direction, and will not be repeated here. For the sake of convenience, only the optical signal transmission process between the BBU and the pole micro station 1 in the downlink direction is taken as an example, and this should not be used to limit other optical fiber transmission processes in the optical fiber communication network 20.

[0087] It is easy to understand that the trunk fiber in Figure 10 can reuse currently deployed fibers, and PON 10 can also reuse already deployed PON networks (e.g., PON 10). Therefore, the above solution can effectively reduce the number of fibers in the communication network by leveraging the already deployed network architecture, thereby reducing costs and enabling low-cost deployment of pole micro-stations.

[0088] Although the above technical solution can, in principle, utilize the deployed network architecture to realize the deployment of pole microstations, thereby reducing costs to a certain extent. However, the implementation of optical modules (such as 25G optical modules) still faces many difficulties. For example, it is difficult to implement the corresponding algorithms (such as oDSP algorithms) in software for optical modules, and there are no chips of suitable size and the logic is not suitable in hardware. At the same time, there are also problems with the heat dissipation of optical modules. The implementation of optical modules often requires customized dedicated chips, which is very difficult to implement and the cost is high. Therefore, the above solution is too dependent on hardware, difficult to implement and costly, and difficult to promote.

[0089] Based on the above, as an example, with reference to FIG11 , the present application proposes a schematic diagram of a communication device. For ease of explanation, in conjunction with FIG11 , the communication device may be referred to as a communication device (common public radio interface over ethernet, COE). This is merely an example and should not limit the structure of the communication device. The communication device can parse a message from a received signal corresponding to a communication protocol, convert it into a signal corresponding to another communication protocol, and output it. As shown in FIG11 , the communication device includes: a first interface (first interface 701 in FIG11 ), a processing circuit ( 702 in FIG11 ), a PON circuit ( 703 in FIG11 ), and a second interface (second interface 704 in FIG11 ); wherein the processing circuit 702 is coupled to the first interface 701 and the PON circuit 703, respectively, and the PON circuit 703 is coupled to the second interface 704. The first interface 701 is used to couple to a communication device (e.g., 705 in FIG11 ), and the second interface 704 is used to couple to a passive optical network (e.g., PON 706 in FIG11 ).

[0090] In one possible implementation, the PON 706 can utilize the PON 10 architecture shown in FIG9 . In other examples, the PON 706 can also be another passive optical network. For ease of illustration, the communication device shown in FIG11 is used as an example, and the architecture of the passive optical network to which the communication device is connected should not be limited by this.

[0091] It is not difficult to understand that the above-mentioned communication device COE can also be deployed at different locations in the communication network, so the first interface 701 can also be connected to other communication devices. Optionally, the communication device 705 includes a BBU or an RRU. Optionally, the first interface 701 of the communication device COE is connected to the BBU, and the PON circuit 703 will perform the optical line terminal (OLT) function to convert the first message into a first signal. In one possible implementation, the first interface 701 of the COE is connected to the RRU, and the PON circuit 703 will perform the optical network unit (ONU) function to convert the second message into a second signal.

[0092] Optionally, as shown in Figure 11, the communication device further includes a control unit 707. The control unit 707 is connected to the processing circuit 702 and is used to control the communication device to implement one or more of the following functions: startup, software loading, and upgrade.

[0093] Based on the aforementioned communication device COE, an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a communication network, as shown in FIG12 . In FIG12 , a communication device connected to a BBU is used as the first interface 701 of the communication device COE, and a communication device connected to a PON 10 is used as the second interface 704. Specifically, the communication device COE is deployed in the central computer room (CO) and is connected to the BBU within the CO. It is also deployed near the RRU and is connected to the RRU.

[0094] In the downstream direction, in COE 1, first interface 701 receives a signal transmitted by the BBU (referred to as the first signal) and parses the first signal to extract a corresponding message (referred to as the first message), which includes a message using the first communication protocol. Processing circuit 702 converts the parsed first message into a new message (e.g., a second message), which includes a message using the second communication protocol. PON circuit 703 performs OLT functions, converting the second message into a corresponding signal (e.g., a second signal). Second interface 704 transmits the second signal to PON 10. After passing through PON 10, the second signal is transmitted to COE 2. In COE 2, second interface 704 receives the second signal transmitted by PON 10 and parses the second signal to extract a second message, which includes a message using the second communication protocol. Processing circuit 702 converts the parsed second message into a first message, which includes a message using the first communication protocol. PON circuit 703 performs ONU functions, converting the first message into the first signal. The first interface 701 transmits the first signal to the RRU. The signal transmission process of the PON 10 in FIG12 can be described with reference to FIG9 . For ease of explanation, the signal transmission process in the downlink direction is used as an example. The signal transmission process in the uplink direction is similar to the signal transmission process in the downlink direction and is not further described here.

[0095] In a possible implementation, optionally, the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different, wherein the first communication protocol includes: Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocol, and the second communication protocol includes: Ethernet (Eth) protocol.

[0096] Typically, the communication network deployed by communication equipment uses a different communication protocol than the passive optical network. Therefore, the communication device in the above-mentioned solution can convert the message in the signal transmitted by the communication equipment into the message in the signal transmitted by the passive optical network through communication protocol conversion, enabling signal transmission between the communication equipment and the passive optical network, thereby achieving communication and improving the quality and efficiency of signal transmission. Furthermore, since the passive optical network has usually already completed the deployment of the corresponding network architecture, the signal transmission between communication equipment and communication equipment through this solution can be achieved by relying on the existing passive optical network network architecture, without the need to deploy more equipment and cables, resulting in higher compatibility and effectively reducing the deployment cost of the communication network.

[0097] It should be noted that Figures 11 and 12 are only one possible implementation and deployment method of the communication device COE provided in the embodiment of the present application. In other examples, there are other possible implementation and deployment methods of the above communication device COE.

[0098] For example, with reference to FIG13 , a schematic diagram of a communication network is provided. Specifically, in combination with (1) in FIG13 , two communication devices COE (i.e., COE 1 and COE 2) are newly deployed between the BBU and the RRU. The first interface of the communication device COE 1 is connected to the BBU, and the second interface of the communication device COE 1 is connected to the PON network; the first interface of the communication device COE 2 is connected to the RRU, and the second interfaces of COE 1 and COE 2 are both connected to the PON network (including passive communication equipment), wherein the connection media corresponding to the above connection relationships are both optical fibers. The functions of the communication device COE are implemented by a logic unit, and the OLT or ONU functions of the PON circuit are implemented by a PON chip. In this way, the solution can use commonly used chips and logic devices, so that the communication device can be implemented at a low cost.

[0099] As shown in (2) in Figure 13, a communication device COE 1 is newly deployed on the BBU side, and three communication devices COE (i.e., COE 2, COE 3, and COE 4) are newly deployed on the RRU side. Among them, the first interface of the communication device COE 1 is connected to the BBU, and the second interface of the communication device COE 1 is connected to the PON network; the second interfaces of the communication devices COE 2, COE 3, and COE 4 are all connected to the PON network (including passive communication equipment), and the first interfaces of the communication devices COE 2, COE 3, and COE 4 are all connected to the RRU, wherein the connection media corresponding to the above connection relationships are all optical fibers. In this way, by deploying a communication device COE on the BBU side and deploying a communication device COE on any RRU, the communication network can support point-to-multipoint networking.

[0100] As shown in (3) in Figure 13, a communication device COE 1 is newly deployed on the BBU side, and two communication devices COE (i.e., COE 2 and COE 3) are newly deployed on the RRU side. Among them, the communication device COE 1 is implemented by adding an interface board to the BBU device, or integrating the PON function into the main control board of the BBU device. The communication devices COE 2 and COE 3 are implemented by integrating chips into the RRU device to support the PON function. Therefore, the above solution does not require the addition of a communication device COE, and can provide a new implementation method of the communication device COE on the BBU side and the RRU side (adding an interface board on the BBU side and integrating a chip on the RRU side), effectively reducing the difficulty of implementing the communication device COE. However, the above solution requires the support of newly developed hardware. For example, the BBU side requires a newly developed interface board to support the PON function, and the RRU side requires the integration of a corresponding PON processing chip.

[0101] As shown in (4) in Figure 13, a communication device COE 1 is newly deployed on the BBU side, and two communication devices COE (i.e., COE 2 and COE 3) are newly deployed on the RRU side. Communication device COE 1 is implemented by deploying one communication device COE. Communication devices COE 2 and COE 3 are implemented by deploying optical modules that integrate ONU functions. Therefore, the above solution can provide a new implementation method of the communication device COE on the RRU side (through an optical module with ONU functions), making the implementation method of the communication device COE more possible and enabling flexible deployment.

[0102] It should be noted that here, only the architecture shown in FIG13 is used as an example to illustrate other possible implementation and deployment methods of the communication device, and this does not limit the deployment location, implementation method, etc. of the communication device. For example, based on the architecture shown in (4) of FIG13 (i.e., the communication device COE on the RRU side can be implemented by an optical module with integrated ONU functions), it is possible to expand the consideration of integrating the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard cellular network with the optical modem in the home PON network (such as the ONT in FIG12). In this way, the appearance of the communication device COE is the form of an optical module, and it can be used to achieve deep coverage of the indoor cellular network, thereby specifically solving the problem that the signal coverage strength of the indoor cellular network is weak, resulting in poor user voice experience and causing serious complaints. In addition, this solution can avoid RRU site issues, solve power supply issues, and simplify the deployment of the communication network.

[0103] Of course, the 3GPP cellular network in the above scheme can also be a communication network of other standards such as the global system for mobile communications (GSM), the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) or the long term evolution (LTE). In addition, based on the architecture shown in FIG12 , illustratively, a schematic diagram of a communication network is provided with reference to FIG14 , wherein the communication device COE can also be extended to support the use of microwave equipment to provide a microwave wireless fronthaul link. In conjunction with the microwave device 1 shown in FIG14 , the microwave device 1 includes two parts: a microwave module and a microwave antenna. Specifically, on the BBU side, a microwave device 1 is newly deployed, and the microwave device 1 is connected to the COE 1. On the RRU side, a microwave device 2 is newly deployed, and the microwave device 2 is connected to the COE 2. The microwave wireless fronthaul link is formed by the deployed microwave devices.

[0104] The expanded functionality provided by the above solution includes the following two functions: First, it enables load balancing. For example, if fronthaul bandwidth demand is high and the PON fronthaul link's bandwidth is heavily occupied by ONUs, the microwave wireless fronthaul link, comprised of newly deployed microwave equipment, can provide the corresponding bandwidth. Furthermore, the above solution also provides backup functionality. For example, if a communication link in the communication network is interrupted (including the microwave wireless fronthaul link and the PON fronthaul link), signal transmission can be guaranteed through another communication link, providing backup and replacement functions.

[0105] Based on the architecture shown in Figure 11, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method that can parse a message from a signal corresponding to a received communication protocol and convert it into a signal corresponding to another communication protocol. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 15, a schematic diagram of a communication method is provided. The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 15. It should be noted that the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described here using the architecture shown in Figure 11 as an example, and this does not limit the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application. The communication method includes steps 901-905, and the communication method is applied to a communication device. The following specifically describes the application of the communication method to a communication device as an example, and the specific description is as follows:

[0106] Step 901: Receive a first signal transmitted by a communication device.

[0107] 15 , a first signal transmitted by a communication device is received. Specifically, in conjunction with the architecture shown in FIG11 , a first interface 701 in the communication device COE receives a first signal transmitted by a communication device BBU.

[0108] Optionally, the communication equipment includes an indoor baseband unit and a radio remote unit.

[0109] Step 902: parse the first message from the first signal.

[0110] 15 , the first message is parsed from the first signal. Specifically, in conjunction with the architecture shown in FIG11 , the communication device COE parses the first message from the first signal, wherein the first message includes a message of the first communication protocol.

[0111] Step 903: Convert the first message into a second message.

[0112] 15 , the first message is converted into the second message. Specifically, in conjunction with the architecture shown in FIG11 , the processing circuit 702 in the communication device COE converts the first message into the second message, wherein the second message includes a message of the second communication protocol.

[0113] Optionally, the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different. In a possible implementation, the first communication protocol includes: a Universal Public Radio Interface protocol, and the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

[0114] Step 904: Convert the second message into a second signal.

[0115] 15 , the second message is converted into the second signal. Specifically, in conjunction with the architecture shown in FIG11 , the processing circuit 702 in the communication device COE converts the second message into the second signal.

[0116] In conjunction with step 901, in one possible implementation, the communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and the PON circuit 703 in the communication device COE converts the second message into the second signal by performing an optical line terminal function. Optionally, the communication device further includes a remote radio unit, and the PON circuit 703 in the communication device COE converts the second message into the second signal by performing an optical network unit function.

[0117] Step 905: Transmit the second signal to the passive optical network.

[0118] 15 , the second signal is transmitted to the passive optical network. Specifically, in conjunction with the architecture shown in FIG11 , the second interface 704 in the communication device COE transmits the second signal to the passive optical network.

[0119] Generally speaking, communication devices primarily transmit signals via cables or wirelessly, while passive optical networks (PONs) use optical fiber as the transmission medium. Therefore, the transmission media of communication devices and PONs differ, and their corresponding communication protocols are different, making signal transmission impossible. However, the aforementioned communication method can convert messages corresponding to the communication protocol of the communication device into messages corresponding to the communication protocol of the PON, achieving message protocol conversion. The new messages are then converted into corresponding signals and output to the PON.

[0120] The communication method described in the above solution can then convert the messages in the signal transmitted by the communication device into messages in the signal transmitted by the passive optical network through communication protocol conversion, enabling signal transmission between the communication device and the passive optical network, achieving communication and improving the quality and efficiency of signal transmission. Furthermore, because the passive optical network generally has already completed the deployment of the corresponding network architecture, signal transmission between communication devices through this solution can be achieved by relying on the existing passive optical network network architecture, eliminating the need to deploy additional equipment and cables, resulting in higher compatibility and effectively reducing the deployment cost of the communication network.

[0121] For example, with reference to FIG16 , an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a communication device. The communication device may also be a module or chip within a communication device, and the communication device may also be a chip or a system-on-chip. The communication device includes: a transceiver unit 1601 and a processing unit 1602; the transceiver unit 1601 is configured to receive a first signal transmitted by the communication device and parse a first message from the first signal, wherein the first message includes a message of a first communication protocol, and is further configured to transmit a second signal to a passive optical network; the processing unit 1602 is configured to convert the first message obtained by the transceiver unit 1601 into a second message, wherein the second message includes a message of a second communication protocol; and is further configured to convert the second message into a second signal.

[0122] The transceiver unit 1601 is further configured to execute the communication method described in steps 901, 902, and 905; and the processing unit 1602 is further configured to execute the communication method described in steps 903 and 904. It is understood that the communication device can directly refer to the description of the various functions and effects in the communication method shown in FIG. 15 above, and no further details are given here.

[0123] In one possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device, which may be a chip or a chip system. The communication device includes: a processor and an interface circuit, the processor being used to read instructions to execute the method in any of the above-mentioned method embodiments. In a possible design, the communication device further includes a memory. The memory is used to store necessary program instructions and data, and the processor can call the program code stored in the memory to instruct the communication device to execute the method in any of the above-mentioned method embodiments. Of course, the memory may not be in the communication device. When the communication device is a chip system, it may be composed of a chip, or it may include a chip and other discrete devices, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0124] As shown in FIG17 , an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a communication device. Specifically, the communication device includes one or more transceivers 1701 and a processor 1702. As shown in FIG11 , the transceiver 1701 is configured to execute the functions or steps implemented by the first interface 701 and the second interface 704, and the processor 1702 is configured to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing circuit 702 and the PON circuit 703, as shown in FIG11 . For a detailed description of the transceiver 1701 and the processor 1702, please refer to FIG15 or the method embodiment shown above and will not be described in detail here.

[0125] In the above embodiments, for the specific description of each term or step, please refer to the introduction in the above method embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0126] In various implementations of the communication device shown in FIG17 , the transceiver may include a receiver configured to perform the acquisition function described above, which may specifically include receiving, for example, the receiver configured to perform a function (or operation) of receiving. Furthermore, the transceiver may be configured to communicate with other devices / apparatuses via a transmission medium.

[0127] Optionally, the communication device may further include one or more memories 1703 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 1703 is coupled to the processor 1702. The coupling in the embodiment of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units or modules. The processor 1702 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1703. The processor 1702 can execute program instructions stored in the memory 1703. Optionally, at least one of the above-mentioned one or more memories may be included in the processor.

[0128] The specific connection medium between the transceiver 1701, processor 1702, and memory 1703 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In Figure 17, the memory 1703, processor 1702, and transceiver 1701 are connected via bus 1704. The bus is represented by a bold line in Figure 17. The connection methods between other components are merely schematic and are not limiting. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 17 only uses a single bold line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0129] In the embodiments of the present application, the 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, a discrete hardware component, etc., and may implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor, etc.

[0130] In the embodiment of the present application, the memory may include, but is not limited to, a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), a random access memory (RAM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a read-only memory (ROM) or a portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. The memory is any storage medium that can be used to carry or store program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be read and / or written by a computer (such as the communication device shown in the present application), but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiment of the present application can also be a circuit or any other device that can realize a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0131] Processor 1702 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data. Memory 1703 is primarily used to store software programs and data. Transceiver 1701 may include control circuitry and an antenna. The control circuitry is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The antenna is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as a touch screen, display, and keyboard, are primarily used to receive user input and output data to the user.

[0132] When the communication device is powered on, processor 1702 can read the software program in memory 1703, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, processor 1702 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves via the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal via the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to processor 1702. Processor 1702 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0133] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna may be provided independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna may be remotely arranged independent of the communication device.

[0134] The communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application may also have more components than those in Figure 17, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. The method performed by the processor and transceiver shown above is only an example. For the specific steps performed by the processor and transceiver, please refer to the method described above.

[0135] In one possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes: a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is coupled to the interface circuit; the processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory, and control the interface circuit to execute the communication method in any of the above method embodiments. In a possible design, the communication device also includes a memory. The memory is used to store necessary program instructions and data, and the processor can call the program code stored in the memory to instruct the communication device to execute the method in any of the above method embodiments. Of course, the memory may not be in the communication device. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0136] In one possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application provides a communications device. The communications device includes: a circuit board; and a communications device as described in any of the above embodiments, disposed on the circuit board. Optionally, the communications device includes any of the following: an indoor baseband unit, a remote radio unit, an optical line terminal, or an optical network unit.

[0137] In one possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application provides a passive optical fiber network. The passive optical fiber network includes an optical line terminal (OLT), at least one optical network unit (ONU), and at least one communication device as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments. Optionally, the OLT includes the communication device as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments, and / or the ONU includes the communication device as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0138] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, 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 instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may 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 a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state disk (SSD)). In an embodiment of the present application, the computer may include the device described above.

[0139] 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.

[0140] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely illustrative of the present application as defined by the appended claims and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a first interface, a processing circuit, a PON circuit and a second interface; the processing circuit is coupled to the first interface and the PON circuit respectively, and the PON circuit is coupled to the second interface; The first interface is used to couple with a communication device, specifically to receive a first signal transmitted by the communication device, and parse a first message from the first signal, wherein the first message includes a message of a first communication protocol; The processing circuit is used to convert the first message into a second message, wherein the second message includes a message of a second communication protocol; A PON circuit, configured to convert the second message into a second signal; The second interface is used to couple to a passive optical fiber network, and is specifically used to transmit the second signal to the passive optical fiber network.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that The first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first communication protocol includes: a universal public radio interface protocol; the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

4. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The communication device includes an indoor baseband unit or a radio remote unit.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and the PON circuit is specifically used to perform an optical line terminal function and convert the second message into a second signal.

6. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The communication device includes a radio remote unit, and the PON circuit is specifically used to perform an optical network unit function and convert the second message into a second signal.

7. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The communication device further includes: a control circuit; The control circuit is connected to the processing circuit and is used to control the communication device to implement one or more of the following functions: startup, software loading, and upgrade.

8. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a first interface, a processing circuit, a PON circuit and a second interface; the processing circuit is coupled to the first interface and the PON circuit respectively, and the PON circuit is coupled to the second interface; The second interface is used to couple with a passive optical network, specifically to receive a second signal transmitted by the passive optical network, and parse a second message from the second signal, wherein the second message includes a message of a second communication protocol; The processing circuit is used to convert the second message into a first message, wherein the first message includes a message of a first communication protocol; A PON circuit, configured to convert the first message into a first signal; The first interface is used to couple with a communication device, and is specifically used to transmit the first signal to the communication device.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol.

10. The communication device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The first communication protocol includes: a universal public radio interface protocol; the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

11. The communication device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: The communication device includes an indoor baseband unit or a radio remote unit.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and the PON circuit is specifically used to perform an optical line terminal function and convert the second message into a second signal.

13. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The communication device includes a radio remote unit, and the PON circuit is specifically used to perform an optical network unit function and convert the second message into a second signal.

14. The communication device according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that: The communication device further includes: a control circuit; The control circuit is connected to the processing circuit and is used to control the communication device to implement one or more of the following functions: startup, software loading, and upgrade.

15. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving a first signal transmitted by a communication device, and parsing a first message from the first signal, wherein the first message includes a first Messages of the communication protocol; The first message is converted into a second message, wherein the second message includes a message of a second communication protocol; Converting the second message into a second signal; The second signal is transmitted to a passive optical network.

16. The communication method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different.

17. The communication method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that: The first communication protocol includes: a universal public radio interface protocol; the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

18. The communication method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and the converting the second message into a second signal includes: Execute an optical line terminal function to convert the second message into a second signal.

19. The communication method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The communication device includes a radio remote unit, and the converting the second message into a second signal includes: Execute the optical network unit function to convert the second message into a second signal.

20. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Receiving a second signal transmitted by the passive optical fiber network, and parsing a second message from the second signal, wherein the second message includes a message of a second communication protocol; Converting the second message into a first message, wherein the first message includes a message of a first communication protocol; Converting the first message into a first signal; The first signal is transmitted to a communication device.

21. The communication method according to claim 20, characterized in that: The first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol.

22. The communication method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that: The first communication protocol includes: a universal public radio interface protocol; the second communication protocol includes: an Ethernet protocol.

23. The communication method according to claim 20, characterized in that: The communication device includes an indoor baseband unit, and the converting the first message into a first signal includes: Execute an optical line terminal function to convert the first message into a first signal.

24. The communication method according to claim 20, characterized in that: The communication device includes a radio remote unit, and the converting the first message into a first signal includes: Execute the optical network unit function to convert the first message into a first signal.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: It comprises: a circuit board, and a communication device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 arranged on the circuit board.

26. The communication device according to claim 25, characterized in that The communication equipment includes any one of the following: an indoor baseband unit, a radio remote unit, an optical line terminal, and an optical network unit.

27. A passive optical fiber network, characterized in that: It comprises an optical line terminal and at least one optical network unit, and at least one communication device according to any one of claims 1-14.

28. The passive optical fiber network according to claim 27, characterized in that The optical line terminal includes the communication device as described in any one of claims 1-14, and / or the optical network unit includes the communication device as described in any one of claims 1-14.

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