Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application are applied to the field of communications. Disclosed are a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method in the embodiments of the present application comprises: a first communication apparatus acquiring a channel detection result, wherein the channel detection result comprises channel state information of a first region; the first communication apparatus determining a region mode mapping relationship on the basis of the channel detection result and a plurality of antenna modes, wherein the region mode mapping relationship comprises a mapping relationship between the first region and a first antenna mode set, and an antenna mode in the first antenna mode set is an antenna mode suitable for a channel environment of the first region; and the first communication apparatus performing detection feedback on the basis of the first antenna mode set. The embodiments of the present application can reduce the complexity of signal processing and improve the communication efficiency.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on December 5, 2023, with application number 202311667065.7 and application name “A Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] To improve the spectrum efficiency of wireless communication systems, space division multiplexing (SDM) technology is used to multiplex signals in the spatial dimension. By forming multiple independent beams in space, each beam can use the same frequency and time resources to transmit different data streams, thereby achieving efficient spectrum utilization.

[0004] In current communications, the scattering parameters of all ports in an antenna array are obtained, and orthogonal mode analysis is performed on the antenna array structure. By exciting the ports in the antenna array, eigenmode currents are generated, which in turn produce orthogonal beam patterns. Multiple signals can be transmitted using different beam patterns.

[0005] However, during the communication process, the impact of the channel on the orthogonality of the orthogonal modes must also be considered. In addition, the characteristic mode analysis of the antenna array is relatively complicated. Therefore, how to obtain higher communication performance is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device, which can optimize the channel estimation process and improve communication performance.

[0007] A first aspect of the present application provides a communication method, comprising:

[0008] The first communication device obtains a channel detection result of at least one area, where the channel detection result includes channel state information of the first area; the first communication device determines a regional pattern mapping relationship between the area and the antenna pattern based on the channel detection result and multiple antenna patterns, where the regional pattern mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first area and a first antenna pattern set, where the antenna patterns in the first antenna pattern set are all antenna patterns suitable for the channel environment of the first area; the first communication device performs detection feedback based on the first antenna pattern set.

[0009] The method can be performed by a first communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first communication device" in this application can refer to the first communication device itself (for example, a base station, a terminal device), or a component in the first communication device (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first communication device. The channel sounding result can be the result obtained by the first communication device (for example, a base station) by analyzing a reference signal received historically, such as a sounding reference signal (SRS), or it can be the result obtained by the first communication device (for example, a base station or a terminal) receiving a reference signal sent by a second communication device, which is not limited here.

[0010] Furthermore, the regional pattern mapping relationship may include more regions and corresponding antenna pattern sets. For example, depending on the channel environment, the corresponding applicable antenna pattern may also be different. For example, there may be a second region, a third region, and so on, and an antenna pattern set corresponding to each region.

[0011] Using the above method, based on the detection results, the detection area is divided based on the channel environment and the antenna mode suitable for that channel environment. A regional pattern mapping pattern is determined, and the partitions are mapped one-to-one to the antenna mode set. During the channel detection process between the first communication device and the second communication device, the antenna mode suitable for communication can be selected within a limited search space, reducing the complexity of signal processing and improving communication efficiency.

[0012] In some optional embodiments, the multiple antenna modes include at least three antenna modes, each antenna mode corresponds to a characteristic current distribution, and each characteristic current distribution corresponds to a beam pattern.

[0013] In the present application, the antenna mode is generated by exciting the antenna port of the antenna unit to generate a characteristic current to generate a beam pattern. Compared with the traditional dual-polarized antenna, only two orthogonal antenna modes can be provided in one antenna unit. The antenna unit provided in the present application is an antenna unit with a port number greater than or equal to three. Based on the control of the port phase and amplitude, the multi-port antenna unit provided in the present application can provide at least three antenna modes. The above method is adopted to improve the flexibility and diversity of the first communication device in selecting antenna modes during communication, and more antenna modes can also improve the coverage range and transmission rate of the signal.

[0014] In some optional implementations, the method further includes: the first communication device sending the area mode mapping relationship.

[0015] In this application, the first communication device can transmit the regional pattern mapping relationship, so that the second communication device communicating with the first communication device can determine its own region and the corresponding antenna pattern set based on the regional pattern mapping pattern. In addition, the transmission form can be in the form of periodic broadcast or other forms, which are not limited here.

[0016] By adopting the above method, the first communication device sends the regional pattern mapping relationship to the second communication device communicating with it, which can reduce the redundancy and repetition of the applicable antenna pattern calculation process during the communication between the two parties and increase the reliability and stability of the communication between the two parties.

[0017] In some optional implementations, before the first communication device sends the regional mode mapping relationship, the method further includes: the first communication device receives a first request, where the first request is used to obtain the regional mode mapping relationship.

[0018] In this application, the first communication device may also send the area mode mapping relationship to the second communication device in the connected state after the second communication device completes initial access. Compared with broadcast transmission, point-to-point transmission can improve network energy efficiency.

[0019] In some optional implementations, after the first communication device sends the regional pattern mapping relationship, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving a pattern identifier, where the pattern identifier is used to represent a second antenna pattern set in the regional pattern mapping relationship.

[0020] In the present application, the second communication device determines a second antenna pattern set suitable for the first communication device based on its own device capabilities and detection results, and sends the identifier of the second antenna pattern set to the first communication device. Exemplarily, the identifier can be an antenna pattern set identifier or a regional identifier within the regional pattern mapping relationship, which is sent after determining the specific area based on the positioning capability of the second communication device's own device; or it can be an applicable antenna pattern identifier, which is sent after determining the applicable antenna pattern based on the receiving capability of the second communication device's own device. The specific details are not limited here.

[0021] By adopting the above method, the appropriate antenna pattern set is selected according to the device capabilities and detection results, which can better adapt to different communication scenarios and needs, thereby improving signal quality and reliability.

[0022] In some optional implementations, the second antenna pattern set is the first antenna pattern set.

[0023] In the present application, if the second antenna pattern set is the same as the first antenna pattern set initially determined by the first communication device, it means that the antenna patterns in the antenna pattern set have better applicability for both communicating parties.

[0024] In some optional implementations, the method further includes: the first communication device sending data or a reference signal based on the second antenna mode set.

[0025] In some optional embodiments, the first communication device sends a reference signal based on the second antenna mode set, including: corresponding to the first reference signal received by the first communication device, such as the sounding reference signal SRS, the first communication device sends a second reference signal based on the second antenna mode set, such as the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

[0026] In some optional implementations, the frequency bands used by the first reference signal and the second reference signal are related to an operating mode of the first communication device, where the operating mode includes time division duplex (TDD) or frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0027] In the present application, when the first communication device is a communication device with base station functions, it is necessary to determine the uplink channel and the downlink channel before sending data to the terminal. During the channel detection process, it is necessary to receive and send various reference signals, such as SRS and CSI-RS. The reference signals can be sent and received using the multiple antenna modes provided in the present application. For example, different antenna modes can be used to send reference signals, and then the differences between these signals can be compared at the receiving end to estimate the characteristics of the channel.

[0028] Using the above method, compared with traditional dual-polarized antennas, which can only provide a maximum of two antenna modes in one antenna unit, the multiple antenna modes provided in this application can provide more flexible signal processing capabilities, allowing stable communication to be maintained in complex environments, thereby improving the spectrum efficiency of multiple input multiple output (MIMO).

[0029] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving feedback information, the feedback information including one or more of a channel quality indicator (CQI), a rank indication (RI), a precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and a layer indication (LI); and the first communication device determining a third antenna pattern set based on the feedback information.

[0030] By adopting the above method, the first communication device can confirm the antenna pattern set applicable for communication based on the feedback information, which helps to ensure the correctness and consistency of the antenna pattern, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of communication.

[0031] In some optional embodiments, the antenna pattern is generated based on the array pattern of the antenna array and the unit pattern of multiple antenna units in the antenna array, the first antenna unit among the multiple antenna units includes at least three ports, and the unit pattern of the first antenna unit corresponds one-to-one to the port of the first antenna unit.

[0032] In this application, based on the orthogonal pattern theory and array theory, an orthogonal pattern analysis is performed on the antenna unit to obtain the antenna pattern of the antenna unit; then the amplitude and phase are controlled between different antenna units of the antenna array, and the antenna patterns of multiple antenna units are synthesized into the antenna pattern of the antenna array.

[0033] Using this method, orthogonal pattern analysis is performed on antenna units, eliminating the need for orthogonal pattern analysis on the entire antenna array, reducing computational complexity. Combined with array theory, amplitude and phase control can be performed within an antenna unit or between different antenna units, enhancing the flexibility of antenna array control. This allows for more flexible adaptation to diverse application scenarios and requirements, improving overall system performance. Furthermore, the use of multi-port antenna units increases the number of independent ports compared to traditional dual-polarization antenna units, providing more orthogonal beam patterns, thereby supporting more data streams and improving MIMO spectral efficiency.

[0034] In some optional embodiments, the antenna array includes a first antenna unit group and a second antenna unit group, and the number of ports of the antenna units in the second antenna unit group is less than or equal to the number of ports of the antenna units in the first antenna unit group.

[0035] In some optional implementations, the degree of coupling between the antenna units in the second antenna unit group and the adjacent antenna units is higher than the degree of coupling between the antenna units in the first antenna unit group and the adjacent antenna units.

[0036] With the above method, since some antenna modes of adjacent antenna units may be aliased, the number of ports can be appropriately reduced for antenna units with a high degree of coupling to reduce mutual interference.

[0037] In some optional implementations, the first antenna unit corresponds to at least one radio frequency channel, and each radio frequency channel is used to generate at least one antenna pattern.

[0038] In some optional implementations, when the first antenna unit corresponds to a radio frequency channel, at least three ports correspond to the same radio frequency channel.

[0039] In some optional embodiments, when the first antenna unit corresponds to at least two RF channels; if the number of ports of the first antenna unit is greater than the number of RF channels, at least three ports include a port corresponding to the same RF channel; if the number of ports of the first antenna unit is equal to the number of RF channels, each of the at least three ports corresponds to a different RF channel.

[0040] In this application, by combining a digital beamforming architecture or a digital-analog hybrid architecture, some or all antenna patterns are mapped to RF channels, so that the RF channels can simulate and generate at least one antenna pattern. In the actual antenna device setting, one antenna unit can correspond to one RF channel, and the RF channel corresponds to all ports of the antenna unit, which can reduce the connection between different antenna units; or one RF channel can correspond to the same pattern in multiple antenna units, for example, RF channel 1 connects port 1 of multiple antenna units, and the same pattern can be used for similar coverage ranges, which is not limited here. By adopting the above method, the number of RF channels can be reduced accordingly in the design of the antenna device, reducing the complexity and energy consumption of the antenna design.

[0041] A second aspect of the present application provides a communication device, including:

[0042] a transceiver module, configured to obtain a channel detection result, wherein the channel detection result includes channel state information of the first area;

[0043] a processing module, configured to determine a regional pattern mapping relationship based on the channel sounding result and a plurality of antenna patterns, the regional pattern mapping relationship including a mapping relationship between the first region and a first antenna pattern set, where the antenna patterns in the first antenna pattern set are antenna patterns suitable for a channel environment of the first region;

[0044] The transceiver module is further configured to perform detection feedback based on the first antenna mode set.

[0045] In some optional embodiments, the multiple antenna modes include at least three antenna modes, each antenna mode corresponds to a characteristic current distribution, and each characteristic current distribution corresponds to a beam pattern.

[0046] In some optional implementations, the transceiver module is further configured to: send the area mode mapping relationship.

[0047] In some optional implementations, the transceiver module is further configured to: receive a first request, where the first request is configured to obtain an area mode mapping relationship.

[0048] In some optional implementations, after the transceiver module sends the regional mode mapping relationship, the transceiver module is further configured to: receive a mode identifier, where the mode identifier is used to indicate a second antenna mode set in the regional mode mapping relationship.

[0049] In some optional implementations, the second antenna pattern set is the first antenna pattern set.

[0050] In some optional implementations, the transceiver module is further configured to: send data or a reference signal based on the second antenna mode set.

[0051] In some optional implementations, corresponding to the first reference signal received by the transceiver module, the transceiver module is specifically configured to: send a second reference signal based on the second antenna mode set.

[0052] In some optional implementations, the frequency bands used by the first reference signal and the second reference signal are related to an operating mode of the device, and the operating mode includes time division duplex (TDD) or frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0053] In some optional embodiments, the transceiver module is further configured to: receive feedback information, where the feedback information includes one or more of a channel quality indicator (CQI), a rank indicator (RI), a precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and a layer indicator (LI). The transceiver module is specifically configured to determine a third antenna pattern set based on the feedback information.

[0054] In some optional embodiments, the antenna pattern is generated based on the array pattern of the antenna array and the unit pattern of multiple antenna units in the antenna array, the first antenna unit among the multiple antenna units includes at least three ports, and the unit pattern of the first antenna unit corresponds one-to-one to the port of the first antenna unit.

[0055] In some optional embodiments, the antenna array includes a first antenna unit group and a second antenna unit group, and the number of ports of the antenna units in the second antenna unit group is less than or equal to the number of ports of the antenna units in the first antenna unit group.

[0056] In some optional implementations, the coupling degree of the second antenna element group is higher than the coupling degree of the first antenna element group.

[0057] In some optional implementations, the first antenna unit corresponds to at least one radio frequency channel, and each radio frequency channel is used to generate at least one antenna pattern.

[0058] In some optional implementations, when the first antenna unit corresponds to a radio frequency channel, at least three ports correspond to the same radio frequency channel.

[0059] In some optional embodiments, when the first antenna unit corresponds to at least two RF channels; if the number of ports of the first antenna unit is greater than the number of RF channels, at least three ports include a port corresponding to the same RF channel; if the number of ports of the first antenna unit is equal to the number of RF channels, each of the at least three ports corresponds to a different RF channel.

[0060] A third aspect of the present application provides a communication device, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a transceiver. The memory stores a computer program or computer instructions, the processor is configured to call and execute the computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the processor implements the processing operations described in the first aspect and any one of the implementations of the first aspect, and the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals, such as implementing the receiving and transmitting operations described in the first aspect and any one of the implementations of the first aspect.

[0061] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a computer, the computer executes the above-mentioned first aspect and any optional method thereof.

[0062] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the above-mentioned first aspect and any optional method thereof.

[0063] The sixth aspect provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device is used to execute the method described in the above-mentioned first aspect and any implementation method of the first aspect, and the second communication device is used to communicate with the first communication device.

[0064] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a chip system comprising a processor for supporting an execution device or a training device in implementing the functions described in the aforementioned aspects, such as transmitting or processing data or information described in the aforementioned methods. In one possible design, the chip system further comprises a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the execution device or the training device. The chip system may consist of a single chip or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0065] As described above, the technical effects of the second, third and fourth aspects of this application can be understood in conjunction with the technical effects of the first aspect and any implementation method of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0067] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-port antenna unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG3 is a mapping relationship between antenna ports, characteristic current distribution, and beam pattern provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array topology structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array structure of a hybrid antenna unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG6A is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-port antenna device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG6B is another schematic structural diagram of a multi-port antenna device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG6C is another schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-port antenna device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG6D is another schematic structural diagram of a multi-port antenna device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG7 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of cell divisions provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG9 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG10 is another schematic flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG11 is another schematic flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a system simulation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG13A is a schematic diagram of simulation results of a multi-port antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG13B is a schematic diagram of simulation results of a multi-port antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] FIG15 is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0087] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if any) in the specification and claims of the present application and in the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequential sequence. It should be understood that the numbers used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can, for example, be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "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 units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0088] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a possible, non-limiting system. As shown in Figure 1 , the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1 ). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 may be separate physical devices, or they may be the same physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0089] The RAN 100 may be a long term evolution (LTE) system, an LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, an LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), a world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, a fifth generation (5G) system, a new generation (NR) communication system, or a future sixth generation communication system. The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0090] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and facilitates wireless access for terminals. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 120j accessing RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionality, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0091] In one possible scenario, a RAN node may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. A RAN node may be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG1 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an onboard device. For example, an access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application may also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The RAN node in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0092] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0093] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0094] A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. A terminal may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0095] In a communication system, a communication device needs to use an antenna (antenna unit) to convert high-frequency electromagnetic wave energy in space into high-frequency electromagnetic wave energy in a circuit, or vice versa, to achieve signal transmission and reception conversion functions. For example, tightly coupled array antennas (TCA) or current sheet antennas (CSA) are used. An antenna array is an array composed of multiple antenna units, and beamforming and directionality can be controlled through a specific feeding method. This enhances the reception and transmission capabilities of wireless signals and improves the performance of the communication system. It can also be used to achieve functions such as signal gain, signal interference suppression, spatial diversity, and MIMO.

[0096] The following first introduces the antenna array related terms and related concepts involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0097] 1. Beam pattern: Also known as the radiation pattern, it refers to the radiation characteristics of an antenna or antenna array in different directions, usually represented by a graph or diagram. Antenna array patterns can be used to describe the antenna's radiation direction, gain, main lobe width, side lobe level, and other characteristics in space.

[0098] 2. Antenna port: This is the physical port on the antenna unit. The antenna port's radiation structure includes the oscillator, reflector, matching network, and enclosure. These components work together to enable the antenna to effectively radiate or receive electromagnetic waves in a specific direction. Exciting an antenna port produces a radiation pattern.

[0099] It should be noted that the multi-port antenna unit or multi-port antenna array mentioned in the embodiments of the present application includes antenna units with a port number greater than or equal to 3.

[0100] The applicant has discovered that a multi-port antenna unit can generate multiple (greater than or equal to three) orthogonal radiation patterns by controlling the phase and excitation amplitude of each port. Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of a possible multi-port antenna unit structure. Antenna unit 201 has three antenna ports: Port 1, Port 2, and Port 3.

[0101] Referring to Figure 3, an orthogonal pattern analysis of the electromagnetic structure corresponding to antenna unit 201 can be performed to obtain a mapping relationship between the antenna unit's ports and the characteristic current distribution direction diagrams and orthogonal beam patterns generated by them. Each orthogonal beam pattern can be understood as an antenna mode of antenna unit 201. Characteristic current refers to the current generated by the surface of the antenna unit. These currents can be provided by a signal source or induced by electromagnetic waves in the environment.

[0102] As shown in FIG3 , when port 1' is excited, a characteristic current 301 is generated on the surface of antenna unit 201 in a vertically upward direction, and the resulting electromagnetic wave distribution in space is shown as a beam pattern 311, corresponding to antenna mode 1. When port 2' is excited, a characteristic current 302 is generated on the surface of antenna unit 201 in a horizontally rightward direction, and the resulting electromagnetic wave distribution in space is shown as a beam pattern 312, corresponding to antenna mode 2. When port 3' is excited, a characteristic current 303 is generated on the surface of antenna unit 201 that diffuses outward from the center as a whole, and the resulting electromagnetic wave distribution in space is shown as a beam pattern 313, corresponding to antenna mode 3. Ports 1', 2', and 3' are generated by exciting ports 1, 2, and 3 with appropriate amplitudes and phases.

[0103] Furthermore, if antenna unit 201 is a four-port antenna unit, exciting port 4' can generate a characteristic current 304 along the radiating edge on the surface of antenna unit 201. The resulting electromagnetic wave distribution in space is shown as beam pattern 314, corresponding to antenna mode 4. It should be noted that by adjusting the radiation structure and excitation method of a three-port antenna unit, a three-port antenna can also generate antenna mode 4. That is, a three-port antenna can also support any three antenna mode combinations among antenna modes 1-4, such as antenna modes 1, 2, and 4, or antenna modes 1, 3, and 4, or antenna modes 2, 3, and 4. Because linear combinations of antenna modes are orthogonal to other modes, a three-port antenna can also simultaneously support modes 1, 2, 3, and 4. However, exciting a three-port antenna can only generate three orthogonal patterns, meaning that at least one of the patterns is a linear combination of at least two modes.

[0104] The characteristic current distribution and beam pattern shown in FIG3 is only one possible implementation, which shows that by applying different excitation amplitudes or different phase offsets to each port of the three-port antenna unit, multiple orthogonal beam patterns can be generated. In addition, when the number of ports of the antenna unit is greater than 3, such as a four-port antenna unit, a five-port antenna unit, or an antenna unit with more ports, more orthogonal beam patterns may be generated. The multi-port antenna unit structure shown in FIG2 is only an exemplary introduction, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the form of the antenna unit structure.

[0105] 3. Eigenmode analysis: This is a new method that combines the method of moments with analytical eigenmode theory to solve electromagnetic problems. This method provides an effective design tool for antenna designers. In eigenmode analysis, the current distribution on the target object is assumed to be decomposed into an infinite number of modal currents, each of which radiates a unique eigenmode mode that is independent of other modes. These modal modes are orthogonal at specific frequencies, so a complete set of modes can be constructed that can be used to describe the current distribution on the target object. In antenna design, eigenmode analysis can be used to optimize antenna performance. By adjusting the modal components of the current distribution on the antenna, key parameters such as the antenna's radiation direction, gain, and impedance matching can be changed. In addition, eigenmode analysis can also be used to predict the performance of antennas in complex environments, such as those under complex conditions such as electromagnetic interference and multipath reflection.

[0106] 4. Scattering parameters: also known as S parameters, can be directly measured with a network analyzer and are one of the important indicators for describing the characteristics of a transmission channel. Scattering parameters include the reflection coefficient S11, the transmission coefficient S21, the scattering coefficients S12 and S22. These parameters can be used to describe the signal transmission characteristics of an antenna from port 1 to port 2. For example, S11 is the coefficient that indicates the reflection of a signal at port 1 after it is injected into port 1, and S21 is the coefficient that indicates the transmission of a signal at port 2 after it is injected into port 1. In high-frequency networks, S parameters are more intuitive than impedance and admittance parameters and are more suitable for analyzing distributed parameter circuits. S parameters are network parameters based on the relationship between incident waves and reflected waves. They are suitable for microwave circuit analysis and describe the circuit network using the reflected signal at the device port and the signal transmitted from that port to another port.

[0107] 5. Orthogonal Pattern Analysis: This is an electromagnetic field analysis technique used to characterize the independence and non-interference between individual antenna elements in an antenna array. Orthogonal pattern analysis of an antenna array determines the degree of influence of each antenna element on other elements by analyzing the electric and magnetic field distributions of each antenna element in space, as well as the orthogonality between them. This allows for an assessment of the overall performance of the antenna array and the identification of at least one antenna mode used for communication.

[0108] 6. Antenna Pattern: Also known as orthogonal antenna pattern, this pattern uses two or more antennas to transmit and receive signals, increasing signal coverage and transmission speed. The principle behind this pattern is that the signals transmitted by each antenna are orthogonal in space, meaning their waveforms are perpendicular to each other in space, thus preventing interference. Furthermore, since each antenna transmits signals in different spatial directions, signal coverage is increased. Furthermore, using multiple receiving antennas can also increase signal reception speed and accuracy.

[0109] 7. RF channel: The RF channel is connected to the antenna array through a feed network and is usually composed of a series of signal distributors, mixers, power amplifiers (PAs), and low noise amplifiers (LNAs). It is used to up-convert the baseband signal to an RF signal and send it into space through the antenna, or down-convert the RF signal received from the antenna to a baseband signal for digital processing. Through the RF channel, the signal strength and phase of each antenna unit can be adjusted at the RF end. By adjusting the port excitation amplitude and phase of each antenna unit, a specific antenna pattern can be formed.

[0110] 8. Fully digital antenna architecture: The transceiver components independently control the signal input of each RF channel. The signal strength and phase information are determined by signal detection and calibration of each RF channel through a coupled calibration network. Finally, the system's digital shaping algorithm adjusts the amplitude and phase weighting configuration of the transceiver unit excitation to each RF channel to achieve precise 3D beam pattern and 3D scanning of large-scale antennas.

[0111] Currently, when communicating, a communication device must obtain the S parameters of all ports in the antenna array and perform orthogonal pattern analysis on the entire antenna array structure to obtain at least one orthogonal beam pattern for MIMO transmission. However, these beam patterns are only orthogonal at the antenna end. In actual communication, the influence of channel conditions must also be considered, as they can affect the orthogonality of partially orthogonal beam patterns. For example, orthogonality is best maintained when the beam patterns are integrated in three dimensions and scatterers are evenly distributed. Therefore, it is not necessary to calculate all orthogonal patterns for the entire antenna array.

[0112] The applicant's research has found that based on orthogonal mode theory and array theory, the antenna elements of an antenna array or between different antenna elements can be regulated in amplitude and phase, and the antenna patterns of multiple antenna elements can be synthesized into the antenna pattern of the antenna array. Specifically, the radiation field of each antenna element can be changed by adjusting the signal amplitude and phase of each antenna element, thereby changing the radiation field of the entire antenna array. For example, the signal amplitude of each antenna element can be adjusted to change the radiation intensity of each antenna element, thereby changing the radiation intensity of the entire antenna array. Similarly, the signal phase of each antenna element can be adjusted to change the radiation direction of each antenna element, thereby changing the radiation direction of the entire antenna array.

[0113] Based on this, the present application proposes a dense multi-port antenna array. According to the orthogonal mode theory, the electromagnetic structure corresponding to the antenna unit is analyzed by orthogonal mode, and a multi-port antenna unit is constructed based on the orthogonal mode. All ports of an antenna unit share the same radiation structure.

[0114] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of a possible antenna array topology. The antenna array shown in Figure 4 includes multiple antenna elements 201 as shown in Figure 2. For example, the antenna array may have an antenna element horizontal spacing of 0.5 wavelengths and a vertical spacing of 0.67 wavelengths. The array may have 8 rows and 5 columns, and the antenna element size may be half a wavelength by half a wavelength. Each antenna port corresponds to one or more antenna modes.

[0115] It should be understood that Figure 4 only provides one possible antenna array topology. In actual applications, there may be multiple topologies of antenna arrays, and there are also multiple possible designs for the size and shape of antenna units and the spacing between antenna units, which are not specifically limited here.

[0116] In the embodiment of the present application, by performing orthogonal pattern analysis on the antenna units in a dense multi-port antenna array, it is not necessary to perform orthogonal pattern analysis on the entire antenna array, thereby reducing the complexity of the calculation. Combined with array theory, the amplitude and phase can be controlled within the antenna unit or between different antenna units, which enhances the flexibility of antenna array control, can more flexibly adapt to different application scenarios and needs, and improve the overall performance of the system. In addition, due to the use of multi-port antenna units, the number of independent ports is increased compared to traditional dual-polarization antenna units, which can provide more orthogonal beam patterns, thereby supporting more data streams and improving the spectrum efficiency of MIMO.

[0117] Furthermore, due to the eigenmode analysis performed on antenna elements, the antenna patterns within an antenna element can maintain a certain degree of orthogonality. However, in an antenna array, considering coupling factors, certain modes within one antenna element can alias with antenna modes in adjacent elements, resulting in strong pattern coupling. This situation typically occurs at the center element of the antenna array, so the antenna array can be constructed using a hybrid antenna element.

[0118] In conjunction with Figure 4, as shown in Figure 5, an embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of a dense multi-port antenna array structure of hybrid antenna units. Based on the position of the antenna unit in the antenna array and the degree of coupling with the connected units, the antenna units can be roughly divided into the following three groups:

[0119] Unit group 1: Located in the corner of the array, with two sides that have no coupling to adjacent units or two sides with weak coupling;

[0120] Unit group 2: Located on the side of the array, one side has no coupling with adjacent units or one side has a weak coupling degree;

[0121] Unit group 3: Located in the center of the array, all sides are coupled to adjacent units.

[0122] Among them, unit group 3 can be further subdivided according to the number of coupling units. Units in different groups can adopt different numbers of ports and orthogonal mode sets. Specifically, the antenna unit structure can be analyzed while considering the coupling between antenna units to determine the orthogonal mode set of the antenna unit and the coupling relationship between the different modes supported by the adjacent antenna units, and finally determine the number of antenna unit ports and the supported orthogonal mode set under a specific isolation degree. The coupling between the antenna units means that the electric field or magnetic field excited on one antenna unit has an impact on the other antenna unit, and the isolation is an important indicator to measure this impact. The greater the isolation, the smaller the impact of one antenna unit on another antenna unit, that is, the smaller the degree of coupling between the two antenna units.

[0123] The coupling between antenna elements will affect the radiation pattern of the antenna elements, reducing their gain in certain directions. In order to optimize the performance of the antenna array, the number of ports of each antenna element can be adjusted according to the degree of coupling between the antenna elements. Generally speaking, the number of ports of the above three groups of elements has the following relationship: N1≥N2≥N3

[0124] N1 is the number of ports of each antenna unit in unit group 1, N2 is the number of ports of each antenna unit in unit group 2, and N3 is the number of ports of each antenna unit in unit group 3.

[0125] In the embodiments of the present application, due to aliasing with some antenna modes of adjacent antenna units, the number of ports of antenna units with a high degree of coupling can be appropriately reduced to reduce mutual interference and reduce the complexity of the design of the entire antenna array. It should be noted that reducing the number of ports does not mean completely eliminating coupling. In order to achieve better antenna performance, other measures need to be taken to reduce the degree of coupling, such as using isolators, optimizing antenna layout, or adopting other anti-interference technologies, which are not limited here.

[0126] As shown in FIG6A , a dense multi-port antenna device based on a digital beamforming architecture is described below. Using a fully digital antenna architecture, the data stream is mapped to a communication mode via a data mapping module, and then mapped to an orthogonal antenna mode via a mode mapping module for transmitting or receiving wireless signals. The orthogonal antenna mode is determined based on the aforementioned orthogonal mode analysis of multiple antenna units in the array. The baseband signal is then up-converted to the required RF transmission frequency via RF channel 601, and the ports of the antenna units are excited by a feed network to convert the modulated carrier signal into an electromagnetic wave that can propagate in free space, thereby generating a beam pattern. The feed network converts the antenna modes of all antenna units into orthogonal antenna modes of at least one antenna array. The feed network portion may include one or more of a power divider, an amplitude adjustment structure, a phase adjustment structure, a combiner, and an impedance matching structure.

[0127] Due to the digital architecture, the number of RF channels is equal to the number of orthogonal antenna patterns. Each RF channel is connected to the antenna port of the antenna unit through a feed network. Specifically, for example, if antenna unit 1 has three ports, antenna unit 1 corresponds to three RF channels, and each RF channel corresponds to an antenna port.

[0128] Furthermore, the applicant's research found that the number of RF channels can be further reduced by combining a digital-analog hybrid architecture. As shown in Figure 6B, Figure 6B is a dense multi-port antenna device based on a digital-analog hybrid architecture. The communication mode is mapped to the orthogonal antenna mode in digital and analog ways to transmit or receive wireless signals. In this embodiment, an analog mapping module is added between the RF channel 601 and the orthogonal antenna mode. The analog mapping module maps all orthogonal antenna modes to the RF channel, so the number of RF channels is generally less than or equal to the number of antenna modes. The analog mapping module can also adjust the orthogonal antenna mode in combination with the channel environment characteristics. In addition, since the analog mapping module and the feeding network both process signals in the analog domain, in some designs, they can also be combined into one.

[0129] For example, an irregular subarray may be used to connect the same or different numbers of antenna ports to different radio frequency channels via a feed network. The identification method of the irregular subarray may be determined by statistical channel information.

[0130] For example, a regular subarray approach can also be used. As shown in Figure 6C, RF channel 1 corresponds to port 1 of antenna unit 1 and antenna unit 2, and RF channel 1 generates antenna pattern 1 corresponding to port 1; RF channel 2 corresponds to port 2 of antenna unit 1 and antenna unit 2, and RF channel 2 generates antenna pattern 2 corresponding to port 2; RF channel n corresponds to port n and can generate antenna pattern n; RF channel m corresponds to port m and can generate antenna pattern m; the same antenna port corresponds to the same RF channel because the same antenna pattern has a similar coverage range. By adjusting the amplitude and phase between the same patterns corresponding to different units, beam scanning within the same angle range is achieved.

[0131] As shown in Figure 6D, RF channel 1 corresponds to n ports of antenna unit 1, and RF channel 2 corresponds to m ports of antenna unit 2. Each RF channel can generate antenna patterns corresponding to all ports; the same antenna uses the same RF channel, which can reduce the connection between different antenna units and reduce the complexity of analog circuit design.

[0132] In embodiments of the present application, by combining a digital beamforming architecture or a hybrid digital-analog architecture, amplitude- or phase-adjustable beamforming is employed on the analog side to map some or all antenna patterns to RF channels. This reduces the number of RF channels in the antenna device, while also reducing the complexity and cost of this architecture. Since each RF channel requires a certain amount of power to drive, reducing the number of RF channels can also reduce energy consumption, simplify the design, and improve the maintainability and scalability of the entire antenna device.

[0133] In conjunction with the aforementioned dense multi-port antenna array, the following describes a communication method for mutual communication between a first communication device and a second communication device. The first and second communication devices may be communication devices 110a and 110b with base station functionality in Figure 1 , or communication devices 120a-120j with terminal functionality in Figure 1 . When the first communication device is configured with the aforementioned dense multi-port antenna array, the second communication device is not limited to being configured with the same dense multi-port antenna array.

[0134] As shown in FIG7 , FIG7 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0135] 701. The first communication device obtains a channel detection result;

[0136] Before a first communication device and a second communication device communicate, they need to measure the communication channel between them. The first communication device obtains channel sounding results, which include channel state information for multiple areas, including the area where the second communication device is located (the first area). Specifically, the channel sounding results may include information such as signal strength, interference level, and available bandwidth for each area.

[0137] Exemplarily, the channel detection result may be a result obtained by the base station by analyzing the SRS received historically, or a result obtained by analyzing the reference signal sent by the second communication device or the third communication device in the first area to the first communication device, which is not limited here.

[0138] 702. The first communication device determines a regional mode mapping relationship based on the channel detection result and the multiple antenna modes;

[0139] The first communication device partitions the detection area based on the channel state information of multiple areas in the channel detection results. Areas with the same channel environment characteristics are divided into zones. Then, based on the multiple orthogonal antenna patterns provided by the configured dense multi-port antenna array, the partition is determined and an appropriate antenna pattern is selected as the pattern set corresponding to the partition, that is, a regional pattern mapping relationship is determined. The regional pattern includes a first antenna pattern set corresponding to the first area, and each antenna pattern in the first antenna pattern set is an antenna pattern suitable for communication in the first area.

[0140] When the first communication device is a communication device with base station functionality, it can obtain channel state information for cells within the base station signal coverage area. Refer to Figure 8, which shows a possible cell partitioning diagram. Cell partitioning can be divided into high and low signal-to-noise ratio areas based on signal-to-noise ratio; into dense and sparse user areas based on user distribution; and into rich scattering areas and marginal user areas based on scatterer distribution and antenna coverage.

[0141] When selecting antenna patterns to match a sector, base stations can consider several factors, including modal significance, the degree of modal coupling between connected units or the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) at the receiver, different angles of departure (AoD) and arrival (AoA), and the number of concurrent users. This is because basic antenna patterns, such as those with the main beam pointing in a broadside direction, have a limited number of patterns and are suitable for areas where AoD / AoA distribution is primarily in broadside directions or at small angles, in areas with low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or low signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR), or in areas with a small number of users. In contrast, high-order antenna patterns, with the main beam pointing in directions other than broadside, have a larger number of patterns and are suitable for areas where AoD / AoA distribution is primarily in wide angles, such as around ±45°, in areas with high SNR or high SINR, or in areas with a large number of users. Among them, the basic antenna mode can be understood as the aforementioned antenna mode 1 and antenna mode 2, and the high-order antenna mode can be understood as the aforementioned antenna mode 3 and antenna mode 4.

[0142] Exemplarily, the first communication device can use three antenna modes for MIMO signal transmission: antenna mode 1, antenna mode 2, and antenna mode 3. After performing channel state analysis on each area of ​​the cell, the cell is divided into two partitions: partition A and partition B. Partition A can be used for communication using multiple antenna modes; for example, the set of antenna modes applicable to partition A includes antenna mode 1, antenna mode 2, and antenna mode 3. However, partition B can only use a subset of antenna modes for communication; for example, the set of antenna modes applicable to partition B includes antenna mode 1 and antenna mode 2.

[0143] It is understandable that the above is only one possible regional pattern mapping relationship. In actual applications, there may be more possible antenna modes that the first communication device can use for MIMO signal transmission, and there may also be more possibilities for cell partitioning. No specific limitations are made here.

[0144] It is worth noting that when the first communication device is a communication device with terminal functionality, the channel state information obtained in step 701 may be channel state information of the area (first area) where the base station is located. Correspondingly, step 702 is to determine a set of antenna modes suitable for communication with the base station.

[0145] 703. The first communication device performs detection feedback based on the first antenna mode set.

[0146] The first communication device determines a communication mode based on the first antenna pattern set and provides detection feedback. The communication mode may be point-to-point communication, broadcast communication, or multi-access communication. It is worth noting that the communication mode may also be determined based on other factors, such as signal modulation method, coding method, transmission rate, etc. The antenna mode is only one factor in determining the communication mode.

[0147] Taking the first communication device as a communication device with a base station function as an example, the first communication device can send the regional mode mapping relationship. The specific sending method can be to send it in the form of a periodic broadcast during the initial access phase of the terminal (second communication device), or to send it after the terminal completes the initial access and receives a request sent by a terminal in a connected state.

[0148] After receiving the regional mode mapping relationship, the terminal determines that its own area belongs to the subarea in the regional mode mapping relationship based on the positioning function of its own device, and then sends the mode identifier corresponding to the subarea to the first communication device.

[0149] Exemplarily, what is sent may be the identifier of the antenna pattern set corresponding to the partition, or the identifier of the antenna pattern in the antenna pattern set, or the identifier of the partition, which is not limited here.

[0150] In an embodiment of the present application, the detection area is divided based on the channel environment and the antenna pattern suitable for the channel environment to determine the regional pattern mapping pattern. During the channel detection process of the first communication device communicating with the second communication device, the antenna pattern suitable for communication can be selected within a limited search space, which reduces the complexity of signal processing and improves the efficiency of processing. At the same time, due to the use of an antenna array with a greater number of independent ports, more orthogonal antenna patterns can be generated, thereby supporting the simultaneous transmission of multiple data streams. This not only improves the flexibility of communication, but also significantly improves the transmission rate. Moreover, as the diversity of antenna patterns increases, the coverage range of the signal will also expand accordingly, thereby improving the stability and reliability of communication.

[0151] Furthermore, the first communication device can dynamically adjust the selection of sectors and antenna patterns as needed. For example, when the channel environment changes, the first communication device can re-evaluate the channel state information and adjust the selection of sectors and antenna patterns accordingly. This dynamic adjustment enables the first communication device to adapt to different communication environments, further improving communication performance and robustness.

[0152] Exemplarily, the first communication device initially matches the first antenna mode set for partition A (first area) based on historical SRS information, which includes antenna modes of antenna mode 1, antenna mode 2, and antenna mode 3. After the first communication device sends the regional mode mapping relationship to the second communication device in the first area, the second communication device finds that it can only support some of the antenna modes to communicate with the first communication device based on some factors, for example, only antenna mode 1 and antenna mode 2. At this time, a new mode identifier needs to be sent to the first communication device so that the first communication device makes corresponding adjustments. The influencing factors may be that the channel environment has changed, or it may be that the second communication device itself cannot receive signals of some antenna modes due to its own receiving capability. The specific factors are not limited here.

[0153] In combination with the aforementioned embodiment, the following describes how to implement uplink channel measurement and downlink channel measurement for both communicating parties using the area pattern mapping relationship determined in the aforementioned communication method when the first communication device is a base station.

[0154] As shown in FIG9 , FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a detection process of a base station for a downlink channel when the working mode is TDD.

[0155] 901. The terminal sends an SRS to the base station;

[0156] SRS sent by the terminal to the base station. Since the terminal often has fewer transmission links than reception links, in order to obtain accurate downlink channel information, the UE is supported to send SRS using different antennas at different times according to predefined rules.

[0157] 902. The base station estimates the uplink channel based on the SRS and determines the downlink channel and antenna mode;

[0158] Since the uplink and downlink in TDD mode use the same frequency band and time slot configuration is used to distinguish uplink and downlink transmissions, the uplink and downlink channels are reciprocal within the coherence time. The terminal sends the uplink SRS, and the base station determines the downlink channel based on the uplink channel estimation. It selects the appropriate antenna mode from multiple orthogonal antenna modes to send or receive data to the terminal.

[0159] 903. The base station sends or receives data according to the antenna mode.

[0160] In the embodiment of the present application, since the number of antenna modes available for communication of the base station increases, the signal coverage range is also increased, which can improve the performance of the communication system.

[0161] As shown in FIG10 , FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a detection process of an uplink channel by a base station when the working mode is TDD.

[0162] 1001. The base station determines the antenna mode for communicating with the newly connected terminal based on the number of terminal users accessing the same frequency at the same time;

[0163] The base station communicates with multiple end users simultaneously and can dynamically adjust the antenna pattern based on the signal quality, location, and interference conditions of each user.

[0164] Exemplarily, the base station may determine the antenna mode for communicating with multiple terminals based on a maximum signal-to-interference ratio (MRT), zero-interference (ZIF), or maximum ratio combining (MRC), etc., which is not limited here.

[0165] Before this, step 1000 may also be performed. The base station sends a wake-up signal (WUS) to the terminal, triggering the terminal to wake up during a discontinuous reception (DRX) activation period.

[0166] 1002. The base station sends a CSI-RS to the terminal;

[0167] The base station can send CSI-RS periodically, semi-statically, or aperiodically, and instruct the terminal to report channel state information in an appropriate manner. The CSI-RS pattern selected is related to the number of users accessing the same frequency simultaneously. The base station sends CSI-RS based on the antenna mode. When the number of users is small, the base station can select the basic antenna mode for channel sounding. When the number of users is large, the base station can select the high-order antenna mode for channel sounding. The use of multi-port antennas increases the number of CSI-RS signals.

[0168] 1003. The terminal estimates the downlink channel based on the CSI-RS and determines the uplink channel;

[0169] Similar to the measurement of the downlink channel of the TDD system, since the uplink and downlink channels are reciprocal, the terminal determines the uplink channel and the precoding matrix for uplink transmission based on the downlink channel estimation.

[0170] 1004. The terminal sends an SRS to the base station;

[0171] The terminal determines a precoding beam according to the determined precoding matrix and sends an SRS on each precoding beam.

[0172] Furthermore, during the scheduling authorization phase, the base station can also determine the optimal receiving mode and its corresponding terminal precoding matrix SRI based on the determined uplink channel. The terminal uses the modified precoding to perform physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission.

[0173] 1005. The base station sends or receives data according to the antenna mode.

[0174] In the embodiments of the present application, due to the increased number of orthogonal antenna patterns, more CSI-RS can be transmitted and more SRS can be received. This allows for more flexible allocation of wireless resources. This helps optimize the efficiency of wireless resource utilization. Furthermore, the terminal can more accurately grasp the characteristics of the channel, helping to improve the reliability and stability of wireless communications.

[0175] Figure 11 shows the flow chart of uplink and downlink channel detection by a base station when the operating mode is FDD. Since the uplink and downlink in FDD mode use different frequency bands, the channels are not instantaneously reciprocal, requiring separate detection of the uplink and downlink channels.

[0176] 1101. The terminal sends a pilot SRS to the base station;

[0177] The terminal sends SRS via uplink, and the base station receives and analyzes these sequences.

[0178] 1102. The base station estimates the uplink channel based on the SRS and determines the downlink broadband CSI and the corresponding antenna mode;

[0179] On the other hand, there is long-term channel reciprocity between the downlink and uplink in the FDD system, that is, broadband CSI information can be obtained from the uplink channel estimation. This information contains large-scale information such as angular power spectrum and delay, allowing the base station to pre-adjust the CSI-RS.

[0180] 1103. The base station sends a CSI-RS to the terminal;

[0181] Step 1103 in this embodiment is similar to step 1002 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 , and will not be described in detail here.

[0182] 1104. The terminal estimates the downlink channel according to the CSI-RS;

[0183] 1105. The terminal sends feedback information to the base station;

[0184] The terminal estimates the downlink channel and feeds back the coefficient of each layer of data stream relative to the wideband CSI_. The coefficient relative to the wideband CSI includes information such as the channel quality indicator CQI, rank indicator RI, precoding matrix indicator PMI, and layer indicator LI.

[0185] 1106. The base station determines the uplink and downlink channels and antenna mode set based on the feedback information;

[0186] The base station may determine the antenna mode set to be finally used based on the feedback information.

[0187] In actual applications, the base station may also instruct the terminal through a codebook, that is, the base station sends SRI, Rank and precoding information to the terminal, so that the terminal selects a corresponding precoding to send an uplink signal, which is not limited here.

[0188] 1107. The base station sends or receives data according to the antenna mode.

[0189] In the embodiment of the present application, uplink estimation assistance and broadband CSI are used to effectively reduce the feedback overhead of the terminal and improve the accuracy of the downlink channel estimation of the base station.

[0190] In order to verify the performance of the multi-port antenna array in the wireless communication system, the embodiment of the present application simulates the directional pattern of the multi-port antenna unit or array and the dual-polarized antenna unit or array through full-wave simulation, and then brings it into the Quadriga channel model. Finally, the spectral efficiency of single-user multiple input multiple output (SU-MIMO) or multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) is calculated in combination with Shannon's theorem. The system performance of the three-port antenna unit and array is compared with the system performance of the dual-polarized unit and array to verify the performance advantage of the multi-port antenna.

[0191] First, to evaluate the SU-MIMO performance of a single antenna, full-wave simulation was used to obtain the radiation performance of a single multi-port antenna element and a dual-polarized antenna element. Comparing the number of antenna ports, the multi-port antenna element has three ports, while the traditional dual-polarized antenna element has two ports, a 50% increase in the number of ports. Comparing the average realized gain when each port is excited individually, the multi-port antenna element is 2.1dB lower than the dual-polarized antenna element. Comparing the average total efficiency when each port is excited individually, the multi-port antenna element is 0.18dB lower than the dual-polarized antenna element.

[0192] Figure 12 shows the system simulation scenario. The directional patterns of two antenna units are introduced into a Quadriga channel. The channel model is 3GPP-38.901-Uma-NloS, with a single sector, a 120° sector angle, a center frequency of 2.9 GHz, and a carrier bandwidth of 10 MHz. Base station 1201 is located at an altitude of 25 meters. Terminal 1202 is identified by multiple user positions (Rx-Position) and user antenna positions (Rx-Antenna), where these can overlap. The user altitude is 1.5 meters, and the user posture is random. Spectral efficiency is calculated for each user, with each user supporting two layers (dual-polarization antenna unit) or three layers (three-port antenna unit). For each channel realization, users are randomly selected 100 times. The results of these 10 random channel generation attempts are averaged.

[0193] Figure 13A shows the system simulation results for two antenna units with cell diameters of 150m and 550m, respectively. The x-axis represents transmit power, and the y-axis represents average spectral efficiency. The solid line represents the simulation results for the multi-port antenna unit, while the dashed line represents the simulation results for the dual-polarization antenna unit. When the transmit power is 50dBm, the multi-port antenna unit improves spectral efficiency by 38.5% and 33.7%, respectively, compared to the dual-polarization antenna unit, due to its ability to support more data streams.

[0194] To further evaluate the MU-MIMO performance of a multi-port antenna array, full-wave simulation was first used to determine its radiation performance. The antenna elements were spaced 0.5 wavelengths horizontally and 0.67 wavelengths vertically, with the array consisting of 8 rows and 5 columns. Comparing the number of antenna ports, the multi-port array has 120 ports, while the dual-polarization array has 80 ports, a 50% increase. When comparing the average realized gain when each port in the array is excited individually, the multi-port array achieves 1 dB less than the dual-polarization array. The average total efficiency when each port is excited individually is 0.8 dB less than the dual-polarization array.

[0195] Figure 12 shows the system simulation scenario. The directional patterns of two antenna arrays were introduced into a Quadriga channel. N users were randomly selected from a randomly determined pool of 200 users to calculate spectral efficiency, with each user supporting one data stream. The maximum value of N is the same as the total number of antenna ports. For a multi-port antenna array, the maximum value of N is 120, while for a dual-polarized antenna array, the maximum value of N is 80. For each channel realization, users were randomly selected 100 times. The results of the 10 random channel generation attempts were averaged.

[0196] Figure 13B shows the simulation results for two antenna arrays in cell diameters of 150m and 550m, respectively. The x-axis represents the number of simultaneously connected users (i.e., the number of users in the user group), and the y-axis represents the average spectral efficiency. The solid line in the figure shows the simulation results for a single multi-port antenna array at transmit powers of 50dBm, 40dBm, and 30dBm, while the dashed line shows the simulation results for a single dual-polarized antenna array at transmit powers of 50dBm, 40dBm, and 30dBm. As transmit power increases and the number of users in the user group increases, the gain of the multi-port array becomes more pronounced compared to the dual-polarized array. This indicates that in high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) ranges and with a large number of users, the multi-port array offers a performance advantage of up to 35% over the traditional dual-polarized array due to its support for more data streams.

[0197] When obtaining antenna patterns, the array size cannot be too large due to computational resource constraints. To reduce the computational resources occupied by full-wave simulations of large-scale arrays and ensure the accuracy of the results, an approximate simulation method is used to determine the patterns of such arrays. First, through full-wave simulations of 3x3 three-port antennas and dual-polarized antenna arrays, the patterns of the middle units are read as the unit patterns of the large-scale array and substituted into the system simulation platform. When there are 16x10 units in the antenna array, the eigenmode array has 480 ports, while the dual-polarized array has 320 ports. When the transmit power is 50dBm, the multi-port array still has a performance advantage of up to 15.9% compared to the traditional dual-polarized array.

[0198] The above describes the communication method and communication system provided by the embodiments of the present application. The following describes the communication device provided by the embodiments of the present application. Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiments of the present application. Communication device 1400 can be used to perform the steps performed by the first communication device in the embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 11. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the above method embodiments.

[0199] The communication device 1400 includes a transceiver module 1401 and a processing module 1402. The transceiver module 1401 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 1402 is used to process data. The transceiver module 1401 can also be called a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0200] Optionally, the communication device 1400 may further include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 1402 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit so that the network device implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0201] The communication device 1400 can be used to perform the actions in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1400 can be a network device or a component that can be configured in a network device. The transceiver module 1401 is used to perform the reception-related operations in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 1402 is used to perform the processing-related operations in the above method embodiments.

[0202] Optionally, the transceiver module 1401 may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiment. The receiving module is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiment.

[0203] As an example, the communication device 1400 is used to execute the actions executed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 above.

[0204] The transceiver module 1401 is configured to obtain a channel sounding result, where the channel sounding result includes channel state information of a first area;

[0205] a processing module 1402, configured to determine a regional pattern mapping relationship based on the channel sounding result and multiple antenna patterns, where the regional pattern mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first region and a first antenna pattern set, where the antenna patterns in the first antenna pattern set are antenna patterns suitable for a channel environment in the first region;

[0206] The transceiver module 1401 is further configured to perform detection feedback based on the first antenna pattern set.

[0207] The processing module 1402 in the above embodiment can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuits. The transceiver module 1401 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuits. The transceiver module 1401 can also be referred to as a communication unit or communication interface. The storage unit can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0208] The present application also provides a communication device 1500. As shown in FIG15 , the communication device 1500 includes a processor 1501 coupled to a memory 1502. The memory 1502 is configured to store computer programs, instructions, and / or data. The processor 1501 is configured to execute the computer programs, instructions, and / or data stored in the memory 1502, thereby executing the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0209] Optionally, the communication device 1500 includes one or more processors 1501.

[0210] Optionally, as shown in FIG15 , the communication device 1500 may further include a memory 1502 .

[0211] Optionally, the communication device 1500 may include one or more memories 1502 .

[0212] Optionally, the memory 1502 may be integrated with the processor 1501 or provided separately.

[0213] Optionally, as shown in Figure 15, the communication device 1500 may further include a transceiver 1503, which is used to receive and / or send messages. For example, the processor 1501 is used to control the transceiver 1503 to receive and / or send signals.

[0214] As a solution, the communication device 1500 is used to implement the operations of the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0215] For example, the processor 1501 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver 1503 is used to implement the sending and receiving-related operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0216] When the communication device 1500 is a chip, the chip includes a processor, memory, and a transceiver. The transceiver can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processor can be a processing unit, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. In the above method embodiment, the network device's transmission operation can be the chip's output, and the network device's reception operation can be the chip's input.

[0217] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0218] In the several embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device or unit, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0219] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0220] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0221] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The part that essentially contributes to the technical solution of the present application or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or access network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory, a random access memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The first communication device obtains a channel detection result, where the channel detection result includes channel state information of the first area; The first communication device determines a regional pattern mapping relationship according to the channel detection result and multiple antenna patterns, wherein the regional pattern mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first region and a first antenna pattern set, and the antenna patterns in the first antenna pattern set are antenna patterns suitable for a channel environment of the first region; The first communication device performs detection feedback based on the first antenna mode set.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The multiple antenna modes include at least three antenna modes, each of the antenna modes corresponds to a characteristic current distribution, and the characteristic current distribution corresponds to a beam pattern.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first communication device sends the area mode mapping relationship.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Before the first communication device sends the area mode mapping relationship, the method further includes: The first communication device receives a first request, where the first request is used to obtain the area mode mapping relationship.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: After the first communication device sends the area mode mapping relationship, the method further includes: The first communication device receives a mode identifier, where the mode identifier is used to represent a second antenna mode set in the area mode mapping relationship.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The second antenna pattern set is the first antenna pattern set.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first communication device sends data or a reference signal based on the second antenna mode set.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first communication device sending a reference signal based on the second antenna pattern set includes: In response to the first reference signal received by the first communication device, the first communication device sends a second reference signal based on the second antenna mode set.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The frequency bands used by the first reference signal and the second reference signal are related to a working mode of the first communication device, and the working mode includes time division duplex TDD or frequency division duplex FDD.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first communication device receives feedback information, where the feedback information includes one or more of a channel quality indication CQI, a rank indication RI, a precoding matrix indication PMI, and a layer indication LI; The first communication device determines a third antenna pattern set based on the feedback information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The antenna pattern is generated based on the array pattern of the antenna array and the unit pattern of multiple antenna units in the antenna array, the first antenna unit among the multiple antenna units includes at least three ports, and the unit pattern of the first antenna unit corresponds one-to-one to the port of the first antenna unit.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The antenna array includes a first antenna unit group and a second antenna unit group, and the number of ports of the antenna units in the second antenna unit group is less than or equal to the number of ports of the antenna units in the first antenna unit group.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The coupling degree of the second antenna element group is higher than the coupling degree of the first antenna element group.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that: The first antenna unit corresponds to at least one radio frequency channel, and each of the radio frequency channels is used to generate at least one antenna mode.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that When the first antenna unit corresponds to one of the radio frequency channels, the at least three ports correspond to the same radio frequency channel.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that When the first antenna unit corresponds to at least two radio frequency channels; If the number of ports of the first antenna unit is greater than the number of the radio frequency channels, the at least three ports include ports corresponding to the same radio frequency channel; If the number of ports of the first antenna unit is equal to the number of the radio frequency channels, each of the at least three ports corresponds to a different radio frequency channel.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A transceiver module, configured to obtain a channel detection result, wherein the channel detection result includes channel state information of the first area; a processing module, configured to determine a regional pattern mapping relationship according to the channel detection result and a plurality of antenna patterns, wherein the regional pattern mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first region and a first antenna pattern set, and the antenna patterns in the first antenna pattern set are antenna patterns suitable for a channel environment of the first region; The transceiver module is further used to perform detection feedback based on the first antenna mode set.

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that The multiple antenna modes include at least three antenna modes, each of the antenna modes corresponds to a characteristic current distribution, and the characteristic current distribution corresponds to a beam pattern.

19. The device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: The area mode mapping relationship is sent.

20. The device according to claim 19, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: A first request is received, where the first request is used to obtain the area mode mapping relationship.

21. The device according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that After the transceiver module sends the area mode mapping relationship, the transceiver module is further used to: A mode identifier is received, where the mode identifier is used to represent a second antenna mode set in the area mode mapping relationship.

22. The device according to claim 21, characterized in that The second antenna pattern set is the first antenna pattern set.

23. The device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: Data or a reference signal is sent based on the second antenna pattern set.

24. The device according to claim 23, characterized in that Corresponding to the first reference signal received by the transceiver module, the transceiver module is specifically configured to: A second reference signal is sent based on the second antenna pattern set.

25. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that The frequency bands used by the first reference signal and the second reference signal are related to a working mode of the device, and the working mode includes time division duplex TDD or frequency division duplex FDD.

26. The device according to any one of claims 23 to 25, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: receiving feedback information, where the feedback information includes one or more of a channel quality indicator CQI, a rank indicator RI, a precoding matrix indicator PMI, and a layer indicator LI; The transceiver module is specifically configured to determine a third antenna mode set based on the feedback information.

27. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 26, characterized in that The antenna pattern is generated based on the array pattern of the antenna array and the unit pattern of multiple antenna units in the antenna array, the first antenna unit among the multiple antenna units includes at least three ports, and the unit pattern of the first antenna unit corresponds one-to-one to the port of the first antenna unit.

28. The device according to claim 27, characterized in that The antenna array includes a first antenna unit group and a second antenna unit group, and the number of ports of the antenna units in the second antenna unit group is less than or equal to the number of ports of the antenna units in the first antenna unit group.

29. The device according to claim 28, characterized in that The coupling degree of the second antenna element group is higher than the coupling degree of the first antenna element group.

30. The device according to any one of claims 27 to 29, characterized in that The first antenna unit corresponds to at least one radio frequency channel, and each of the radio frequency channels is used to generate at least one antenna mode.

31. The device according to claim 30, characterized in that When the first antenna unit corresponds to one of the radio frequency channels, the at least three ports correspond to the same radio frequency channel.

32. The device according to claim 30, characterized in that When the first antenna unit corresponds to at least two radio frequency channels; If the number of ports of the first antenna unit is greater than the number of the radio frequency channels, the at least three ports include ports corresponding to the same radio frequency channel; If the number of ports of the first antenna unit is equal to the number of the radio frequency channels, each of the at least three ports corresponds to a different radio frequency channel.

33. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising at least one processor coupled to the memory; The memory is used to store programs or instructions; The at least one processor is configured to execute part or all of the programs or instructions so that the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 is executed.

34. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 16 to be performed.

35. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when run on a computer, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 16 to be performed.

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