Radio frequency device and communication device

Abstract

A radio frequency device and a communication device. The radio frequency device comprises a first signal transmission circuit, a second signal transmission circuit, a first coupling element, and a second coupling element. A first input port and a first output port of the first coupling element are respectively connected to the first signal transmission circuit and a first antenna. A second input port and a second output port of the second coupling element are respectively connected to the second signal transmission circuit and a second antenna. A first branch and a second branch are connected between the first coupling element and the second coupling element. A first switch is provided on the first branch, a second switch is provided on the second branch, and the first switch and the second switch are controlled by a processor to be in a closed state or an open state. When the first switch and the second switch are in the closed state, the radio frequency device allocates signals to the first antenna and the second antenna, thereby achieving the optimization of communication performance.

Description

A radio frequency device and a communication device

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410687969.4, filed on May 29, 2024, entitled "A Radio Frequency Device and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a radio frequency device and a communication device. Background Technology

[0004] Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) is a wireless technology that uses multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas to transmit data simultaneously. From the transmitting device to the receiving device, the wireless signal corresponds to a spatial stream; that is, each spatial stream can be regarded as an independent signal transmission channel. Therefore, multiple spatial streams are transmitted through multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas.

[0005] However, under specific channel conditions or environments, such as when there are differences in the quality of signals transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device (or when there are differences in the reception quality of multiple receiving antennas of the receiving device), how to optimize communication performance is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a radio frequency device and a communication device for optimizing communication performance.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a radio frequency (RF) device that can be applied to a transmitting device. The transmitting device can be an access network device on the network side or a terminal device on the terminal side. The RF device includes a first signal transmission circuit and a second signal transmission circuit, as well as a first coupling element and a second coupling element; wherein the first signal transmission circuit is connected to a first input port of the first coupling element, and a first output port of the first coupling element is used to connect to a first antenna; the second signal transmission circuit is connected to a second input port of the second coupling element, and a second output port of the second coupling element is used to connect to a second antenna; a first branch and a second branch are connected between the first coupling element and the second coupling element, a first switch is provided on the first branch, and a second switch is provided on the second branch; the first switch and the second switch are controlled by a control signal and are either in a closed state or an open state.

[0008] Using the aforementioned radio frequency device, when the first and second switches are closed under processor control, the first output port acts as a direct-through port to the first input port, the second output port acts as a coupling port to the first input port, and the first output port acts as a coupling port to the second input port, while the second output port acts as a direct-through port to the second input port. Therefore, the signal output from the first output port can be a mixture of the signal from the first input port and the phase-shifted signal from the second input port, and the signal output from the second output port can be a mixture of the phase-shifted signal from the first input port and the signal from the second input port. Alternatively, the signal fed into the first input port is distributed to both the first and second output ports, and the signal fed into the second input port is also distributed to both the first and second output ports, allowing the signal fed into either the first or second input port to be transmitted in two spatial streams, thus optimizing communication performance.

[0009] When the first switch and the second switch are in the off state based on the processor's control, the signal fed into the first input port and the signal fed into the second input port are transmitted through the first antenna and the second antenna respectively, that is, they are transmitted in different spatial streams, reducing interference of transmitted signals and optimizing communication performance.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the characteristic impedances between the first input port and the first connection point, the first output port and the second connection point, the second input port and the third connection point, the second output port and the fourth connection point, and the characteristic impedances of the first branch and the second branch are the same; the characteristic impedances between the first connection point and the second connection point, and the third connection point and the fourth connection point are the same; the ratio of the characteristic impedance between the first connection point and the second connection point to the characteristic impedance of the first branch is... Wherein, the first connection point is the connection point between the first branch and the first coupling element, the second connection point is the connection point between the second branch and the first coupling element, the third connection point is the connection point between the first branch and the second coupling element, and the fourth connection point is the connection point between the second branch and the second coupling element.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the distances between the first and second connection points, the first and third connection points, the second and fourth connection points, and the third and fourth connection points are all... Wherein, λ is the signal wavelength, the first connection point is the connection point between the first branch and the first coupling element, the second connection point is the connection point between the second branch and the first coupling element, the third connection point is the connection point between the first branch and the second coupling element, and the fourth connection point is the connection point between the second branch and the second coupling element.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first coupling element and the second coupling element are arranged in parallel and symmetrically, and the first branch and the second branch are arranged in parallel and symmetrically.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first coupling element and the second coupling element are strip-shaped transmission media.

[0014] Using the above implementation, when the first and second switches are closed, the RF device achieves orthogonal coupling. That is, the signal fed into the first input port is directly distributed to the first output port, and this signal undergoes a 90° phase shift (or rotation) before being distributed to the second output port. Similarly, the signal fed into the second input port is directly distributed to the second output port, and this signal undergoes a 90° phase shift before being distributed to the first output port. Alternatively, it can be understood that the signal output from the first output port is a mixture of the signal from the first input port rotated 0° (i.e., without phase shift) and the signal from the second input port rotated 90°; similarly, the signal output from the second output port is a mixture of the signal from the first input port rotated 90° and the signal from the second input port rotated 0°. The power of the signal fed into the first input port is evenly distributed to the signals output from the first and second output ports; that is, the power of the signals output from the first and second output ports is half the power of the signal fed into the first input port. Similarly, the power of the signal fed into the second input port is evenly distributed to the signals output from the first output port and the second output port. That is, the power of the signals output from the second output port and the second output port is half the power of the signal fed into the second input port.

[0015] Secondly, this application provides a communication device that can be applied to a transmitting device. The transmitting device can be an access network device on the network side or a terminal device on the terminal side. The communication device includes a processor and the radio frequency device described in any one of the first aspects; wherein the processor is used to send control signals to a first switch and a second switch within the radio frequency device.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the processor is specifically used to: control the first switch and the second switch according to the first feedback information and the second feedback information; the first feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna, and the second feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the processor is specifically configured to: if, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is within a first range, then control the first switch and the second switch to open; or, if, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within the first range, then control the first switch and the second switch to close.

[0018] Using the above-mentioned communication device, when the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is determined to be within a first range, it indicates that the difference in signal quality between the transmitting device and the receiving device is small. At this time, the first switch and the second switch are controlled to be disconnected, so that the signal fed into the first input port and the signal fed into the second input port are transmitted in the corresponding spatial streams through the first antenna and the second antenna respectively, thereby reducing interference of the transmitted signal.

[0019] When the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within a first range, it indicates that the signal quality difference between the transmitting device and the receiving device is large. At this time, the first switch and the second switch are closed to realize that the signal fed into the first input port is distributed to two spatial streams for transmission and the signal fed into the second input port is distributed to two spatial streams for transmission, thereby optimizing the communication performance.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first feedback information and the second feedback information come from a signal receiving device. The first feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio of the first spatial stream on a resource unit (RU), and the second feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio of the second spatial stream on a resource unit. The first spatial stream is transmitted through the first antenna, and the second spatial stream is transmitted through the second antenna.

[0021] Using the aforementioned communication device, the first spatial stream corresponds to the first antenna, and the second spatial stream corresponds to the second antenna. The receiving device determines the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first spatial stream on the resource unit based on the signal received in the first spatial stream, and determines the average SNR of the second spatial stream on the resource unit based on the signal received in the second spatial stream. The average SNR of the first spatial stream on the resource unit refers to the average SNR of each subcarrier when the receiving device receives the transmitted signal from the first spatial stream within its corresponding bandwidth. The average SNR of the second spatial stream on the resource unit refers to the average SNR of each subcarrier when the receiving device receives the transmitted signal from the second spatial stream within its corresponding bandwidth.

[0022] In one possible implementation, when the first switch and the second switch are in the closed state, the processor is further configured to: align the amplitudes of the signal transmitted through the first signal transmission circuit with the signal transmitted through the second signal transmission circuit; determine the power allocation ratio of the first antenna and the second antenna based on first feedback information and second feedback information, wherein the first feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the second feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna; and determine the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port based on the power allocation ratio.

[0023] The aforementioned communication device aligns the amplitudes of the signals fed into the first input port (i.e., the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port) and the signals fed into the second input port (i.e., the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port), ensuring accurate power allocation. The power allocation ratio is positively correlated with signal transmission performance; that is, the higher the signal transmission performance, the larger the proportion of power allocated. By adjusting the phases of the signals fed into the first and second input ports, the power of the signals output from the first and second output ports is made to satisfy this power allocation ratio. This allows the antenna with superior signal transmission performance to transmit a higher-power signal, which helps the receiving equipment receive signals better and optimizes communication performance.

[0024] Thirdly, this application provides a radio frequency (RF) device that can be applied to a transmitting device. The transmitting device can be an access network device on the network side or a terminal device on the terminal side. The RF device includes a first signal transmission circuit and a second signal transmission circuit, as well as a first coupling element and a second coupling element; wherein the first signal transmission circuit is connected to a first input port of the first coupling element, and a first output port of the first coupling element is used to connect to a first antenna; the second signal transmission circuit is connected to a second input port of the second coupling element, and a second output port of the second coupling element is used to connect to a second antenna. The first coupling element includes a first part and a second part, with a first switch disposed between the first part and the second part; the second coupling element includes a third part and a fourth part, with a second switch disposed between the third part and the fourth part; a first branch is connected between the first part of the first coupling element and the third part of the second coupling element, and a third switch is disposed on the first branch; the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch are in one of the following states based on processor control:

[0025] First state: The first switch and the second switch are closed, and the third switch is open;

[0026] Second state: The first switch and the third switch are closed, and the second switch is open;

[0027] Third state: The second switch and the third switch are closed, and the first switch is open.

[0028] Using the aforementioned radio frequency device, when the first and third switches are closed and the second switch is open, the signal output from the first output port is a mixture of signals from the first input port and the second input port. That is, the signals fed into the first and second input ports are transmitted through the first output port. Similarly, when the second and third switches are closed and the first switch is open, the signal output from the second output port is a mixture of signals from the first and second input ports. This allows for flexible use of one of the first and second antennas (or, more accurately, the antenna with superior signal transmission performance) to transmit signals, thereby optimizing communication performance.

[0029] When the first and second switches are closed and the third switch is open, the signal fed into the first input port and the signal fed into the second input port are transmitted through the first antenna and the second antenna, respectively. That is, they are transmitted in different spatial streams, which reduces interference in the transmitted signals and optimizes communication performance.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the first coupling element and the second coupling element are parallel and symmetrical, and the first branch is arranged perpendicular to the first coupling element and the second coupling element.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the first coupling element and the second coupling element are strip-shaped transmission media.

[0032] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device that can be applied to a transmitting device. The transmitting device can be an access network device on the network side or a terminal device on the terminal side. The communication device includes a processor and the radio frequency device described in any one of the third aspects above; wherein the processor is used to send control signals to a first switch, a second switch, and a third switch within the radio frequency device.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the processor is specifically used to: control the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch according to the first feedback information and the second feedback information; the first feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna, and the second feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the processor is specifically used for:

[0035] If, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is within a first range, then the first switch and the second switch are controlled to close, and the third switch is controlled to open.

[0036] Using the above-mentioned communication device, when the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is determined to be within a first range, it indicates that the difference in signal quality between the transmitting device and the receiving device is small. At this time, the first switch and the second switch are closed and the third switch is opened, so that the signal fed into the first input port and the signal fed into the second input port are transmitted in the corresponding spatial streams through the first antenna and the second antenna respectively, thereby reducing interference of the transmitted signal.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the processor is specifically configured to: if, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within the first range, and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna is greater than the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna, then control the first switch and the third switch to close and the second switch to open.

[0038] Using the above-mentioned communication device, when the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within a first range, it indicates that the signal quality difference between the transmitting device and the receiving device is large. At this time, the first switch and the third switch are closed and the second switch is opened, and the first antenna with better signal transmission performance is used to transmit the signal, thereby optimizing the communication performance.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the processor is specifically configured to: if, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within the first range, and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna is less than the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna, then control the second switch and the third switch to close and the first switch to open.

[0040] Using the above-mentioned communication device, when the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within a first range, it indicates that the signal quality difference between the transmitting device and the receiving device is large. At this time, the second and third switches are closed and the first switch is opened, and the second antenna with better signal transmission performance is used to transmit the signal, thereby optimizing the communication performance.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the first feedback information and the second feedback information come from a signal receiving device. The first feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio of the first spatial stream on the resource unit, and the second feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio of the second spatial stream on the resource unit. The first spatial stream is transmitted through the first antenna, and the second spatial stream is transmitted through the second antenna.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a third signal transmission circuit, wherein the third signal transmission circuit is connected to a third antenna. Based on this, when the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch are in the second state (i.e., the first and third switches are closed, and the second switch is open), the processor is further configured to: align the amplitudes of the signal transmitted through the first signal transmission circuit with those transmitted through the second signal transmission circuit; set the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port according to N candidate phase differences, respectively; and receive N received signal strengths (RSSIs) from the third signal transmission circuit, wherein the N RSSIs correspond to the N candidate phase differences, and the N RSSIs are the RSSIs of the signal transmitted by the third antenna to the first antenna, where N is an integer greater than 1; select a target phase difference from the N candidate phase differences according to the N RSSIs; and set the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port according to the target phase difference.

[0043] Using the above-mentioned communication device, the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port are determined based on multiple RSSIs, so that the power of the signal fed into the first input port and the signal fed into the second input port is maximized when transmitted through the first antenna, thereby optimizing the communication performance.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a third signal transmission circuit, wherein the third signal transmission circuit is connected to a third antenna. Based on this, when the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch are in the third state (i.e., the second and third switches are closed, and the first switch is open), the processor is further configured to: align the amplitudes of the signal transmitted through the first signal transmission circuit with those transmitted through the second signal transmission circuit; set the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port according to N candidate phase differences, respectively; and receive N received signal strengths (RSSIs) from the third signal transmission circuit, wherein the N RSSIs correspond to the N candidate phase differences, and the N RSSIs are the RSSIs of the signal transmitted by the third antenna to the second antenna, where N is an integer greater than 1; select a target phase difference from the N candidate phase differences according to the N RSSIs; and set the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port according to the target phase difference.

[0045] By employing the aforementioned communication device, the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port are determined based on multiple RSSIs, thereby maximizing the power of the signals fed into the first input port and the second input port when transmitted through the second antenna, thus optimizing communication performance.

[0046] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device, including the radio frequency device described in any one of the first aspects or the communication device described in any one of the second aspects. The communication device may be a network device or a terminal device.

[0047] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device, including the radio frequency device described in any one of the third aspects or the communication device described in any one of the fourth aspects. The communication device may be a network device or a terminal device.

[0048] Based on the implementations provided in the above aspects, the embodiments of this application can be further combined to provide more implementations.

[0049] The technical effects that can be achieved in the fifth and sixth aspects mentioned above can be referred to the descriptions of the technical effects that can be achieved in the first and second aspects mentioned above, or in the third and fourth aspects mentioned above. Where there is overlap, no further discussion will be given. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the mobile communication system to which this application applies;

[0051] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme.

[0052] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a signal transmission circuit;

[0053] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency device 400 applicable to this application;

[0054] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 500 provided in this application;

[0055] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between a transmitter device and a receiver device provided in this application;

[0056] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency device 700 provided in this application;

[0057] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device 800 provided in this application;

[0058] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device 800 provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0059] The embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) communication system, 5th Generation (5G) system or New Radio (NR) system, or applied to future communication systems or other similar communication systems, etc.

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 10 used in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a wireless access network 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include the Internet 300. The wireless access network 100 may include at least one wireless access network device (110a and 110b in Figure 1) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1). The terminal connects wirelessly to the wireless access network device, and the wireless access network device connects wirelessly or via a wired connection to the core network. The core network device and the wireless access network device may be independent physical devices, or the functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the wireless access network device may be integrated on the same physical device, or a single physical device may integrate some of the functions of the core network device and some of the functions of the wireless access network device. Terminals and wireless access network devices can be interconnected via wired or wireless connections. Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram; the communication system may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0061] Wireless access network equipment can be a base station, access point (AP), evolved NodeB (eNodeB), transmission reception point (TRP), next-generation NodeB (gNB) in 5G mobile communication systems, future communication systems, base stations in future communication systems, or access nodes in Wi-Fi systems; it can also be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station, for example, it can be a central unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP); the DU performs the functions of the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant technical specifications of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The wireless access network equipment can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or an indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), or a relay node or donor node, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or equipment form used in the wireless access network equipment.

[0062] A terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, or mobile terminal (MT). Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, and smart cities. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the terminal.

[0063] Network devices and terminals can be fixed in location or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the network devices and terminals.

[0064] The roles of network devices and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile network device. For terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 via 120i, drone 120i is a network device; however, for network device 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a network device-to-network device interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a network device. Therefore, both network devices and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with network device functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0065] Communication between network devices and terminals, between network devices, and between terminals can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0066] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following explanations and elaborations on some technologies and terms involved in the embodiments of this application are provided to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0067] (1) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO)

[0068] MIMO is a wireless technology that uses multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas to transmit data simultaneously. From the transmitting device to the receiving device, the wireless signal corresponds to a spatial stream; that is, each spatial stream can be considered an independent signal transmission channel. Referring to Figure 2, the transmitting device includes two transmit antennas (transmit antenna 1 and transmit antenna 2), and the receiving device includes two receive antennas (receive antenna 1 and receive antenna 2). It can be seen that there are two spatial streams from the transmitting device to the receiving device: one spatial stream includes signal transmission paths h1 and h2, and the other spatial stream includes signal transmission paths h3 and h4. Therefore, multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas are used to achieve the transmission of signals through multiple spatial streams.

[0069] (2) Beamforming (BF)

[0070] Signal processing at the receiving end (Beamformee) involves weighted synthesis of the signals received from the antenna array to form the desired ideal signal. From the perspective of the antenna pattern, this is equivalent to creating a beam pointing in a specific direction, achieving a beam pattern with nulls and a maximum directional lobe, thus achieving advantages such as propagation in a specific direction, concentrated energy, and low interference.

[0071] During beamforming (BF), a weighted matrix is ​​typically obtained, which is used to align the beam with the user. Taking a Wi-Fi system as an example, the BF process involves the transmitting device (FeamFormer) sending a sounding frame, which triggers the receiving device to feed back the weighted matrix. The transmitting device then uses this matrix to calculate the precoding matrix.

[0072] For example, the transmitting device sends a Null Data Packet (NDP). An NDP is a frame containing only a preamble (i.e., a sounding frame) with no data field. The purpose of this frame is not for the receiving device to demodulate the data field, but to allow the receiving device to measure the channel and determine the channel matrix. After receiving the NDP, the receiving device uses the Channel Estimation (CHE) module to estimate the channel using the Long Training Field (LTF) carried in the sounding frame, outputting the channel matrix H. Then, the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) module decomposes the channel matrix H to obtain the feedback weighted matrix V, which is then sent to the transmitting device. The transmitting device precodes the received weighted matrix V, multiplying it with the data (i.e., the data to be sent to the receiving device) and performing subsequent processing, such as Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT).

[0073] (3) Cyclic Shift Diversity (CSD)

[0074] CSD is a standard-defined transmission diversity technique. When transmitting signals using CSD, OFDM frame preambles are added to multiple transmit antennas during symbol transmission, which increases the cyclic delay on each transmitted signal to reduce the correlation between multiple signals.

[0075] Based on the above description, after the transmitting and receiving devices complete the baseband formation (BF) process, the transmitting device transmits a signal to the receiving device in MIMO mode. Referring to Figure 3, in related technologies, a baseband processing unit generates multiple baseband signals to be transmitted, which are then transmitted through multiple channels. Each of these multiple channels may include a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a mixer (N / A), a power amplifier (PA), a transmit antenna, and other units not shown in Figure 3, such as filters. The mixer is connected to a local oscillator (LO).

[0076] A power amplifier (PA) is an active nonlinear device with a maximum transmit power. Signal quality degrades beyond this maximum power. To maximize PA utilization, multiple channels typically transmit signals at the same power within the PA's maximum transmit power range. However, under specific channel conditions or environments, such as differences in signal quality between the transmitting and receiving devices (or differences in the receiving performance of multiple receiving antennas at the receiving device), communication performance suffers. For example, receiving high-power signals with a poor-performing antenna results in wasted resources; conversely, a high-performing antenna cannot receive even higher-power signals. Therefore, this application provides a radio frequency device and a communication device to optimize communication performance.

[0077] The radio frequency device and communication device provided in this application embodiment are applied to a transmitting end device. This transmitting end device can be an access network device on the network side or a terminal device on the terminal side. For example, the transmitting end device can be access network device 110a or access network device 110b as shown in Figure 1, or any of the terminals 120* (such as 120a) shown in Figure 1. The transmitting end device communicates with the receiving end device using a Wi-Fi communication protocol. When the transmitting end device and the receiving end device communicate based on the Wi-Fi communication protocol, the following standards are used, but not limited to: 802.11, 802.11b, 802.11a / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax.

[0078] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency device 400 provided in this application. The structure of the radio frequency device 400 will be described below. As shown in Figure 4, the radio frequency device 400 includes a first signal transmission circuit 401 and a second signal transmission circuit 402, a first coupling element 411 and a second coupling element 412. A first branch 421 and a second branch 422 are connected between the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412. A first switch 431 is provided on the first branch 421 and a second switch 432 is provided on the second branch 422.

[0080] The first signal transmission circuit 401 and the second signal transmission circuit 402 can receive baseband signals and process them, such as amplifying, filtering, and mixing them. Optionally, the first signal transmission circuit 401 and the second signal transmission circuit 402 may include devices such as a PA, a Mixer, and a DAC. This application does not limit the structure of the first signal transmission circuit 401 and the second signal transmission circuit 402.

[0081] The first signal transmission circuit 401 is connected to the first input port 4111 of the first coupling element 411 (for example, the PA in the first signal transmission circuit 401 is connected to the first input port 4111), and the first output port 4112 of the first coupling element 411 is used to connect the first antenna 441; the second signal transmission circuit 402 is connected to the second input port 4121 of the second coupling element 412 (for example, the PA in the second signal transmission circuit 402 is connected to the second input port 4121), and the second output port 4122 of the second coupling element 412 is used to connect the second antenna 442.

[0082] In one possible implementation, the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412 are arranged in parallel and symmetrically, and the first branch 421 and the second branch 422 are arranged in parallel and symmetrically.

[0083] Optionally, the first branch 421 is vertically disposed between the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412, and the second branch 422 is vertically disposed between the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412, such that the first coupling element 411, the second coupling element 412, the first branch 421, and the second branch 422 form a square structure. For ease of subsequent description, the connection point (or setting point) between the first branch 421 and the first coupling element 411 is referred to as the first connection point, the connection point between the second branch 422 and the first coupling element 411 is referred to as the second connection point, the connection point between the first branch 421 and the second coupling element 412 is referred to as the third connection point, and the connection point between the second branch 422 and the second coupling element 412 is referred to as the fourth connection point.

[0084] In one possible implementation, the first switch 431 is located in the middle of the first branch 421, and the second switch 432 is located in the middle of the second branch 422. It is understood that the first switch 431 can also be located in other positions on the first branch 421, and the second switch 432 can also be located in other positions on the second branch 422; this application does not specifically limit this.

[0085] The characteristics of the radio frequency device 400 will be described below.

[0086] In one possible implementation, the characteristic impedance (which can be represented by "Z" to "0") between the first input port 4111 and the first connection point in the first coupling element 411, the characteristic impedance between the first output port 4112 and the second connection point in the first coupling element 411, the characteristic impedance between the second input port 4121 and the third connection point in the second coupling element 412, the characteristic impedance between the second output port 4122 and the fourth connection point in the second coupling element 412, and the characteristic impedances of the first branch 421 and the second branch 422 are all the same. The characteristic impedance, also known as the characteristic impedance, is typically 50Ω. The principle of characteristic impedance will not be elaborated upon here.

[0087] In other words, in Figure 4, the characteristic impedances of the four parts (or extended arms) of the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412 outside the square structure formed with the first branch 421 and the second branch 422 are the same. For example, the characteristic impedances of the first input port 4111, the second input port 4121, the first output port 4112, and the second output port 4122 are all Z0. Furthermore, the characteristic impedances of these four parts are the same as the characteristic impedances of the first branch 421 and the second branch 422.

[0088] In one possible implementation, the characteristic impedance of the portion of the first coupling element 411 between the first connection point and the second connection point is the same as the characteristic impedance of the portion of the second coupling element 412 between the third connection point and the fourth connection point. Furthermore, the ratio of the characteristic impedance of the portion of the first coupling element 411 between the first connection point and the second connection point to the characteristic impedance of the first branch 421 is 1:

[0089] In other words, in Figure 4, the characteristic impedance of the portion of the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412 that forms a square structure with the first branch 421 and the second branch 422 is proportional to the characteristic impedance of the first branch 421. For example, in a square structure, the characteristic impedance of the horizontally positioned portion (the raised portion in the diagram) is... The characteristic impedance of the first branch 421 and the second branch 422, which are vertically arranged, is Z0.

[0090] In one possible implementation, the distances between the first and second connection points, the distance between the first and third connection points (i.e., the distance of the first branch 421), the distance between the second and fourth connection points (i.e., the distance of the second branch 422), and the distance between the third and fourth connection points are the same, for example, this distance is... Where λ is the signal wavelength (which can be understood as the wavelength of the signal to be transmitted).

[0091] In one possible implementation, the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412 are strip-shaped transmission media. For example, the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412 are transmission lines. Optionally, other components, such as resistors and capacitors, may also be connected to the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412, which is not limited in this application. In addition, this application does not limit the material of the first coupling element 411 and the second coupling element 412.

[0092] The first switch 431 and the second switch 432 are controlled by the processor to be in one of two states: closed or open. In other words, the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 are controlled to be closed or open.

[0093] Based on the above description, when the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 are in the open state, the signal fed into the first input port 4111 and the signal fed into the second input port 4121 are transmitted through the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442 respectively, so that the signal fed into the first input port 4111 and the signal fed into the second input port 4121 are transmitted in different spatial streams. That is, the signal fed into the first input port 4111 is transmitted through the spatial stream corresponding to the first antenna 441, and the signal fed into the second input port 4121 is transmitted through the spatial stream corresponding to the second antenna 442, thereby reducing interference when transmitting signals.

[0094] When the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 are closed, the RF device 400 functions as a hybrid coupler, causing the signal output from the first output port 4112 to be a mixture of the signal from the first input port 4111 and the phase-shifted signal from the second input port 4121, and the signal output from the second output port 4122 to be a mixture of the phase-shifted signal from the first input port 4111 and the signal from the second input port 4121. Therefore, the signal fed into the first input port 4111 can be transmitted through the spatial stream corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the spatial stream corresponding to the second antenna 442, and the signal fed into the second input port 4121 can also be transmitted through the spatial stream corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the spatial stream corresponding to the second antenna 442. That is, the signal corresponding to any input port can be transmitted in both spatial streams, which helps the receiving device receive signals and optimizes communication performance.

[0095] It can be understood that the radio frequency device 400 can be understood as a transmitter (TX) or a transceiver (TRX); or, the radio frequency device 400, the first antenna 441, and the second antenna 442 can be understood as TX or TRX.

[0096] Based on Figure 4 above, Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device 500 provided in this application. As shown in Figure 5, the communication device 500 includes a processor 501 and a radio frequency device 400 shown in Figure 4. The processor 501 includes, but is not limited to, an application processor (AP) and a baseband processor (BP), used to generate baseband signals, which are processed by a first signal transmission circuit 401 and a second signal transmission circuit 402. The processor 501 is also used to send control signals to a first switch 431 and a second switch 432 within the radio frequency device 400.

[0097] In one possible implementation, the processor 501 controls the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information. For example, the processor 501 sends control signals to the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information. The first feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441, and the second feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442.

[0098] In one possible implementation, the first feedback information and the second feedback information come from the signal receiving device. The first feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first spatial stream on a Resource Unit (RU), and the second feedback information includes the average SNR of the second spatial stream on a RU. The first spatial stream is transmitted through a first antenna 441, and the second spatial stream is transmitted through a second antenna 442. Here, an RU can be understood as a frequency domain resource within a preset range. The channel bandwidth for receiving signals by the receiving device can include multiple RUs, each RU consisting of multiple subcarriers; for example, in a Wi-Fi system, each RU consists of 26 subcarriers. The average SNR is the average of the SNR of the multiple subcarriers corresponding to one RU. In other words, the first feedback information includes the average SNR corresponding to multiple RUs of the first spatial stream, and the second feedback information includes the average SNR corresponding to multiple RUs of the second spatial stream.

[0099] Referring to Figure 2 above, the first spatial stream corresponds to the first antenna 441, and the second spatial stream corresponds to the second antenna 442. Within each RU, the receiving device receives the transmitted signal of the first spatial stream, thereby obtaining the average SNR of each subcarrier corresponding to each RU, i.e., multiple average signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) corresponding to the first spatial stream (one average SNR per RU). Similarly, within each RU, the receiving device receives the transmitted signal of the second spatial stream, thereby obtaining the average SNR of each subcarrier corresponding to each RU, i.e., multiple average SNRs corresponding to the second spatial stream. In this way, the receiving device can report first feedback information (including multiple average SNRs corresponding to the first spatial stream) and second feedback information (including multiple average SNRs corresponding to the second spatial stream).

[0100] In one possible implementation, the receiving device can report first and second feedback information during the BF (Browsing and Beamforming) process with the transmitting device. Based on the above description of BF, referring to Figure 6, the transmitting device sends an NDP (Non-Declaration Notice) message to the receiving device, sends the NDP to the receiving device after one Short Inter-Frame Space (SIFS), and after another SIFS, the receiving device sends a report field back to the transmitting device. This report field can be the VHT Compressed Beamforming Report field.

[0101] In one possible implementation, after receiving the first feedback information and the second feedback information, the processor 501 determines the signal transmission performance of the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442 based on the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) corresponding to the first spatial stream and the second spatial stream, respectively. Taking the first antenna 441 as an example, the average SNR corresponding to the first spatial stream is converted into a linear value, referring to the following formula (1):

[0102] Among them, S i Let AvgSNR be the signal transmission performance corresponding to the i-th spatial stream (here, we take the first spatial stream as an example). k，i Let N be the average signal-to-noise ratio of the k-th RU corresponding to the i-th spatial flow, and N be the number of RUs corresponding to the i-th spatial flow.

[0103] Optionally, before converting the average signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to the first spatial flow into a linear value, the average signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to the first spatial flow can be determined and mapped, as shown in Table 1 below.

[0104] Table 1

[0105] As shown in Table 1, if the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) fed back by the receiving device is less than or equal to -10, then the average SNR is mapped to -32; if the average SNR fed back by the receiving device is greater than or equal to 53, then the average SNR is mapped to 31, so that the mapped average SNR can be converted into a linear value later. That is, the signal transmission performance is determined by the mapped average SNR.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the control signal can be a first control signal or a second control signal. The first control signal is used to control the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 to be in an open state, and the second control signal is used to control the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 to be in a closed state. Therefore, the processor 501 can send the first control signal to the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 to open the first switch 431 and the second switch 432, or send the second control signal to close the first switch 431 and the second switch 432, based on the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442.

[0107] In one possible implementation, when the processor 501 determines that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442 is within a first range, it sends a first control signal to the first switch 431 and the second switch 432. Here, the performance difference refers to the performance gap (or the magnitude of the performance difference) between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442. It is understood that the performance difference is a non-negative number. The first range can be a value preset based on experience, such as [0-5%]. This application does not limit the first range here. Alternatively, the processor 501 determines that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442 is less than a first threshold (e.g., 5%).

[0108] For example, if the processor 501 determines, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, that the following formula (2) is satisfied, then the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442 is determined to be within a first range. S2≤S1+snr_threshold (2);

[0109] Wherein, S2 represents the signal transmission performance of the second antenna 442, S1 represents the signal transmission performance of the first antenna 441, and snr_threshold represents the preset SNR decision threshold (i.e., the first threshold).

[0110] It can be understood that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442 is within a first range, indicating that the difference in signal quality between the transmitting device and the receiving device is small. In other words, the difference in signal quality between the receiving device receiving the signal from the first antenna 441 and the receiving device receiving the signal from the second antenna 442 is small. At this time, controlling the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 to be in the open state allows the signal fed into the first input port 4111 and the signal fed into the second input port 4121 to be transmitted through the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442 respectively, in the corresponding first spatial stream and second spatial stream, reducing interference in the transmitted signals.

[0111] In one possible implementation, when the processor 501 determines that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442 is not within a first range, it sends a second control signal to the first switch 431 and the second switch 432. For example, if the processor 501 determines, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, that the following formula (3) is satisfied, then it determines that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442 is within a first range. S2>S1+snr_threshold (3);

[0112] It is understandable that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 442 is not within the first range, indicating a significant difference in signal quality between the transmitting device and the receiving device. At this time, controlling the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 to be in the closed state allows the signal fed into the first input port 4111 to be distributed to the first spatial stream corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the second spatial stream corresponding to the second antenna 442 for transmission, and the signal fed into the second input port 4121 to be distributed to the first spatial stream corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the second spatial stream corresponding to the second antenna 442 for transmission, thereby optimizing communication performance.

[0113] In one possible implementation, when the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 are in the closed state, the processor 501 can determine the power allocation ratio of the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442 based on the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442. This power allocation ratio represents the signal transmission power allocated to the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442. For example, if the power allocation ratio is 90%:10%, it means that 90% of the signal transmission power is allocated to the first antenna 441 and 10% to the second antenna 442. The power allocation ratio is positively correlated with the signal transmission performance; that is, the higher the signal transmission performance, the larger the proportion of power allocated. The specific method for determining the power allocation ratio is not limited herein.

[0114] In one possible implementation, the power allocation ratio is used to determine the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit 401 to the first input port 4111 (hereinafter referred to as the first signal for ease of description), and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit 402 to the second input port 4121 (hereinafter referred to as the second signal for ease of description), so that the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal satisfies the power allocation ratio. That is, the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal is related to the power allocation ratio, and its range can be [0-360°] or [0-90°], etc. This application does not limit the range of the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal.

[0115] For example, suppose the power allocation ratio of the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442 is 100%:0%, which is equivalent to allocating all the first signal and the second signal to the first antenna 441, or in other words, allocating 100% of the signal transmission power to the first antenna 441 and 0% of the signal transmission power to the second antenna 442. At this time, the processor 501 determines that the phase of the second signal lags behind the phase of the first signal by 90°, and thus the first signal and the second signal are mixed and transmitted at the first output port 4112 and canceled out at the second output port 4122.

[0116] For example, suppose the power allocation ratio of the first antenna 441 and the second antenna 442 is 0%:100%, which is equivalent to allocating all the first signal and the second signal to the second antenna 442, or in other words, allocating 0% of the signal transmission power to the first antenna 441 and 100% of the signal transmission power to the second antenna 442. At this time, the processor 501 determines that the phase of the first signal lags behind the phase of the second signal by 90°, and then the first signal and the second signal are mixed and transmitted at the second output port 4122, and canceled out at the first output port 4112.

[0117] In one possible implementation, before determining the phase of the first signal and the phase of the second signal, the processor 501 will align the amplitudes of the first and second signals to ensure accurate power distribution. Optionally, the processor 501 controls the first signal transmission circuit 401 and the second signal transmission circuit 402 not to perform CSD processing, thereby achieving amplitude alignment between the first and second signals.

[0118] [Correction based on Rule 91 08.05.2025] In this application, by adjusting the phase of the signal fed into the first input port 4111 (i.e., the first signal) and the signal fed into the second input port 4121 (i.e., the second signal), the power of the signal output from the first output port 4112 and the power of the signal output from the second output port 4122 satisfy the power distribution ratio. This achieves a higher power signal transmitted by the antenna with better signal transmission performance, which helps the receiving device to receive signals better and optimize communication performance.

[0119] In one possible implementation, this application provides a communication device including the aforementioned processor 501 and a hybrid coupler. The hybrid coupler can be a four-port device, its function being to equally distribute power fed from any port to the other two ports, without transmitting power to the fourth port. For example, the hybrid coupler is a branch-line coupler (also called an orthogonal coupler). The function of this hybrid coupler is similar to that of the radio frequency device 400 when the first switch 431 and the second switch 432 are in the closed state, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0120] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency device 700 provided in this application. The structure of the radio frequency device 700 will be described below. As shown in Figure 7, the radio frequency device 700 includes a first signal transmission circuit 701 and a second signal transmission circuit 702, as well as a first coupling element 711 and a second coupling element 712. A first branch 721 is connected between the first coupling element 711 and the second coupling element 712. A first switch 731 is provided on the first coupling element 711, a second switch 732 is provided on the second coupling element 712, and a third switch 733 is provided on the first branch 721.

[0121] [Corrected according to Rule 91, 08.05.2025] In the figure, the first coupling element 711 includes a first part (the left side of the first switch 731) and a second part (the right side of the first switch 731), with the first switch 731 disposed between the first part and the second part. The first coupling element 711 includes a third part (the left side of the second switch 732) and a fourth part (the right side of the first switch 731), with the second switch 732 disposed between the third part and the fourth part. A first branch 721 is disposed between the first part of the first coupling element 711 and the third part of the second coupling element 712.

[0122] The first signal transmission circuit 701 and the second signal transmission circuit 702 can be used to receive baseband signals and process them, such as amplifying, filtering, and mixing them. Optionally, the first signal transmission circuit 701 and the second signal transmission circuit 702 may include devices such as a PA, a Mixer, and a DAC. This application does not limit the structure of the first signal transmission circuit 701 and the second signal transmission circuit 702.

[0123] The first signal transmission circuit 701 is connected to the first input port 7111 of the first coupling element 711 (for example, PA in the first signal transmission circuit 701 is connected to the first input port 7111), and the first output port 7112 of the first coupling element 711 is used to connect the first antenna 741; the second signal transmission circuit 702 is connected to the second input port 7121 of the second coupling element 712 (for example, PA in the second signal transmission circuit 702 is connected to the second input port 7121), and the second output port 7122 of the second coupling element 712 is used to connect the second antenna 742.

[0124] In one possible implementation, the first coupling element 711 and the second coupling element 712 are arranged in parallel and symmetrically, and the first branch 721 is arranged vertically between the first coupling element 711 and the second coupling element 712.

[0125] In one possible implementation, the first switch 731 is located at the middle position of the first coupling element 711, the second switch 732 is located at the middle position of the second coupling element 712, and the third switch 733 is located at the middle position of the first branch 721. It is understood that the first switch 731 can also be located at other positions of the first coupling element 711, the second switch 732 can also be located at other positions of the second coupling element 712, and the third switch 733 can also be located at other positions of the first branch 721; this application does not specifically limit this.

[0126] The characteristics of the radio frequency device 700 will be described below.

[0127] In one possible implementation, the length of the first branch 721 is λ, where λ is the signal wavelength (which can be understood as the wavelength of the signal to be transmitted).

[0128] In one possible implementation, the first coupling element 711 and the second coupling element 712 are strip-shaped transmission media. For example, the first coupling element 711 and the second coupling element 712 are transmission lines. Optionally, other components, such as resistors and capacitors, may also be connected to the first coupling element 711 and the second coupling element 712, which is not limited in this application. In addition, this application does not limit the material of the first coupling element 711 and the second coupling element 712.

[0129] The first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 are controlled by the processor, and the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 have the following states:

[0130] First state: First switch 731 and second switch 732 are in the closed state (i.e., first switch and second switch are closed), and third switch 733 is in the open state (i.e., third switch is open);

[0131] Second state: First switch 731 and third switch 733 are in the closed state (i.e., first switch and third switch are closed), and second switch 732 is in the open state (i.e., second switch is open);

[0132] Third state: the second switch 732 and the third switch 733 are in the closed state (i.e., the second switch and the third switch are closed), and the first switch 731 is in the open state (i.e., the first switch is open).

[0133] When the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 are in the first state, the signal fed into the first input port 7111 and the signal fed into the second input port 7121 are transmitted through the first antenna 741 and the second antenna 742 respectively, thereby reducing interference in the transmitted signals.

[0134] When the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 are in the second state, the signal output from the first output port 7112 is mixed with the signal from the first input port 7111 and the signal from the second input port 7121. That is, the signal fed into the first input port 7111 and the signal fed into the second input port 7121 are transmitted through the first output port 7112.

[0135] When the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 are in the third state, the signal output from the second output port 7122 is mixed with the signal from the first input port 7111 and the signal from the second input port 7121. That is, the signal fed into the first input port 7111 and the signal fed into the second input port 7121 are transmitted through the second output port 7122.

[0136] The second and third states enable flexible use of one of the first antenna 741 and the second antenna 742 (or, in other words, the antenna with better signal transmission performance) to transmit signals, thereby optimizing communication performance.

[0137] It can be understood that the radio frequency device 700 can be understood as TX or transceiver TRX; or, the radio frequency device 700, the first antenna 741, and the second antenna 742 can be understood as TX or TRX.

[0138] Based on Figure 7 above, Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device 800 provided in this application. As shown in Figure 8, the communication device 800 includes a processor 801 and a radio frequency device 700 shown in Figure 7. The processor 801 includes, but is not limited to, an AP and a BP, and is used to generate baseband signals, which are processed by a first signal transmission circuit 701 or a second signal transmission circuit 702. The processor 801 is also used to send control signals to a first switch 731, a second switch 732, and a third switch 733 within the radio frequency device 700.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the processor 801 sends control signals to the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information. The first feedback information indicates the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741, and the second feedback information indicates the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the first feedback information and the second feedback information come from the signal receiving device. The first feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first spatial stream on the resource unit, and the second feedback information includes the average SNR of the second spatial stream on the resource unit. The first spatial stream is transmitted through the first antenna 741, and the second spatial stream is transmitted through the second antenna 742. Referring to the description in Figure 5 above, this application will not elaborate on the first and second feedback information here. It can be understood that the processor 801 can determine the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742 based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the control signal is a third control signal, a fourth control signal, or a fifth control signal. Specifically, the third control signal controls the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 to be in a first state; the fourth control signal controls the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 to be in a second state; and the fifth control signal controls the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 to be in a third state.

[0142] In one possible implementation, the processor 801 can send a third control signal, a fourth control signal, or a fifth control signal to the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 based on the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the second antenna 742.

[0143] In one possible implementation, when the processor 801 determines that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742 is within a first range, it sends a third control signal to the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733. Here, the performance difference refers to the performance gap (or the magnitude of the performance difference) between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742; that is, the performance difference is a non-negative number. The first range can be a value preset based on experience, such as [0-5%]. This application does not limit the first range here. Alternatively, the processor 801 determines that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742 is less than a first threshold (e.g., 5%).

[0144] It can be understood that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742 is within a first range, indicating that the difference in signal quality transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device is small. In other words, the difference in signal quality received by the receiving device from the first antenna 741 and the second antenna 742 is small. At this time, controlling the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 to be in a first state allows the signal fed into the first input port 7111 and the signal fed into the second input port 7121 to be transmitted through the first antenna 741 and the second antenna 742, respectively, in the first spatial stream corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the second spatial stream corresponding to the second antenna 742, thereby reducing interference in the transmitted signals.

[0145] In one possible implementation, when the processor 801 determines that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742 is not within the first range, and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 is greater than the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742, it sends a fourth control signal to the first switch 731, the second switch 732 and the third switch 733.

[0146] It is understandable that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance of the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance of the second antenna 742 is not within the first range, indicating that the signal quality difference between the transmitting device and the receiving device is large, and the signal transmission performance of the first antenna 741 is better than that of the second antenna 742. At this time, the first switch 731, the second switch 732 and the third switch 733 are controlled to be in the second state, and the first antenna 741 with better signal transmission performance is used to transmit the signal, thereby optimizing the communication performance.

[0147] In one possible implementation, when the processor 801 determines that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742 is not within the first range, and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna 741 is less than the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna 742, the processor 801 sends a fifth control signal to the first switch 731, the second switch 732 and the third switch 733.

[0148] It is understandable that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance of the first antenna 741 and the signal transmission performance of the second antenna 742 is not within the first range, indicating that the signal quality difference between the transmitting device and the receiving device is large, and the signal transmission performance of the second antenna 742 is better than that of the first antenna 741. At this time, the first switch 731, the second switch 732 and the third switch 733 are controlled to be in the third state, and the second antenna 742 with better signal transmission performance is used to transmit the signal, thereby optimizing the communication performance.

[0149] Referring to Figure 9, the communication device 800 also includes a third signal transmission circuit; wherein the third signal transmission circuit is used to connect the third antenna 743. It is understood that the third signal transmission circuit may include devices such as an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a low-noise amplifier (LNA), and a mixer, and this application does not limit the structure of the third signal transmission circuit.

[0150] In one possible implementation, when the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 are in the second state, the processor 801 can set the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit 701 to the first input port 7111 (hereinafter referred to as the first signal for ease of description), and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit 702 to the second input port 7121 (hereinafter referred to as the second signal for ease of description), thereby optimizing the communication performance of the first antenna 741.

[0151] For example, the processor 801 aligns the amplitudes of the first signal and the second signal; optionally, the processor 801 controls the first signal transmission circuit 701 and the second signal transmission circuit 702 not to perform CSD processing, thereby achieving amplitude alignment between the first signal and the second signal.

[0152] Then, the processor 801 sets the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port based on N candidate phase differences. It can be understood that multiple signal combinations are set according to different phase differences, and each signal combination includes a first signal and a second signal. Optionally, each signal combination includes two signals, one as the first signal and the other as the second signal. Furthermore, the phase difference of the signals in one signal combination is different from the phase difference of the signals in another signal combination.

[0153] The processor 801 receives N Received Signal Strength Indicators (RSSIs) from the third signal transmission circuit, where the N RSSIs correspond to N candidate phase differences, and the N RSSIs are the RSSIs of the signals transmitted by the third antenna 743 to the first antenna 741, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0154] The processor 801 then selects the target phase difference from the N candidate phase differences based on the N RSSIs. For example, the signal combination corresponding to the largest RSSI among the multiple RSSIs is taken as the optimal signal combination, and the phase difference of the signals in the optimal signal combination is taken as the target phase difference (also called the optimal phase difference).

[0155] Finally, the processor 801 sets the phase of the first signal and the phase of the second signal according to the target phase difference, so that the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal is equal to the target phase difference, thereby maximizing the power of the signal fed into the first input port 7111 and the signal fed into the second input port 7121 when transmitted through the first antenna 741, and optimizing the communication performance.

[0156] In one possible implementation, when the first switch 731, the second switch 732, and the third switch 733 are in the third state, the processor 801 can set the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit 701 to the first input port 7111 (hereinafter referred to as the first signal for ease of description), and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit 702 to the second input port 7121 (hereinafter referred to as the second signal for ease of description), thereby optimizing the communication performance of the second antenna 742.

[0157] For example, the processor 801 aligns the amplitudes of the first signal and the second signal; optionally, the processor 801 controls the first signal transmission circuit 701 and the second signal transmission circuit 702 not to perform CSD processing, thereby achieving amplitude alignment between the first signal and the second signal.

[0158] Then, the processor 801 sets the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port based on N candidate phase differences. It can be understood that multiple signal combinations are set according to different phase differences, and each signal combination includes a first signal and a second signal. Optionally, each signal combination includes two signals, one as the first signal and the other as the second signal. Furthermore, the phase difference of the signals in one signal combination is different from the phase difference of the signals in another signal combination.

[0159] The processor 801 receives N Received Signal Strength Indicators (RSSIs) from the third signal transmission circuit, where the N RSSIs correspond to N candidate phase differences, and the N RSSIs are the RSSIs of the signals transmitted by the third antenna 743 to the second antenna 742, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0160] The processor 801 then selects the target phase difference from the N candidate phase differences based on the N RSSIs. For example, the signal combination corresponding to the largest RSSI among the multiple RSSIs is taken as the optimal signal combination, and the phase difference of the signals in the optimal signal combination is taken as the target phase difference (also called the optimal phase difference).

[0161] Finally, the processor 801 sets the phase of the first signal and the phase of the second signal according to the target phase difference, so that the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal is equal to the target phase difference. This maximizes the power of the signal fed into the first input port 7111 and the signal fed into the second input port 7121 when they are transmitted through the second antenna 742, thereby optimizing the communication performance.

[0162] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0163] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects; in the formulas of this application, the character " / " indicates a "division" relationship between the preceding and following related objects. "Including at least one of A, B, and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B, and C.

[0164] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A radio frequency device, characterized in that, include: A first signal transmission circuit and a second signal transmission circuit, as well as a first coupling element and a second coupling element; The first signal transmission circuit is connected to the first input port of the first coupling element, and the first output port of the first coupling element is used to connect to the first antenna. The second signal transmission circuit is connected to the second input port of the second coupling element, and the second output port of the second coupling element is used to connect to the second antenna; A first branch and a second branch are connected between the first coupling element and the second coupling element. A first switch is provided on the first branch, and a second switch is provided on the second branch. The first switch and the second switch are in a closed state or an open state based on the control of the processor.

2. The radio frequency device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The characteristic impedance between the first input port and the first connection point, the characteristic impedance between the first output port and the second connection point, the characteristic impedance between the second input port and the third connection point, the characteristic impedance between the second output port and the fourth connection point, and the characteristic impedance of the first branch and the second branch are the same. The characteristic impedance between the first connection point and the second connection point, and the characteristic impedance between the third connection point and the fourth connection point are the same; the ratio of the characteristic impedance between the first connection point and the second connection point to the characteristic impedance of the first branch is... Wherein, the first connection point is the connection point between the first branch and the first coupling element, the second connection point is the connection point between the second branch and the first coupling element, the third connection point is the connection point between the first branch and the second coupling element, and the fourth connection point is the connection point between the second branch and the second coupling element.

3. The radio frequency device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The distances between the first and second connection points, the first and third connection points, the second and fourth connection points, and the third and fourth connection points are all... Where λ is the signal wavelength; Wherein, the first connection point is the connection point between the first branch and the first coupling element, the second connection point is the connection point between the second branch and the first coupling element, the third connection point is the connection point between the first branch and the second coupling element, and the fourth connection point is the connection point between the second branch and the second coupling element.

4. The radio frequency device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first coupling element and the second coupling element are arranged in parallel and symmetrically, and the first branch and the second branch are arranged in parallel and symmetrically.

5. The radio frequency device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first coupling element and the second coupling element are strip-shaped transmission media.

6. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a radio frequency device as described in any one of claims 1-5, wherein the processor is configured to send control signals to a first switch and a second switch within the radio frequency device.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The processor is specifically used for: The first switch and the second switch are controlled according to the first feedback information and the second feedback information; the first feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna, and the second feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The processor is specifically used for: If, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is within a first range, then the first switch and the second switch are controlled to disconnect. or, If, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within the first range, then the first switch and the second switch are controlled to close.

9. The communication device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The first feedback information and the second feedback information come from the signal receiving device. The first feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio of the first spatial stream on the resource unit, and the second feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio of the second spatial stream on the resource unit. The first spatial stream is transmitted through the first antenna, and the second spatial stream is transmitted through the second antenna.

10. The communication device according to any one of claims 6-9, characterized in that, The first switch and the second switch are in the closed state; The processor is also used for: Align the amplitudes of the signals transmitted through the first signal transmission circuit with those transmitted through the second signal transmission circuit; The power allocation ratio of the first antenna and the second antenna is determined based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information. The first feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance of the first antenna, and the second feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance of the second antenna. The phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port are determined according to the power distribution ratio.

11. A radio frequency device, characterized in that, include: A first signal transmission circuit and a second signal transmission circuit, as well as a first coupling element and a second coupling element; The first signal transmission circuit is connected to the first input port of the first coupling element, and the first output port of the first coupling element is used to connect to the first antenna. The second signal transmission circuit is connected to the second input port of the second coupling element, and the second output port of the second coupling element is used to connect to the second antenna; The first coupling element includes a first part and a second part, with a first switch disposed between the first part and the second part. The second coupling element includes a third part and a fourth part, with a second switch disposed between the third part and the fourth part. A first branch is connected between the first part of the first coupling element and the third part of the second coupling element, and a third switch is disposed on the first branch. The first switch, the second switch, and the third switch are in one of the following states based on processor control: First state: The first switch and the second switch are closed, and the third switch is open; Second state: The first switch and the third switch are closed, and the second switch is open; Third state: The second switch and the third switch are closed, and the first switch is open.

12. The radio frequency device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first coupling element and the second coupling element are parallel and symmetrical, and the first branch is arranged perpendicular to the first coupling element and the second coupling element.

13. The radio frequency device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first coupling element and the second coupling element are strip-shaped transmission media.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor and a radio frequency device as described in any one of claims 11-13, wherein the processor is configured to send control signals to a first switch, a second switch, and a third switch within the radio frequency device.

15. The communication device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The processor is specifically used for: The first switch, the second switch, and the third switch are controlled according to the first feedback information and the second feedback information; the first feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna, and the second feedback information is used to indicate the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that, The processor is specifically used for: If, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is within a first range, then the first switch and the second switch are controlled to close, and the third switch is controlled to open. or, If, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within the first range, and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna is greater than the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna, then the first switch and the third switch are controlled to close, and the second switch is controlled to open. or, If, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, it is determined that the performance difference between the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna is not within the first range, and the signal transmission performance corresponding to the first antenna is less than the signal transmission performance corresponding to the second antenna, then the second switch and the third switch are controlled to close, and the first switch is controlled to open.

17. The communication device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The first feedback information and the second feedback information come from the signal receiving device. The first feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio of the first spatial stream on the resource unit, and the second feedback information includes the average signal-to-noise ratio of the second spatial stream on the resource unit. The first spatial stream is transmitted through the first antenna, and the second spatial stream is transmitted through the second antenna.

18. The communication device according to any one of claims 14-17, characterized in that, It also includes a third signal transmission circuit, which is connected to a third antenna; When the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch are in the second state, the processor is further configured to: Align the amplitudes of the signals transmitted through the first signal transmission circuit with those transmitted through the second signal transmission circuit; The phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port is set according to N candidate phase differences, and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port is set. N received signal strengths (RSSIs) from the third signal transmission circuit are received. The N RSSIs correspond to the N candidate phase differences. The N RSSIs are the RSSIs of the signal transmitted by the third antenna to the first antenna, and N is an integer greater than 1. Select the target phase difference from the N candidate phase differences based on the N RSSIs; Based on the target phase difference, the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port are set.

19. The communication device according to any one of claims 14-17, characterized in that, It also includes a third signal transmission circuit, which is connected to a third antenna; When the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch are in the third state, the processor is further configured to: Align the amplitudes of the signals transmitted through the first signal transmission circuit with those transmitted through the second signal transmission circuit; The phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port is set according to N candidate phase differences, and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port is set. N received signal strengths (RSSI) from the third signal transmission circuit are received. The N RSSIs correspond to the N candidate phase differences. The N RSSIs are the RSSIs of the signal transmitted by the third antenna to the second antenna, and N is an integer greater than 1. Select the target phase difference from the N candidate phase differences based on the N RSSIs; Based on the target phase difference, the phase of the signal output from the first signal transmission circuit to the first input port and the phase of the signal output from the second signal transmission circuit to the second input port are set.

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