Reference signal transmission method, radio frequency front-end module and terminal device

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a reference signal transmission method, a radio frequency front-end module and a terminal device. The solution can be applied to a radio frequency front-end module, the radio frequency front-end module comprising two transceiver components, wherein each transceiver component comprises an amplifier. When the radio frequency front-end module is in operation, only the amplifier in one of the transceiver components operates, and when the amplifier is in operation, a processed SRS can be outputted to the other transceiver component for sending the processed SRS out, thereby realizing SRS switching after channel switching, and thus ensuring that the downlink capability of terminal devices remains unchanged after cross-channel switching.

Description

Reference signal transmission method, radio frequency front-end module and terminal device

[0001] The present application claims priority from the Chinese patent application No. 202410742209.9 filed on June 7, 2024, and entitled "Reference signal transmission method, radio frequency front-end module and terminal device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a reference signal transmission method, a radio frequency front-end module and a terminal device. BACKGROUND

[0003] Currently, a terminal device generally has at least two pairs of antennas, which are generally arranged at different positions of the whole machine. In order to ensure the performance of the antennas of the terminal device under different holding postures or different directions of arrival, a multi-antenna switching technology of the terminal device is proposed. Most of the terminal devices in the past use the method of adding a switch between a power amplifier (PA) and an antenna to realize antenna switching. However, since the antennas of the terminal device are arranged at different positions of the whole machine, the PA can only be close to one or two antennas, and cannot take into account all the antennas, thereby resulting in the need to increase the path loss of the PA to the antennas far away from the PA, and the best performance of the terminal device cannot be achieved. Then, a scheme of switching of a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) channel or a digital baseband (DBB) channel is proposed.

[0004] In order to ensure that the one transmitting four receiving (1T4R) capability of the terminal device is unchanged after the RFIC channel or the DBB channel is cross-switched, a sounding reference signal (SRS) round transmission needs to be performed after the channel switching. However, there is currently no scheme for how to perform the SRS round transmission after the RFIC channel or the DBB channel is cross-switched. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a reference signal transmission method, a radio frequency front-end module and a terminal device to realize the SRS round transmission after the channel switching, so that the downlink capability of the terminal device is unchanged after the channel is cross-switched.

[0006] In a first aspect, a reference signal transmission method is provided. The method is applied to a radio frequency front-end module. The radio frequency front-end module includes a baseband, a radio frequency integrated circuit connected to the baseband, a first transceiver component, and a second transceiver component. The first transceiver component includes a first amplifier and a first antenna group. The second transceiver component includes a second amplifier and a second antenna group. The method includes: when the first amplifier is working and the second amplifier is not working, the first amplifier processes a first sounding reference signal according to a control signal of the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, and outputs the processed first sounding reference signal to the second transceiver component; and the second transceiver component controls the processed first sounding reference signal received from the first transceiver component to be sent out via the second antenna group according to the control signal. When the second amplifier is working and the first amplifier is not working, the second amplifier processes a second sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the processed second sounding reference signal to the first transceiver component. And the first transceiver component controls the processed second sounding reference signal received from the second transceiver component to be sent out via the first antenna group according to the control signal.

[0007] By using the method of the aspect, the method can be applied to a radio frequency front-end module. The radio frequency front-end module includes two transceiver components, and each transceiver component includes an amplifier. When the radio frequency front-end module is working, only the amplifier in one of the transceiver components is working. When the amplifier is working, the amplifier can output the processed SRS to the other transceiver component to be sent out, thereby realizing SRS rotation after channel switching, and making the downlink capability of a terminal device unchanged after channel cross switching.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes: when the first amplifier is working and the second amplifier is not working, the first amplifier processes a third sounding reference signal, and controls the processed third sounding reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna group according to the control signal. When the second amplifier is working and the first amplifier is not working, the second amplifier processes a fourth sounding reference signal, and controls the processed fourth sounding reference signal to be sent out via the second antenna group according to the control signal.

[0009] By using the method of the implementation, when the amplifier in one of the transceiver components is working, the amplifier also outputs the processed SRS to the antenna group of the transceiver component to be sent out, thereby realizing SRS rotation.

[0010] With reference to the first aspect, in a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the first transceiver further includes a first switch group, the first antenna group includes a first antenna and a second antenna, the first amplifier is connected with the radio frequency integrated circuit and the first switch group respectively, and the first switch group is further connected with the first antenna and the second antenna; the second transceiver further includes a second switch group, the second antenna group includes a third antenna and a fourth antenna, the second amplifier is connected with the radio frequency integrated circuit and the second switch group respectively, and the second switch group is further connected with the third antenna and the fourth antenna; and the first switch group is connected with the second switch group.

[0011] With reference to the first aspect, in a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the first amplifier is connected with the second amplifier; when the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier processes the first sounding reference signal according to the control signal of the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, and outputs the processed first sounding reference signal to the second transceiver, including: when the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier amplifies the first sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the amplified first sounding reference signal to the second amplifier and the second switch group; and the second transceiver controls the processed first sounding reference signal received from the first transceiver to be sent out via the second antenna group according to the control signal, including: the second amplifier controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out via the third antenna, and the second switch group controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out via the fourth antenna.

[0012] With the method, the first amplifier is connected with the second amplifier, so that when the amplifier in one transceiver works, the amplified SRS can be sent to the other transceiver via the connection path between the amplifiers and the switch groups, and sent out by the other transceiver, so as to realize the round-robin transmission of the SRS.

[0013] With reference to the first aspect, in a further possible implementation of the first aspect, when the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier processes the second sounding reference signal according to the control signal and outputs the processed second sounding reference signal to the first transceiver, including that when the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier amplifies the second sounding reference signal according to the control signal and outputs the amplified second sounding reference signal to the first amplifier and the first switch group; and the first transceiver controls the processed second sounding reference signal received from the second transceiver to be sent out via the first antenna group according to the control signal, including that the first amplifier controls the amplified second sounding reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna, and the first switch group controls the amplified second sounding reference signal to be sent out via the second antenna.

[0014] With the method, the first amplifier is connected with the second amplifier, so that when the amplifier in one transceiver works, the amplified SRS can be sent to the other transceiver via the connection path between the first amplifier and the second amplifier and the switch group, and sent out by the other transceiver, so that the round-robin transmission of the SRS is realized.

[0015] With reference to the first aspect, in a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes that when the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier amplifies the first sounding reference signal according to the control signal and outputs the amplified first sounding reference signal to the second switch group; and the second switch group controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out via the third antenna and the fourth antenna; and when the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier amplifies the second sounding reference signal according to the control signal and outputs the amplified second sounding reference signal to the first switch group; and the first switch group controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0016] With the method, when the amplifier in one transceiver works, the amplified SRS can be sent to the other transceiver via the switch group, and sent out by the other transceiver, so that the round-robin transmission of the SRS is realized.

[0017] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the method, when the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier amplifies the third probe reference signal according to the control signal and controls the amplified third probe reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna and the second antenna; and when the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier amplifies the fourth probe reference signal according to the control signal and controls the amplified fourth probe reference signal to be sent out via the third antenna and the fourth antenna.

[0018] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the method, the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit comprises a third switch group, and the first transceiver component and the second transceiver component are connected to a first end and a second end of the third switch group respectively; and the method further comprises: the third switch group generating the control signal.

[0019] With the method of the implementation, the third switch group implements switching of a sending channel, and in the case that the antenna of the first transceiver component is blocked, the second transceiver component can be switched to send out a radio frequency signal, and by arranging the third switch group in the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, the PCB wiring is short, the signal power loss is small, and the antenna performance of the terminal is improved.

[0020] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the method, the method further comprises: the baseband processing the first probe reference signal into a first baseband signal and processing the second probe reference signal into a second baseband signal.

[0021] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the method, the method further comprises: the radio frequency integrated circuit processing the first baseband signal into a first radio frequency signal and processing the second baseband signal into a second radio frequency signal.

[0022] The second aspect provides a radio frequency front-end module, comprising a baseband, a radio frequency integrated circuit connected to the baseband, a first transceiver component and a second transceiver component, the first transceiver component comprising a first amplifier, a first antenna group and a first switch group, the first antenna group comprising a first antenna and a second antenna, the first amplifier being connected to the radio frequency integrated circuit and the first switch group respectively, and the first switch group being further connected to the first antenna and the second antenna; the second transceiver component comprising a second amplifier, a second antenna group and a second switch group, the second antenna group comprising a third antenna and a fourth antenna, the second amplifier being connected to the radio frequency integrated circuit and the second switch group respectively, and the second switch group being further connected to the third antenna and the fourth antenna; and the first switch group being connected to the second switch group.

[0023] With reference to the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the first amplifier is connected with the second amplifier.

[0024] With reference to the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation, a third switch group is included in the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the first transceiver component and the second transceiver component are respectively connected to a first end and a second end of the third switch group.

[0025] The third aspect provides a terminal device, which comprises a radio frequency front-end module, and the radio frequency front-end module is configured to execute the method according to the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect.

[0026] The fourth aspect provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed, the method according to the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect is implemented.

[0027] The fifth aspect provides a computer program product, which comprises program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed, the method according to the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency front-end module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIGS. 3A-3C are schematic diagrams of antenna arrangements of an example terminal;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency front-end module according to an existing technology;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of another radio frequency front-end module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of yet another radio frequency front-end module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG. 7 is a flow schematic diagram of a reference signal transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency front-end module according to an embodiment of the present application, in which a first amplifier works and a second amplifier does not work;

[0036] FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency front-end module according to an embodiment of the present application, in which the first amplifier does not work and the second amplifier works;

[0037] Figure 9A is a schematic diagram of another RF front-end module in an embodiment of this application, in which the first amplifier is working and the second amplifier is not working;

[0038] Figure 9B is a schematic diagram of another RF front-end module in an embodiment of this application, in which the first amplifier is not working and the second amplifier is working. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The scheme of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] The technical solution provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as fifth-generation (5G) communication systems. th This technology can be applied to various scenarios, including 5G mobile communication systems, future evolution systems, and converged communication systems, as well as existing communication systems. The application scenarios of the technical solutions provided in this application can include multiple areas, such as machine-to-machine (M2M), macro-micro communication, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (uRLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC). These scenarios may include, but are not limited to, communication between terminal devices, communication between network devices, and communication between network devices and terminal devices. Network devices include access network devices and core network devices. The following descriptions use examples of communication between network devices and terminal devices.

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting communication system. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. The communication system 1000 can also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG. 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG. 1, collectively referred to as 120). Other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 1), etc., can also be included in the RAN 100. The terminal devices 120 are wirelessly connected with the RAN nodes 110. The RAN nodes 110 are connected with the core network 200 through wireless or wired means. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in the RAN 100 can be different physical devices respectively, or can be the same physical device integrated with the logical functions of the core network and the radio access network respectively.

[0042] The RAN 100 can be a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) related cellular system, e.g., a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolved system (e.g., a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN 100 can also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 can also be a communication system that combines two or more of the above systems.

[0043] The RAN node 110 can also be referred to as a network device, an access network device, a RAN entity, or an access node, etc., which forms part of the communication system, to help terminal devices to access the network wirelessly. The plurality of RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 1000 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of the RAN node 110 and the terminal device 120 are relative, for example, the network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured to move as a mobile base station, for terminal devices 120j accessing the RAN 100 through the network element 120i, the network element 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, the network element 120i is a terminal device. The RAN node 110 and the terminal device 120 are sometimes collectively referred to as communication apparatuses, for example, the network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication apparatuses with base station functions, and the network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication apparatuses with terminal device functions.

[0044] In a possible scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a 6th generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. The RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology can be a road side unit (RSU).

[0045] In another possible scenario, a terminal device is assisted by multiple RAN nodes to implement wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of functions of a base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a central unit-control plane (CU-CP), a central unit-user plane (CU-UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and the DU can be separately arranged, or can be included in the same network element, for example, in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, for example, in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna processing unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0046] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), the DU, or the RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an ORAN system, the CU can also be referred to as an open-CU (O-CU), the DU can also be referred to as an open-distributed unit (O-DU), the CU-CP can also be referred to as an open-central unit-control plane (O-CU-CP), the CU-UP can also be referred to as an open-central unit-user plane (O-CU-UP), and the RU can also be referred to as an open-radio unit (O-RU). For the convenience of description, the CU, the CU-CP, the CU-UP, the DU, and the RU are taken as examples for description in this application. Any one of the CU (or the CU-CP, the CU-UP), the DU, and the RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0047] The terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a mobile terminal device, etc. The terminal device can be widely applied to various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, automatic driving, remote medical treatment, smart power grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, etc. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal device.

[0048] The communication between the network device and the terminal device complies with a certain protocol layer structure. The protocol layer can include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer can include at least one of a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, or a physical (PHY) layer, etc. The user plane protocol layer can include at least one of a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, or a physical layer, etc.

[0049] The base station and the terminal device can be fixed in position or mobile. The base station and the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on water surface; can also be deployed on an airplane, a balloon and a man-made satellite. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the terminal device.

[0050] The roles of the base station and the terminal device can be relative, for example, the helicopter or the drone 120i in FIG. 1 can be configured as a mobile base station, and for the terminal device 120j that accesses the wireless access network 100 through 120i, the terminal device 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, 120i is a terminal device, that is, 110a and 120i communicate through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate through a base station-to-base station interface protocol, in which case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, the base station and the terminal device can be collectively referred to as a communication device, 110a and 110b in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a base station function, and 120a-120j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a terminal device function.

[0051] In the embodiments of the present application, the base station is also referred to as a network device, and the device for implementing the function of the network device can be a network device; or can be a device capable of supporting the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. The device can be installed in the network device or used in matching with the network device. In the embodiments of the present application, only the device for implementing the function of the network device is taken as an example for description of the network device, and the scheme of the embodiments of the present application is not limited.

[0052] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the UE is also referred to as a terminal device, and the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be a terminal device; or can be a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in matching with the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, only the device for implementing the function of the terminal device is taken as an example for description of the terminal device, and the scheme of the embodiments of the present application is not limited.

[0053] It should be understood that the number and type of devices in the communication system shown in FIG. 1 are only illustrative, and the present application is not limited thereto. In actual applications, more terminal devices, more access network devices, and other network elements, such as core network devices and / or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions, can also be included in the communication system.

[0054] It can be understood that all or part of the functions implemented by one or more of the terminal device, the access network device, the core network device, or the network element for implementing the artificial intelligence function can be virtualized, that is, implemented by one or more of a special processor or a general processor and a corresponding software module. Among them, the terminal device and the access network device involve the interface of air interface transmission, and the transceiving function of the interface can be implemented by hardware. The core network device, such as an operation administration and maintenance (OAM) network element, can be virtualized. Alternatively, one or more functions of the virtualized terminal device, access network device, core network device, or network element for implementing the artificial intelligence function can be implemented by a cloud device, such as a cloud device in an over the top (OTT) system.

[0055] Embodiments of the present application mainly relate to a radio frequency front-end module in a terminal device. As shown in FIG. 2, it is a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency front-end module provided by an embodiment of the present application. The radio frequency front-end module can include a processor 210, a filter 220, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 230, a PA 240, a switching switch 250, and an antenna circuit 260, which includes at least one antenna 261.

[0056] The processor 210 can include one or more processing units. For example, the processor 210 can include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a neural-network processing unit (NPU), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband (BB) 211, and / or a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 212, etc. The controller can generate operation control signals according to instruction operation codes and timing signals to complete the control of fetching and executing instructions.

[0057] The processor 210 can be provided with a memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in the processor 210 can be a cache memory. The memory can hold instructions or data that the processor 210 has just used or is using in a loop. If the processor 210 needs to use the instructions or data again, it can be called directly from the memory. This avoids repeated access and reduces the waiting time of the processor 210, thus improving the efficiency of the system. In some embodiments, the memory can also be provided outside the processor 210 and coupled to the processor 210.

[0058] The memory in the embodiments of the present application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of realizing a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory can be any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program codes in the form of instructions or data structures and capable of being accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. For example, the memory can be a non-volatile memory such as a digital versatile disc (DVD), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid-state drive (SSD), and can also be a volatile memory such as a random-access memory (RAM).

[0059] The BB 211 is used to synthesize a baseband signal to be transmitted and / or to decode a received baseband signal. Specifically, when transmitting, the BB 211 encodes a voice or other data signal into a baseband signal (or baseband code) to be transmitted; when receiving, the BB 211 decodes a received baseband signal into a voice or other data signal. The BB 211 can include an encoder, a decoder, and a baseband processor, etc. The encoder is used to synthesize a baseband signal to be transmitted, and the decoder is used to decode a received baseband signal. The baseband processor can be a microcontroller unit (MCU), which can be used to control the encoder and the decoder, for example, the baseband processor can be used to complete scheduling of encoding and decoding, communication between the encoder and the decoder, peripheral device driving (the peripheral device can be enabled by sending an enable signal to a component other than the BB 211 to enable the component other than the BB 211), and the like.

[0060] The RFIC 212 is used to process a baseband signal to form a transmit (TX) signal, and transmit the TX signal to the PA 240 for amplification; and / or the RFIC 212 is used to process a receive (RX) signal to form a baseband signal, and transmit the formed baseband signal to the BB 211 for decoding.

[0061] The processor 210 can modulate signals according to mobile communication technology or wireless communication technology. The mobile communication technology can include LTE, 5G, etc. The wireless communication technology can include wireless local area networks (WLAN) such as Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared (IR) technology, etc.

[0062] The processor 210 can include at least one BB 211 and at least one RFIC 212. In some embodiments, each BB 211 corresponds to one RFIC to modulate signals according to one or more communication technologies. For example, a first BB and a first RFIC modulate signals according to 5G technology, a second BB and a second RFIC modulate signals according to LTE technology, a third BB and a third RFIC modulate signals according to Wi-Fi technology, a fourth BB and a fourth RFIC modulate signals according to Bluetooth technology, etc. Alternatively, a first BB and a first RFIC can modulate signals according to both LTE technology and 5G technology, a second BB and a second RFIC modulate signals according to Wi-Fi technology, etc. In some embodiments, one BB can correspond to multiple RFICs to improve integration.

[0063] In some embodiments, the BB 211 and the RFIC 212 can be integrated with other components of the processor 210 in one integrated circuit (IC). In some embodiments, the BB 211 and the RFIC 212 can be independent devices from the processor 210. In some embodiments, one BB 211 and one RFIC 212 can be integrated in a device independent from the processor 210. In some embodiments, the BB 211 and the RFIC 212 are integrated in different integrated circuits, and the BB 211 and the RFIC 212 are packaged together, for example, in a system on a chip (SOC).

[0064] The antenna circuit 260 is configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals (or radio frequency signals). The antenna circuit 260 can include a plurality of antennas 261 or a plurality of groups of antennas (each group of antennas including two or more antennas), each of which can be used to cover a single or multiple communication frequency bands. The plurality of antennas can be one or more of a multi-frequency antenna, an array antenna, or an on-chip antenna.

[0065] The processor 210 is coupled to the antenna circuit 260 to implement various functions associated with transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals. For example, when the terminal device transmits a signal, the BB 211 synthesizes data (digital signal) to be transmitted into a baseband signal to be transmitted, the baseband signal is converted into a transmission signal (radio frequency signal) by the RFIC 212, the transmission signal is amplified by the PA 240, the amplified output signal output by the PA 240 is transmitted to the switch 250, and the transmission signal is transmitted by the antenna circuit 260. The path of the transmission signal sent by the processor 210 to the switch 250 is a transmission path (or transmission path, transmission link). When the terminal device needs to receive a signal, the antenna circuit 260 transmits the received signal (radio frequency signal) to the switch 250, the switch 250 transmits the radio frequency signal to the RFIC 212, the RFIC 212 processes the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal and transmits it to the BB 211, the BB 211 converts the processed baseband signal into data and transmits it to the corresponding application processor. The path of the radio frequency signal sent by the switch 250 to the processor 210 is a receiving path (or receiving path, receiving link). The port of the processor 210 coupled to the transmission path is a transmission port TX, and the port of the processor 210 coupled to the receiving path is a receiving port RX.

[0066] The switch 250 can be configured to selectively couple the antenna circuit 260 to the transmission path or the receiving path. In some embodiments, the switch 250 can include a plurality of switches. The switch 250 can also be configured to provide additional functions. The coupling involved in the embodiments of the present application can include a connection state of direct connection for signal transmission, or a connection state of indirect connection for signal transmission through space coupling.

[0067] In some other embodiments of the present application, the radio frequency front end module can include more or fewer components than those shown, or combine some components, or split some components, or different arrangement of components. The components shown can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. Among them, each transmission path or each receiving path can be understood as a transmission path.

[0068] In this application, the processor can be a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, can implement or execute the disclosed methods, steps and logic block diagrams in this application. The general purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in this application can be directly embodied as hardware processor execution or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0069] In addition, FIG. 2 only shows one antenna in the radio frequency front-end module, and in fact, at least two antennas are usually arranged in the radio frequency front-end module, for example, two antennas are arranged, and the two antennas can simultaneously receive the downlink signals transmitted by the network device through different receiving paths, that is, two transmission paths can be established between the network device and the terminal device. When wireless communication is implemented between the terminal device and the network device, in order to enable the network device to control the data transmission on different transmission paths to achieve more efficient downlink data transmission, the channel states of the transmission paths need to be obtained, and the obtaining method can be that the terminal device sends SRS to the network device through the antenna, that is, the SRS is used to enable the network device to obtain the channel states of the transmission paths corresponding to the antenna; on the other hand, the number of transmitting paths in the terminal device is small, for example, the two antennas have only one or two transmitting paths, at this time, SRS round transmission is needed, that is, the transmitting path is switched to each antenna through the switch, so that each antenna sends SRS once in turn, although only a single antenna or a double antenna transmits at the same time, as long as all the antennas have sent SRS once, the network device can obtain the channel states of the transmission paths corresponding to the two antennas.

[0070] In the case that the terminal device has at least two antennas in the RF front-end module, the at least two antennas are generally arranged at different positions of the whole terminal device. FIGS. 3A-3C show several arrangements of antennas of the terminal device. In FIGS. 3A-3C, two pairs of antennas are shown: ANT0 and ANT1 are a pair of antennas; and ANT2 and ANT3 are another pair of antennas. In FIG. 3A, ANT0 is arranged at the upper right position of the terminal device, ANT1 is arranged above the right side of the terminal device, ANT2 is arranged at the lower right position of the terminal device, and ANT3 is arranged below the right side of the terminal device. In FIG. 3B, ANT0 is arranged at the upper right position of the terminal device, ANT2 is arranged above the right side of the terminal device, ANT1 is arranged at the lower right position of the terminal device, and ANT3 is arranged below the right side of the terminal device. In FIG. 3C, ANT0 is arranged at the upper right position of the terminal device, ANT1 is arranged above the right side of the terminal device, ANT2 is arranged at the lower right position of the terminal device, and ANT3 is arranged at the upper left position of the terminal device. It can be understood that the arrangements of antennas in FIGS. 3A-3C are only examples, and the present application does not limit the arrangement of antennas. For example, the antennas can also be arranged above the left side or below the left side of the terminal device.

[0071] For example, ANT0 can be connected to a primary receive (PRX) path of the terminal device; and ANT1 can be connected to a diversity receive (DRX) path of the terminal device. For a terminal device supporting a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technology, ANT2 can be connected to a MIMO PRX path of the terminal device; and ANT3 can be connected to a MIMO DRX path of the terminal device.

[0072] However, in the case that the terminal device is in a horizontal screen and is held by two hands (for example, a two-hand game scenario), the uplink power of the terminal device is greatly deteriorated due to the shielding of the top and bottom, and finally the performance of the antennas of the terminal device is deteriorated. In order to ensure the performance of the antennas of the terminal device in different holding postures or different incoming wave directions, a multi-antenna switching technology of the terminal device is proposed.

[0073] A solution is to switch the transmitting channel by using a front-end switch. As shown in FIG. 4, it is a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency front-end module. ANT0 and ANT1 are connected to PRX and DRX respectively, and ANT2 and ANT3 are connected to MIMO PRX and MIMO DRX respectively. Switch 1 and switch 2 are added in the radio frequency front-end. When ANT0 and / or ANT1 is blocked, switch 1 and / or switch 2 switches ANT0 and / or ANT1 to ANT2 and / or ANT3, so as to improve the uplink power of the terminal device, and finally improve the antenna performance of the terminal device. However, a certain signal power loss will be caused in the switching process of the switch 1 and switch 2, and the power amplifier (PA) 1 is located in the PRX, and the too long PCB (printed circuit board) wiring from the PA 1 to the MIMO PRX / DRX will also cause a certain signal power loss. The output linear power capability of the PA 1 is limited, and it is difficult to make up for the signal power loss caused by the too long PCB wiring. Therefore, the above solution will eventually lead to the deterioration of the antenna performance of the terminal device, and cannot play the best performance of the TX of the terminal device. Wherein, the PRX includes the PA 1; the MIMO PRX includes the PA 2; the DRX includes the LNA 1; and the MIMO DRX includes the LNA 2.

[0074] In order to make the transmitting capability of the terminal device in different antennas play the maximum, a solution of switching the RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) channel or DBB (digital baseband) channel is proposed.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 5, it is a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency front-end module related to the embodiments of the present application. The radio frequency front-end module includes a baseband (not shown in FIG. 5), an RFIC 501 connected to the baseband, a first transceiver component 502 and a second transceiver component 503, the baseband or the RFIC 501 includes a first switch 5011 (FIG. 5 takes the first switch 5011 included in the RFIC 501 as an example for description, and the first switch can be provided in the baseband, which can refer to the embodiments), and the first transceiver component 502 and the second transceiver component 503 are connected to the first end and the second end of the first switch 5011 respectively.

[0076] Generally, the default radio frequency signal is sent out by the antennas in the first transceiver component 502. However, as described in the background, in the case that one or all of the antennas in the first transceiver component 502 are blocked, the first switch 5011 is used to generate a first control signal for controlling the first radio frequency signal generated by the RFIC 501 to be switched by the first transceiver component 502 to be sent out by the second transceiver component 503. In the case that the antennas in the first transceiver component 502 are blocked, the radio frequency signal can be switched to be sent out by the second transceiver component 503, and by setting the first switch 5011 in the baseband or the RFIC 501, the PCB wiring is short, the signal power loss is small, and the antenna performance of the terminal device is improved.

[0077] In other cases, for example, in the case that the sending power of the antennas of the second transceiver component 503 is detected to be large, the first switch 5011 can also control the radio frequency signal to be switched by the first transceiver component 502 to be sent out by the second transceiver component 503.

[0078] Further, the second transceiver component 503 includes a MIMO main diversity module 5031, a MIMO diversity module 5032, a first antenna 5035, and a second antenna 5036; the MIMO main diversity module 5031 is connected to the second end of the first switch 5011; the MIMO main diversity module 5031 is connected to the first antenna 5035 and the second antenna 5036; the MIMO diversity module 5032 is connected to the first antenna 5035 and the second antenna 5036; the second transceiver component 503 is used to receive the first control signal, and control the first radio frequency signal to be sent out by the first antenna 5035 or the second antenna 5036. Exemplarily, when the second transceiver component 503 receives the first control signal of the first switch 5011, it can detect the efficiency changes of the first antenna 5035 and the second antenna 5036, control the first radio frequency signal to be sent out by the first antenna 5035 or the second antenna 5036, and select the antenna with the largest sending power to do uplink business.

[0079] Further, the second transceiver component 503 includes a second switch 5034; the MIMO main diversity module 5031 includes a first amplifier 5033, the first amplifier 5033 is connected to the second end of the first switch 5011; the first antenna 5035 and the second antenna 5036 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the second switch 5034, and the MIMO diversity module 5032 is connected to the third end of the second switch 5034; the first amplifier 5033 is used to receive the first radio frequency signal and amplify the first radio frequency signal; the second switch 5034 is used to control the amplified first radio frequency signal to be sent out by the first antenna 5035 or the second antenna 5036 according to the first control signal.

[0080] Further, the second switch 5034 is located in the MIMO main diversity module 5031.

[0081] Further, the first switch 5011 is also used to generate a second control signal, the second control signal is used to control a second radio frequency signal generated by the radio frequency integrated circuit to be sent out by the first transceiving component 502. Exemplarily, in the case that the antenna of the first transceiving component 502 is not blocked, generally the first switch 5011 controls the radio frequency signal to be sent out by the first transceiving component 502. In other scenarios, the first switch 5011 can also control the radio frequency signal to be sent out by the second transceiving component 503.

[0082] Further, the first transceiving component 502 comprises a main diversity module 5021, a diversity module 5022, a third antenna 5025 and a fourth antenna 5026; the main diversity module 5021 is connected to the first end of the first switch 5011; the main diversity module 5021 is connected to the third antenna 5025 and the fourth antenna 5026; the diversity module 5022 is connected to the third antenna 5025 and the fourth antenna 5026; the first transceiving component 502 is used to receive the second control signal, and control the second radio frequency signal to be sent out by the third antenna 5025 or the fourth antenna 5026.

[0083] Further, the main diversity module 5021 comprises a second amplifier 5023 and a third switch 5024; the second amplifier 5023 is connected to the first end of the first switch 5011; the third antenna 5025 and the fourth antenna 5026 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the third switch 5024, and the diversity module 5022 is connected to the third end of the third switch 5024; the second amplifier 5023 is used to receive the second radio frequency signal and amplify the second radio frequency signal; the third switch 5024 is used to control the amplified second radio frequency signal to be sent out by the third antenna 5025 or the fourth antenna 5026 according to the second control signal.

[0084] In the embodiment, the baseband is used to process the signal to be sent into a baseband signal.

[0085] In the embodiment, the RFIC 501 is used to process the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 6, it is a structure schematic diagram of another radio frequency front end module involved in the embodiments of the present application. The radio frequency front end module comprises a baseband (not shown in the figure, and the structure can be referred to the structure of FIG. 4), an RFIC 601 connected with the baseband, a first transceiving component 602 and a second transceiving component 603, the baseband or the RFIC 601 comprises a first switch 6011 (FIG. 6 describes the case that the first switch 6011 is comprised in the RFIC 601, and the first switch can be arranged in the baseband, which can be referred to the embodiment), and the first transceiving component 602 and the second transceiving component 603 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the first switch 6011.

[0087] Further, the second transceiving component 603 comprises a MIMO main set module 6031, a MIMO diversity module 6032, a first antenna 6035 and a second antenna 6036; the MIMO main set module 6031 is connected to the second end of the first switch 6011; the MIMO main set module 6031 is connected to the first antenna 6035 and the second antenna 6036; the MIMO diversity module 6032 is connected to the first antenna 6035 and the second antenna 6036; the second transceiving component 603 is configured to receive a first control signal, and control the first radio frequency signal to be sent out by the first antenna 6035 or the second antenna 6036.

[0088] Further, the second transceiving component 603 comprises a second switch 6034; the MIMO main set module 6031 comprises a first amplifier 6033, and the first amplifier 6033 is connected to the second end of the first switch 6011; the first antenna 6035 and the second antenna 6036 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the second switch 6034, and the MIMO diversity module 6032 is connected to the third end of the second switch 6034.

[0089] Further, the MIMO main set module 6031 is connected to the fourth end of the second switch 6034.

[0090] Further, the first transceiving component 602 comprises a main set module 6021, a diversity module 6022, a third antenna 6025 and a fourth antenna 6026; the main set module 6021 is connected to the first end of the first switch 6011; the main set module 6021 is connected to the third antenna 6025 and the fourth antenna 6026; the diversity module 6022 is connected to the third antenna 6025 and the fourth antenna 6026.

[0091] Further, the main set module 6021 comprises a second amplifier 6023 and a third switch 6024; the second amplifier 6023 is connected to the first end of the first switch 6011; the third antenna 6025 and the fourth antenna 6026 are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the third switch 6024, and the diversity module 6022 is connected to the third end of the third switch 6024.

[0092] Different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the second switch 6034 is located outside the MIMO main set module 6031, and the MIMO main set module 6031 is connected to the fourth end of the second switch 6034. The functions of the components can be referred to the implementation of FIG. 5, which will not be repeated here.

[0093] In order to ensure that the 1T4R capability of the terminal device is unchanged after the RFIC channel or the DBB channel is cross-switched, SRS round transmission needs to be performed after the channel switching. However, there is no solution for how to perform SRS round transmission after the RFIC channel or the DBB channel is cross-switched.

[0094] To this end, the present application provides a reference signal transmission scheme, which can be applied to a radio frequency front-end module including two transceiver components, each of which includes an amplifier. When the radio frequency front-end module is working, only the amplifier in one of the transceiver components is working. When the amplifier is working, it can output the processed SRS to the other transceiver component for transmission, thereby realizing SRS rotation after channel switching, so that the downlink capability of the terminal device does not change after channel cross switching.

[0095] The radio frequency front-end module in the present application includes a baseband, an RFIC connected to the baseband, a first transceiver component and a second transceiver component. The first transceiver component includes a first amplifier and a first antenna group, and the second transceiver component includes a second amplifier and a second antenna group. The first antenna group includes a first antenna and a second antenna, and the second antenna group includes a third antenna and a fourth antenna. Further, the first transceiver component further includes a first switch group, and the second transceiver component further includes a second switch group. The first amplifier is connected to the RFIC and the first switch group respectively, and the first switch group is further connected to the first antenna and the second antenna; the second amplifier is connected to the RFIC and the second switch group respectively, and the second switch group is further connected to the third antenna and the fourth antenna; and the first switch group is connected to the second switch group.

[0096] Further, the first amplifier is further connected to the second amplifier.

[0097] Further, the baseband or the RFIC includes a third switch group, and the first transceiver component and the second transceiver component are connected to a first end and a second end of the third switch group respectively.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 7, a flowchart of a reference signal transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. The method can be applied to the radio frequency front-end module described above.

[0099] In this embodiment, the radio frequency front-end module includes two amplifiers, however, only one amplifier works at the same time. Therefore, the terminal device can selectively execute one of the following two branches:

[0100] Branch one, the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work:

[0101] Exemplarily, the first amplifier is a main amplifier. Under normal circumstances, i.e. in different mode 1T scenarios such as LTE / NR, the first antenna and / or the second antenna in the first transceiver component are not blocked or the antenna performance has not decreased, and there is no need to switch the transmission channel through the RFIC channel or the DBB channel. At this time, the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work.

[0102] S701a. The first amplifier processes the first sounding reference signal according to the control signal of the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, and outputs the processed first sounding reference signal to the second transceiver component.

[0103] S702a. The second transceiver component controls the processed first sounding reference signal received from the first transceiver component to be sent out via the second antenna group according to the control signal.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 8A, it is a schematic diagram of the working of the first amplifier and the non-working of the second amplifier in a radio frequency front-end module according to an embodiment of the present application. The radio frequency front-end module includes a baseband (not shown in FIG. 8A), an RFIC 801 connected with the baseband, a first transceiver component 802 and a second transceiver component 803. The first transceiver component 802 includes a first amplifier 8021 and a first antenna group 8022; the second transceiver component 803 includes a second amplifier 8031 and a second antenna group 8032. The first antenna group 8022 includes a first antenna and a second antenna; the second antenna group 8032 includes a third antenna and a fourth antenna. The baseband or the RFIC 801 includes a third switch group (not shown in FIG. 8A), and the first transceiver component and the second transceiver component are respectively connected to a first end and a second end of the third switch group, which is used to generate a control signal.

[0105] The first amplifier 8021 is a main amplifier, and the second amplifier 8031 is an auxiliary amplifier. Since the second amplifier 8031 does not work, the first amplifier 8021 processes the first sounding reference signal according to the control signal of the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit 801, and outputs the processed first sounding reference signal to the second transceiver component 803. The second transceiver component 803 controls the processed first sounding reference signal received from the first transceiver component 802 to be sent out via the second antenna group 8032 according to the control signal. Thus, when only the first amplifier 8021 works and the second amplifier 8031 does not work, the processed SRS can be output by the first amplifier 8021 to the second transceiver component 803 for sending out, thereby realizing the SRS rotation after the channel switching, so that the downlink capability of the terminal device does not change after the channel cross switching.

[0106] Further, the first amplifier 8021 processes the third sounding reference signal, and controls the processed third sounding reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna group 8022 according to the control signal. That is, the first amplifier 8021 also processes the SRS to be sent out by the first antenna group 8022 in the first transceiver component 802 where the first amplifier 8021 is located, and sends out the processed SRS via the first antenna group 8022. Thus, the SRS rotation of the first antenna to the fourth antenna is realized.

[0107] Exemplarily, the baseband processes the first sounding reference signal as a first baseband signal, and the RFIC 801 processes the first baseband signal as a first radio frequency signal.

[0108] Further, in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the first transceiver 802 further includes a first switch group 8023, and the second transceiver 803 further includes a second switch group 8033. The first switch group 8023 can include one or more switches, and the second switch group 8033 can include one or more switches. The first amplifier 8021 is connected with the RFIC 801 and the first switch group 8023 respectively, and the first switch group 8023 is further connected with the first antenna and the second antenna; the second amplifier 8031 is connected with the RFIC 801 and the second switch group 8033 respectively, and the second switch group 8033 is further connected with the third antenna and the fourth antenna; the first switch group 8023 is connected with the second switch group 8033. The first amplifier 8021 is further connected with the second amplifier 8031. In addition, the first transceiver 802 can further include a filter 8024, and the filter 8024 is connected with the first amplifier 8021 and the first switch group 8023 respectively. The first transceiver 802 can further include an LNA and a filter 8025, and the LNA and the filter 8025 are connected with the RFIC 801 and the first switch group 8023 respectively. The second transceiver 803 can further include a filter 8034, and the filter 8034 is connected with the second amplifier 8031 and the second switch group 8033 respectively. The second transceiver 803 can further include an LNA and a filter 8035, and the LNA and the filter 8035 are connected with the RFIC 801 and the second switch group 8033 respectively.

[0109] Based on the radio frequency front end module shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, when the first amplifier 8021 works and the second amplifier 8031 does not work, as shown in path ① in FIG. 8A: the first amplifier 8021 amplifies the first sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the amplified first sounding reference signal to the second amplifier 8031, and the second amplifier 8031 controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out through the third antenna. And as shown in path ② in FIG. 8A: the first amplifier 8021 outputs the amplified first sounding reference signal to the second switch group 8033, and the second switch group 8033 controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out through the fourth antenna. It can be understood that the first sounding reference signal sent through the third antenna here can be SRS3, and the first sounding reference signal sent through the fourth antenna can be SRS4, since both SRS3 and SRS4 are sent by the antennas in the second antenna group 8032, they are collectively referred to as the first sounding reference signal.

[0110] Further, as shown in path ③ in FIG. 8A: the first amplifier 8021 amplifies the third sounding reference signal, and controls the amplified third sounding reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna according to the control signal. As shown in path ④ in FIG. 8A: the first amplifier 8021 amplifies the third sounding reference signal, and controls the amplified third sounding reference signal to be sent out via the second antenna according to the control signal. It can be understood that the third sounding reference signal sent out via the first antenna here can be SRS1, and the third sounding reference signal sent out via the second antenna can be SRS2, since both SRS1 and SRS2 are sent out by the antennas in the first antenna group 8022, and thus are collectively referred to as the third sounding reference signal.

[0111] Branch two, the second amplifier works, and the first amplifier does not work:

[0112] In the case where the first antenna and / or the second antenna of the main amplifier is blocked, or the antenna performance is degraded, the terminal device can switch the sending channel through the RFIC channel or the DBB channel, at this time, the first amplifier does not work, and the second amplifier works.

[0113] S701b. The second amplifier processes the second sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the processed second sounding reference signal to the first transceiver component.

[0114] S702b. The first transceiver component controls the processed second sounding reference signal received from the second transceiver component to be sent out via the first antenna group according to the control signal.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 8B, it is a schematic diagram of the first amplifier not working and the second amplifier working in a radio frequency front end module according to an embodiment of the present application. Since the first amplifier 8021 does not work, the second amplifier 8031 processes the second sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the processed second sounding reference signal to the first transceiver component 802. The first transceiver component 802 controls the processed second sounding reference signal received from the second transceiver component 803 to be sent out via the first antenna group 8022 according to the control signal. Thus, when only the second amplifier 8031 works, and the first amplifier 8021 does not work, the processed SRS can be output by the second amplifier 8031 to the first transceiver component 802 for sending out, so as to realize the SRS round-robin after channel switching, and make the downlink capability of the terminal device unchanged after channel cross switching.

[0116] Exemplarily, the baseband processes the second sounding reference signal into a second baseband signal, and the RFIC 801 processes the second baseband signal into a second radio frequency signal.

[0117] Based on the radio frequency front-end module shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, when the first amplifier 8021 is not working and the second amplifier 8031 is working, as shown in path ① in FIG. 8B: the second amplifier 8031 amplifies the second probe reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the amplified second probe reference signal to the first amplifier 8021, and the first amplifier 8021 controls the amplified second probe reference signal to be sent out through the first antenna. And as shown in path ② in FIG. 8B: the second amplifier 8031 outputs the amplified second probe reference signal to the first switch group 8023, and the first switch group 8023 controls the amplified second probe reference signal to be sent out through the second antenna.

[0118] Further, as shown in path ③ in FIG. 8B: the second amplifier 8031 amplifies the fourth probe reference signal, and controls the amplified fourth probe reference signal to be sent out through the third antenna according to the control signal. As shown in path ④ in FIG. 8B: the second amplifier 8031 amplifies the fourth probe reference signal, and controls the amplified fourth probe reference signal to be sent out through the fourth antenna according to the control signal.

[0119] According to the reference signal transmission method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the scheme can be applied to a radio frequency front-end module, the radio frequency front-end module includes two transceiver components, each transceiver component includes an amplifier. When the radio frequency front-end module works, only the amplifier in one of the transceiver components works, and when the amplifier works, the processed SRS can be output to another transceiver component for sending, so as to realize SRS rotation after channel switching, so that the downlink capability of the terminal device does not change after channel cross switching.

[0120] Figures 9A and 9B also provide another RF front-end module. The RF front-end module includes a baseband (not shown in Figures 9A and 9B), an RFIC 901 connected to the baseband, a first transceiver 902 and a second transceiver 903. The first transceiver 902 includes a first amplifier 9021 and a first antenna group 9022; the second transceiver 903 includes a second amplifier 9031 and a second antenna group 9032. The first antenna group 9022 includes a first antenna and a second antenna; the second antenna group 9032 includes a third antenna and a fourth antenna. The baseband or the RFIC 901 includes a third switch group (not shown in Figures 9A and 9B), the first transceiver 902 and the second transceiver 903 are connected to a first end and a second end of the third switch group, respectively, which is used to generate a control signal. Further, in Figures 9A and 9B, the first transceiver 902 further includes a first switch group 9023, and the second transceiver 903 further includes a second switch group 9033. The first switch group 9023 can include one or more switches; the second switch group 9033 can include one or more switches. The first amplifier 9021 is connected to the RFIC 901 and the first switch group 9023, respectively, and the first switch group 9023 is further connected to the first antenna and the second antenna; the second amplifier 9031 is connected to the RFIC 901 and the second switch group 9033, respectively, and the second switch group 9033 is further connected to the third antenna and the fourth antenna; the first switch group 9023 is connected to the second switch group 9033. In addition, the first transceiver 902 can further include a filter 9024, which is connected to the first amplifier 9021 and the first switch group 9023, respectively. The first transceiver 902 can further include an LNA and a filter 9025, which are connected to the RFIC 901 and the first switch group 9023, respectively. The second transceiver 903 can further include a filter 9034, which is connected to the second amplifier 9031 and the second switch group 9033, respectively. The second transceiver 903 can further include an LNA and a filter 9035, which are connected to the RFIC 901 and the second switch group 9033, respectively. Unlike Figures 8A and 8B, in Figures 9A and 9B, there is no connection between the first amplifier 9021 and the second amplifier 9031.

[0121] Based on the radio frequency front-end module shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, when the first amplifier 9021 works and the second amplifier 9031 does not work, as shown in path ① in FIG. 9A: the first amplifier 9021 amplifies the first probe reference signal according to a control signal, and outputs the amplified first probe reference signal to the second switch group 9033, and the second switch group 9033 controls the amplified first probe reference signal to be sent out through the third antenna. As shown in path ② in FIG. 9A: the first amplifier 9021 outputs the amplified first probe reference signal to the second switch group 9033, and the second switch group 9033 controls the amplified first probe reference signal to be sent out through the fourth antenna.

[0122] Further, as shown in path ③ in FIG. 9A: the first amplifier 9021 amplifies the third probe reference signal, and controls the amplified third probe reference signal to be sent out through the first antenna according to a control signal. As shown in path ④ in FIG. 9A: the first amplifier 9021 amplifies the third probe reference signal, and controls the amplified third probe reference signal to be sent out through the second antenna according to a control signal.

[0123] When the first amplifier 9021 does not work and the second amplifier 9031 works, as shown in path ① in FIG. 9B: the second amplifier 9031 amplifies the second probe reference signal according to a control signal, and outputs the amplified second probe reference signal to the first switch group 9023, and the first switch group 9023 controls the amplified second probe reference signal to be sent out through the first antenna. As shown in path ② in FIG. 9B: the second amplifier 9031 outputs the amplified second probe reference signal to the first switch group 9023, and the first switch group 9023 controls the amplified second probe reference signal to be sent out through the second antenna.

[0124] Further, as shown in path ③ in FIG. 9B: the second amplifier 9031 amplifies the fourth probe reference signal, and controls the amplified fourth probe reference signal to be sent out through the third antenna according to a control signal. As shown in path ④ in FIG. 9B: the second amplifier 9031 amplifies the fourth probe reference signal, and controls the amplified fourth probe reference signal to be sent out through the fourth antenna according to a control signal.

[0125] The embodiment of the present application also provides a terminal device. The terminal device comprises the radio frequency front-end module involved in the above-mentioned embodiments. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific type of the terminal device.

[0126] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed, the method in the above-mentioned method embodiment is realized.

[0127] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product containing program instructions involved, which, when executed, cause the method in the above method embodiments to be implemented.

[0128] When the above units or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, a FPGA, a PLD, a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator, or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run necessary software or not rely on software to perform the above method flows.

[0129] It should be understood that, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " represents that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can represent A or B; wherein A, B can be singular or plural. And, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or the like means any combination of the items, including any combination of single item (s) or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c, can represent: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, wherein a, b, c can be single or multiple. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, the same items or similar items with basically the same function and role are distinguished by using "first", "second", etc. The skilled in the art can understand that "first", "second", etc. do not limit the quantity and execution order, and "first", "second", etc. do not necessarily mean different. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, "exemplarily" or "for example" and the like are used to represent as an example, illustration or explanation. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Rather, the use of "exemplarily" or "for example" and the like aims to present the relevant concept in a specific way, for understanding.

[0130] The terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof described in the following description of the present application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or device containing a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but can optionally also include other steps or units not listed, or can optionally also include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product or device.

[0131] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center through wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode.

[0132] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, other variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art through viewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "one" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. Some measures described in mutually different dependent claims can be combined to produce a good result.

[0133] It can be understood that various numerical numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only for convenient differentiation and do not limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the serial number of the above processes does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of the processes should be determined by its function and inherent logic.

[0134] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus, and the parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment can refer to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0135] The components in the device of the embodiments of the present application can be combined, divided and deleted according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can combine or combine the features of different embodiments and different embodiments described in the specification.

[0136] In the present application, the examples can be referred to each other in the absence of logical contradictions, for example, the methods and / or terms between the method embodiments can be referred to each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between the device embodiments can be referred to each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between the device examples and the method examples can be referred to each other.

[0137] The preferred embodiments of the present application disclosed above are only used to help explain the present application. The preferred embodiments do not describe all the details of the present application, and the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described. Obviously, many modifications and variations can be made to the present application according to the content of the embodiments of the present application. The present application selects and specifically describes these embodiments in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can well understand and utilize the present application. The present application is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A reference signal transmission method, characterized by, The method is applied to a radio frequency front-end module, the radio frequency front-end module comprising a baseband, a radio frequency integrated circuit connected with the baseband, a first transceiver component and a second transceiver component, the first transceiver component comprising a first amplifier and a first antenna group, and the second transceiver component comprising a second amplifier and a second antenna group; The method comprises: When the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier processes a first sounding reference signal according to a control signal of the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, and outputs the processed first sounding reference signal to the second transceiver component; and the second transceiver component controls the processed first sounding reference signal received from the first transceiver component to be sent out through the second antenna group according to the control signal; When the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier processes a second sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the processed second sounding reference signal to the first transceiver component; and the first transceiver component controls the processed second sounding reference signal received from the second transceiver component to be sent out through the first antenna group according to the control signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: When the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier processes a third sounding reference signal, and controls the processed third sounding reference signal to be sent out through the first antenna group according to the control signal; When the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier processes a fourth sounding reference signal, and controls the processed fourth sounding reference signal to be sent out through the second antenna group according to the control signal.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first transceiver component further comprises a first switch group, the first antenna group comprises a first antenna and a second antenna, and the first amplifier is connected with the radio frequency integrated circuit and the first switch group respectively, and the first switch group is further connected with the first antenna and the second antenna; The second transceiver component further comprises a second switch group, the second antenna group comprises a third antenna and a fourth antenna, and the second amplifier is connected with the radio frequency integrated circuit and the second switch group respectively, and the second switch group is further connected with the third antenna and the fourth antenna; The first switch group is connected with the second switch group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first amplifier is connected with the second amplifier; When the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier processes a first sounding reference signal according to a control signal of the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, and outputs the processed first sounding reference signal to the second transceiver component, comprising: When the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier amplifies the first sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the amplified first sounding reference signal to the second amplifier and the second switch group; The second transceiving component controls, according to the control signal, the processed first sounding reference signal received from the first transceiving component to be sent out via the second antenna group, including: The second amplifier controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out via the third antenna, and the second switch group controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out via the fourth antenna.

5. The method of claim 3 or 4, wherein, When the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier processes the second sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the processed second sounding reference signal to the first transceiving component, including: When the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier amplifies the second sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the amplified second sounding reference signal to the first amplifier and the first switch group; The first transceiving component controls, according to the control signal, the processed second sounding reference signal received from the second transceiving component to be sent out via the first antenna group, including: The first amplifier controls the amplified second sounding reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna, and the first switch group controls the amplified second sounding reference signal to be sent out via the second antenna.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein, The method further includes: When the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier amplifies the first sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the amplified first sounding reference signal to the second switch group; and the second switch group controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out via the third antenna and the fourth antenna. When the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier amplifies the second sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and outputs the amplified second sounding reference signal to the first switch group; and the first switch group controls the amplified first sounding reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna and the second antenna.

7. The method of any one of claims 3-6, wherein, The method further includes: When the first amplifier works and the second amplifier does not work, the first amplifier amplifies the third sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and controls the amplified third sounding reference signal to be sent out via the first antenna and the second antenna. When the second amplifier works and the first amplifier does not work, the second amplifier amplifies the fourth sounding reference signal according to the control signal, and controls the amplified fourth sounding reference signal to be sent out via the third antenna and the fourth antenna.

8. The method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The third switch group is included in the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the first transceiving component and the second transceiving component are respectively connected to a first end and a second end of the third switch group; The method further includes: The third switch group generates the control signal.

9. The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The method further includes: The baseband processes the first sounding reference signal as a first baseband signal and processes the second sounding reference signal as a second baseband signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The method further includes: The radio frequency integrated circuit processes the first baseband signal as a first radio frequency signal and processes the second baseband signal as a second radio frequency signal.

11. A radio frequency front end module, comprising: The radio frequency front-end module includes a baseband, a radio frequency integrated circuit connected with the baseband, a first transceiver component and a second transceiver component, the first transceiver component includes a first amplifier, a first antenna group and a first switch group, the first antenna group includes a first antenna and a second antenna, the first amplifier is connected with the radio frequency integrated circuit and the first switch group respectively, and the first switch group is further connected with the first antenna and the second antenna; the second transceiver component includes a second amplifier, a second antenna group and a second switch group, the second antenna group includes a third antenna and a fourth antenna, the second amplifier is connected with the radio frequency integrated circuit and the second switch group respectively, and the second switch group is further connected with the third antenna and the fourth antenna; The first switch group is connected with the second switch group.

12. The radio frequency front end module of claim 11, wherein the first and second switches are configured to be controlled by a single control signal. 5 The first amplifier is connected with the second amplifier.

13. The radio frequency front end module of claim 11 or 12, wherein the first and second switches are configured to be controlled by a single control signal. A third switch group is included in the baseband or the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the first transceiver component and the second transceiver component are connected to a first end and a second end of the third switch group respectively.

14. A terminal device, comprising: The terminal device includes a radio frequency front-end module, and the radio frequency front-end module is used to execute the method in any one of claims 1-10.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed, the method in any one of claims 1-10 is realized.

16. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product includes program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed, the method in any one of claims 1-10 is realized.

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