Electronic device, communication system, and driving method

Abstract

The present application provides an electronic device, a communication system, and a driving method. The electronic device comprises N radio frequency ports, a bridge module, P first antenna ports, and Q second antenna ports, wherein N, P and Q are positive integers; the N radio frequency ports are used for generating N signals; the bridge module is used for processing the N signals to generate P first signals and Q second signals; the P first antenna ports are used for outputting the P first signals; the Q second antenna ports are used for outputting the Q second signals. The electronic device supports asymmetric design of the radio frequency ports and the antenna ports (including the first antenna ports and the second antenna ports), and asymmetric design of the first antenna ports and the second antenna ports.

Description

An electronic device, a communication system, and a driving method

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411207039.0, filed on August 29, 2024, entitled "An Electronic Device, Communication System and Driving Method", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to an electronic device, a communication system, and a driving method. Background Technology

[0003] In traditional terrestrial communication systems, RF ports and antenna ports are typically designed to be matched. Currently, with the diversification of communication system applications, more diverse requirements are being placed on the capabilities of RF ports. For example, in scenarios where multiplexing ground-to-ground communication RF ports supports airspace communication, the RF ports are expected to cover the airspace. This variety of requirements can lead to mismatches between antenna ports and RF ports, such as an inconsistency in the number of RF ports and antenna ports.

[0004] Currently, related technologies propose a multi-sector integrated module solution, utilizing a single RF module (e.g., 8 RF ports) to serve three sectors. Each sector corresponds to 4 antenna ports, meaning 8 RF ports drive 12 antenna ports, mapping data generated by the 8 RF ports to the 12 antenna ports for transmission. In this design, the number and capacity of antenna ports in each sector need to remain symmetrical. This requirement limits its application in asymmetric scenarios. Therefore, a method is urgently needed to address the mismatch between antenna ports and RF ports. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an electronic device, a communication system, and a driving method that can be applied to scenarios where the antenna port and the radio frequency port are mismatched.

[0006] In a first aspect, an electronic device is provided, comprising: N radio frequency ports, a bridge module, P first antenna ports and Q second antenna ports, where N, P and Q are positive integers; the N radio frequency ports are used to generate N signals; the bridge module is used to process the N signals to generate P first signals and Q second signals; the P first antenna ports are used to output P first signals; and the Q second antenna ports are used to output Q second signals.

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, the bridge module is used to process the signals output from the RF port, supply P first antenna ports with P first signals and Q second antenna ports with Q second signals, supports asymmetrical design of RF ports and antenna ports (including first antenna ports and second antenna ports), and also supports asymmetrical design between first antenna ports and second antenna ports.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, N is not equal to the sum of P and Q, and / or P and Q are different, and / or the total power of P first signals is different from the total power of Q second signals, and / or at least two of the P first signals have different powers, and / or at least two of the Q second signals have different powers, and / or at least one of the P first signals has different powers from at least one of the Q second signals.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, this solution can support various asymmetric scenarios, enabling N RF ports to drive P first antenna ports and Q second antenna ports.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the bridge module includes multiple bridge units, and at least two of the Q second signals pass through different bridge units among the multiple bridge units.

[0011] Based on the above technical solutions, different bridge units can achieve asymmetric driving of Q second-generation antenna ports.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, at least two of the Q second signals pass through different numbers of bridge units in the multiple bridge units.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, the bridge module can adopt a multi-level bridge and use an asymmetric bridge to achieve asymmetric driving of Q second-day antenna ports.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the bridge module includes Q power dividers, where P ≥ Q, and the Q power dividers are used to generate Q second signals.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, the bridge module can use a power divider to divide the power of different antenna ports, which is simple and efficient.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the power distribution ratio of the Q power dividers is the same.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the device also includes a control module for adjusting the power of some or all of the P first signals and Q second signals.

[0018] Based on the above technical solution, the bridge module can more adaptively control the different power requirements of the first antenna port and the second antenna port.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the bridge module includes a first bridge unit, a second bridge unit, a first power divider, and a second power divider, where N equals 4, P equals 4, and Q equals 2. The first bridge unit processes two signals output from two of the N RF ports to generate a third signal and the first of P first signals. The first power divider processes the third signal to generate a second of P first signals and one of Q second signals. The second bridge unit processes two signals output from the other two of the N RF ports to generate a fourth signal and the third of P first signals. The second power divider processes the fourth signal to generate a fourth of P first signals and another of Q second signals.

[0020] Based on the above technical solution, the bridge module can adopt a single-stage bridge structure to enable 4 RF ports to drive 6 antenna ports (4 first antenna ports and 2 second antenna ports).

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the bridge module includes a third bridge unit, a fourth bridge unit, a fifth bridge unit, a sixth bridge unit, a seventh bridge unit, an eighth bridge unit, a ninth bridge unit, a third power divider, and a fourth power divider, where N equals 4, P equals 4, and Q equals 2. The third bridge unit processes two signals output from two of the N RF ports to generate a fifth signal and the first of P first signals. The fourth bridge unit processes two signals output from the other two of the N RF ports to generate a sixth signal. The fifth bridge unit processes the fifth and sixth signals to generate the eighth and ninth signals; the third power divider processes the seventh signal to generate the second first signal and the tenth signal out of P first signals; the fourth power divider processes the eighth signal to generate the eleventh and twelfth signals; the sixth bridge unit processes the ninth and eleventh signals to generate the third and fourth first signals out of P first signals; and the seventh bridge unit processes the tenth and twelfth signals to generate Q second signals.

[0022] Based on the above technical solution, the bridge module can adopt a four-level bridge structure to enable four radio frequency ports to drive six antenna ports (four first antenna ports and two second antenna ports). The signals of the two antenna ports pass through different bridge levels to meet more flexible power requirements.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the power of the fifth signal is different from the power of the eighth signal, and / or the power of the sixth signal is different from the power of the ninth signal.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, P first antenna ports are ground-to-ground antenna ports, and Q second antenna ports are air-to-ground antenna ports.

[0025] In a second aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising M electronic devices as described in the first aspect and in combination with any implementation of the first aspect, wherein M ≥ 1.

[0026] Thirdly, a driving method is provided, which includes: acquiring N signals from N radio frequency ports, where N is a positive integer; processing the N signals to generate P first signals and Q second signals, where P and Q are positive integers; outputting the P first signals to the P first antenna ports; and outputting the Q second signals to the Q second antenna ports. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device 100 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a power divider provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a single-stage bridge architecture provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a four-level bridge architecture provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] The following description is provided to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application.

[0034] First, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations used in the textual descriptions or drawings of the embodiments of this application shown below are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, the first antenna port and the second antenna port are different antenna ports, and the first signal and the second signal are different signals.

[0035] Second, the terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof used in the embodiments of this application shown below are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a system, product, or device that includes a series of units is not necessarily limited to those units that are explicitly listed, but may include other units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such products or devices.

[0036] Third, in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Embodiments or designs described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. The use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner for ease of understanding.

[0037] Fourth, in the embodiments of this application, the expression " / " is used to indicate that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can mean: A or B. The expression "and / or" is used to indicate that the objects before and after can be in an "and" relationship or an "or" relationship; for example, A and / or B can mean the following: A exists alone, B exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be single or multiple. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions are used to indicate any combination of the listed items; for example, at least one of A, B and / or C can mean the following: A exists alone, B exists alone, C exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, B and C exist simultaneously, A and C exist simultaneously, A, B and C exist simultaneously, where A, B, and C can be single or multiple.

[0038] Fifth, this application relates to antenna devices used in electronic devices. The electronic devices in the embodiments of this application can be devices or modules with corresponding radio frequency functions. The electronic device can be a network device or a radio frequency module in a network device. The network device can also be called an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a base station. In the embodiments of this application, the network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to the wireless network. A base station can broadly encompass, or be replaced by, various names including: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitter point, master station, auxiliary station, motor slide retainer (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, a device that performs base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, a network-side device in future communication networks, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the network equipment.

[0039] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move depending on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a device to communicate with another base station.

[0040] In some deployments, the electronic devices mentioned in the embodiments of this application may be devices including CU, or DU, or devices including CU and DU, or devices with control plane CU nodes (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)) and user plane CU nodes (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)) and DU nodes.

[0041] In some deployments, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be CUs, DUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, or radio units (RUs). CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as RRUs, AAUs, or RRHs.

[0042] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, a radio access network can also be an open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture. In an O-RAN system, CU can also be called an open CU (openCU, O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (open DU, O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (open CU-CP, O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (open CU-UP, O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open RU (openRU, O-RU). Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0043] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the function of an electronic device can be an electronic device itself, or a device capable of supporting the electronic device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, chip, circuit, or communication module (i.e., a communication module that performs communication functions). This device can be installed in a network device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. Furthermore, the device can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions. This embodiment only uses an electronic device as an example to illustrate the function of an electronic device and does not limit the solution of this embodiment.

[0044] Electronic devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the electronic devices are located.

[0045] Sixth, unless otherwise specified, all terms used in this application (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. It should also be understood that terms (e.g., those defined in common dictionaries) shall be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

[0046] To facilitate understanding of this application, the technical terms involved in this application will be described in detail below.

[0047] 1. Radio Frequency Port

[0048] A radio frequency (RF) port refers to an interface capable of transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals. An RF port can be a physical interface or a logical interface; its specific form depends on the application scenario and system design, and this application does not impose any particular limitations on it.

[0049] 2. Antenna Port

[0050] An antenna port is a channel through which another symbol on the same antenna port can be inferred from the channel through which the symbol on the antenna port is transmitted.

[0051] In traditional communication systems, RF ports and antenna ports are typically designed to be matched. However, with the diversification of application scenarios, mismatches may occur between RF ports and antenna ports. For example, for airspace communication, such as drone route management and information feedback, a communication network is needed to cover the airspace terminals. Building a completely independent communication network dedicated to airspace coverage on top of the existing ground communication network is clearly an unacceptably costly solution. Therefore, "regenerating" airspace coverage capabilities based on ground communication base stations—i.e., integrated air-ground communication—is a direct and feasible solution with lower costs. Integrated air-ground antennas are a solution that saves on engineering installation space and complexity.

[0052] However, this solution introduces two new dimensions. First, traditional terrestrial communication RF modules and antennas are basically matched designs, meaning there is a match between the antenna port and the RF port. Now, to accommodate antennas for airspace communication, a mismatch occurs between the antenna port and the RF port of the new integrated antenna. Second, the capacity requirements for airspace communication differ from those for terrestrial communication, leading to an asymmetry in air-to-ground communication capacity. Therefore, the core challenge is how to construct a driving structure based on existing RF modules that matches these two new requirements.

[0053] While related technologies have proposed a multi-sector integrated module solution, utilizing a single RF module (e.g., 8 RF ports) to serve three sectors, with each sector corresponding to 4 antenna ports (i.e., using 8 RF ports to drive 12 antenna ports), mapping data generated by the 8 RF ports to the 12 antenna ports for transmission, this design requires maintaining symmetry in the number and capacity of antenna ports in each sector. This requirement limits its application in asymmetric scenarios.

[0054] Therefore, this application provides an electronic device, a communication system, and a driving method that can be applied to scenarios where the antenna port and the radio frequency port are mismatched.

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device 100 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0056] The electronic device 100 includes N radio frequency ports 110, a bridge module 120, P first antenna ports 130, and Q second antenna ports 140, where N, P, and Q are positive integers. The N radio frequency ports 110 are used to generate N signals. The bridge module 120 processes the N signals to generate P first signals and Q second signals. The P first antenna ports 130 output the P first signals. The Q second antenna ports 140 output the Q second signals.

[0057] This technical solution designs a bridge module to process the signals output from the RF port, supplying P first antenna ports with P first signals and Q second antenna ports with Q second signals. It supports asymmetrical designs between the RF port and the antenna port (including the first antenna port and the second antenna port), and also supports asymmetrical designs between the first antenna port and the second antenna port.

[0058] The first and second antenna ports can be various antenna ports to meet different needs. In some implementations, P first antenna ports are ground-facing antenna ports used to cover the ground area; Q second antenna ports are air-facing antenna ports used to cover the air area. In other implementations, P first antenna ports cover one area, and Q second antenna ports cover another area, where the two areas have different communication requirements, such as different requirements for the number of ports and / or capacity. This application does not impose any particular limitations on this.

[0059] In some implementations, the mismatch (or asymmetry) between the RF port and the antenna port includes one or more of the following situations:

[0060] P and Q are different, meaning that the number of the first antenna port and the number of the second antenna port can be different;

[0061] N is not equal to the sum of P and Q, meaning that the number of RF ports can be different from the number of antenna ports;

[0062] The total power of P first signals is different from the total power of Q second signals. In other words, the total capacity of P first antenna ports and the total capacity of Q second antenna ports can be different.

[0063] At least two of the P first signals have different powers, meaning that the capacities of the P first antenna ports can be different.

[0064] At least two of the Q second signals have different powers, meaning that the capacities of the Q second antenna ports can be different.

[0065] At least one of the P first signals has a different power than at least one of the Q second signals, meaning that the capacity of the first antenna port and the capacity of the second antenna port can be different.

[0066] The embodiments of this application can support various asymmetric scenarios, enabling N radio frequency ports to drive P first antenna ports and Q second antenna ports.

[0067] In some implementations, the bridge module may include multiple bridge units. A bridge unit can be a multi-input multi-output circuit structure. Taking a 2-input 2-output bridge unit as an example, the relationship between its input signals and output signals can be expressed as follows:

[0068] Where, x + and x - This represents the two output signals of the bridge unit. These are the two input signals of the bridge unit. The transfer coefficients of a 2-input, 2-output bridge unit, for example...

[0069] As can be seen, by designing the transfer coefficients, output signals of various power levels can be generated. Therefore, this application can design the transfer coefficients of each bridge unit based on the different requirements of the first and second antenna ports, enabling N RF ports to drive the first and second antenna ports with various requirements.

[0070] It is understood that the embodiments of this application do not limit the bridge unit to perform other functions, such as phase adjustment, frequency conversion, amplitude modulation, etc., which may be related to the actual application scenario.

[0071] In some implementations, the bridge module also includes multiple power dividers (or simply power dividers) used to generate Q second signals.

[0072] Referring to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a power divider according to an embodiment of this application, the power divider is used to proportionally divide the power of an input signal. Exemplarily, the power divider's input port receives a signal X, and its two output ports output signals αX and βX, respectively, where α + β = 1 (0 < α, β < 1). Here, α and β are the scaling factors for the two output ports, and in this embodiment, α or β is also referred to as the power division ratio of the power divider.

[0073] In some implementations, multiple (e.g., Q) power dividers can be used to generate Q second signals. That is, multiple bridge units and Q power dividers can form a circuit structure where each of the Q second antenna ports can originate from one power divider. For example, a signal (the signal output from the RF port, or the RF port output signal after passing through one or more bridge units) is input to the power divider, a portion is output from the first antenna port (directly or indirectly through bridge units), and another portion is output from the second antenna port (directly or indirectly through bridge units).

[0074] In some implementations, the power distribution ratio of the Q power dividers is the same. Each of the Q power dividers allocates a portion of the power to the first antenna port and another portion to the second antenna port. Since the power distribution ratio of the Q power dividers is the same, the power obtained by the second antenna ports can be relatively symmetrical.

[0075] In some implementations, at least two of the Q second signals pass through different bridge units in a plurality of bridge units. Different bridge units can obtain signals from different RF ports, and the different second antenna ports can be derived from power partitioning of different RF ports. This design allows for asymmetrical capacity allocation between the first antenna port (e.g., a ground-to-ground antenna port) and the second antenna port (e.g., a space-to-ground / air-to-ground port).

[0076] It should be noted that multiple bridge units can adopt a single-stage bridge architecture or a multi-stage bridge architecture. The multi-stage bridge architecture can be understood as the signal output from one RF unit being processed by multiple bridge units before being output from the first antenna port or the second antenna port.

[0077] In some implementations, at least two of the Q second signals pass through different numbers of bridge units in the multiple bridge units. That is, the bridge levels corresponding to the multiple second antenna ports and the RF port can be different. In some implementations, the bridge levels corresponding to the driving structures between the first antenna port and the second antenna port and the RF port can be different. The bridge levels corresponding to the driving structures between different antenna ports (first antenna port or second antenna port) of the same type can be different. This application does not impose any particular limitations on this.

[0078] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a single-stage bridge architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. In this example, the number of radio frequency ports is 4 (N=4), the number of first antenna ports is 4 (P=4), the number of second antenna ports is 2 (Q=2), and the bridge unit is a 2-input 2-output bridge unit.

[0079] Referring to Figure 3, the bridge module includes a first bridge unit, a second bridge unit, a first power divider, and a second power divider. The four RF ports are represented as RF ports AD. RF ports A and B are connected to the first bridge unit, and RF ports C and D are connected to the second bridge unit.

[0080] For example, the input ports of the first bridge unit include input port 11 and input port 12, with input port 11 connected to RF port A and RF port 12 connected to RF port B. The input ports of the second bridge unit include input port 21 and input port 22, with input port 21 connected to RF port C and RF port 22 connected to RF port D.

[0081] The first bridge unit has two output ports: output port 11 and output port 12. Output port 11 is connected to the first antenna port "-1", and output port 12 is connected to the input port of the first power divider. The first power divider also has two output ports: power divider output port 11 and power divider output port 12. Power divider output port 11 is connected to the second antenna port "X2", and power divider output port 12 is connected to the first antenna port "+1". The second bridge unit has two output ports: output port 21 and output port 22. Output port 21 is connected to the first antenna port "-2", and output port 22 is connected to the input port of the second power divider. The second power divider also has two output ports: power divider output port 21 and power divider output port 22. Power divider output port 21 is connected to the second antenna port "X1", and power divider output port 22 is connected to the first antenna port "+2".

[0082] In this embodiment, the symbol "+" represents the first polarization characteristic, and the symbol "-" represents the second polarization characteristic. The first polarization characteristic and the second polarization characteristic are different. Antenna polarization is a parameter describing the spatial pointing of the electromagnetic wave vector radiated by the antenna.

[0083] In other words, the signal at the second antenna port "X1" is obtained by splitting a portion of the output signal from the first bridge unit through the first power divider. The signal at the second antenna port "X2" is obtained by splitting a portion of the output signal from the second bridge unit through the second power divider. The polarization characteristics of the first antenna port (i.e., "+1") connected to the first power divider and the first antenna port (i.e., "-2") connected to the second power divider are different.

[0084] In some implementations, the ratio of the first power divider to the second power divider is the same. For example, the first and second power dividers are equal power-dividing units (i.e., the power-dividing ratio is 0.5), with the power ratio of the power-dividing output ports #11 and #12 of the first power divider being 1:1, and the power ratio of the power-dividing output ports #21 and #22 of the second power divider being 1:1. If the power of the two output ports of the bridge unit is represented as 1 and 1 respectively, then after passing through the (α, β) power divider, where α is distributed to the first antenna port "X2", the ratio of the total power of one second antenna port "X2" to the total power of the two first antenna ports "+1" and "-1" is α / (1+β). For example, when α = 0.5, it is 1 / 3.

[0085] The structure of the first-stage bridge unit has been described above. Based on this structure, the signal path is as follows: The first bridge unit processes two signals output from two of the N RF ports to generate a third signal and the first of the P first signals; the first power divider processes the third signal to generate a second of the P first signals and one of the Q second signals; the second bridge unit processes two signals output from the other two of the N RF ports to generate a fourth signal and the third of the P first signals; the second power divider processes the fourth signal to generate a fourth of the P first signals and another of the Q second signals.

[0086] As can be seen, based on this implementation, four radio frequency ports can drive four first antenna ports and two second antenna ports through two bridge units and two power dividers.

[0087] As another example, Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a four-level bridge architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. In this example, the number of radio frequency ports is 4 (N=4), the number of first antenna ports is 4 (P=4), the number of second antenna ports is 2 (Q=2), and the bridge unit is a 2-input 2-output bridge unit.

[0088] Referring to Figure 4, the bridge module includes a third bridge unit, a fourth bridge unit, a fifth bridge unit, a sixth bridge unit, a seventh bridge unit, an eighth bridge unit, a ninth bridge unit, a third power divider, and a fourth power divider.

[0089] For ease of description, the four RF ports will still be referred to as RF Port AD, the four first antenna ports will still be referred to as First Antenna Port "+1", "-1", "+2", "-2", and the two second antenna ports will still be referred to as "X1" and "X2".

[0090] The bridge module includes: a first-level bridge: the third bridge unit (denoted by DQ11) and the fourth bridge unit (denoted by DQ12); a second-level bridge: the fifth bridge unit (denoted by DQ2); a third-level bridge: the sixth bridge unit (denoted by D3); and a fourth-level bridge: the seventh bridge unit (denoted by DQ41), the eighth bridge unit (denoted by DQ42), and the ninth bridge unit (denoted by DQ43). The control module also includes a third power divider and a fourth power divider.

[0091] Referring to Figure 4, input ports a and b of DQ11 are connected to RF ports A and B, respectively. Output ports a and b of DQ11 are connected to input ports a of DQ41 and DQ2, respectively. Input ports a and b of DQ12 are connected to RF ports C and D, respectively. Output ports a and b of DQ12 are connected to input ports b of DQ2 and the input port of the fourth power divider, respectively. Output port a of the fourth power divider is connected to input port b of DQ42, and output port b of the fourth power divider is connected to input port b of bridge unit DQ43.

[0092] Output port a of DQ2 is connected to the input port of the third power divider, and output port b of DQ2 is connected to the input port b of DQ3. Output port a of the third power divider is connected to input port a of DQ3, and output port b of the third power divider is connected to input port a of DQ43.

[0093] The output port a of DQ3 is connected to the input port b of DQ41, and the output port b of DQ3 is connected to the input port a of DQ42.

[0094] Output ports a and b of DQ41 are connected to the first antenna port "-1" and the first antenna port "+1" respectively. Output ports a and b of DQ42 are connected to the first antenna port "-2" and the first antenna port "+2" respectively. Output ports a and b of DQ43 are connected to the second antenna port "X2" and the second antenna port "X1" respectively.

[0095] The structure of the four-stage bridge unit has been described above. Based on this structure, the signal paths are as follows: The third bridge unit processes two signals output from two of the N RF ports to generate a fifth signal and the first of P first signals; the fourth bridge unit processes two signals output from the other two of the N RF ports to generate a sixth and a seventh signal; the fifth bridge unit processes the fifth and sixth signals to generate an eighth and a ninth signal; the third power divider processes the seventh signal to generate the second of P first signals and a tenth signal; the fourth power divider processes the eighth signal to generate an eleventh and a twelfth signal; the sixth bridge unit processes the ninth and eleventh signals to generate the third and fourth of P first signals; and the seventh bridge unit processes the tenth and twelfth signals to generate Q second signals.

[0096] In some implementations, the power of the fifth signal differs from the power of the eighth signal, and / or the power of the sixth signal differs from the power of the ninth signal. For example, the transfer coefficient of the second-stage bridge DQ2... and the transfer coefficient of the third-stage bridge DQ3 The magnitudes of the transfer coefficients are different, that is... Where k = 2 and 3 represent the second-stage bridge DQ2 and the third-stage bridge DQ3, respectively. It can be seen that the signal input to the third power divider is processed through two bridge layers, while the signal input to the fourth power divider is processed through one bridge layer. Furthermore, the transfer coefficients of the second-stage bridge DQ2 are different. This structure supports different capacity requirements for the second antenna port "X1" and the second antenna port "X2".

[0097] In some implementations, the magnitude ratio of the transfer coefficients of the second-stage bridge DQ2 and the third-stage bridge DQ3 is inversely proportional, for example... The signal obtained from the first antenna port is processed by the second-stage bridge DQ2 and the third-stage bridge DQ3. This structure can support the asymmetry of the capacities of the second antenna port "X1" and the second antenna port "X2", and can also make the first antenna ports relatively symmetrical.

[0098] In some implementations, the transfer coefficients (corresponding to power ratios) of the first-stage bridges DQ11 and DQ12, and the fourth-stage bridges DQ41, DQ42, and DQ43 are the same, i.e. The magnitude of any element in the set is 1.

[0099] It is understandable that by adjusting the parameters of the aforementioned bridge unit and the power ratio of the power divider, the power of each antenna port can be adjusted.

[0100] It is understood that Figures 3 and 4 above are illustrative examples, and this application does not impose any special limitations on the number of radio frequency ports, the number of first antenna ports, the number of second antenna ports, or the number of layers of the bridge module.

[0101] In some implementations, the electronic device further includes a control module (not shown) that can control the bridge module to adjust the power of some or all of the P first signals and the Q second signals. The control method of the control module depends on the specific application scenario and structure, and this application does not impose any particular limitations on it.

[0102] This application also provides a communication system, which may include M electronic devices as described above, where M is a positive integer. For example, the communication system may include M electronic devices as shown in FIG3, or M electronic devices as shown in FIG4, or a portion of the electronic devices shown in FIG3 and a portion of the electronic devices shown in FIG4. To facilitate understanding of this application embodiment, the following is a schematic diagram of a communication system including two electronic devices as shown in FIG3, with reference to FIG5.

[0103] Referring to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in this application, the communication system includes eight radio frequency ports A to H. There are eight first antenna ports: "+1", "-1", "+2", "-2", "+3", "-3", "+4", and "-4", and four second antenna ports: "X1", "X2", "X3", and "X4". The eight radio frequency ports can communicate with the eight first antenna ports and the four second antenna ports. A more detailed description can be found in Figure 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0104] This application also provides a driving method, which can be executed by the control module provided in this application: acquiring N signals from N radio frequency ports, where N is a positive integer; processing the N signals to generate P first signals and Q second signals, where P and Q are positive integers; outputting the P first signals to the P first antenna ports; and outputting the Q second signals to the Q second antenna ports.

[0105] For a more detailed explanation of this method, please refer to the description of the above-mentioned device, which will not be repeated here.

[0106] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes N RF ports, a bridge module, P first antenna ports, and Q second antenna ports, where N, P, and Q are positive integers. The N radio frequency ports are used to generate N signals; The bridge module is used to process the N signals to generate P first signals and Q second signals; The P first antenna ports are used to output the P first signals; The Q second antenna ports are used to output the Q second signals.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The N is not equal to the sum of the P and the Q, and / or The P is different from the Q, and / or The total power of the P first signals is different from the total power of the Q second signals, and / or At least two of the P first signals have different powers, and / or At least two of the Q second signals have different powers, and / or At least one of the P first signals has a different power than at least one of the Q second signals.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The bridge module includes multiple bridge units, and at least two of the Q second signals pass through different bridge units among the multiple bridge units.

4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, At least two of the Q second signals pass through different numbers of bridge units in the plurality of bridge units.

5. The device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The bridge module includes Q power dividers, where P ≥ Q, and the Q power dividers are used to generate the Q second signals.

6. The device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The Q power dividers have the same power distribution ratio.

7. The device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, It also includes a control module. The control module is used to adjust the power of some or all of the P first signals and the Q second signals.

8. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The bridge module includes a first bridge unit, a second bridge unit, a first power divider, and a second power divider, wherein N equals 4, P equals 4, and Q equals 2. The first bridge unit is used to process two signals output from two of the N radio frequency ports to generate a third signal and the first first signal among the P first signals; The first power divider is used to process the third signal to generate a second first signal among the P first signals and a second signal among the Q second signals; The second bridge unit is used to process the two signals output from the other two radio frequency ports among the N radio frequency ports to generate a fourth signal and a third first signal among the P first signals; and The second power divider is used to process the fourth signal to generate a fourth first signal among the P first signals and another second signal among the Q second signals.

9. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The bridge module includes a third bridge unit, a fourth bridge unit, a fifth bridge unit, a sixth bridge unit, a seventh bridge unit, an eighth bridge unit, a ninth bridge unit, a third power divider, and a fourth power divider, where N equals 4, P equals 4, and Q equals 2. The third bridge unit is used to process the two signals output from two of the N radio frequency ports to generate the fifth signal and the first of the P first signals; The fourth bridge unit is used to process the two signals output from the other two radio frequency ports among the N radio frequency ports to generate the sixth signal and the seventh signal; The fifth bridge unit is used to process the fifth signal and the sixth signal to generate the eighth signal and the ninth signal; The third power divider is used to process the seventh signal to generate the second first signal and the tenth signal among the P first signals; The fourth power divider is used to process the eighth signal to generate the eleventh and twelfth signals; The sixth bridge unit is used to process the ninth signal and the eleventh signal to generate the third and fourth first signals among the P first signals; The seventh bridge unit is used to process the tenth and twelfth signals to generate the Q second signals.

10. The device as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The power of the fifth signal is different from the power of the eighth signal, and / or the power of the sixth signal is different from the power of the ninth signal.

11. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The P first antenna ports are ground-to-ground antenna ports, and the Q second antenna ports are air-to-ground antenna ports.

12. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes M devices as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein M ≥ 1.

13. A driving method, characterized in that, The method includes: Acquire N signals from N radio frequency ports, where N is a positive integer; The N signals are processed to generate P first signals and Q second signals, where P and Q are positive integers; The P first signals are output to the P first antenna ports; and The Q second signals are output to the Q second antenna ports.

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