Active antenna unit, communication method, and communication device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide an active antenna unit (AAU), a communication method, and a communication device. The active antenna unit comprises M first intermediate radio frequency links, N second intermediate radio frequency links, and an antenna array, where N is less than M. The operating power consumption of the N second intermediate radio frequency links is less than the operating power consumption of the M first intermediate radio frequency links. The M first intermediate radio frequency links are connected to the antenna array by means of a first multi / full connection network, and the N second intermediate radio frequency links are connected to the antenna array or an antenna subarray of the antenna array by means of a second multi / full connection network. Signal reception or transmission is performed by means of the N second intermediate radio frequency links, providing a technical basis for shutting down the M first intermediate radio frequency links, thereby achieving deeper energy saving and consumption reduction of the AAU.

Description

Active antenna elements, communication methods and communication equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411700333.5, filed on November 22, 2024, entitled “Active Antenna Element, Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of wireless communication, and more particularly to an active antenna element, a communication method, and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] In 5G mobile communication systems, base stations commonly employ active antenna units (AAUs) to achieve massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), along with multi-frequency, high-bandwidth, and high-transmit power. This greatly enriches the resources available for communication, such as those in the time, frequency, spatial, and even power domains, contributing to improved communication performance. However, this abundance of resources also increases the power consumption of the base station. Currently, one possible energy-saving method for base stations is to partially shut down communication resources when the traffic load is low. The base station's communication resources are adjusted according to fluctuations in traffic volume, either shutting down or reducing resource usage to match communication demand with required resources, thereby reducing the base station's energy consumption. Communication resource shutdown operations include, for example, symbol shutdown in the time domain, carrier shutdown in the frequency domain, channel shutdown in the spatial domain, and power-saving power control in the power domain.

[0004] However, current energy-saving solutions, if they were to shut down almost all resources to achieve more extreme sleep mode, such as shutting down all radio frequency channels in the AAU, would result in a longer recovery or wake-up delay for the base station, significantly impacting the continuity of communication services. Therefore, how to achieve deeper energy conservation and consumption reduction while ensuring the quality of communication services is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an active antenna element, a communication method, and a communication device, aiming to achieve a deeper level of energy saving and consumption reduction while ensuring the quality of communication services.

[0006] Firstly, an AAU (Antenna Array Adapter) is provided, which can be applied in network devices. The AAU may include: M first-type radio frequency links, N second-type radio frequency links, and an antenna array, where N is less than M. The operating power consumption of the N second-type radio frequency links is less than the operating power consumption of the M first-type radio frequency links. The M first-type radio frequency links are connected to the antenna array via a first multi- / fully-connected network, and the N second-type radio frequency links are connected to the antenna array or its antenna subarrays via a second multi- / fully-connected network.

[0007] Based on the first aspect mentioned above, the operating power consumption of the N second-type RF links in the AAU is less than that of the M first-type RF links. The signal reception or transmission is carried out through the N second-type RF links, providing a technical basis for shutting down the M first-type RF links, thereby achieving a deeper level of energy saving and consumption reduction in the AAU.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, N second radio frequency links are used to receive uplink wake-up signals, and / or, N second radio frequency links are used to send or receive small data packet services, and M first radio frequency links are used to send or receive signals other than uplink wake-up signals.

[0009] Based on this, on the one hand, N second-order radio frequency links are used to receive uplink wake-up signals, thereby enabling the wake-up of M first-order radio frequency links. Even if the M first-order radio frequency links are turned off due to idleness, they can be woken up in time, reducing the impact of wake-up on communication latency and providing a technical basis for turning off the M first-order radio frequency links. On the other hand, N second-order radio frequency links are used to send or receive small data packet services. In the small data packet transmission scenario, the N second-order radio frequency links with lower operating power consumption replace the M first-order radio frequency links with higher operating power consumption, thereby achieving energy saving and power reduction of the AAU.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, when N second radio frequency links are used to receive uplink wake-up signals, the second radio frequency links may include receiving links, the second radio frequency links are connected to the baseband processing module, and the second radio frequency links enable / wake up M first radio frequency links through the baseband processing module based on the uplink wake-up signals.

[0011] Based on this, on the one hand, the AAU can detect the uplink wake-up signal through the receiving link, which can turn off the M first radio frequency links, greatly reducing the power consumption of the AAU. On the other hand, the baseband processing module can wake up the M first radio frequency links based on the uplink wake-up signal received by the receiving link, which can realize the rapid wake-up of the M first radio frequency links and reduce the impact of wake-up on communication latency.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the second radio frequency link is connected to the baseband processing module. When N second radio frequency links are used to transmit small data packet services, the second radio frequency links may include a transmit link, which transmits small data packet services based on baseband signals from the baseband processing module. When N second radio frequency links are used to receive small data packet services, the second radio frequency links may include a receive link, which receives small data packet services received through an antenna array or a subarray of an antenna array and transmits the small data packet services to the baseband processing module, thereby realizing the reception of small data services.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the size of the antenna subarray connected by the N second radio frequency links through the second multi / full connectivity network is associated with the demodulation threshold of the uplink wake-up signal received through the second radio frequency links, and / or, the size of the antenna subarray connected by the N second radio frequency links through the second multi / full connectivity network is associated with the demodulation threshold of the small data packet service transmitted through the second radio frequency links.

[0014] For ease of description, unless otherwise specified, the antenna subarray in the following text refers to an antenna subarray with N second-type radio frequency links connected through a second multi- / full-connection network, and the antenna array in the following text refers to an antenna array with M first-type radio frequency links connected through a first multi- / full-connection network.

[0015] Based on this, the antenna subarrays connected by the second multi / full connectivity network through the N second RF links can meet the demodulation requirements of the signals to be received or transmitted (such as uplink wake-up signals and / or small data packet services), thereby enabling data transmission with a smaller array size while meeting the requirements, further reducing the power consumption of the AAU.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the antenna array with M first radio frequency links connected through a first multi- / full-connection network comprises m rows by n columns of antenna elements, and the antenna subarray with N second radio frequency links connected through a second multi- / full-connection network comprises m′ rows by n′ columns of antenna elements in the antenna array, where m′ is less than m and n′ is less than or equal to n.

[0017] Based on this, the antenna subarray driven by N second-generation RF links is relatively small in scale, which can further achieve energy saving and power reduction of the AAU. Furthermore, when the number of rows in the antenna subarray is less than the number of rows in the antenna array, and the number of columns in the antenna subarray is equal to the number of columns in the antenna array, it is still possible to achieve the coverage range of the antenna array through beam control.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the antenna elements in the antenna array are dual-polarized antenna elements, and each antenna element in a row of the antenna subarray is a vibrator element in the corresponding dual-polarized antenna element in the antenna array.

[0019] Based on this, the number of antenna elements that need to be driven by the antenna subarray can be greatly reduced, and the power consumption of the AAU can be further reduced with minimal impact on the coverage area.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters included in the second multi / full connectivity network are associated with a demodulation threshold for an uplink wake-up signal received via the second RF link, and / or the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters are associated with a demodulation threshold for small data packet services transmitted via the second RF link.

[0021] Based on this, the phase shifter is designed based on the demodulation threshold of the signals to be received and / or transmitted by the second RF link (such as uplink wake-up signals and / or small data packet services). For example, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifter are determined so that the AAU can meet the demodulation threshold requirements of the signal, achieve accurate reception of the signal, or enable the other end to correctly receive the signal transmitted by the AAU.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the number and / or bit width of phase shifters included in the second multi / fully connected network are determined based on a preset power consumption threshold.

[0023] Based on this, the number and / or bit width of phase shifters in the AAU can meet the power consumption requirements, thereby achieving energy saving and consumption reduction in the AAU.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, when the M first radio frequency links are closed, a first reference signal is transmitted through the N second radio frequency links, and the first reference signal is used for time and frequency synchronization between the N second radio frequency links and the terminal device; or, when the M first radio frequency links are open, a second reference signal is transmitted through the M first radio frequency links, and the second reference signal is used for time and frequency synchronization between the M first radio frequency links and the terminal device.

[0025] Therefore, when the M first-level radio frequency links are closed, time-frequency synchronization with the terminal device can be achieved through the N second-level radio frequency links, avoiding the problem of inaccurate transmission of signals between network devices and terminal devices deployed with this AAU due to loss of synchronization. Similarly, when the M first-level radio frequency links are open, time-frequency synchronization with the terminal device through the M first-level radio frequency links also avoids the problem of inaccurate transmission of signals between network devices and terminal devices deployed with this AAU due to loss of synchronization.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the AAU can also send indication information that instructs the terminal device to synchronize its time and frequency. For example, when M first radio frequency links are closed, the indication information instructs the terminal device to synchronize its time and frequency with N second radio frequency links; or when M first radio frequency links are open, the indication information instructs the terminal device to synchronize its time and frequency with M first radio frequency links.

[0027] Based on this, the network device with the AAU deployed instructs the terminal device to perform time and frequency synchronization based on the instruction information, ensuring that time and frequency synchronization is completed between the network device and the terminal device.

[0028] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the transmission time interval between the indication information and the first reference signal or the second reference signal is greater than or equal to the switching time of the intermediate radio frequency module, which is the time for switching from M first intermediate radio frequency links to N second intermediate radio frequency links, or the switching time is the time for switching from N second intermediate radio frequency links to M first radio frequency links.

[0029] Optionally, the AAU may indicate the handover duration to the terminal device, such as by including the handover duration in the indication information, or by specifying the handover duration in the protocol. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0030] Based on this, the time delay that occurs when switching between M first-level radio frequency links and N second-level radio frequency links can be avoided, thus preventing the impact on the time and frequency synchronization of the terminal device and ensuring that the terminal device can perform time and frequency synchronization based on the reference signal sent by the switched radio frequency link.

[0031] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided, including a baseband unit (BBU) and an AAU as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0032] The second aspect of this application corresponds to the technical solution of the first aspect of this application. The beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here.

[0033] Thirdly, a communication method is provided. This communication method can be applied to network devices, or it can be a component configured in a network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or it can be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device, etc. This application does not limit this. For ease of explanation, the following description uses a network device as the implementing entity.

[0034] The method includes: a network device sending indication information to indicate the updating of the synchronization signal block (SSB) and the channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS), and sending the updated SSB and CSI-RS.

[0035] Based on this, the network device sends an instruction message to the terminal device to instruct it to update the SSB and CSI-RS, and then sends the updated SSB and CSI-RS. This allows the terminal device to perform time-frequency synchronization based on the two reference signals, SSB and CSI-RS, thus avoiding the problem of the terminal device and the network device losing synchronization and failing to receive information correctly.

[0036] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the network device can determine that the first radio frequency module has switched to the second radio frequency module, and then send an indication message.

[0037] Based on this, when the network device switches the radio frequency module, it sends an indication message to update the SSB and CSI-RS, ensuring that the terminal device can synchronize with the network device in a timely manner, and avoiding the terminal device being unable to receive signals from the network device when the network device switches the radio frequency module.

[0038] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the first radio frequency module includes M first radio frequency links, and the second radio frequency module includes N second radio frequency links; or, the first radio frequency module includes N second radio frequency links, and the second radio frequency module includes M first radio frequency links; wherein the operating power consumption of the N second radio frequency links is less than the operating power consumption of the M first radio frequency links.

[0039] In other words, the switching of the mid-frequency module in the network device may occur from a mid-frequency module with high operating power consumption to a mid-frequency module with low operating power consumption, or from a mid-frequency module with low operating power consumption to a mid-frequency module with high operating power consumption. Regardless of the type of mid-frequency module switching, it is necessary to ensure time-frequency synchronization or time-frequency-space synchronization between the network device and the terminal device.

[0040] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the time interval between the indication information and the transmission of SSB and / or CSI-RS is greater than or equal to the duration of the switch from the first radio frequency module to the second radio frequency module.

[0041] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the network device determines the switching of the first radio frequency module to the second radio frequency module by: determining that M first radio frequency links are switched to N second radio frequency links when the amount of first data to be transmitted and / or second data to be received is less than or equal to a preset value; or determining that N second radio frequency links are switched to M first radio frequency links when the amount of first data to be transmitted and / or second data to be received is greater than a preset value, or when an uplink wake-up signal is received.

[0042] Based on this, network devices determine the switching of radio frequency modules based on data volume, thereby achieving energy saving and consumption reduction in network devices.

[0043] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, it further includes: the network device receiving reporting information from at least one terminal device, the reporting information including the amount of data of the second data.

[0044] Based on this, network devices can determine the amount of data to be transmitted on the terminal side, thereby determining whether to switch the radio frequency module to achieve energy saving and consumption reduction of the network device.

[0045] Fourthly, a communication method is provided. This communication method can be applied to a terminal device, or it can be a component configured in a network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or it can be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device, etc. This application does not limit this. For ease of explanation, the following description uses a terminal device as the execution subject.

[0046] The method includes: a terminal device receiving indication information, which is used to indicate the updating of SSB and CSI-RS, receiving the updated SSB and CSI-RS, and then performing time-frequency synchronization based on SSB and CSI-RS.

[0047] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in one possible implementation, the time interval between the indication information and the transmission of the SSB and / or CSI-RS is greater than or equal to the duration of the switch from the first radio frequency module to the second radio frequency module.

[0048] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in one possible implementation, it further includes: the terminal device sending reporting information, the reporting information including the amount of data to be sent by the terminal device, the amount of data being used to determine whether to update the SSB and CSI-RS.

[0049] The fourth aspect of this application corresponds to the technical solution of the first aspect of this application. The beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here.

[0050] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising modules or units for implementing the methods of the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any of the possible embodiments. Specifically, the modules, units, or means may be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware.

[0051] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a communication device including one or more processors for executing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) in a memory, such that the communication device implements the communication method of the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any possible implementation.

[0052] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing computer programs and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, which, when executing the computer program stored in the memory, can implement the methods described in the third, fourth, or any of the possible embodiments above.

[0053] Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface for communicating with other devices. For example, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0054] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any possible implementation described above.

[0055] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing computer programs and data, which may be located inside or outside the processor.

[0056] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0057] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a power supply circuit for supplying power to the chip system.

[0058] Eighthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to implement the methods of the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any possible implementation.

[0059] Ninthly, this application provides a computer program product comprising: a computer program that, when run, causes a computer to perform the methods of the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any possible implementation.

[0060] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a system including the aforementioned terminal device and network device.

[0061] The fifth to tenth aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first or third aspects of this application. The beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0062] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system to which the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application is applicable;

[0063] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the AAU in the base station provided in this application;

[0064] Figure 3a is a schematic block diagram of an AAU provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 3b is a schematic block diagram of an AAU provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of a receiver provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the driving of an antenna subarray provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another antenna subarray provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a network coverage area provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a possible apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of a possible apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0074] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0075] First, in the embodiments of this application, the use of prefixes such as "first" and "second" is merely for the purpose of distinguishing and describing different things belonging to the same name category, and does not constrain the order, size, or quantity of things. For example, "first radio frequency link" and "second radio frequency link" are simply different antenna subarrays, and do not limit the number or position of the antenna subarrays.

[0076] Second, in the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" refer to the path of the signal within the communication device and over the air interface. For example, "send downlink signal" means that the downlink signal reaches the antenna element through the transmission channel, filter, etc., and is then radiated out by the antenna element; "receive uplink signal" means that the uplink signal is received by the antenna element, and then reaches other processing modules inside the communication device, such as the baseband chip, through the filter, receiving channel, etc.

[0077] Third, in the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or the internal connection of two elements or the interaction between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0078] Fourth, several examples are provided in the embodiments of this application for ease of understanding. In some examples, the network device is described as a communication device configured with the AAU provided in this application. For the network device, the transmitted signal is a downlink signal, and the received signal is an uplink signal. In other examples, the AAU can also be configured in a terminal device. Although no examples are given in this document, those skilled in the art can extend other examples based on the same principle. For the sake of brevity, each example will not be described in detail here.

[0079] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE FDD systems, LTE TDD systems, sidelink (SL) communication systems, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, enhanced versions of 5G (5.5G or 5G-A) or evolved radio access technologies, satellite communication systems, etc. Among them, 5G mobile communication systems can include non-standalone (NSA) and / or standalone (SA) networking.

[0080] The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, or integrated systems of multiple systems. Furthermore, the technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems, or other communication systems.

[0081] In a communication system, a device can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals can include information, signaling, or data. The device can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc.; this application uses a device as an example for description. For instance, a communication system can include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send downlink signals to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send uplink signals to the network device. It is understood that the terminal device in this application can be replaced by a first device, and the network device can be replaced by a second device, both performing the corresponding communication methods described in this application.

[0082] The network device in this application can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities; it can also be called a radio access network (RAN) device or access network device. The network device can provide wireless communication services, enabling terminal devices to connect to the wireless network.

[0083] Network equipment can be a base station. The term "base station" can broadly encompass or replace various names such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), 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, BBU, remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or a combination thereof, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, a node in an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN) scenario, etc. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or device. A base station can also be a mobile switching center and equipment performing base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, or equipment performing base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment, etc. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or equipment forms used in the network equipment.In some deployments, the network devices mentioned in the embodiments of this application may be devices including CU, DU, or 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. For example, the network devices may include gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP, and gNB-DU.

[0084] In some deployments, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminals 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 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 frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as RRUs, AAUs, or RRHs.

[0085] RAN nodes can support one or more types of fronthaul interfaces, each corresponding to a DU and RU with different functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU is a common public radio interface (CPRI), the DU is configured to implement one or more baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement one or more radio frequency functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU is another type of interface, relative to CPRI, some downlink and / or uplink baseband functions, such as, for downlink, precoding, digital beamforming (BF), or one or more of inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / cyclic prefix addition (CP), are moved from the DU to the RU; and for uplink, digital beamforming (BF), or one or more of fast Fourier transform (FFT) / cyclic prefix removal (CP), are moved from the DU to the RU. In one possible implementation, the interface can be an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI). Under the eCPRI architecture, the segmentation between DU and RU differs, corresponding to different categories (Cat) of eCPRI, such as eCPRI CatA, B, C, D, E, F.

[0086] Taking eCPRI Cat A as an example, for downlink transmission, layer mapping is used as the dividing line. The DU is configured to implement one or more functions preceding layer mapping (i.e., coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, and layer mapping), while other functions following layer mapping (e.g., RE mapping, digital beamforming, or IFFT / CP addition) are implemented in the RU. For uplink transmission, de-RE mapping is used as the dividing line. The DU is configured to implement one or more functions preceding de-mapping (i.e., decoding, rate matching de-matching, descrambling, demodulation, IDFT, channel equalization, and de-RE mapping), while other functions following de-mapping (e.g., digital BF or FFT / CP removal) are implemented in the RU. It is understood that descriptions of the functions of the DU and RU corresponding to various types of eCPRI can be found in the eCPRI protocol and will not be elaborated here.

[0087] In one possible design, the processing unit in the BBU used to implement baseband functions is called the baseband high (BBH) unit, and the processing unit in the RRU / AAU / RRH used to implement baseband functions is called the baseband low (BBL) unit.

[0088] 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, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called 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.

[0089] In this embodiment, the apparatus for implementing the functions of a network device can be a network device itself; it can also be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. This apparatus can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In this embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the functions of a network device is provided only and does not constitute a limitation on the solutions described in this embodiment.

[0090] The terminal equipment in this application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile equipment (ME), user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device.

[0091] Terminal devices can be devices that provide voice / data connectivity, such as handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, etc. Currently, examples of terminal devices include: mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities (such as laptops and PDAs), mobile internet devices (MIDs), virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, drones, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or future public land mobile communication networks. Terminal equipment in a mobile network (PLMN), etc.

[0092] Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices; they achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly defined, wearable smart devices include those with comprehensive functions, large sizes, and the ability to perform complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses. They also include devices focused on a specific application function that require the use of other devices, such as smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0093] Furthermore, terminal devices can also be terminal devices within an IoT system, also known as IoT nodes. IoT is a crucial component of future information technology development. Its main technical characteristic is connecting objects to networks via communication technologies, thereby achieving intelligent networks that enable human-machine and machine-to-machine interconnection. Connectivity can be achieved through broadband or narrowband technologies. IoT technology, for example, can utilize narrowband (NB) technology to achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low terminal power consumption.

[0094] In addition, terminal devices may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Their main functions include collecting data (for some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from network devices, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to network devices.

[0095] The terminal device in this application can be a virtualized device, for example, implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0096] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 10 applicable to the communication equipment provided in this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a wireless access network 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 also includes an Internet 300. The wireless access network 100 may include at least one wireless access network device (110a and 110b in Figure 1) and at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1). The terminal device can be wirelessly connected to the wireless access network device. Terminal devices and wireless access network devices can be interconnected via wired or wireless means. Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram; the communication system 10 may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0097] The wireless access network equipment can be an airborne base station, such as satellite base station 110a; or an indoor base station, such as a micro base station or indoor station 110b. It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific technology or equipment form used in the wireless access network equipment. For ease of description, the following description uses a base station as an example of a wireless access network equipment.

[0098] The terminal equipment can be terminal equipment deployed in the air, such as the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1; or it can be terminal equipment deployed on the ground, such as mobile phones 120a, 120e, 120f and 120j, vehicle 120b, computer 110b, printer 120h, etc. in Figure 1.

[0099] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and artificial satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0100] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0101] To facilitate understanding and explanation, the terms used herein will be briefly explained before introducing the embodiments of this application.

[0102] 1. AAU: The main equipment of a 5G base station, it is an implementation scheme for a large-scale antenna array. An AAU can be seen as a combination of a remote radio unit (RRU) and an antenna.

[0103] 2. Antenna Subarray: In this application, to distinguish antenna elements connected to different RF links (including transmit and receive links), antenna elements connected to the same RF link are defined as an antenna subarray. The same antenna subarray is connected to the same RF link, and different antenna subarrays are connected to different RF links.

[0104] The radio frequency (RF) link can also be referred to as an RF channel or a transceiver (TRX), but for consistency, it can be called an RF link. In this embodiment, the intermediate frequency (IF) link can perform the functions of the aforementioned RF link and the intermediate frequency (IF) link.

[0105] 3. Antenna element: Also known as a vibrator or radiating element, it is the most basic unit that makes up an antenna. Antenna elements are made of conductive metal and can radiate electromagnetic waves when an alternating current flows through the conductor. Therefore, antenna elements can also be called radiators or radiating elements.

[0106] 4. Multi / Fully Connected Network: This is a complex but efficient antenna feeding method, connecting the RF link and the antenna array. This connection method allows for flexible control of the antenna array's radiation characteristics to meet the communication system's requirements for high data rates, low latency, and wide coverage. The feed lines in a multi / fully connected network can feed RF signals to the antenna subarray with specific amplitude and phase, or transmit the wireless signals received by the antenna subarray to the signal processing unit inside the communication equipment with specific amplitude and phase. In a fully connected network (FCN), each RF link is connected to each antenna element. In contrast, in a partially connected network (PCN), not all RF links are connected to all antenna elements. Some RF links may be connected to a specific group of antenna elements according to specific requirements and signal processing strategies to achieve specific functions, such as specific beamforming direction adjustment or signal transmission in a specific frequency band.

[0107] To facilitate understanding, we will first explain the current AAU with reference to Figure 2.

[0108] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the AAU in a current base station. As shown in Figure 2, from the antenna array to the next component, the AAU 400 includes an antenna array 410, a multi / full connectivity network 420, a mid-frequency radio module 430, and a baseband processing module 440.

[0109] The intermediate frequency (IF) and radio frequency (RF) modules 430 can perform both IF and RF functions. The IF module 430 can include one or more IF links. In the U6G (6GHz upper half, i.e., 6425-7125MHz) platform defined by the 3GPP (3GPP International Mobile Communications Corporation), the IF module 420 can include 256 IF links. Each IF link can include one transmit link and one receive link. Therefore, in the U6G platform, the RF module 420 can include 256 transmit links and 256 receive links, represented by 256T and 256R in Figure 2.

[0110] Each mid-RF link can be connected to the corresponding antenna subarray in antenna array 410 via a feed line. All mid-RF links in mid-RF module 430 are fully or partially connected to the antenna elements in antenna array, thus the network that feeds the mid-RF module 430 and antenna array 410 can be called the multi-full-connection network 420.

[0111] The baseband processing module 440 can be connected to the intermediate radio frequency (IRF) module 430, such as to each IRF link in the IRF module 430. The baseband processing module 440 can be implemented as a baseband bus (BBL), which can be connected to the baseband bus head (BBH) at the bottom of the tower to enable data transmission between the baseband bus (BBU) and the baseband apartment (AAU).

[0112] For example, when the base station sends downlink signals, the BBU transmits the digital signals to be transmitted to the AAU through a fronthaul interface (such as an eCPRI interface). The baseband processing module 440 in the AAU performs preliminary processing on the received digital signals, such as encoding and modulation, and then sends the processed signals to the intermediate radio frequency module 430 to convert the digital signals into radio frequency signals and perform amplification and other operations. Furthermore, the intermediate radio frequency module 430 transmits the signals to the antenna array 410 through a multi / full connectivity network, and the antenna array 410 transmits the signals.

[0113] For example, when a base station receives uplink signals, the antenna array 410 receives radio frequency signals from terminal equipment or other base stations and transmits them to the intermediate radio frequency module 430 through the multi / full connectivity network 420. The intermediate radio frequency module amplifies, filters, demodulates, and other processes the received radio frequency signals, converting them into digital signals. These digital signals are then transmitted to the baseband processing module 440. After baseband processing, the AAU transmits the digital signals to the BBU through the fronthaul interface. The AAU is located on the communication tower and is also called a tower-mounted AAU, while the BBU is located in the equipment room below the communication tower and is also called a base-mounted BBU.

[0114] It should be noted that Figure 2 is only a schematic diagram of the AAU framework; the actual implementation may include more components. For example, it may include filters. Filters can be used to effectively filter out specific frequencies or frequencies outside of those frequencies in the power line, obtaining a power signal of a specific frequency, or eliminating a power signal of a specific frequency. In the AAU, filters can, to some extent, remove noise from the signal flowing through it. Other examples include power amplifiers (PAs), which amplify the transmitted signal. And also, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), which eliminate noise during signal reception.

[0115] As explained in the background section, existing base station energy-saving and consumption-reducing schemes involve shutting down communication resources from multiple dimensions, such as symbol shutdown, carrier shutdown, channel shutdown, and power-saving power control in the power domain. According to the energy consumption model of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), extremely low load or no-load conditions account for about one-quarter of the entire time period (6 hours @ 24 hours). For large amounts of small data transfers (SDTs), such as public signaling, control signaling, and / or service data with data volumes less than a threshold, the probability of this occurring in the existing network is even higher. However, existing AAUs are integrated designs, with each module, such as the various radio frequency links in the radio frequency module 430 in Figure 2 above, being powered uniformly. Therefore, considering service continuity and user experience, it is impossible to truly achieve "ultimate hibernation" or "complete channel shutdown." Thus, the energy-saving effect is limited under low load or no-load conditions at the base station.

[0116] Based on this, this application introduces a module with lower operating power consumption into the AAU, which will be referred to as the energy-saving module for ease of description. The number of mid-frequency links in the energy-saving module is less than the number of original channels in the AAU. As a result, the operating power consumption of the mid-frequency links in the energy-saving module is less than the operating power consumption of the original channels in the AAU, which can achieve low-power operation. This provides a technical basis for shutting down all mid-frequency links in the original channels of the AAU, such as the mid-frequency module 430 in Figure 2 above, and thus achieves more extreme energy saving and consumption reduction in the base station.

[0117] It should be understood that the energy-saving module can be a logically divided functional module, and this application does not limit the division and naming of the energy-saving module. Specifically, the energy-saving module can be implemented as one or more intermediate radio frequency (RF) links, or in other words, the energy-saving module is a general functional name for one or more RF links. To distinguish it from the energy-saving module, the original channels of the AAU are referred to as the main module below. The RF links in the main module can be called the first RF link, and the RF links in the energy-saving module can be called the second RF link. Similar to the energy-saving module, the main module can be a general functional name for multiple original RF links of the AAU. To achieve lower power consumption, the number N of the second RF links is less than the number M of the first RF links. The AAU provided in this application will be described exemplarily below with reference to the two embodiments shown in Figures 3a and 3b.

[0118] The AAU shown in Figure 3a or Figure 3b includes an energy-saving module, a main module, and an antenna array. As shown in Figure 3a, in AAU 500a, M first-type RF links in the main module 531 are connected to the antenna array 510 via a first multi- / full-connection network 521, and one second-type RF link in the energy-saving module 532 is connected to the antenna array 510 or its antenna subarray via a second multi- / full-connection network 522. As shown in Figure 3b, in AAU 500b, M first-type RF links in the main module 531 are connected to the antenna array 510 via the first multi- / full-connection network 521, and N second-type RF links in the energy-saving module 533 (Figure 3b uses two second-type RF links as an example) are connected to the antenna array 510 or its antenna subarray via the second multi- / full-connection network 522. Here, M is an integer greater than 1, and N is a positive integer.

[0119] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3a, one second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 can be used to receive an uplink wake-up signal; in the embodiment shown in Figure 3b, N second radio frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 can be used to send or receive small data packet services. The M first radio frequency links in the main module can be used to send or receive signals other than the aforementioned uplink wake-up signal. Of course, this application is not limited to this; for example, one second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 can also be used to receive small data packet services, or at least one of the N second radio frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 can be used to receive an uplink wake-up signal. The small data packet service can be data packets transmitted in an SDT scenario.

[0120] It should be noted that one second RF link in energy-saving module 532 may be included in N second RF links in energy-saving module 533. Alternatively, energy-saving module 532 and energy-saving module 533 may be independent of each other. This application does not limit this.

[0121] It should also be understood that Figures 3a and 3b are merely schematic block diagrams of the AAU. The AAU may also include more components required to implement the corresponding functions, such as the filter, PA, LNA, etc. shown in Figure 2. Optionally, Figures 3a and 3b are illustrated only with the example of the BBL integrated in the AAU, but this application does not limit this; for example, the BBL may also be independent of the AAU.

[0122] The following explanation uses the energy-saving module 532 in Figure 3a for uplink wake-up and the energy-saving module 533 in Figure 3b for SDT as examples.

[0123] Figure 3a is a schematic block diagram of an AAU provided in an embodiment of this application. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3a, a second radio frequency link in the power-saving module 532 may include a receiving link. This receiving link is connected to the antenna array 510 or an antenna subarray of the antenna array 510 through a second multi / full-connection network 522, and is also connected to the baseband processing module 540. In this embodiment, after the antenna array 510 receives an uplink wake-up signal from the terminal device, it transmits the uplink wake-up signal to the second radio frequency link in the power-saving module 532 through the second multi / full-connection network 522, thus enabling the second radio frequency link in the power-saving module 532 to receive the uplink wake-up signal.

[0124] For example, the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 can wake up or enable the main module 531 based on the received uplink wake-up signal. For instance, the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 can transmit the uplink wake-up signal to the baseband processing module 540, thereby waking up the main module 531.

[0125] For example, during the operation (or working) of the energy-saving module 532, all or part of the first radio frequency links in the main module 531 are shut down, or it can be understood that all or part of the first radio frequency links in the main module 531 do not send or receive signals. When all the first radio frequency links (such as M first radio frequency links) in the main module 531 are shut down, the main module 531 can be considered to be in an idle state, or in other words, the main module 531 is in a power-off state, thereby realizing energy saving and power consumption reduction of the AAU.

[0126] This application does not limit the uplink wake-up signal; any signal capable of indicating the wake-up of the main module falls within the scope of protection of this application. The uplink wake-up signal can be a very simple signal, such as a binary coded modulation signal, thus reducing the link budget. To prevent possible false alarms, i.e., to reduce misidentification of the uplink wake-up signal, the receiving end (such as AAU 500a) can use coherent detection to receive the uplink wake-up signal, meaning the uplink wake-up signal can meet the conditions for coherent detection. Based on this, as a possible example, the uplink wake-up signal can be a random access signal, such as a random access signal carried on a random access channel (RACH). For ease of description, RACH will be used to refer to a random access signal carried on a RACH in the following text; for example, transmitting or receiving a random access signal can be referred to as transmitting or receiving a RACH. The demodulation threshold of the random access signal is also the RACH demodulation threshold, the meaning of which will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0127] For example, the second RF link in the energy-saving module 532 can be implemented as a receiver as shown in Figure 4. Referring to Figure 4, the transmission and processing of the uplink wake-up signal includes: matching network, filtering, and RF signal processing. The RF signal is amplified by an LNA, and after intermediate frequency and baseband processing, the RF signal is converted to a baseband signal. Then, baseband signal amplification, baseband signal filtering, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) conversion, and baseband signal detection are performed, ultimately achieving the reception of the uplink wake-up signal.

[0128] Based on the receiver shown in Figure 4 above, the power consumption estimation yields the following table:

[0129] Table 1

[0130] Furthermore, the estimated total power consumption of the wake-up link can be found in Table 2 below:

[0131] Table 2

[0132] Based on the receiver shown in Figure 4 above, the wake-up link budget can be calculated, resulting in the contents of Table 3 below:

[0133] Table 3

[0134] It should be noted that the receiver shown in Figure 4, as well as the estimated components and their quantities in Tables 1 to 3, are examples and not limiting illustrations. In practical applications, the receiver may include more or fewer components, and correspondingly, the estimated data in Tables 1 to 3 will vary depending on the performance and quantity of the components.

[0135] In some embodiments, to further achieve energy saving and consumption reduction of the AAU, the connection relationship between the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 and the antenna array 510 is defined. As previously mentioned, the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 can be connected to the antenna array 510 or its antenna subarrays through the second multi / full connection network 522. The antenna array 510 or its subarrays connected to the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 can be referred to as the first array or the wake-up array (or wake-up surface). The second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 is connected to the wake-up array through the second multi / full connection network 522, that is, the connection relationship between the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 and the antenna elements in the wake-up array is multi-connection or full-link.

[0136] As a first example, the size of the wake-up array, or its scale, such as the number of antenna elements it includes, is related to the demodulation threshold of the uplink wake-up signal received by the second RF link. For instance, if the uplink wake-up signal is RACH and its demodulation threshold is -19dB, the size of the wake-up array can be determined based on this threshold. To meet the RACH demodulation threshold and achieve RACH reception, the sum of all items in Table 3 except the last item (RACH demodulation threshold requirement) should be greater than the RACH demodulation threshold of -19dB. Therefore, the wake-up array can be designed with reference to the relevant budgets for the receiver in Table 3. For example, the wake-up array can meet reception gain requirements; a larger array area generally results in higher reception gain. It can also meet the requirements for total received signal power; a larger array can receive more signal energy, thus increasing the total received signal power. Furthermore, the size of the wake-up array may affect SINR; a larger array can increase the total received signal power and reception gain, and may also have some interference suppression effect, thereby improving SINR.

[0137] As a second example, the size of the wake-up array can meet power consumption constraints, resulting in lower power consumption for the energy-saving module 532, such as less than or much less than the power consumption of the main module 531. As the wake-up array increases in size, components such as the AAU's RF circuitry and analog front-end may require more power to drive and process signals. For example, low-noise amplifiers and filters may need to adapt to a larger signal dynamic range, thus consuming more power. Therefore, the size of the wake-up array needs to be designed while ensuring that the receiver meets the power consumption requirements shown in Table 1 above, or that the wake-up link meets the power consumption requirements shown in Table 2 above.

[0138] In practical applications, the size of the wake-up array can be designed with reference to the first and second examples mentioned above. In addition, the size of the wake-up array can also be designed considering device costs, thereby achieving product cost control.

[0139] For example, the antenna array 510 connected to the main module 531 may include 16 columns by 48 rows of antenna elements, totaling 1536 antenna elements. Each first type of radio frequency link in the main module 531 can drive one or more antenna elements. For example, in each row of antenna elements in the antenna array 510, each first type of radio frequency link can drive one antenna element in that row. This application does not limit the size of the antenna array 510. Hereinafter, the antenna array 510 can be summarized as an antenna array including m rows by n columns of antenna elements, where m and n are both positive integers. Generally speaking, the antenna array 510 includes multiple rows and multiple columns of antenna elements.

[0140] Based on this, referring to Figure 5, the wake-up array driven by the second RF link in the energy-saving module 532 can include 16 columns by 6 rows in the antenna array 510. The second RF link can drive one element of the 16 columns by 6 rows of dual-polarized antenna elements. It should be understood that each dual-polarized antenna element includes two antenna segments. Maintaining full degrees of freedom in the horizontal dimension, the design supports 16 single-polarized beams with a beamwidth between 7 and 8 degrees, thus enabling full scanning within a sector range (120 degrees). In the vertical dimension, the driving relationship is one-to-three, supporting two vertical beams with a beamwidth of approximately 22 to 23 degrees. This balances power consumption, cost, and performance, enabling user coverage within the vertical range of traditional macro base stations. Therefore, the second RF link in the energy-saving module 532 supports 32 beams, and beam scanning can cover the coverage area of ​​the antenna array 510.

[0141] It should be noted that Figure 5 is only one possible example, and this application does not limit it. For example, the wake-up array driven by the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 may include 16 columns by 6 rows in the antenna array 510, and the second radio frequency link can drive one row of dual-polarized antenna elements, that is, drive 32 antenna elements in one row. For ease of description, the wake-up array can be summarized as m′ rows by n′ columns of antenna elements, where m′ is less than m and n′ is less than or equal to n, or m′ is less than or equal to m and n′ is less than n. That is, the wake-up array can be an antenna subarray composed of any antenna elements determined in the antenna array 510, consisting of m′ rows by n′ columns.

[0142] In some embodiments, the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 can also be used to receive small data packet services. In this case, the size of the antenna subarray connected to the second multi / full connectivity network through the second radio frequency link in the energy-saving module 532 can be associated with the demodulation threshold of the small data packet service received through the second radio frequency link. For details, please refer to the relevant description of RACH in the above example, which will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0143] When the second RF link in the energy-saving module 532 drives the wake-up array, the phase of the RF signal needs to be adjusted by a phase shifter so that signals from a specific direction are superimposed in the same direction at the AAU, thereby enhancing the strength of the received signal. By precisely controlling the phase shifter, the receiving beam of the antenna array can be pointed towards the signal source, maximizing the collection of signal energy and ensuring scanning range and accuracy. Referring to Figure 5, when the second RF link in the energy-saving module 532 supports two beams in the vertical dimension, two phase shifters can be deployed, each controlling the beam for three rows of antenna elements; when the second RF link in the energy-saving module 532 supports 16 beams in the horizontal dimension, 16 phase shifters can be deployed, each controlling the beam for one antenna element. These phase shifters can be included in the second multi / fully connected network 522.

[0144] The deployment method of the phase shifter illustrated in Figure 5 is merely an illustrative example and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. To further achieve energy saving and consumption reduction of the AAU, in some embodiments, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters in the second multi / fully connected network 522 can be designed.

[0145] In the first implementation, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters included in the second multi / full connectivity network 522 are associated with the demodulation threshold of the uplink wake-up signal (such as RACH) received through the second RF link in the power-saving module 532. For example, the sum of all items in Table 3 except for the RACH demodulation threshold requirement in the last row should be greater than the RACH demodulation threshold -19dB. Then the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters can be designed with reference to the budget of the receiver-related items in Table 3. For example, the number and / or bit width of phase shifters can be optimized to meet the receiver gain requirements. More phase shifters or phase shifters with higher bit widths can achieve more precise phase control, thereby making the received beam more focused and improving the receiver gain. Another example is optimizing the number and / or bit width of phase shifters to meet the total power of the received signal. For example, proper configuration of phase shifters can allow the antenna array to be better aligned with the signal source, thereby improving the received signal power. Yet another example is that the number and / or bit width of phase shifters may affect SINR. For example, more phase shifters or phase shifters with higher bit widths can implement more complex beamforming algorithms, better suppress interference, and improve SINR.

[0146] In the second implementation, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters included in the second multi / fully connected network 522 are determined based on a preset power consumption threshold. That is, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters included in the second multi / fully connected network are designed to meet power consumption constraints, resulting in lower power consumption for the energy-saving module 532, such as less than or significantly less than the power consumption of the main module 531. The power consumption threshold can be less than or equal to the phase shifter power consumption shown in Table 2 in the aforementioned example. Of course, the power consumption threshold can also be the total power consumption shown in Table 2; this application does not limit this. For example, to further reduce cost and power consumption, the second multi / fully connected network 522 can adopt a single phase shifter architecture. Based on this, if a phase shifter needs to support 32 beams as shown in Figure 5, then the phase shifter's bit width needs to be 5 bits to ensure scanning range and accuracy. With this configuration, the phase shifter power consumption can be controlled to around 200mW, and the insertion loss can also be controlled to within 1dB. Based on the more advanced processes and technologies used in the phase shifter, the total power consumption of the wake-up link can be further reduced significantly, reaching a level far below 8.1W in Table 2 above.

[0147] In practical applications, the number and / or bit width of phase shifters can be designed with reference to the first and second implementation methods described above. In addition, the number and / or bit width of phase shifters can also be designed considering device cost, thereby achieving product cost control.

[0148] In this embodiment, the operating power consumption of the N second radio frequency links in the AAU is less than that of the M first radio frequency links. Signal reception or transmission is carried out through the N second radio frequency links, providing a technical basis for shutting down the M first radio frequency links, thereby achieving a deeper level of energy saving and consumption reduction in the AAU.

[0149] Figure 3b is a schematic block diagram of an AAU provided in an embodiment of this application. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3b, the energy-saving module 533 includes N second-type radio frequency links, for example, the energy-saving module 533 may include 2 second-type radio frequency links. The N second-type radio frequency links are connected to the antenna array 510 or the antenna subarray of the antenna array 510 through the second multi / full-connection network 523, and the N second-type radio frequency links are connected to the baseband processing module 540.

[0150] In one example, each of the N second radio frequency links can include a receiving link and a transmitting link. When the energy-saving module 533 includes two second radio frequency links, it is implemented as a dual-transmit dual-receive link, labeled 2T2R. In another example, some of the N second radio frequency links can be receiving links, i.e., they do not have signal transmission capability. For example, when the energy-saving module 533 includes two second radio frequency links, it includes one receiving-only (RX only) link and one 1T1R link. In yet another example, some of the N second radio frequency links can be transmitting links, i.e., they do not have signal reception capability. For example, when the energy-saving module 533 includes two second radio frequency links, it includes one transmitting-only (TX only) link and one 1T1R link, or it includes one RX only link and one TX only link.

[0151] In this embodiment, the receiving link in the second radio frequency link can be used to receive small data packet services, and the transmitting link can be used to transmit small data packet services. Of course, this application does not limit this; for example, some or all of the N second radio frequency links can receive uplink wake-up signals through the receiving link. During the process of receiving small data packet services, after the antenna array 510 receives the small data packet service from the terminal device, it transmits the small data packet service through the second multi / full connectivity network 523 to at least one of the second radio frequency links in the energy-saving module 533. Then, the energy-saving module 533 transmits the received small data packet service to the baseband processing module 540, thus realizing the reception of small data packet services through the radio frequency links in the energy-saving module 533. The receiving link in the second radio frequency link can be used to receive small data packet services. During the process of transmitting small data packet services, at least one of the second radio frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 transmits the small data packet service based on the baseband signal from the baseband processing module. For example, after processing the baseband signal, the small data packet service is transmitted to the terminal device through the connected antenna array 510 or the antenna subarray of the antenna array 510.

[0152] For example, in an SDT scenario, the energy-saving module 533 can replace the main module 531 in transmitting data with the terminal device, or the energy-saving module 533 can wake up the main module 531 in response to the received uplink wake-up signal.

[0153] For example, during the operation (or working) of the energy-saving module 533, all or part of the intermediate radio frequency links in the main module 531 are shut down, or it can be understood that all the intermediate radio frequency links in the main module 531 (such as the M first intermediate radio frequency links) do not send or receive signals, or the main module 531 is in an idle state, thereby achieving energy saving and power reduction of the AAU. When all the intermediate radio frequency links in the main module 531 (such as the M first intermediate radio frequency links) are shut down, the main module 531 can be considered to be in a power-down state. Of course, this application does not limit this; for example, the N second intermediate radio frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 and the M first intermediate radio frequency links in the main module 531 can all be in an operating state.

[0154] To further achieve energy saving and consumption reduction in the AAU, the connection relationship between the mid-frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 and the antenna array 510 is defined. As previously mentioned, the mid-frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 can be connected to the antenna array 510 or its antenna subarrays through the second multi- / full-connection network 523. The antenna array 510 or its antenna subarrays connected to the mid-frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 can be referred to as the second array. The N second mid-frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 are connected to the second array through the second multi- / full-connection network 523, that is, the connection relationship between the N second mid-frequency links in the energy-saving module 533 and the antenna elements in the second array is multi-connection or full-connection.

[0155] Example 1: The size or scale of the second array, such as the number of antenna elements included in the second array, is related to the demodulation threshold of small data packet services transmitted and / or received by the N second RF links. For example, when the AAU transmits small data packet services, it is necessary to ensure that the small data packet services received by the terminal equipment meet the demodulation threshold so that the terminal equipment can accurately demodulate the small data packet services. The size of the second array should meet the transmit power budget and the transmit antenna gain budget, so that the signal reaching the receiving end can still meet the demodulation threshold of the small data packet services after passing through path loss and structural losses such as hardware connectors, shadowing and penetration losses, the receiving gain of the terminal equipment, the total power of the received signal, the total noise and interference, and the influence of the received signal and SINR in the demodulation link. The size of the second array is related to the demodulation threshold of small data packet services or uplink wake-up signals received by the N second RF links. See the example in the embodiment of Figure 3a, which provides an exemplary description of the relationship between the size of the wake-up array and the demodulation threshold of the uplink wake-up signal received by the second RF link. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated.

[0156] Example 2: The size of the second array can meet power consumption constraints, resulting in lower power consumption for the energy-saving module 533, such as less than or much less than the power consumption of the main module 531. As the size of the second array increases, components such as the AAU's RF circuitry and analog front-end may require more power to drive and process signals. For example, circuit elements such as the LNA in the receive link (or PA in the transmit link) and filters may need to adapt to a larger signal dynamic range, thus consuming more power. Therefore, the size of the second array needs to be designed while ensuring that the receiver (or transmitter) meets power consumption constraints, or that the wake-up link meets power consumption constraints.

[0157] In practical applications, the size of the second array can be designed with reference to Examples 1 and 2 above. In addition, the size of the second array can also be designed considering device costs, thereby achieving product cost control.

[0158] The second array can be an antenna subarray consisting of m′ rows and n′ columns of any antenna elements determined in the antenna array 510, and this application does not limit this. The second array is the same as or similar to the wake-up array in the embodiment shown in FIG3a. For example, N second-mode radio frequency links can be connected to the antenna subarray of 16 columns arranged in 6 rows as shown in FIG5 in multiple or full connections. Referring to FIG6, taking the energy-saving module 533 in the embodiment shown in FIG3b as an example, which includes two second-mode radio frequency links, each second-mode radio frequency link can drive 3 rows of antenna elements in the horizontal dimension and drive each antenna element in each row in the vertical dimension. When the antenna element is a dual-polarized antenna element, the second-mode radio frequency link can drive the dual-polarized antenna element or the element unit in the dual-polarized antenna element (that is, the single-polarized antenna element in the dual-polarized antenna element). The above examples are only examples and not restrictive descriptions, and the second array and the wake-up array in the embodiment shown in FIG3a can also be different antenna subarrays, and this application does not limit this.

[0159] When the N second-mode RF links in the energy-saving module 533 drive the second array, for example when transmitting small data packet services, it is necessary to adjust the phase of the transmitted signal of each antenna element through phase shifters to control the radiation direction of the antenna array, thereby achieving beam pointing control. By precisely controlling the phase shifters, signal energy can be concentrated in a specific direction to form a directional beam, improving the transmission efficiency and coverage of the signal in the target direction. Referring to Figure 6, when the two second-mode RF links in the energy-saving module 533 support two beams in the vertical dimension, two phase shifters can be deployed, each phase shifter performing beam control for three rows of antenna elements; when the two second-mode RF links in the energy-saving module 533 support 16 beams in the horizontal dimension, 16 phase shifters can be deployed, each phase shifter performing beam control for one antenna element. The aforementioned phase shifters can be included in the second multi / fully connected network 523.

[0160] The deployment of the phase shifters illustrated in Figure 6 is merely an illustrative example and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. To further achieve energy saving and consumption reduction in the AAU, in some embodiments, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters in the second multi / fully connected network 523 can be designed.

[0161] In the first implementation, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters included in the second multi / full connectivity network 523 are associated with the demodulation threshold of small data packet services transmitted or received through the N second RF links in the energy-saving module 533, or with the demodulation threshold of the received uplink wake-up signal (such as RACH). Please refer to the description in the previous example, which will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0162] In the second implementation method, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters included in the second multi / fully connected network 523 are determined based on a preset power consumption threshold. That is, the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters included in the second multi / fully connected network 523 are designed to meet power consumption constraints, so that the power consumption of the energy-saving module 533 is low, such as less than or much less than the power consumption of the main module 531. Please refer to the explanation in the previous example, which will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0163] In practical applications, the number and / or bit width of phase shifters can be designed with reference to Implementation Method 1 and Implementation Method 2 described above. In addition, the number and / or bit width of phase shifters can also be designed considering device cost, thereby achieving product cost control.

[0164] In this embodiment, when the number N of the second type of RF link in the energy-saving module 533 is relatively small, while the number of driven antenna elements is relatively large, the scanning beam of the AAU is significantly narrowed, and the coverage area is expanded. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the left side of Figure 7 is the beam scanning range of the U6G broadband, and the right side is the beam scanning range of the U6G narrowband. Based on this, the energy-saving module 533 in the AAU can cover adjacent base stations. Through inter-site cooperation, energy saving and consumption reduction for other base stations within the coverage area are achieved. The following examples illustrate the relevant implementation of inter-site cooperation.

[0165] Table 4 below shows a comparison of the performance parameters of the U6G narrowband channel, U6G broadband channel, and 3.5G broadband channel implemented by the AAU provided in this embodiment.

[0166] Table 4

[0167] As shown in Table 4, the coverage range of the U6G narrowband channel is comparable to that of the 3.5G broadband channel. It should be noted that the performance of the U6G narrowband channel implemented in this embodiment may fluctuate to some extent due to adjustments in the devices and their parameters. Therefore, Table 4 is merely an example and not a limiting illustration.

[0168] In this embodiment, the power consumption of the second radio frequency link in the AAU is less than that of the M first radio frequency links. The uplink wake-up signal is received through the second radio frequency link, providing a technical basis for shutting down the M first radio frequency links, thereby achieving a deeper level of energy saving and consumption reduction in the AAU.

[0169] Based on any of the above embodiments, in order to achieve energy saving and consumption reduction of the AAU, the M first radio frequency links in the main module 531 can be shut down. In this case, the communication between the AAU and the terminal device through the main module 531 will be switched to the energy-saving module (such as 532 and / or 533) communicating with the terminal device. The main module 531 and the energy-saving module (such as 532 and / or 533) can be summarized as the first radio frequency module and the second radio frequency module, respectively. The switching between the main module 531 and the energy-saving module (such as 532 and / or 533) can also be summarized as the switching between the first radio frequency module and the second radio frequency module.

[0170] When switching between the first and second radio frequency modules, the terminal device cannot receive information correctly due to time-frequency spatial synchronization loss between the terminal device and the network device. Therefore, when switching between the first and second radio frequency modules, the network device (such as the aforementioned AAU) and the terminal device need to re-synchronize time and frequency and / or beam synchronization.

[0171] For example, if M first RF links are shut down, the AAU will switch from communicating with the terminal device via the main module 531 to communicating via a power-saving module (such as 532 and / or 533). In this case, the AAU can transmit a first reference signal via N second RF links. This first reference signal is used for time-frequency synchronization and / or beam synchronization between the N second RF links and the terminal device. It should be noted that the AAU can transmit the first reference signal via some or all of the N second RF links.

[0172] This application does not limit the first reference signal. The first reference signal may include, for example, at least one of the following: SSB, CSI-RS, physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) demodulation reference signal (PDCCH-DMRS), physical downlink share channel (PDSCH) demodulation reference signal (PDSCH-DMRS), cell reference signal (CRS) in LTE, tracking reference signal (TRS) in NR, downlink positioning signal (positioning RS), etc.

[0173] For example, if M first radio frequency links are activated, and N second radio frequency links wake up the M first radio frequency links in response to an uplink wake-up signal from the terminal device, the AAU switches its communication with the terminal device from the power-saving module (such as 532 and / or 533) to the main module 531. In this case, the AAU can transmit a second reference signal through the M first radio frequency links. This second reference signal is used for time-frequency synchronization and / or beam synchronization between the M first radio frequency links and the terminal device. It should be noted that the AAU can transmit the second reference signal through some or all of the M first radio frequency links.

[0174] This application does not limit the second reference signal. The second reference signal is similar to the first reference signal, and will not be described in detail for the sake of brevity.

[0175] Since the switching between the first and second radio frequency modules in the AAU is imperceptible to the terminal device, in order to ensure that the terminal device and the network device maintain time-frequency-space synchronization, in some embodiments, the network device can send indication information to the terminal device to indicate time-frequency synchronization and / or beam synchronization.

[0176] Furthermore, since there is a certain time delay, i.e., switching time, when switching between the first and second radio frequency modules in the AAU, in order to ensure that the terminal device can perform time-frequency synchronization or time-frequency-space synchronization based on the reference signal sent by the second radio frequency module after switching, on the one hand, there is a transmission time interval between the AAU sending the indication information and sending the first or second reference signal through the second radio frequency module, and this transmission time interval is determined based on the duration of switching from the first to the second radio frequency module; on the other hand, the terminal device can receive the first or second reference signal after receiving the indication information based on the transmission time interval. In this case, there may be such a transmission time interval between the AAU sending the first or second reference signal and sending the indication information, or the AAU may periodically send the first or second reference signal after sending the indication information. This application does not limit this.

[0177] Optionally, the AAU may indicate the handover duration to the terminal device, such as by including the handover duration in the indication information, or by specifying the handover duration in the protocol. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0178] The process of time-frequency-space synchronization caused by the switching between the AAU main module and the energy-saving module can also be explained in conjunction with the communication method provided below.

[0179] This application also provides a communication device, which may include an AAU (Automatic Active AU). The AAU may be the AAU shown in any of Figures 3a, 3b to 6, or a component within an AAU. Alternatively, it may be an AAU not shown in the figures but derived from any of the aforementioned schemes or combinations thereof. Optionally, the communication device may also include a BBU (Browser Unit), which may include a BBL (Browser Base) and a BBH (Browser Base). The BBL may be integrated into the AAU or independent of the AAU; this application does not limit this. Optionally, the communication device is a network device. Optionally, the communication device is a terminal device.

[0180] It should be understood that the communication device may also include an AAU and other modules that can be used to achieve the same or identical functions as the BBU, and this application does not limit this.

[0181] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, this embodiment uses the interaction between a network device and a terminal device as an example for explanation, but it should not be construed as limiting the subject of this application. The network device in Figure 8 can also be replaced by components configured in the network device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The terminal device can be replaced by components configured in the terminal device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0182] The method 600 shown in Figure 8 may include the following steps S610 to S630:

[0183] S610, the network device sends an indication message to the terminal device, which instructs for updating the SSB and CSI-RS. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the indication message from the network device.

[0184] In S620, the network device sends updated SSB and CSI-RS to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the SSB and CSI-RS from the network device.

[0185] S630: Terminal devices perform time-frequency synchronization or time-frequency-space synchronization based on SSB and CSI-RS.

[0186] In this embodiment, the network device instructs the terminal device to update the two reference signals SSB and CSI-RS through indication information, and then sends the updated SSB and updated CSI-RS, so that the terminal device can perform time-frequency synchronization or time-frequency-space synchronization based on the two reference signals SSB and CSI-RS.

[0187] This application does not limit the application scenario for updating SSB and CSI-RS. For example, it can be used when the first radio frequency module in the aforementioned AAU embodiment switches to the second radio frequency module, updating SSB and CSI-RS to perform time-frequency-space synchronization between the terminal device and the second radio frequency module. Optionally, the network device can send the indication information when it determines that the first radio frequency module has switched to the second radio frequency module, and then send the updated SSB and updated CSI-RS.

[0188] The first and second radio frequency modules can be referred to in the description in the previous example, and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0189] In some embodiments, the time interval between the indication information and the transmission of SSB and / or CSI-RS is greater than or equal to the duration of the switch from the first RF module to the second RF module. This avoids the impact of the time-frequency spatial synchronization caused by the time delay during the switch between the first and second RF modules in the AAU, i.e., the switch duration, ensuring that the terminal device can achieve time-frequency spatial synchronization with the second RF module.

[0190] It is understandable that the time-frequency spatial asynchrony between network devices and terminal devices is caused by the switching of the mid-frequency module in the network device, but does not involve the updating of other information, such as the configuration parameters of the communication network (e.g., cell bandwidth, transmit power, antenna configuration, uplink and downlink resource allocation), cell-related attribute information (e.g., cell priority, neighbor cell relationships), random access resource configuration, etc. Therefore, the network device may not update the system information block (SIB), and correspondingly, after receiving the updated SSB based on this indication information, the terminal device may not need to receive the SIB.

[0191] This application does not limit the application scenario for switching from the first type of RF module to the second type of RF module. For example, the RF module in the AAU can be switched based on dimensions such as service, data volume, energy consumption, and transmission reliability. The following explanation uses energy saving and consumption reduction of the AAU as an example.

[0192] For example, a network device may determine whether to perform a module switch based on the amount of data to be transmitted, wherein the data to be transmitted may include first data that the network device will send to the terminal device, and / or second data that the network device will receive, wherein the second data that the network device will receive may be data to be received from one or more terminal devices.

[0193] In one example, when the amount of the first data to be sent and / or the second data to be received is less than or equal to a preset value, the network device determines to switch from M first radio frequency links to N second radio frequency links, thereby reducing the operating power consumption of the network device when the amount of data to be transmitted is low. In another example, when the amount of the first data to be sent and / or the second data to be received is greater than a preset value, the network device determines to switch from N second radio frequency links to M first radio frequency links, thereby improving communication efficiency and reducing latency when the amount of data to be transmitted is large. In yet another example, upon receiving an uplink wake-up signal, the network device determines to switch from N second radio frequency links to M first radio frequency links to wake up the main module, thereby ensuring communication efficiency.

[0194] In some embodiments, a terminal device may send reporting information to a network device. The reporting information includes the amount of data to be sent by the terminal device. The network device may receive the reporting information from one or more terminal devices, and thereby determine the amount of data to be received based on the received reporting information, and thus determine whether to switch the radio frequency module based on the amount of data to be received.

[0195] In this embodiment, the network device sends an indication message to the terminal device to instruct it to update the SSB and CSI-RS, and then sends the updated SSB and CSI-RS. This allows the terminal device to perform time-frequency synchronization or time-frequency-space synchronization based on the two reference signals, SSB and CSI-RS, thus avoiding the problem of the terminal device and the network device losing synchronization and failing to receive information correctly.

[0196] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, this embodiment uses the interaction between a first network device, a second network device, and a terminal device as an example for explanation, but it should not be construed as limiting the subject of this application. The network device in Figure 9 (such as the first network device or the second network device) can also be replaced by components configured in the network device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The terminal device can be replaced by components configured in the terminal device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0197] As shown in Figure 9, when the energy-saving module is working, both the first network device to which the energy-saving module belongs and the second network device within the coverage area of ​​the energy-saving module can operate in energy-saving mode, such as shutting down M radio frequency links in the first network device and shutting down some or all radio frequency links in the second network device. The following steps provide an exemplary illustration:

[0198] S710, the terminal device sends an uplink wake-up signal to the first network device, and the first network device receives the uplink wake-up signal accordingly.

[0199] Specifically, the terminal device is a terminal device within the coverage area of ​​the second network device, and the terminal device can send an uplink wake-up signal when it has data transmission needs with the second network device.

[0200] S720, the first network device sends information A to the second network device, and the second network device receives information A accordingly.

[0201] Specifically, there may be multiple second network devices within the coverage area of ​​the first network device. For example, if the number N of the second intermediate radio frequency links in the energy-saving module of the first network device is small, while the number of driving antenna elements is large, the scanning beam of the first network device will significantly narrow, and the coverage area will expand. Thus, there may be multiple second network devices within the coverage area of ​​the first network device. The function of the first network device includes receiving uplink wake-up signals from all terminal devices served by the second network devices within its coverage area, enabling the second network devices within the coverage area of ​​the first network device to enter a sleep state. This sleep state can be understood as the partial or complete shutdown of intermediate radio frequency links.

[0202] After receiving the uplink wake-up signal sent by the terminal device, the first network device learns that the terminal device and one of the second network devices have a data transmission requirement. Therefore, it notifies the corresponding second network device through information A, so that the corresponding second network device switches from sleep state to wake-up state, or in other words, switches from partially or completely closed radio frequency links to fully open radio frequency links, so that the second network device and the terminal device can carry out normal data transmission.

[0203] In one possible approach, the method shown in Figure 9 also includes S730, where the terminal device and the first network device perform small data packet service transmission.

[0204] Specifically, as described in S720, the first network device integrates the function of receiving uplink wake-up signals from the second network device within its coverage area. Furthermore, the function of the first network device can be further extended to enable the transmission of small data packet services. Thus, for small data packet services, the first network device with a large coverage area can perform the transmission. This allows the second network device to remain in sleep mode under the demand for small data packet service transmission, further achieving network energy saving.

[0205] Based on S730, the method further includes: one or more second network devices sending the small data packet service to be transmitted to the first network device.

[0206] The method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 8 and 9. The apparatus provided by the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0207] Figures 10 and 11 are schematic block diagrams of possible apparatuses provided in embodiments of this application. These apparatuses can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the apparatus can be the terminal device or network device in the method embodiments, or it can be a component (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.) configured in the terminal device or network device, or it can be a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the terminal device or network device. Optionally, the apparatus shown in Figure 10 or Figure 11 can be the AAU in the aforementioned examples.

[0208] The device provided in this application is shown in Figure 10. The device 800 includes a transceiver module 810 and a processing module 820.

[0209] For example, when the device 800 is used to implement the above-described method embodiment on the network device side, the transceiver module 810 can be used to send indication information, which is used to indicate the updating of SSB and CSI-RS, and send the updated SSB and CSI-RS; the processing module 820 can be used to generate the indication information, SSB and CSI-RS to be sent.

[0210] For example, when the device 800 is used to implement the method embodiment on the terminal device side described above, the transceiver module 810 can be used to receive indication information, which is used to indicate the updating of SSB and CSI-RS, and to receive the updated SSB and CSI-RS; the processing module 820 can be used to perform time-frequency synchronization based on SSB and CSI-RS.

[0211] In one possible design, when the device 800 is a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) or a communication module in a communication device, the function of the processing unit 820 can be implemented by one or more processors.

[0212] In one possible design, when the device 800 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a communication device (such as a terminal device or network device), the function of the processing unit 820 can be implemented by a circuit system in the chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the transceiver unit 810 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the chip.

[0213] It should also be understood that the transceiver unit in the communication device 800 can also be called a communication unit. This transceiver unit 810 may include a transmitting unit but not a receiving unit. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 810 may include a receiving unit but not a transmitting unit. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme performed by the device 800 includes both transmitting and receiving actions. The receiving unit can be used to perform the receiving action in the above-described scheme, and the transmitting unit can be used to perform the transmitting action in the above-described scheme.

[0214] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. Each function can correspond to a functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0215] Figure 11 is another schematic block diagram of the device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 11, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910. The processor 910 can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, etc. For example, it can be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the device (e.g., a vehicle or a chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0216] Alternatively, in one design, the processor 910 may include a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that can be run on the processor 910, causing the device 900 to perform the methods executed by the terminal or network device in the above method embodiments. In yet another possible design, the device 900 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG11) for implementing the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0217] For example, processor 910 may be used to execute a computer program in memory to implement the steps performed by a terminal device or network device in the method embodiment.

[0218] Optionally, the device 900 may include one or more memories 920 storing computer programs (sometimes referred to as code or instructions) that can be run on the processor 910, causing the device 900 to perform the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in the above embodiments.

[0219] Optionally, the processor 910 and / or memory 920 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0220] Optionally, the device 900 may also include a communication interface 930. The processor 910, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the device (e.g., a terminal device or a network device). The communication interface 930, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to implement the transceiver function of the device; for example, the communication interface 930 can be used to receive first configuration information.

[0221] Optionally, the device 900 also includes a communication interface 930. The processor 910 and the communication interface 930 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the communication interface 930 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0222] When the device 900 is used to implement the method in the method embodiment, the processor 910 can be used to execute the functions of the processing unit 820, and the communication interface 930 can be used to execute the functions of the transceiver unit 810. Whether the communication interface 930 is used for sending or receiving depends on whether the device 900 is used to perform a sending or receiving action in the scheme it is executing.

[0223] When the aforementioned device 900 is a chip applied to a terminal device, the chip implements the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the terminal device receives signals from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the terminal device, and these signals may be sent to the terminal device by the network device; or, the chip of the terminal device sends signals to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the terminal, and these signals may be sent to the network device by the terminal device.

[0224] When the aforementioned device 900 is a chip applied to a network device, the chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the network device receives signals from other modules in the network device, which may be signals sent by a terminal device to the network device; or, the chip of the network device sends signals to other modules in the network device, which may be signals sent by the network device to a terminal device.

[0225] It is understood that when the device 900 is a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 930 can be a transceiver, specifically including a transmitter and a receiver, with the transmitter used to send signals and the receiver used to receive signals. When the device 900 is a chip applied to a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 930 can be an input / output circuit, wherein the input circuit can be used for receiving and the output interface can be used for sending.

[0226] Optionally, the device 900 also includes a power supply circuit for supplying power to the device 900.

[0227] It should be noted that the above method embodiments can be applied to a processor, or implemented by a processor. A processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by software instructions.

[0228] The aforementioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0229] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can reside in mature storage media in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0230] The memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0231] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions of the terminal device or network device involved in any of the above method embodiments, such as sending, receiving, or processing information involved in the above methods.

[0232] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing computer program instructions and data, which may be located inside or outside the processor.

[0233] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0234] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), wherein when the computer program is run, the method executed by the terminal device in the method embodiment is executed, or the method executed by the network device is executed.

[0235] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, the method executed by the terminal device or the method executed by the network device in the method embodiment is executed.

[0236] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned terminal equipment and network equipment.

[0237] The methods provided in the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product may include one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic disk), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0238] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0239] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0241] The unit described as a separate component may or may not be physically separate. The component shown as a unit may or may not be a physical unit; that is, it may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0242] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0243] If this function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, or part of it, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. An active antenna element, characterized in that, include: M first-type RF links, N second-type RF links, and antenna arrays, where N is less than M; The M first radio frequency links are connected to the antenna array through a first multi / full connection network; The N second radio frequency links are connected to the antenna array or the antenna subarray of the antenna array through a second multi / full connection network; The power consumption of the N second-type RF links is less than the power consumption of the M first-type RF links.

2. The active antenna element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating power consumption of the N second-type RF links is less than the operating power consumption of the M RF links, including: The N second radio frequency links are used to receive uplink wake-up signals, and / or the N second radio frequency links are used to send or receive small data packet services; the M first radio frequency links are used to send or receive signals other than the uplink wake-up signals.

3. The active antenna element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The N second-type radio frequency links are used to receive uplink wake-up signals. The second-type radio frequency links include: receiving links, and the second-type radio frequency links are connected to the baseband processing module. The second type of radio frequency link activates / wakes up the M first type of radio frequency links through the baseband processing module based on the uplink wake-up signal.

4. The active antenna element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The N second-type radio frequency links are used to send or receive small data packet services. The second-type radio frequency links include: a transmit link, and the second-type radio frequency links are connected to the baseband processing module. The second type of radio frequency link transmits the small data packet service based on the baseband signal from the baseband processing module.

5. The active antenna element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The size of the antenna subarray is associated with the demodulation threshold of the uplink wake-up signal received through the second RF link, and / or the size of the antenna subarray is associated with the demodulation threshold of small data packet services transmitted through the second RF link.

6. The active antenna element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The antenna array comprises m rows and n columns of antenna elements, and the antenna subarray comprises m′ rows and n′ columns of antenna elements in the antenna array, where m′ is less than m and n′ is less than or equal to n.

7. The active antenna element according to claim 6, characterized in that, The antenna elements in the antenna array are dual-polarized antenna elements, and each antenna element in a row of the antenna subarray is a vibrator element in the corresponding dual-polarized antenna element in the antenna array.

8. The active antenna element according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The number and / or bit width of the phase shifters included in the second multi / full connectivity network are associated with the demodulation threshold of the uplink wake-up signal received through the second radio frequency link, and / or the number and / or bit width of the phase shifters are associated with the demodulation threshold of small data packet services transmitted through the second radio frequency link.

9. The active antenna element according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The number and / or bit width of phase shifters included in the second multi / fully connected network are determined based on a preset power consumption threshold.

10. The active antenna element according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, When the M first radio frequency links are closed, a first reference signal is sent through the N second radio frequency links. The first reference signal is used for time and frequency synchronization between the N second radio frequency links and the terminal device. or, When the M first radio frequency links are activated, a second reference signal is transmitted through the M first radio frequency links. The second reference signal is used for time and frequency synchronization between the M first radio frequency links and the terminal device.

11. The active antenna element according to claim 10, characterized in that, Also includes: Send an instruction message, which instructs the N second radio frequency links or the M first radio frequency links to synchronize their time and frequency with the terminal device.

12. The active antenna element according to claim 11, characterized in that, The transmission time interval between the indication information and the first reference signal or the second reference signal is greater than or equal to the switching duration of the intermediate radio frequency module, wherein the switching duration is the time for switching from the first intermediate radio frequency module to the second intermediate radio frequency module; wherein, The first type of radio frequency module includes the M first type of radio frequency links, and the second type of radio frequency module includes the N second type of radio frequency links; or, The first radio frequency module includes the N second radio frequency links, and the second radio frequency module includes the M first radio frequency links.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Baseband unit, and The active antenna element as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, including: Send indication information, which is used to indicate the update of the synchronization signal block SSB and the channel state information reference signal CSI-RS; Send the updated SSB and CSI-RS.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The sending instruction information includes: The first RF module is switched to the second RF module. Send the instruction information.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first type of radio frequency module includes M first type of radio frequency links, and the second type of radio frequency module includes N second type of radio frequency links; or, The first type of radio frequency module includes N second type of radio frequency links, and the second type of radio frequency module includes M first type of radio frequency links; The power consumption of the N second-type RF links is less than the power consumption of the M first-type RF links.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The time interval between the indication information and the transmission of the SSB and / or the CSI-RS is greater than or equal to the duration of the switch from the first radio frequency module to the second radio frequency module.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, The step of determining the switch from the first radio frequency module to the second radio frequency module includes: When the amount of the first data to be transmitted and / or the second data to be received is less than or equal to a preset value, the M first RF links are switched to the N second RF links; or... When the amount of the first data to be sent and / or the second data to be received exceeds a preset value, or when an uplink wake-up signal is received, N second radio frequency links are switched to M first radio frequency links.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, Also includes: Receive reporting information from at least one terminal device, the reporting information including the data volume of the second data.

20. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to terminal devices, including: Receive instruction information, which is used to instruct the updating of SSB and CSI-RS; Receive the updated SSB and CSI-RS; Time and frequency synchronization is performed based on the SSB and the CSI-RS.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The time interval between the indication information and the transmission of the SSB and / or the CSI-RS is greater than or equal to the duration of the switch from the first radio frequency module to the second radio frequency module.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that, Also includes: Sending reporting information, the reporting information including the amount of data to be sent by the terminal device, the amount of data being used to determine whether to update the SSB and the CSI-RS.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 19, or a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 20 to 22.

24. A communication system, characterized in that, include: Network equipment and terminal equipment; The network device sends an indication message, which is used to indicate the updating of SSB and CSI-RS, and sends the updated SSB and CSI-RS to the terminal device; The terminal device performs time-frequency synchronization based on the received SSB and CSI-RS.

25. The system according to claim 24, characterized in that, The network device sends indication information, including: The network device determines that the first radio frequency module is switched to the second radio frequency module; The network device sends the instruction information.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Used to store computer program instructions, the computer program causing a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 22.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program instructions that cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 22.

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