Multi-Band Frequency Offset Estimation for Stable Communication

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Solution Overview

Problem

In communication systems supporting multiple operating frequency bands, frequency offset estimation at higher frequencies is inaccurate due to greater interference, leading to potential communication failures and instability.

Innovation Solution

The method involves separately estimating frequency offset for both low and high-frequency signals using a common clock signal, then combining these estimates through weighted processing to determine a comprehensive frequency offset result, which reduces errors and improves stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If frequency offset estimation is performed on high-frequency signals only, then the estimation process is simple, but the estimation accuracy deteriorates due to greater interference at higher frequencies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefrequency offset estimation process complexityVSAvoidfrequency offset estimation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines frequency offset estimation from both low-frequency and high-frequency signals through weighted processing. The low-frequency signal provides accurate estimation baseline, while the high-frequency signal compensates for frequency-specific variations. This merging approach resolves the contradiction by integrating multiple frequency domains to achieve both process feasibility and estimation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The low-frequency signal acts as an intermediary that mediates the frequency offset estimation process. Since low-frequency signals experience less interference, their estimation results serve as a reliable reference that compensates for the poor accuracy of direct high-frequency estimation. This intermediary approach allows the system to overcome the inherent limitations of high-frequency signal estimation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If frequency offset estimation is performed on high-frequency signals, then the estimation adapts to high-frequency characteristics, but communication stability deteriorates due to inaccurate estimation exceeding frequency offset thresholds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefrequency offset estimation adaptability to high-frequency bandVSAvoidcommunication stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter combination by integrating frequency offset estimation results from multiple frequency bands (low-frequency and high-frequency) through weighted processing. This parameter change allows the system to maintain adaptability to high-frequency characteristics while improving reliability by compensating for estimation inaccuracies using low-frequency reference data, ensuring the final estimation remains within tolerable frequency offset thresholds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If only low-frequency signal estimation is used, then estimation accuracy is maintained, but adaptability to high-frequency band characteristics is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefrequency offset estimation accuracyVSAvoidfrequency offset estimation adaptability to different frequency bands
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal frequency offset estimation mechanism that functions across multiple frequency bands. By performing separate estimations on both low-frequency and high-frequency signals and combining them through weighted processing, the system achieves multi-functionality: it maintains the accuracy benefits of low-frequency estimation while simultaneously adapting to high-frequency band characteristics, making the estimation process universally applicable across different operating frequency bands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4694047A1Communication method, apparatus, device, system, and readable storage medium
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4694047A1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP4694047A1 patent drawingFigure 1c
  • EP4694047A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

This application provides a communication method, apparatus, device, and system, and a readable storage medium, and relates to the communication field. The method includes: after obtaining a first-frequency signal and a second-frequency signal that have a same clock signal, separately performing frequency offset estimation on the first-frequency signal and the second-frequency signal to obtain a first-frequency offset estimation value and a second-frequency offset estimation value; and then correcting the second-frequency offset estimation value based on the first-frequency offset estimation value, that is, comprehensively performing calculation based on the first-frequency offset estimation value and the second-frequency offset estimation value to obtain a frequency offset estimation result. In this way, the frequency offset estimation value of the second-frequency signal with low accuracy can be corrected by using the first-frequency offset estimation value with high accuracy, to reduce an error of a frequency offset estimation result of the second-frequency signal, so that frequency offset correction performance of the second-frequency signal can be ensured in subsequent steps such as offset correction, and communication stability of the communication system is improved.