WO2021017965A1

WO2021017965A1 - Communication module and terminal

Info

Publication number: WO2021017965A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/103420
Authority: WO
Inventors: 曾伟才; 阳美文; 叶桦; 杜英强; 刘道明
Original assignee: 华为技术有限公司
Priority date: 2019-07-26
Filing date: 2020-07-22
Publication date: 2021-02-04
Also published as: CN110535483B; CN110535483A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication module and a terminal. A communication function of the terminal can be split to a plurality of communication modules, wherein one communication module is a main module, and the remaining communication modules are secondary modules. The main module is provided with a BB circuit and RFICs corresponding to the secondary modules, and the secondary modules do not need to be provided with the BB circuit and the RFICs. Thus, when the terminal comprises the secondary modules and the main module at the same time, FEM circuits provided on the secondary modules and the BB circuit and RFICs provided on the main module form a radio frequency pathway, thereby implementing the communication function of the secondary modules, reducing the cost of the terminal, decreasing the size of a single communication module, and enabling the communication modules to satisfy the requirements of a mounting process. In addition, the communication functions supported by the plurality of communication modules are different, so that the communication modules of the terminal can be flexibly configured according to the requirements of users on the communication functions, the configuration flexibility of the communication modules is improved, the cost of the terminal is further reduced, and the user experience is also improved.

Description

Communication module and terminal

This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application filed with the Chinese Patent Office, the application number is 201910684514.6, and the application name is "communication module and terminal" on July 26, 2019, the entire content of which is incorporated into this application by reference.

Technical field

The embodiments of the present application relate to communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication module and a terminal.

Background technique

The Internet of Vehicles is the Internet of Vehicles. It uses vehicles in motion as the object of information perception. With the help of on-board equipment on the vehicle, the vehicle and X (such as car and car, car and person, car and road, car and service platform, etc.) Inter-communication to improve the overall level of intelligent driving of vehicles, provide users with safe, comfortable, intelligent and efficient driving experience and traffic services, at the same time improve traffic operation efficiency, and enhance the intelligent level of social traffic services. It can be found that the Internet of Vehicles exhibits the following characteristics: Internet of Vehicles can provide protection for the distance between cars and reduce the probability of vehicle collisions; Internet of Vehicles can help car owners navigate in real time and communicate with other vehicles and network systems. Communication and improve the efficiency of traffic operation.

The vehicle-mounted terminal that realizes the communication of the Internet of Vehicles mainly includes a communication module, a backplane and an antenna. Among them, the communication module is used to provide communication functions for the vehicle terminal. At present, some in-vehicle terminals realize the communication function of multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard through a communication module, as well as the communication function of dual sim dual active (DSDA), which can better meet the needs of users for mobile networks . However, the realization of the above two communication functions through one communication module results in a large size of a single communication module, which is difficult to meet the requirements of the mounting process, and cannot meet the flexible needs of users for communication functions.

Therefore, how to set the communication module of the vehicle-mounted terminal is an urgent problem to be solved.

Summary of the invention

The embodiments of the present application provide a communication module and a terminal, which can meet the flexible requirements of users for the communication function of the terminal and the requirements of the mounting process of the communication module.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal, which includes: the terminal includes: a first communication module and a first antenna. Wherein, the first communication module includes: a baseband circuit, a first radio frequency integrated circuit, a first radio frequency front-end module circuit, a second radio frequency integrated circuit, and a calibration circuit.

The first receiving end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first transmitting end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit, and the first transmitting end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit. The second receiving end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the transmitting end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit, and the second transmitting end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the receiving end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit Connected, the common end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit is connected to the first antenna. The second receiving end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first transmitting end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, and the second transmitting end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit.

The first control terminal of the baseband circuit is connected to the control terminal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, the second control terminal of the baseband circuit is connected to the control terminal of the calibration circuit, and the second radio frequency integrated circuit receives The reference signal sending end is connected to the receiving end of the calibration circuit, and the power measuring end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the sending end of the calibration circuit. The baseband circuit is used to calibrate the received reference signal and the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit.

As a possible implementation manner, the terminal further includes: a second communication module and a second antenna. Wherein, the second communication module includes a second radio frequency front-end module circuit. The second receiving end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the transmitting end of the second radio frequency front-end module circuit, and the second transmitting end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the second radio frequency front-end module circuit. The receiving end is connected, the common end of the second radio frequency front-end module circuit is connected to the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit, and the second transceiver end of the calibration circuit is connected to the second antenna. The baseband circuit is also used to calibrate the transmission power parameter and the reception power parameter of the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit.

Optionally, there are multiple calibration circuits and second communication modules, and each calibration circuit corresponds to one second communication module.

Through the foregoing, the communication function of the terminal is split into multiple communication modules, among which one communication module is the main module and the remaining communication modules are sub-modules. The main module is provided with a BB circuit and an RFIC corresponding to the sub-module, and the sub-module does not need to set these circuits. In this way, when the terminal includes both the sub-module and the main module, the FEM circuit set on the sub-module and the BB circuit and RFIC set on the main module form a radio frequency path, thereby realizing the communication function of the sub-module and reducing the cost of the terminal. The size of a single communication module is also reduced, so that the communication module can meet the mounting process requirements. In addition, because the communication functions supported by multiple communication modules are different, the communication module of the terminal can be flexibly set according to the user's demand for communication functions, which improves the flexibility of communication module configuration and further reduces the cost of the terminal. It also improves the user experience.

As a possible implementation manner, the first communication module further includes a power management integrated circuit. The power management integrated circuit is used to supply power to the first communication module and the second communication module. In this way, the size of the second communication module can be further reduced, so that the total area of the communication modules on the terminal can be reduced, and the size of the backplane carrying the communication module on the terminal can be reduced, and the volume of the terminal can be reduced.

As a possible implementation manner, the first communication module further includes a storage circuit. The storage circuit is connected to the read-write terminal of the baseband circuit and can provide a storage function.

As a possible implementation, the baseband circuit can perform radio frequency calibration on the second radio frequency integrated circuit, or in other words, perform radio frequency calibration on the sub-module corresponding to the second radio frequency integrated circuit:

For received reference signal calibration: the baseband circuit may control the second RF integrated circuit to send the received reference signal with a preset transmit power to the calibration circuit according to the receiving frequency of the second RF integrated circuit, and obtain the The first mapping relationship between the received power of the received reference signal and the transmitted power of the second radio frequency integrated circuit.

For the calibration of received power parameters: the baseband circuit may control the second radio frequency integrated circuit to pass through the calibration circuit to send to the second radio frequency front-end module circuit corresponding to the preset transmit power according to the first mapping relationship The received reference signal after calibration. The second radio frequency integrated circuit may detect the received power of the calibrated received reference signal returned by the second radio frequency front-end module circuit. The baseband circuit may obtain the third mapping relationship between the transmit power and the receive power of the calibrated received reference signal.

Calibrate the power measurement reference: the signal source is connected to the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit. The signal source may send the power measurement reference signal to the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit according to the preset received power of the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit. The second radio frequency integrated circuit may receive the power measurement reference signal, and obtain the received power of the received power measurement reference signal. The baseband circuit may obtain the second mapping relationship between the transmit power and the received power of the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit.

For transmission power parameter calibration: the baseband circuit may control the second radio frequency integrated circuit to send the calibrated power measurement corresponding to the preset transmission power to the second radio frequency front-end module circuit according to the second mapping relationship Reference signal. The second radio frequency integrated circuit may detect the received power of the calibrated power measurement reference signal returned by the second radio frequency front-end module circuit through the calibration circuit. The baseband circuit may obtain a fourth mapping relationship between the transmit power and the received power of the calibrated power measurement reference signal.

After acquiring the foregoing first to fourth mapping relationships, when subsequent terminals perform communications, they may obtain the actually required power for signal processing according to the foregoing mapping relationships.

As a possible implementation manner, the calibration circuit may include: a first switch and a coupler. Wherein, the first terminal of the first switch is connected to the first terminal of the coupler, the second terminal of the first switch is grounded, and the third terminal of the first switch is the receiving terminal of the calibration circuit , The fourth terminal of the first switch is the second transceiver terminal of the calibration circuit. The second terminal of the coupler is the first transceiver terminal of the calibration circuit, the third terminal of the coupler is grounded, and the fourth terminal of the coupler is the transmitter terminal of the calibration circuit. Through the calibration circuit, the baseband circuit can perform radio frequency calibration on the second radio frequency integrated circuit, so that the sub-module corresponding to the second radio frequency integrated circuit can realize the communication function.

As a possible implementation manner, the second radio frequency integrated circuit may include: a sending unit, a mixer, an amplifier, and a second switch. The sending unit is connected to the first end of the second switch through the mixer and the amplifier in sequence, and the second end of the second switch is the receiving reference signal sending end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit The third terminal of the second switch is the second transmitting terminal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit. The sending unit is configured to provide a receiving reference signal when the path between the first terminal of the second switch and the second terminal of the second switch is turned on. Through the second radio frequency integrated circuit, the baseband circuit can perform radio frequency calibration on the second radio frequency integrated circuit, so that the submodule corresponding to the second radio frequency integrated circuit can realize the communication function.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication module. The communication module is a first communication module. The first communication module includes: a baseband circuit, a first radio frequency integrated circuit, a first radio frequency front-end module circuit, and a first radio frequency integrated circuit. 2. Radio frequency integrated circuits, and calibration circuits.

The first receiving end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first transmitting end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit, and the first transmitting end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit. The second receiving end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the transmitting end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit, and the second transmitting end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the receiving end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit Connected, the common end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit is connected to the first antenna of the terminal. The second receiving end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first transmitting end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, and the second transmitting end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit.

As a possible implementation, the second receiving end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the transmitting end of the second radio frequency front-end module circuit of the second communication module of the terminal, and the second radio frequency integrated circuit is The transmitting end is connected to the receiving end of the second radio frequency front-end module circuit, the common end of the second radio frequency front-end module circuit is connected to the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit, and the second transceiver end of the calibration circuit Connect with the second antenna. The baseband circuit is also used to calibrate the transmission power parameter and the reception power parameter of the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit.

As a possible implementation manner, there are multiple calibration circuits and second communication modules, and each calibration circuit corresponds to one second communication module.

As a possible implementation manner, the first communication module further includes a power management integrated circuit. The power management integrated circuit is used to supply power to the first communication module and the second communication module.

As a possible implementation manner, the first communication module further includes a storage circuit. The storage circuit is connected to the read-write terminal of the baseband circuit.

As a possible implementation manner, the calibration circuit may include: a first switch and a coupler. Wherein, the first terminal of the first switch is connected to the first terminal of the coupler, the second terminal of the first switch is grounded, and the third terminal of the first switch is the receiving terminal of the calibration circuit , The fourth terminal of the first switch is the second transceiver terminal of the calibration circuit. The second terminal of the coupler is the first transceiver terminal of the calibration circuit, the third terminal of the coupler is grounded, and the fourth terminal of the coupler is the transmitter terminal of the calibration circuit.

As a possible implementation manner, the second radio frequency integrated circuit may include: a sending unit, a mixer, an amplifier, and a second switch. The sending unit is connected to the first end of the second switch through the mixer and the amplifier in sequence, and the second end of the second switch is the receiving reference signal sending end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit The third terminal of the second switch is the second transmitting terminal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit. The sending unit is configured to provide a receiving reference signal when the path between the first terminal of the second switch and the second terminal of the second switch is turned on.

For the beneficial effects of the communication modules provided by the foregoing second aspect and each possible implementation manner of the second aspect, refer to the beneficial effects brought about by the foregoing first aspect and each possible implementation manner of the first aspect, which will not be added here. Repeat.

In the third aspect, its own embodiment also provides a radio frequency calibration method, which can be applied to the terminal provided by the foregoing first aspect and each possible implementation of the first aspect, and/or the foregoing second aspect and In the first communication module provided by each possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the method can calibrate the received reference signal and the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit.

As a possible implementation manner, the method may further include: calibrating the transmit power parameter and the received power parameter of the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit.

For example, according to the receiving frequency of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, the second radio frequency integrated circuit is controlled to send the received reference signal of the preset transmit power to the calibration circuit, and the received power of the received reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit and The first mapping relationship of transmit power.

For another example, according to the first mapping relationship, the second radio frequency integrated circuit is controlled to send the calibrated reception reference signal corresponding to the preset transmission power to the second radio frequency front-end module circuit through the calibration circuit. After the second radio frequency integrated circuit detects the received power of the calibrated receive reference signal returned by the second radio frequency front-end module circuit, obtain the first of the transmit power of the calibrated receive reference signal and the received power Three mapping relationships.

For another example, the signal source is connected to the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit, and the signal source measures the preset received power of the reference signal according to the power of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, and sends the signal to the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit. The radio frequency integrated circuit transmits the power measurement reference signal, and the second radio frequency integrated circuit receives the power measurement reference signal, and after obtaining the received power of the received power measurement reference signal, obtains the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit The second mapping relationship between the transmit power and the received power.

For another example, the second radio frequency integrated circuit may be controlled to send the calibrated power measurement reference signal corresponding to the preset transmit power to the second radio frequency front-end module circuit according to the second mapping relationship. After the second radio frequency integrated circuit detects the received power of the calibrated power measurement reference signal returned by the second radio frequency front-end module circuit through the calibration circuit, the calibrated power measurement reference signal is acquired The fourth mapping relationship between transmit power and receive power.

In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal, the terminal includes: a processor, a memory, a receiver, and a transmitter; the receiver and the transmitter are both coupled to the processor, and the processor Controlling the receiving action of the receiver, and the processor controlling the sending action of the transmitter;

Wherein, the memory is used to store computer executable program code, and the program code includes instructions; when the processor executes the instructions, the instructions cause the terminal to execute the methods provided in the third aspect or each possible implementation manner of the third aspect.

In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including a unit, module, or circuit for executing the method provided in the third aspect or each possible implementation manner of the third aspect. The communication device may be a terminal device or a module of the terminal device, for example, it may be a chip of the terminal device.

In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product containing instructions, which when run on a computer, cause the computer to execute the foregoing third aspect or the methods in various possible implementation manners of the third aspect.

In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium, which when run on a computer, cause the computer to execute the above third aspect or each of the third aspects. Methods in one possible implementation.

In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by the chip, the foregoing third aspect or various possible implementation manners of the third aspect are implemented Method in.

The embodiment of the present application provides a communication module and a terminal, through which the communication function of the terminal is split into multiple communication modules, in which one communication module is the main module, and the remaining communication modules are sub-modules. The main module is provided with a BB circuit and an RFIC corresponding to the sub module, and the sub module does not need to set these circuits. In this way, when the terminal includes both the sub-module and the main module, the FEM circuit set on the sub-module and the BB circuit and RFIC set on the main module form a radio frequency path, thereby realizing the communication function of the sub-module and reducing the cost of the terminal. The size of a single communication module is also reduced, so that the communication module can meet the mounting process requirements. In addition, because the communication functions supported by multiple communication modules are different, the communication module of the terminal can be flexibly set according to the user's demand for communication functions, which improves the flexibility of communication module configuration and further reduces the cost of the terminal. It also improves the user experience.

Description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a first structural diagram of an existing vehicle-mounted terminal;

Figure 2 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of an existing vehicle-mounted terminal;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided by an embodiment of the application;

4 is a schematic diagram of a calibration circuit provided by an embodiment of the application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an RFIC provided by an embodiment of the application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of another terminal provided by an embodiment of this application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a received reference signal calibration provided by an embodiment of this application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of MRX reference signal calibration provided by an embodiment of the application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a received power parameter calibration provided by an embodiment of this application;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a transmit power parameter calibration provided by an embodiment of the application.

Detailed ways

Fig. 1 is a first structural diagram of an existing vehicle-mounted terminal. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle-mounted terminal that realizes the Internet of Vehicles communication mainly includes a communication module, a base plate, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, and an antenna 3. Among them, the communication module includes: baseband (BB) chip, PMIC (power management integrated circuit, PMIC) chip, two radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chips (ie RFIC0 chip and RFIC1 chip), three RF front end module (FEM) chips (ie RF FEM0 chip, RF FEM1 chip and RF FEM2 chip), read-only memory (ROM), etc. It should be understood that in some embodiments, FEM can also be used directly to represent the radio frequency front-end module, and how to abbreviate the radio frequency front-end module does not affect the embodiments of the present application. In the following embodiments, FEM represents a radio frequency front-end module as an example.

The BB chip is used to synthesize the baseband signal to be transmitted or decode the received baseband signal. The BB circuit can be realized by a BB chip, for example.

The RFIC0 chip and the RFIC1 chip are used to convert the baseband signal to be transmitted into a radio frequency signal, or to convert the received radio frequency signal into a baseband signal.

The PMIC chip is used to supply power to the chip that needs to be powered on the communication module. It should be understood that the PMIC chip needs to be connected to each chip on the communication module that needs to be powered. For brevity, Figure 1 only illustrates the connection between the PMIC chip and the BB chip as an example.

The FEM0 chip, FEM1 chip and FEM2 chip are used to amplify and process the radio frequency signal to be transmitted by the antenna to improve the transmission efficiency of the antenna.

ROM, used to provide storage functions.

The BB chip, RFIC0 chip, FEM0 chip and antenna 0 form a radio frequency path, which is used to realize communication of communication standards other than the cellular vehicle to everything (C-V2X) communication standard in a multi-mode multi-frequency communication standard . For example, the following at least two communication systems: 2G communication system, 3G communication system, 4G communication system, 5G communication system, etc. BB chip, RFIC1 chip, FEM1 chip and antenna 1 form a radio frequency path, which is used to realize the communication of communication standards other than the C-V2X communication standard in another multi-mode multi-frequency communication standard, so that the communication module can have dual cards Dual sim dual active (DSDA) function. The BB chip, the RFIC1 chip, the FEM2 chip and the antenna 2 form a radio frequency path, which is used to realize the communication of the cellular vehicle to everything (C-V2X) communication system in the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication system.

From the above description, it can be seen that the communication module of the vehicle-mounted terminal shown in FIG. 1 has the function of supporting the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication system, and the communication function of DSDA, so as to better meet the needs of users for mobile networks. However, the realization of the above two communication functions through one communication module results in a large size of a single communication module, which is difficult to meet the requirements of the mounting process. For example, when the communication module is installed on the bottom plate of the vehicle terminal by welding, due to the large size of the communication module, it is easy to bend and deform during welding and heating, which causes the communication module to be unable to adhere to the bottom plate (that is, it cannot be shared. Surface), poor soldering occurs, which cannot meet the requirements of the placement process.

In addition, different users may have different requirements for the communication function of the vehicle terminal. For example, some users may require vehicle-mounted terminals to only support functions of communication standards other than the C-V2X communication standard in the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standards, and some users may need vehicle-mounted terminals to support DSDA functions, resulting in the above-mentioned figure 1 The communication module cannot meet the flexible needs of users.

Taking these problems into consideration, the prior art provides another way of implementing the communication module. The communication module A and/or the communication module B can be installed according to the user's requirements for the communication function of the vehicle-mounted terminal. Figure 2 is a second structural diagram of a conventional vehicle-mounted terminal. As shown in FIG. 2, a vehicle-mounted terminal including a communication module A and a communication module B is taken as an example. Among them, the communication module A includes: BB0 chip, PMIC0 chip, RFIC0 chip, FEM0 chip, ROM0 and so on. Communication module B includes: BB1 chip, PMIC1 chip, RFIC1 chip, FEM1 chip, FEM2 chip, and ROM1, etc. The PMIC0 chip is used to supply power to the chips on the communication module A that need to be powered. The PMIC1 chip is used to supply power to the chips on the communication module B that need to be powered. For the function of each chip, please refer to the introduction of each chip in Figure 1.

The BB0 chip, the RFIC0 chip, the FEM0 chip and the antenna 0 form a radio frequency path, which is used to implement communication in a multi-mode multi-frequency communication system other than the C-V2X communication system. BB1 chip, RFIC1 chip, FEM1 chip and antenna 1 form a radio frequency path, which is used to realize the communication of communication standards other than C-V2X communication standard in another multi-mode multi-frequency communication standard, so that the communication module can have DSDA Features. The BB1 chip, the RFIC1 chip, the FEM2 chip and the antenna 2 form a radio frequency path, which is used to realize the communication of the C-V2X communication system in the multi-mode multi-frequency communication system.

From the above description, it can be seen that communication module A has the communication function of supporting communication standards other than the C-V2X communication standard in the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard, and communication module B has the communication function of supporting the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard. Communication module A Together with the communication module B, it can realize the function of multi-mode and multi-frequency communication system, as well as the function of DSDA. In this way, the communication module A and/or the communication module B can be installed according to the user's requirements for the communication function of the vehicle-mounted terminal. For example, when some users may require a vehicle-mounted terminal to only support communication functions of communication standards other than the C-V2X communication standard in the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard, only the communication module A can be installed. Or, when some users may need the vehicle-mounted terminal to support the DSDA function, communication module A and communication module B can be installed.

For communication module A and communication module B, the chips included in each communication module are less than those of the communication module shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, the size of a single communication module is smaller than that of the communication module shown in FIG. Meet the requirements of the placement process. However, since both communication modules are provided with BB chips, ROM and PMIC chips, etc., the total area of the two communication modules is relatively large. When the vehicle-mounted terminal includes the communication module A and the communication module B, a larger base plate is required to carry it, resulting in a larger volume of the vehicle-mounted terminal and a higher cost of the vehicle-mounted terminal.

That is to say, although the setting method of the communication module shown in FIG. 2 above can meet the requirements of the mounting process, it can also meet the needs of different users for different communication functions of the vehicle terminal. However, the size of the on-board terminal is likely to be large, and the cost of the on-board terminal is relatively high, which still cannot meet the needs of actual use.

In consideration of the foregoing problems, an embodiment of the present application provides an implementation manner of a communication module, which splits the communication function into multiple communication modules. Compared with the implementation of the communication module shown in FIG. 2, among the multiple communication modules involved in the embodiment of the present application, one communication module is the primary module, and the remaining communication modules are secondary modules. The communication module as the main module is provided with BB circuits and the corresponding RFIC of the sub-module, while the communication module as the sub-module does not need to be provided with these circuits. In this way, when the terminal includes both the sub-module and the main module, the FEM circuit set on the sub-module and the BB circuit and RFIC set on the main module form a radio frequency path, so as to realize the communication function of the sub-module, and there is no need to separate the sub-module. The BB circuit and RFIC are installed on it, which reduces the cost of the terminal and also reduces the size of a single communication module, so that the communication module can meet the mounting process requirements. In addition, since the communication functions supported by multiple communication modules are different, the communication module of the terminal can be flexibly set according to the user's requirements for the communication function.

It should be understood that the terminal involved in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as a terminal, terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), and so on. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver functions, virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, augmented reality (Augmented Reality, AR) terminal devices, industrial control (industrial control) Wireless terminals in ), wireless terminals in self-driving (also called vehicle-mounted terminals), wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grid, transportation Wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes.

The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below through some embodiments. The following embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided by an embodiment of the application. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal may include: a first communication module and a first antenna. The first communication module can be used as the main module of the terminal, including: a BB circuit, a first RFIC, a first FEM circuit, a second RFIC, and a calibration circuit. Wherein, the BB circuit is used to synthesize the baseband signal to be transmitted or decode the received baseband signal. The first RFIC and the second RFIC are used to convert a baseband signal to be transmitted into a radio frequency signal, or to convert a received radio frequency signal into a baseband signal. The first FEM circuit is used to amplify and process the radio frequency signal to be transmitted by the antenna.

The first receiving end of the BB circuit is connected to the first sending end of the first RFIC, the first sending end of the BB circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the first RFIC, and the The second receiving end is connected to the transmitting end of the first FEM, the second transmitting end of the first RFIC is connected to the receiving end of the first FEM, and the common end of the first FEM is connected to the first antenna connection. In this way, the BB circuit, the first RFIC, the first FEM circuit, and the first antenna form a radio frequency path (referred to as the first radio frequency path) for implementing a communication function of the terminal. Taking the terminal as an in-vehicle terminal as an example, the first radio frequency path can realize the communication function of a communication standard other than the C-V2X communication standard in the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard, or can realize the communication function of the C-V2X communication standard. .

The second receiving end of the BB circuit is connected to the first sending end of the second RFIC, and the second sending end of the BB circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the second RFIC. When a secondary module (that is, a second communication module) is subsequently connected to the main module, the BB circuit, the second RFIC and the secondary module can jointly realize the communication function of the secondary module. Taking the terminal as a vehicle-mounted terminal as an example, it is assumed that the first communication module implements the communication functions of communication standards other than the C-V2X communication standard in the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard (also can be called the first radio frequency channel to achieve multi-mode and multi-frequency communication. If the communication function of the communication standard other than the C-V2X communication standard in the frequency communication standard), the second communication module realizes the communication function of the C-V2X communication standard, or realizes the communication function of the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard except C-V2X communication The communication function of the communication standard outside the standard is to realize the communication function of DSDA together with the first communication module.

Due to hardware deviations between devices on the communication module, deviations in the radio frequency receiving and transmitting parameters of the communication module will occur. Therefore, it is usually necessary to perform radio frequency calibration on the communication module before it leaves the factory. In this embodiment, in order to ensure that radio frequency calibration can be performed on the secondary module that no longer has the BB circuit and RFIC, the first communication module as the main module is also provided with a calibration circuit. The first control terminal of the BB circuit of the first communication module is connected to the control terminal of the second RFIC, the second control terminal of the BB circuit is connected to the control terminal of the calibration circuit, and the control terminal of the second RFIC The receiving end of the reference signal is connected to the receiving end of the calibration circuit, and the power measurement (RX, MRX) end of the second RFIC is connected to the sending end of the calibration circuit. The BB circuit of the first communication module can calibrate the received reference signal and the MRX reference signal of the second RFIC through the calibration circuit.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, optionally, when a second communication module as a secondary module is installed on the terminal according to user requirements for communication functions, the terminal may further include: a second communication module and a second antenna. Wherein, the second communication module includes: a second FEM. The second receiving end of the second RFIC is connected to the sending end of the second FEM, the second sending end of the second RFIC is connected to the receiving end of the second FEM, and the common end of the second FEM It is connected to the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit, and the second transceiver end of the calibration circuit is connected to the second antenna. The BB circuit, the second RFIC, the second FEM circuit, the calibration circuit, and the second antenna can form a radio frequency path (referred to as a second radio frequency path for short) for realizing the communication function of the sub-module.

After the second communication module as the secondary module is installed on the terminal, the BB circuit of the first communication module can also calibrate the transmit power parameter and the receive power parameter of the second RFIC through the calibration circuit. In this way, through two calibrations before and after, the radio frequency calibration of the second radio frequency path corresponding to the secondary module can be completed to ensure that when the terminal communicates through the secondary module, the power of the signal transmitted through the second radio frequency path meets the communication requirements.

It should be understood that the first radio frequency path on the above-mentioned first communication module also needs to perform radio frequency calibration accordingly, but because the first communication module itself is provided with all the circuits on the first radio frequency path (ie BB circuit, RFIC and first FEM) Therefore, the first communication module can directly complete the radio frequency calibration before leaving the factory. This part of the content can refer to the radio frequency calibration method of the communication module in the prior art, which will not be repeated here.

In addition, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a second communication module as an example. It can be understood that the number of the above-mentioned second communication modules can be determined by splitting the communication functions of the terminal into several communication modules. Taking the terminal as the aforementioned vehicle-mounted terminal shown in FIG. 2 as an example, the communication function of the vehicle-mounted terminal can be split into three communication modules. 1 first communication module (namely the main module), 2 second communication modules (namely the sub-module). For example, the first communication module is used to realize the communication function of the communication standard except the C-V2X communication standard in the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard, one second communication module realizes the communication function of the C-V2X communication standard, and the other second communication module realizes the communication function of the C-V2X communication standard. The communication module realizes the communication function of the communication standard except the C-V2X communication standard in the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard, so as to realize the communication function of DSDA together with the first communication module.

It should be noted that when the communication function of the terminal is split into multiple second communication modules, the first communication module as the main module needs to be equipped with a calibration circuit corresponding to each second communication module to calibrate the Radio frequency parameters of the second communication module. Correspondingly, regarding the RFIC part, the multiple second communication modules may share one second RFIC, or at least two RFICs may be provided according to actual conditions, which is not limited.

Optionally, the first communication module and the second communication module may be respectively provided with PMICs for power supply. Alternatively, only the PMIC is provided on the first communication module, and the PMIC not only supplies power to the circuit on the first communication module, but also needs to supply power to the circuit on the second communication module. For example, power the FEM circuit on the second communication module. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of only setting the PMIC on the first communication module as an example. The schematic diagram only illustrates the connection of the PMIC with the BB circuit and the storage circuit. However, those skilled in the art can understand that, in this example, the PMIC needs to be connected to the circuits of the first communication module and the second communication module that require power supply. For example, the PMIC is connected to the circuits requiring power supply through the power supply ports of the circuits requiring power supply on the first communication module and the second communication module, and provides the required voltages for the circuits requiring power supply. In this way, the size of the second communication module can be further reduced, so that the total area of the communication modules on the terminal can be reduced, thereby reducing the size of the backplane carrying the communication module on the terminal and reducing the volume of the terminal.

Optionally, the first communication module further includes: a storage circuit, which is connected to the read-write terminal of the BB circuit and is used to provide a storage function.

The following describes in detail how to calibrate the radio frequency parameters of the second radio frequency path corresponding to the secondary module.

1. Reference signal calibration

The calibration of the reference signal can be performed when the first communication module is not yet installed on the bottom plate of the terminal. That is, when the terminal has not been assembled using the first communication module, calibration of the reference signal can be performed. Among them, the reference signal calibration includes: receiving reference signal calibration and MRX reference signal calibration. The implementation can be as follows:

1. Receiving reference signal calibration

When calibrating the received reference signal, the BB circuit can control the RX_CAL transmitting end of the second RFIC to communicate with the receiving end of the calibration circuit. At the same time, the tester will connect the measuring device to the first transceiver of the calibration circuit.

The BB circuit is specifically configured to control the second RFIC to send a received reference signal with a preset transmit power to the calibration circuit according to the receiving frequency of the second RFIC. At this time, the measuring device can measure the received power of the received reference signal sent by the second RFIC at the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit, and then the received power of the received reference signal of the second RFIC and the first transmit power of the received reference signal can be obtained. Mapping relations. The first mapping relationship can be input to the BB circuit by the tester, and then stored in the storage circuit by the BB circuit. Alternatively, the first mapping relationship may be directly input to the storage circuit for storage by the tester, and the subsequent BB circuit may obtain the first mapping relationship from the storage circuit.

It should be understood that when calibrating the received reference signal, it is necessary to obtain the first mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point at each frequency point that the second communication module corresponding to the second RFIC needs to use when implementing the communication function. That is to say, the second communication module needs to use several frequency points, and will obtain the first mapping relationship corresponding to the several frequency points.

2. MRX reference signal calibration

When calibrating the MRX reference signal, an external signal source capable of transmitting signals is required. The signal source can be connected to the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit, and the BB circuit can control the MRX end of the second RFIC and the transmitter end of the calibration circuit to communicate.

The signal source may send the MRX reference signal to the second RFIC through the calibration circuit according to the preset received power of the MRX reference signal of the second RFIC. After receiving the MRX reference signal, the second RFIC can obtain the received power of the received MRX reference signal.

The BB circuit is specifically configured to obtain a second mapping relationship between the transmit power and the received power of the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit. The second mapping relationship can be input to the BB circuit by the tester, and then stored in the storage circuit by the BB circuit. Alternatively, the second mapping relationship may be directly input by the tester to the storage circuit for storage, and the subsequent BB circuit may obtain the second mapping relationship from the storage circuit.

It should be understood that when calibrating the received reference signal, it is necessary to obtain the second mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point at each frequency point that the second communication module corresponding to the second RFIC needs to use when implementing the communication function. In other words, the second communication module needs to use several frequency points, and then obtains the second mapping relationship corresponding to the several frequency points.

Part 2: Power parameter calibration

After the first communication module and the second communication module are installed on the base plate of the terminal, that is, after the terminal is assembled using the first communication module and the second communication module, the power parameter of the second communication module can be performed after the terminal is powered on. calibration. Power parameter calibration includes: receive power parameter calibration and transmit power parameter calibration. The implementation can be as follows:

1. Receiving power parameter calibration

When calibrating the received power parameter, the BB circuit can control the RX_CAL transmitting end of the second RFIC to communicate with the receiving end of the calibration circuit. At this time, the BB circuit may control the second RFIC to send the calibrated reception reference signal corresponding to the preset transmission power to the second FEM circuit through the calibration circuit according to the first mapping relationship. The second RFIC detects the received power of the calibrated received reference signal returned by the second FEM circuit. The BB circuit may obtain the third mapping relationship between the transmit power and the receive power of the calibrated received reference signal. The third mapping relationship may be stored in the storage circuit by the BB circuit.

It should be understood that when the received power parameter is calibrated, it is necessary to calibrate the received power parameter of each frequency point at each frequency point that the second communication module corresponding to the second RFIC needs to use when implementing the communication function.

2. Transmit power parameter calibration

When calibrating the transmission power parameter, the BB circuit can control the communication between the MRX end of the second RFIC and the transmitting end of the calibration circuit. At this time, the BB circuit may control the second RFIC to send the calibrated MRX reference signal corresponding to the preset transmission power to the second FEM circuit according to the second mapping relationship. The second RFIC may detect the received power of the calibrated MRX reference signal returned by the second FEM circuit through the calibration circuit. The BB circuit is specifically configured to obtain the fourth mapping relationship between the transmit power and the receive power of the calibrated MRX reference signal. The fourth mapping relationship can be stored in the storage circuit by the BB circuit.

It should be understood that when calibrating the received power parameters, it is necessary to calibrate the received power parameters and transmit power of each frequency point at each frequency point that the second communication module corresponding to the second RFIC needs to use when implementing the communication function. parameter. For the method of calibrating the received power parameter and the transmission power parameter of each frequency point, please refer to the above-mentioned about the calibration of the transmission power parameter and the calibration of the received power parameter.

Through the above method, the radio frequency calibration of the second radio frequency path corresponding to the second communication module can be completed. When the subsequent terminal communicates, it can obtain the actually required power for signal processing according to the above mapping relationship to ensure that the terminal is passing through the secondary When the module communicates, the power of the signal transmitted through the second radio frequency path meets the communication requirements. In addition, by splitting the radio frequency calibration work into two parts, one part is completed before the first communication module is installed on the base plate of the terminal, that is, completed on the production line of the first communication module, and the other part is completed in the first communication module. The module and the second communication module are both installed on the bottom plate of the terminal, which is performed after the terminal is assembled, so that the radio frequency calibration time on the production line can be shortened.

It should be understood that the above-mentioned radio frequency calibration of the second communication module includes but is not limited to the above-mentioned calibration content, and may also involve the calibration of other radio frequency parameters. The calibration of other radio frequency parameters can be implemented by using the calibration methods listed in the foregoing embodiments. For example, a part of the calibration work is completed before the first communication module is installed on the base plate of the terminal, and another part of the calibration work is completed after the first communication module and the second communication module are both installed on the base plate of the terminal. The implementation principle is similar. This will not be repeated here.

The calibration circuit involved in the aforementioned first communication module may be an existing circuit with a calibration function. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a calibration circuit provided by an embodiment of the application. As shown in FIG. 4, optionally, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned calibration circuit may include: a first switch S1 and a coupler. Wherein, the first terminal A of the first switch S1 is connected to the first terminal M of the coupler, the second terminal D of the first switch S1 is grounded, and the third terminal C of the first switch S1 is The receiving terminal of the calibration circuit and the fourth terminal B of the first switch S1 are the second transceiver terminal of the calibration circuit. The second terminal N of the coupler is the first transceiver terminal of the calibration circuit, the third terminal X of the coupler is grounded, and the fourth terminal Y of the coupler is the transmitting terminal of the calibration circuit. Optionally, the second terminal D of the first switch S1 may be grounded through a resistor R1, and/or, the third terminal X of the coupler may be grounded through a resistor R2. Grounding by resistance can realize circuit matching and avoid the situation that the pin is floating. The sizes of R1 and R2 can be set according to actual needs.

The first RFIC involved in the above-mentioned first communication module may be any existing circuit with radio frequency function, and the second RFIC may be any existing circuit with radio frequency function, as well as sending and receiving reference signals. Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an RFIC provided by an embodiment of the application. As shown in FIG. 5, optionally, as a possible implementation manner, the second RFIC includes: a sending unit, a mixer, an amplifier, and a second switch S2. The sending unit is connected to the first end E of the second switch S2 through the mixer and the amplifier in turn, and the second end F of the second switch S2 is the RX_CAL sending end of the second RFIC The third terminal G of the second switch S2 is the second transmitting terminal of the second RFIC. Wherein, the sending unit is configured to provide a receiving reference signal when the path between the first terminal E of the second switch S2 and the second terminal F of the second switch S2 is turned on.

Optionally, the second RFIC may further include: an MRX unit, configured to receive the MRX reference signal and detect the received power of the received MRX reference signal. In this example, the receiving end of the MRX unit is the MRX end of the second RFIC.

Optionally, the second RFIC may further include: a receiving unit, configured to receive and process radio frequency signals received on the second radio frequency path. In this example, the receiving end of the receiving unit is the second receiving end of the second RFIC.

The following uses a specific example to describe the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of another terminal provided by an embodiment of the application. As shown in Figure 6, the terminal is a vehicle-mounted terminal, and the communication function of the vehicle-mounted terminal includes: the communication function of the multi-mode and multi-frequency communication standard, and the communication function of the DSDA. In this example, the communication function of the vehicle-mounted terminal is split into three communication modules, which are communication module A, communication module B, and communication module C.

Communication module A is the main module, including: BB circuit, RFIC0, FEM0 circuit, RFIC1, calibration circuit 1, calibration circuit 2, PMIC circuit and storage circuit. Among them, the connection relationship of each circuit can be referred to the introduction of the foregoing embodiment, which will not be repeated here. The BB circuit, RFIC0 circuit, FEM0 circuit of the communication module A and the antenna 0 of the vehicle terminal form a radio frequency channel (referred to as the radio frequency channel 1), which is used to realize the communication system in the multi-mode multi-frequency communication system except the C-V2X communication system Communication function. For example, the following at least two communication systems: 2G communication system, 3G communication system, 4G communication system, 5G communication system, etc.

As a possible implementation manner, the function of the above-mentioned BB circuit may be realized by a BB chip, RFIC0 and RFIC1 may be the RFIC shown in FIG. 5, and the functions of RFIC0 and RFIC1 may be realized by an RFIC chip, for example. The calibration circuit 1 and the calibration circuit 2 may be as shown in FIG. 4, and the functions of the calibration circuit 1 and the calibration circuit 2 may be implemented by, for example, a calibration chip. The function of the PMIC circuit can be realized by, for example, a PMIC chip, and the function of the storage circuit can be realized by, for example, a ROM. The FEM0 circuit may include, for example, a power amplifier (PA), a low noise amplifier (LNA), a duplexer/filter, an antenna switch, and other radio frequency front-end devices. The connection relationship of each device can be referred to the prior art , I won’t repeat it here. The function of the FEM0 circuit can be realized by an FEM chip, for example.

Communication module B is a sub-module, including FEM1 circuit. The BB circuit, RFIC1 circuit, calibration circuit 1, FEM1 circuit, and the antenna 1 of the vehicle terminal of the communication module A form a radio frequency path (referred to as the radio frequency path 2), which is used to realize the multi-mode multi-frequency communication system except for the C-V2X communication system. The communication function of the external communication standard. The FEM1 circuit may include, for example, radio frequency front-end devices such as PA, LNA, duplexer/filter, antenna switch, etc. The connection relationship of each device can be referred to the prior art, which will not be repeated here. The function of the FEM1 circuit can be realized by an FEM chip, for example.

Communication module C is a sub-module, including FEM2 circuit. The BB circuit of the communication module A, the RFIC1 circuit, the calibration circuit 2, the FEM2 circuit and the antenna 2 of the vehicle terminal form a radio frequency path (referred to as the radio frequency path 3), which is used to realize the communication function of the C-V2X communication standard. The FEM2 circuit may include, for example, radio frequency front-end devices such as PA, LNA, filter, antenna switch, etc. The connection relationship of each device can be referred to the prior art, which will not be repeated here. The function of the FEM2 circuit can be realized by an FEM chip, for example.

In addition to supplying power for the BB circuit, RFIC0, FEM0 circuit, RFIC1, calibration circuit 1, calibration circuit 2, and storage circuit, the PMIC of communication module A also needs to supply power for the FEM1 circuit and the FEM2 circuit.

When the communication module A as the main module is installed on the baseboard of the vehicle terminal according to the needs of the user, the communication module B and/or the communication module C as the sub-module can also be installed on the baseboard, the communication module as the main module A can control the communication module B and/or the communication module C as the sub-module to provide communication functions, and control the communication module B and/or the communication module C as the sub-module to complete the radio frequency calibration, so that the communication module B and/or the communication module C Meet the communication requirements. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of an example where the communication module A, the communication module B, and the communication module C are installed on the bottom plate of the vehicle terminal. It should be understood that, in order to make the drawings intuitive and concise, FIG. 6 simply shows the connection mode of the communication module A and the communication module B, and the connection mode of the communication module A and the communication module C, and the communication module A and the communication module B For the specific connection mode of the communication module A and the communication module C, refer to the connection mode of the first communication module and the second communication module described above, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the connection between the communication module A and the communication module B, as well as the connection between the communication module A and the communication module C, may be realized by wiring on the bottom plate of the vehicle-mounted terminal. For example, the wiring on the backplane connects the power supply terminal, control terminal, and radio frequency terminal (that is, the port for sending and receiving radio frequency signals) of the main module and the sub-module.

The above-mentioned communication module A can be installed on the bottom plate of the vehicle terminal, for example, before the communication module A leaves the factory, the radio frequency calibration of the radio frequency path 1 can be completed on the production line of the communication module A, and the MRX reference required by the sub-module Signal calibration and calibration of the received reference signal.

The following uses communication module A and communication module B as examples to introduce how to calibrate the MRX reference signal and the calibration of the received reference signal required by the communication module B.

Receiving reference signal calibration part:

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a received reference signal calibration provided by an embodiment of the application. As shown in Figure 7, a calibration circuit 1 and a test point TP (that is, the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit 1) are added to the communication module A as the main module. For the introduction of the calibration circuit 1, please refer to the introduction shown in Figure 4 . For the introduction of the RFIC1 circuit on the communication module A, refer to the introduction shown in Figure 5 above.

When calibrating the received reference signal, the BB circuit of the communication module A can control the connection between the E terminal and the F terminal of the switch S2 of the RFIC1, and control the connection between the A terminal and the C terminal of the switch S1 of the calibration circuit 1. At the same time, the tester connects the measuring equipment (ie, the spectrum analyzer) to the test point TP to form the path shown by the dashed line in Figure 7.

Taking the operating frequency point B1 as an example, the tester can configure the control word corresponding to each receiving frequency of B1 in the BB circuit, so that the BB circuit can control the RFIC1 by sending the control word corresponding to each receiving frequency to RFIC1 The transmitting unit transmits to the calibration circuit 1 a reception reference signal with a preset transmission power. The preset transmit power is equal to the receive power corresponding to the control word. At this time, the spectrum analyzer can measure the actual received power of the received reference signal sent by RFIC1 at the TP end, and the first mapping relationship between the received power of the received reference signal and the transmitted power of RFIC1 can be obtained.

For example, the BB circuit may send the control word APC0 to RFIC1 to control the sending unit of RFIC1 to send the receiving reference signal corresponding to the power of APC0 to the calibration circuit 1. Correspondingly, the spectrum analyzer can measure the actual received power of the received reference signal sent by RFIC1 at the TP port as P0, which is recorded as (APC0, P0). The receiving power corresponding to APC0 is the same as the transmitting power of the receiving reference signal sent by the transmitting unit of RFIC1, so the control word can also indicate the transmitting power. Correspondingly, (APC0, P0) can also be regarded as the mapping relationship between the received power and the transmitted power of the received reference signal.

Then, the BB circuit can send the control word APC1 to RFIC1 to control the sending unit of RFIC1 to send the receiving reference signal corresponding to the power of APC1 to the calibration circuit 1. Correspondingly, the spectrum analyzer can measure the actual received power of the received reference signal sent by RFIC1 at the TP port as P1, which is recorded as (APC1, P1). By analogy, the first mapping relationship between the received power and the transmit power of the received reference signal of RFIC1 can be obtained. The first mapping relationship may be as follows, for example: {(APC0, P0), (APC1, P1)...}. The first mapping relationship can be input to the BB circuit by the tester, and stored in the storage circuit by the BB circuit. Alternatively, the first mapping relationship may be directly input to the storage circuit for storage by the tester, and the subsequent BB circuit may obtain the first mapping relationship from the storage circuit. So far, the calibration of the received reference signal is completed.

It should be understood that when calibrating the received reference signal, it is necessary to obtain the first mapping relationship corresponding to each frequency point that the communication module B needs to use when implementing the communication function. Taking communication module B needs to use the frequency point where the 2G communication standard is located, the frequency point where the 3G communication standard is located, the frequency point where the 4G communication standard is located, and the frequency point where the 5G communication standard is located as an example, in this example, the above-mentioned The first mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 2G communication standard is located, the first mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 3G communication standard is located, the first mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 4G communication standard is located, and the 5G communication The first mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the standard is located.

MRX reference signal calibration part:

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an MRX reference signal calibration provided by an embodiment of the application. As shown in Figure 8, when calibrating the MRX reference signal, an external signal source capable of transmitting signals is required. The signal source can be connected to the calibration circuit 1 through the test point TP, and the BB circuit can control the A terminal and the D terminal of the switch S1 of the calibration circuit 1 to be connected. Since the D terminal is grounded through a resistor (for example, 50 ohms), the signal source can form a path shown by a dotted line in FIG. 8 with the MRX unit of the RFIC1 through the coupler.

The signal source may send the MRX reference signal to the RFIC1 through the calibration circuit 1 according to the preset received power of the MRX reference signal of the RFIC1. After the RFIC1 receives the MRX reference signal, it can obtain the received power of the received MRX reference signal. Take MRX including multiple gears as an example. Each gear requires different power and is used to process signals that require different gains. In this example, the signal source can input the MRX reference signal of the power required by each gear of the MRX to the TP. After receiving the MRX reference signal corresponding to the current gear, the RFIC1 can obtain the received power of the received MRX reference signal.

Taking the working frequency B1 as an example, the signal source can input the MRX reference signal of the power A0 required by the MRX gear 0 of the working frequency B1 to the TP. After the RFIC1 receives the MRX reference signal corresponding to the current gear 0, it can obtain the received power M0 of the received MRX reference signal, which is recorded as (DAC0, M0). Among them, DAC0 can be the control word corresponding to power A0. Then, the signal source can input the MRX reference signal of the power A1 required by the MRX gear 1 of the working frequency B1 to the TP. After the RFIC1 receives the MRX reference signal corresponding to the current gear 1, it can obtain the received power M1 of the received MRX reference signal, which is recorded as (DAC1, M1). By analogy, the second mapping relationship between the transmit power and the receive power of the MRX reference signal of RFIC1 corresponding to the working frequency point B1 can be obtained. The second mapping relationship may be as follows, for example: {(DAC0, M0), (DAC1, M1)...}. The second mapping relationship can be input to the BB circuit by the tester. Alternatively, the second mapping relationship may be directly input by the tester to the storage circuit for storage, and the subsequent BB circuit may obtain the second mapping relationship from the storage circuit. So far, the calibration of the MRX reference signal is completed. The second mapping relationship may also be stored in the form of a table. When stored in the form of a table, the second mapping relationship may also be referred to as an MRX reference signal parameter table.

It should be understood that when calibrating the MRX reference signal, it is necessary to obtain the second mapping relationship corresponding to each frequency point that the communication module B needs to use when implementing the communication function. Taking communication module B needs to use the frequency point where the 2G communication standard is located, the frequency point where the 3G communication standard is located, the frequency point where the 4G communication standard is located, and the frequency point where the 5G communication standard is located as an example, in this example, the above-mentioned The second mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 2G communication standard is located, the second mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 3G communication standard is located, the second mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 4G communication standard is located, and the 5G communication The second mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the standard is located.

After the calibration of the received reference signal and the calibration of the MRX reference signal are completed, the communication module A as the main module and the communication module B as the auxiliary module are subsequently installed on the backplane of the vehicle terminal. After the vehicle terminal is assembled and powered on , The BB circuit of the communication module A as the main module can control the sub-module to complete the received power parameter calibration and the transmit power parameter calibration. The implementation method may be as follows:

Receiving power parameter calibration part:

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a received power parameter calibration provided by an embodiment of the application. As shown in Figure 9, when the received power parameter is calibrated, the BB circuit of the communication module A can control the E terminal of the switch S2 of the RFIC1 to connect with the F terminal, and the A terminal of the switch S1 of the calibration circuit 1 to connect with the C terminal. The path shown by the broken line in FIG. 9 is formed.

The BB circuit may control the RFIC1 to send the calibrated reception reference signal corresponding to the preset transmission power to the FEM1 circuit through the calibration circuit 1 according to the first mapping relationship. The RFIC1 detects the received power of the calibrated received reference signal returned by the FEM1 circuit. The BB circuit can thus obtain the third mapping relationship between the calibrated transmission power of the received reference signal and the received power.

Taking the first mapping relationship corresponding to the operating frequency point B1 as {(APC0, P0), (APC1, P1)...} as an example, in this example, the BB circuit can control all the components according to the first mapping relationship. The sending unit of the RFIC1 sends a calibrated received reference signal with a power of P0 to the FEM1 circuit through the calibration circuit 1. The receiving unit of the RFIC1 may detect the received power RSSI0 of the calibrated received reference signal returned by the FEM1 circuit, and record it as (APC0, RSSI0, P0). According to the same method, the mapping relationship between each transmission power and the received power of the calibrated received reference signal can be obtained, thereby obtaining the third mapping relationship. The third mapping relationship may be as follows, for example {(APC0, RSSI0, P0), (APC1, RSSI1, P1)...}. The third mapping relationship can be stored in the storage circuit by the BB circuit. So far, the calibration of the received power parameters is completed.

It should be understood that when the received power parameter is calibrated, it is necessary to obtain the third mapping relationship corresponding to each frequency point that the communication module B needs to use when implementing the communication function. Taking communication module B needs to use the frequency point where the 2G communication standard is located, the frequency point where the 3G communication standard is located, the frequency point where the 4G communication standard is located, and the frequency point where the 5G communication standard is located as an example, in this example, the above-mentioned The third mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 2G communication standard is located, the third mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 3G communication standard is located, the third mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 4G communication standard is located, and the 5G communication The third mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the standard is located.

Transmission power parameter calibration part:

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a transmit power parameter calibration provided by an embodiment of the application. As shown in Figure 10, when the transmission power parameter is calibrated, the BB circuit of the communication module A can control the E terminal of the switch S2 of the RFIC1 to connect with the G terminal, and control the A terminal of the switch S1 of the calibration circuit 1 to connect with the D terminal. The path shown by the broken line in FIG. 10 is formed.

The BB circuit may control the RFIC1 to send the calibrated MRX reference signal corresponding to the preset transmission power to the FEM1 circuit according to the second mapping relationship. The RFIC1 can detect the received power of the calibrated MRX reference signal returned by the FEM1 circuit through the calibration circuit 1. The BB circuit is specifically configured to obtain the fourth mapping relationship between the transmit power and the receive power of the calibrated MRX reference signal.

Taking the second mapping relationship corresponding to the working frequency point B1 as an example, the BB circuit can send the control word DAC0 to RFIC1 to control the sending unit of RFIC1 to send the calibrated MRX reference signal corresponding to the power of DAC0 to the calibration circuit 1. The transmitting end of RFIC1 outputs the PA and duplexer of communication module B, and returns to the MRX end of RFIC1 through the coupler of calibration circuit 1, and the MRX unit of RFIC1 reads the power MR0 of the MRX reference signal. Through the second mapping relationship corresponding to the operating frequency point B1, the actual transmit power value M0 corresponding to DAC0 can be obtained, which is recorded as (DAC0, MR0, M0). According to the same method, all the control words in the second mapping relationship are traversed to obtain the fourth mapping relationship. The fourth mapping relationship may be as follows, for example: {(DAC0, MR0, M0), (DAC1, MR0, M1)...}. The fourth mapping relationship may be stored in the storage circuit by the BB circuit. So far, the calibration of the transmit power parameters is completed.

After the first to fourth mapping relationships are acquired, when subsequent terminals communicate at this frequency point, they can obtain the actual power required for signal processing according to the foregoing mapping relationships, so as to ensure that the terminal is in communication through the communication module B. When the provided communication function performs communication, the power of the signal transmitted through the second radio frequency path meets the communication requirement.

It should be understood that when the transmission power parameter is calibrated, it is necessary to obtain the fourth mapping relationship corresponding to each frequency point that the communication module B needs to use when implementing the communication function. Taking communication module B needs to use the frequency point where the 2G communication standard is located, the frequency point where the 3G communication standard is located, the frequency point where the 4G communication standard is located, and the frequency point where the 5G communication standard is located as an example, in this example, the above-mentioned The fourth mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 2G communication standard is located, the fourth mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 3G communication standard is located, the fourth mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the 4G communication standard is located, and 5G communication The fourth mapping relationship corresponding to the frequency point where the standard is located.

It should be understood that the radio frequency calibration of the communication module B includes but is not limited to the calibration content shown above, and may also involve the calibration of other radio frequency parameters. The calibration of other radio frequency parameters can be implemented by using the calibration methods listed in the foregoing embodiments. For example, part of the calibration work is completed before the communication module A is installed on the base plate of the vehicle terminal, that is, completed on the production line where the communication module A is produced, and another part of the calibration work is completed when the communication module A and communication module B are both installed on the vehicle terminal. On the bottom plate, and completed after the terminal is assembled, the implementation principle is similar, so we will not repeat it.

It should be understood that when the communication module C is installed on the vehicle-mounted terminal, the communication module A can use the above-mentioned method of calibrating the communication module B to calibrate the radio frequency of the communication module C. The implementation method is similar and will not be repeated here. So far, the radio frequency calibration of all communication modules on the vehicle terminal has been completed. Then, the vehicle-mounted terminal realizes the communication function after restarting.

The terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application can split the communication function of the terminal into multiple communication modules. Among the multiple communication modules, one communication module is the main module, and the remaining communication modules are sub-modules. The communication module as the main module is provided with BB circuits and the corresponding RFIC of the sub-module, while the communication module as the sub-module does not need to be provided with these circuits. In this way, when the terminal includes both the sub-module and the main module, the FEM circuit set on the sub-module and the BB circuit and RFIC set on the main module form a radio frequency path, so as to realize the communication function of the sub-module, and there is no need to separate the sub-module. The BB circuit and RFIC are installed on it, which reduces the cost of the terminal and also reduces the size of a single communication module, so that the communication module can meet the mounting process requirements. In addition, because the communication functions supported by multiple communication modules are different, the communication module of the terminal can be flexibly set according to the user's demand for communication functions, which improves the flexibility of communication module configuration and further reduces the cost of the terminal. It also improves the user experience.

The embodiment of the present application also provides a communication module. The communication module has the structure of the first communication module of the terminal mentioned above and can realize the method of radio frequency calibration implemented by the first communication module, which will not be repeated here.

The embodiment of the present application also provides a radio frequency calibration method, which can be applied to the aforementioned first communication module of the terminal or to the BB circuit in the aforementioned first communication module, so that the first communication module can implement the secondary The module's radio frequency calibration is implemented in a similar manner to that described above, and will not be repeated here.

The term "plurality" herein refers to two or more. The term "and/or" in this article is only an association relationship describing associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and/or B, which can mean: A alone exists, A and B exist at the same time, exist alone B these three situations. In addition, the character "/" in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; in the formula, the character "/" indicates that the associated objects before and after are in a "division" relationship.

It can be understood that the various numerical numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only for easy distinction for description, and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

It can be understood that, in the embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence numbers of the foregoing processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not be implemented in this application. The implementation process of the example constitutes any limitation.

Claims

A terminal, characterized in that, the terminal includes: a first communication module and a first antenna; wherein, the first communication module includes: a baseband circuit, a first radio frequency integrated circuit, a first radio frequency front-end module circuit, a 2. Radio frequency integrated circuits and calibration circuits;

The first receiving end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first transmitting end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit, and the first transmitting end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit. The second receiving end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the transmitting end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit, and the second transmitting end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the receiving end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit Connected, the common end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit is connected to the first antenna;

The second receiving end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first transmitting end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, and the second transmitting end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit;

The first control terminal of the baseband circuit is connected to the control terminal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, the second control terminal of the baseband circuit is connected to the control terminal of the calibration circuit, and the second radio frequency integrated circuit receives The reference signal sending end is connected to the receiving end of the calibration circuit, and the power measuring end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the sending end of the calibration circuit;

The baseband circuit is used to calibrate the received reference signal and the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit.
The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal further comprises: a second communication module and a second antenna; wherein, the second communication module comprises: a second radio frequency front-end module circuit;

The second receiving end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the transmitting end of the second radio frequency front-end module circuit, and the second transmitting end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the second radio frequency front-end module circuit. The receiving end is connected, the common end of the second radio frequency front-end module circuit is connected to the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit, and the second transceiver end of the calibration circuit is connected to the second antenna;

The baseband circuit is also used to calibrate the transmission power parameter and the reception power parameter of the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit.
The terminal according to claim 2, characterized in that:

The baseband circuit is specifically configured to control the second radio frequency integrated circuit to send a reception reference signal with a preset transmit power to the calibration circuit according to the receiving frequency of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, and to obtain the second radio frequency The first mapping relationship between the received power of the received reference signal and the transmitted power of the integrated circuit.
The terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that:

The baseband circuit is specifically configured to, according to the first mapping relationship, control the second radio frequency integrated circuit to pass through the calibration circuit and send to the second radio frequency front-end module circuit the post-calibration corresponding to the preset transmit power Received reference signal;

The second radio frequency integrated circuit is specifically configured to detect the received power of the calibrated received reference signal returned by the second radio frequency front-end module circuit;

The baseband circuit is specifically configured to obtain the third mapping relationship between the transmit power and the receive power of the calibrated received reference signal.
The terminal according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein the signal source is connected to the first transceiver end of the calibration circuit;

The signal source is configured to transmit the power measurement reference signal to the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit according to the preset received power of the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit;

The second radio frequency integrated circuit is used to receive a power measurement reference signal and obtain the received power of the received power measurement reference signal;

The baseband circuit is specifically configured to obtain a second mapping relationship between the transmit power and the received power of the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit.
The terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that:

The baseband circuit is specifically configured to control the second radio frequency integrated circuit to send the calibrated power measurement reference signal corresponding to the preset transmit power to the second radio frequency front-end module circuit according to the second mapping relationship;

The second radio frequency integrated circuit is specifically configured to detect the received power of the calibrated power measurement reference signal returned by the second radio frequency front-end module circuit through the calibration circuit;

The baseband circuit is specifically configured to obtain the fourth mapping relationship between the transmit power and the received power of the calibrated power measurement reference signal.
The terminal according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the calibration circuit comprises: a first switch and a coupler;

Wherein, the first terminal of the first switch is connected to the first terminal of the coupler, the second terminal of the first switch is grounded, and the third terminal of the first switch is the receiving terminal of the calibration circuit , The fourth terminal of the first switch is the second transceiver terminal of the calibration circuit;

The second terminal of the coupler is the first transceiver terminal of the calibration circuit, the third terminal of the coupler is grounded, and the fourth terminal of the coupler is the transmitter terminal of the calibration circuit.
The terminal according to claim 7, wherein the second radio frequency integrated circuit comprises: a sending unit, a mixer, an amplifier, and a second switch;

The sending unit is connected to the first end of the second switch through the mixer and the amplifier in sequence, and the second end of the second switch is the receiving reference signal sending end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit , The third terminal of the second switch is the second transmitting terminal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit;

The sending unit is configured to provide a receiving reference signal when the path between the first terminal of the second switch and the second terminal of the second switch is turned on.
The terminal according to any one of claims 2-8, wherein the first communication module further comprises: a power management integrated circuit;

The power management integrated circuit is used to supply power to the first communication module and the second communication module.
The terminal according to any one of claims 2-9, wherein the calibration circuit and the second communication module are both multiple, and each calibration circuit corresponds to one second communication module.
The terminal according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the first communication module further comprises: a storage circuit;

The storage circuit is connected to the read-write terminal of the baseband circuit.
A communication module, characterized in that the communication module is a first communication module, and the first communication module includes: a baseband circuit, a first radio frequency integrated circuit, a first radio frequency front-end module circuit, and a second radio frequency integrated circuit, And, the calibration circuit;

The first receiving end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first transmitting end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit, and the first transmitting end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit. The second receiving end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the transmitting end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit, and the second transmitting end of the first radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the receiving end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit Connected, the common end of the first radio frequency front-end module circuit is connected to the first antenna of the terminal;

The second receiving end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first transmitting end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, and the second transmitting end of the baseband circuit is connected to the first receiving end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit;

The first control terminal of the baseband circuit is connected to the control terminal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit, the second control terminal of the baseband circuit is connected to the control terminal of the calibration circuit, and the second radio frequency integrated circuit receives The reference signal sending end is connected to the receiving end of the calibration circuit, and the power measuring end of the second radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the sending end of the calibration circuit;

The baseband circuit is used to calibrate the received reference signal and the power measurement reference signal of the second radio frequency integrated circuit through the calibration circuit.