CN116470944A - Antenna selection method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application discloses a method for selecting a working antenna for a communication device with multiple antennas, which includes continuously sampling the current working antenna to obtain sampled values, and adding them to the end of the first data sequence using FIFO mode; calculating the average value of the sampled values in the current first data sequence and adding it to the tail of the second data sequence using FIFO mode; judging whether the first difference between the Nth average value in the current second data sequence and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds the preset first threshold value; The above-mentioned steps are to update the first and second data sequences; and whether the second difference between the Nth average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring ends and the first average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring is turned on exceeds the preset second threshold; if it exceeds, another antenna is triggered to be reselected as the working antenna.

Description

An Antenna Selection Method

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communication, and in particular to a method for selecting a working antenna for a communication device with multiple antennas and the communication device.

Background technique

Antennas are one of the essential components of wireless infrastructure, used to receive or transmit signals. On the one hand, the antenna converts the transmitter's voltage into a radio signal, and on the other hand, the antenna picks up the radio signal from the air and converts it into a voltage for recovery in the receiver.

Conventional communication devices typically employ conventional technology of a single transmit antenna and a single receive antenna. However, antenna performance can greatly affect a user's wireless ability to use an electronic communication device. For example, if the performance of the antenna cannot meet the communication requirements, it may cause the call to fail or the data transmission rate to drop. In order to maximize the performance and communication capacity of the wireless communication system and make the antenna performance meet the design criteria, it has gradually evolved into a multi-antenna system using multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas. Therefore, a communication device is often configured with multiple antennas, so as to ensure communication quality by switching the antennas when necessary.

Currently existing antenna switching algorithms include periodically comparing signal strengths of multiple antennas to find the current optimal signal strength and switching antennas in real time to send and receive data packets. However, this solution will lead to too frequent switching of the antenna, which increases the workload of the communication device on the one hand, and also leads to unstable communication quality on the other hand. Specifically, this existing technical solution has the following defects: (1) It is necessary to frequently monitor the signal strength of each antenna separately, and decide whether to perform antenna switching according to the signal strength of each antenna or the difference between them; (2) Since the working antenna cannot be stable on one antenna for a long time, after each antenna is switched, the data transmission must be re-negotiated to find the currently adapted transmission speed. Therefore, this will result in a lower level of data throughput. (3) The change of antenna signal strength is affected by many factors, in addition to environmental changes, there may be human interference. However, in some practical application scenarios, if the current antenna signal strength changes are only caused by human factors, for example, a person happens to stand in a specific position and interferes with the transceiver performance of the antenna, but after the person leaves, the interference will soon return to normal. In this case, there is no need to switch the antenna.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved method of antenna selection that avoids frequent antenna switching due to human-induced interference and improves data transmission throughput.

It should be understood that the technical problems listed above are only examples rather than limitations to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to a technical solution that simultaneously solves all the above technical problems. The technical solutions of the present invention can be implemented to solve one or more of the above or other technical problems.

Contents of the invention

To address the above and other problems, the present application provides a method for selecting a working antenna for a communication device having multiple antennas.

Specifically, the method includes continuously sampling the signal quality index value of the current working antenna to obtain the sampled value, and performing the following steps: Step (A), in response to obtaining the latest sampled value, adding the latest sampled value to the tail of the first data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence includes M consecutive sample values; N average values; Step (C), judging whether the first difference between the Nth average value in the current second data sequence and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds the preset first threshold; Step (D), in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold, start the timing monitoring with a duration of T, and within the duration, repeatedly perform steps (A) and steps (B) to update the first data sequence and the second data sequence; Whether the second difference between the first average values exceeds the preset second threshold; step (E), in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, triggering the communication device to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

Preferably, in step (E), in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring is obtained, the fluctuation index of M sample values in the first data sequence is calculated, and it is judged whether the third difference between the second difference and k times of the fluctuation index exceeds the preset third threshold, where k is an empirical coefficient; and, in response to the third difference exceeding the preset third threshold, the communication device is triggered to reselect another antenna as the working antenna. Further preferably, the fluctuation index includes the difference between the first and last sample values in the first data sequence, or any one of variance, standard deviation, range, and coefficient of variation of all sample values in the first data sequence or a combination thereof.

Further preferably, reselecting the working antenna includes: measuring signal quality index values of multiple antennas, and selecting the antenna with the best signal quality index value as the working antenna of the communication device.

Further preferably, after the working antenna of the communication device is reselected, the first data sequence and the second data sequence are cleared.

Further preferably, the signal quality index value includes any one or a combination of received signal strength indication (RSSI), packet loss rate, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), bit error rate (BER), rate, and transmit power.

Preferably, in step (A), the following operations are also performed: judging whether the first data sequence is full, and, in response to the first data sequence being full, removing the sampling value at the head of the first data sequence from the first data sequence, and adding the latest sampling value to the tail of the first data sequence to update the first data sequence.

Preferably, in step (B), the following operations are also performed: judging whether the second data sequence is full, and, in response to the fact that the second data sequence is full, removing the average value at the head of the second data sequence from the second data sequence, and adding the average value of the M sampling values in the current first data sequence to the tail of the second data sequence.

Further preferably, in response to the signal quality index value being the received signal strength indication, before step (A), apply a filter to the sampled value to remove noise.

Further preferably, the filter includes a Kalman filter or any one of other filters.

In another aspect, the present application also provides a communication device, including a storage module coupled to each other, an operation module, a timing monitoring module, and an antenna selection module; wherein the storage module is used to store the first data sequence adopting the first-in-first-out mode and the second data sequence adopting the first-in-first-out mode; the operation module is configured to perform the following operations: continuously sample the signal quality index value of the current working antenna to obtain a sample value; in response to obtaining the latest sample value, add the latest sample value to the tail of the first data sequence to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence includes M consecutive sample values; The average value of the M sampling values in the first data sequence is added to the tail of the second data sequence to update the second data sequence, wherein the second data sequence includes N average values; whether the first difference between the Nth average value in the current second data sequence and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds the preset first threshold; the operation module is also configured to trigger the operation of the timing monitoring module in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold; , and correspondingly update the first data sequence and the second data sequence; and determine whether the second difference between the Nth average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring ends and the first average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring starts exceeds a preset second threshold; the timing monitoring module is also configured to trigger the operation of the antenna selection module in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold; the antenna selection module is configured to: reselect another antenna as a working antenna.

Preferably, the timing monitoring module is further configured to: in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, acquire the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring, calculate the fluctuation index of the M sampling values in the first data sequence, and determine whether the third difference between the second difference and k times the fluctuation index exceeds a preset third threshold, where k is an empirical coefficient; and, in response to the third difference exceeding the preset third threshold, trigger the operation of the antenna selection module.

In yet another aspect, the present application also provides a communication device, comprising: a wireless circuit comprising at least two antennas and a transceiver coupled to the at least two antennas; and a control circuit configured to control the wireless circuit to select a working antenna from the at least two antennas, wherein the control circuit is configured to perform the steps of the method according to various embodiments of the present application.

In yet another aspect, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions configured to perform any of the above-mentioned methods when executed by a processor.

The method of the present application monitors the signal of the current working antenna and judges it with the historical data of the antenna, so as to predict the change of the environment without switching the working antenna, and reselect the working antenna when necessary. The method provided by the present application improves the data throughput of a communication device with multiple antennas, and avoids unnecessary frequent antenna switching under the premise of ensuring stable data transmission. In particular, the method of the present application only uses a small amount of storage space in the judgment process, and the calculation is simple. The method of the present application can filter the artificial interference to the antenna signal, so as to further ensure the stability of data transmission.

Description of drawings

Hereinafter, the present application will be further explained based on the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 schematically shows a communication system to which the method provided by the embodiment of the present application is applied;

Fig. 2 schematically shows a flow chart according to a specific embodiment of the method of the present application;

Fig. 3 schematically shows a schematic diagram of an example of a first data sequence and a second data sequence according to the method of the present application;

Fig. 4 schematically shows a flow chart according to another embodiment of the method of the present application;

FIG. 5 schematically shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 500 provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B schematically show a schematic flow chart and another example flow chart of a state machine of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 schematically shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 700 provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 8 schematically shows a specific example of an embodiment according to the present application.

Detailed ways

The method and device of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation manners. It should be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described below are for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to limit the application.

In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiment of the present application, the following uses the communication system shown in FIG. 1 as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the method provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 100 may include at least one terminal communication device, such as the terminal communication device 102 shown in FIG. 1, which may also be a chip configured in the terminal communication device; and at least one network device, such as the network device 102 shown as a base station in FIG. 1, may also be a chip configured in the network device. In other examples, network device 102 may be a router device.

The terminal communication device 102 may have multiple antennas to transmit signals to or receive signals from the outside. As an example and not a limitation, the terminal communication device may use an antenna switch to select different antennas. In an example, when the terminal communication device supports up to 16 antennas, the antenna switch can be controlled by up to four address pins Antenna_select[0:3]. Different antennas can be selected by inputting different values to the four address pins. For example, the input value to the four address pins is "0b1011", indicating that the antenna 11 is selected as the current working antenna. As an example, the default value of the address pin Antenna_select[0:3] may be set to "0b0000", which indicates that antenna 0 is selected as the current working antenna by default. In another example, the terminal communication device only supports 2 antennas, which are controlled by two address pins Antenna_select[0:1], where the input value of the address pin is "0b01" indicating that antenna 0 is selected, and the input value of "0b10" indicates that antenna 1 is selected. In this case, the input values "0b00" and "0b11" are illegal values. As an example, the selected antenna is used as a current working antenna for receiving or sending data.

When the communication device is configured to perform automatic antenna selection, the most suitable antenna can be automatically selected as the working antenna according to factors such as channel state information and antenna signals. However, on the one hand, this method needs to obtain the signal conditions of multiple antennas in order to make a selection, so it consumes a lot of resources; on the other hand, if the antennas are switched frequently, it may lead to unstable data transmission, and at the same time, some unnecessary antenna switching caused by human interference will also occur.

In view of this, the present application provides a method for selecting a working antenna for a communication device with multiple antennas. According to the method of the present application, an improved way of antenna selection that avoids frequent antenna switching due to human-induced interference and improves data transmission throughput is provided. The following will be described in conjunction with multiple embodiments and specific examples.

Example 1

Fig. 2 shows a flow chart of a specific embodiment of the method according to the present application. According to the method of this embodiment, the signal quality index value of the current working antenna is continuously sampled to obtain the sampled value. As an example and not a limitation, the signal quality indicator value may include any one or a combination of received signal strength indication (RSSI), packet loss rate, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), bit error rate (BER), rate, and transmit power. Wherein, the continuous sampling may adopt a fixed-period or non-fixed-period sampling manner. As an example, a fixed-period sampling manner may be adopted, for example, the signal quality index value of the current working antenna, such as the signal strength of the current working antenna, may be acquired every 100 milliseconds. It is worth noting that in the field of communication, the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is an indication of the signal strength received by the antenna at the receiving end after the wireless signal gradually attenuates during propagation. RSSI is a relative value, usually in dBm, indicating the ratio between the received signal strength and the reference power of 1 milliwatt (mW), and the larger the RSSI value, the stronger the received signal. The received signal strength indication is affected by many factors, such as transmission distance, obstacles, weather, etc.

In the case of continuous sampling, the following steps 202 to 210 are performed in sequence to select an antenna. In another embodiment, considering that there may be noise in the sampled value data, optionally, before performing steps 202 to 210, a filter is used for preprocessing to filter out the noise. Preferably, filtering is performed each time a new sample value is obtained. Optionally, the filter may be any one of Kalman filter, mean value filter, IIR filter, jitter filter or other filters. Optionally, when the sampling value is the packet loss rate of the current working antenna, there is no need to apply a filter for preprocessing.

In step 202, in response to obtaining the latest sampled value, add the latest sampled value to the tail of the first data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence includes M consecutive sampled values.

Preferably, step 202 also includes judging whether the first data sequence is full, and, in response to the first data sequence being full, removing the sampling value at the head of the first data sequence from the first data sequence, and adding the latest sampling value to the tail of the first data sequence to update the first data sequence.

In step 204, calculate the average value of the M sampling values in the current first data sequence and add it to the tail of the second data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode to update the second data sequence, wherein the second data sequence includes N average values.

Preferably, step 204 also includes judging whether the second data sequence is full, and, in response to the fact that the second data sequence is full, removing the average value at the head of the second data sequence from the second data sequence, and adding the average value of the M sampling values in the current first data sequence to the tail of the second data sequence.

In step 206, it is judged whether the first difference between the Nth average value in the current second data sequence and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds a preset first threshold;

In step 208, in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold, start timing monitoring with a duration of T, and within the duration, repeatedly execute steps 202 and 204 to update the first data sequence and the second data sequence; and determine whether the second difference between the Nth average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring ends and the first average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring starts exceeds a preset second threshold. It is worth noting that the setting of the duration T can be adjusted empirically. Preferably, considering that signal fluctuations are caused by human interference, such as people passing by the communication device, the duration of such fluctuations usually does not exceed a second level, so, for example, T can be set to 6 seconds.

In step 210, in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, the communication device is triggered to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

Preferably, reselecting the working antenna includes: measuring signal quality index values of multiple antennas, and selecting the antenna with the best signal quality index value as the working antenna of the communication device.

Preferably, after the working antenna of the communication device is reselected, the first data sequence and the second data sequence are cleared.

As an example but not a limitation, M and N may be set to different values for different application scenarios. For example, in an office scene, the values of M and N can be set to be larger because people often move around and cause interference. In some scenes where the environment does not change much, such as a factory, the values of M and N can be set to be smaller. In addition, in addition to considering the application scenario, setting the values of M and N may also consider the memory size of the communication device. Since communication devices are usually embedded devices with limited memory space, the values of M and N should not be set too large. Optionally, M may be set to 15 in a complex environment, while M may be any value from 5 to 10 in a relatively simple environment.

As an example, FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a first data sequence and a second data sequence according to the steps of the above-mentioned method in FIG. 2 . Wherein, the latest sampling value for obtaining the signal quality index value of the current working antenna is denoted as x. In step 202, it is judged whether the first data sequence _L1 is full; if so, according to step 202, the latest sampled value is added to the tail of the first data sequence _L1 , and the data of the original head of the queue in the sequence is removed from the sequence; if the first data sequence is not full, the latest sampled value is directly added to the tail of the first data sequence. Taking the example in FIG. 3 as an example, the first data sequence L ₁ already includes M sampling values _an1 , _an2 , . . . _anM , that is, the first data sequence is full. In response to obtaining the latest _sampled value x, update the first data sequence L′ ₁ according to step 202 in the method as a _n2 , a _{n3 , .} . . In step 204, the average value of M sample values in the first data sequence is calculated. Taking the example in Fig. 3 as an example, the second data sequence _L2 before updating is full and includes N average values avg ₁ , avg ₂ , ... avg _N , where avg _N is the average value of M sampling values a _n1 , a _n2 , ... a _nM in the first data sequence before updating. After updating according to step ₂₀₄ , the updated second data _sequence L′ ₂ includes avg ₂ , avg _{3 , . .} . In step 206, determine the first difference between the Nth average value in the current second data sequence, i.e. avg _N+1 , and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating, i.e. avg ₁ , and determine whether the first difference value exceeds a preset first threshold value, and the first difference value can be marked as Diff ₁ . If the first difference exceeds the preset first threshold, it indicates that the operating state of the antenna may have changed. Therefore, the timing monitoring with a duration of T is started, and during this duration, the latest sampling value is continuously obtained, and the above-mentioned steps 202 and 204 are repeatedly executed to continuously update the first data sequence and the second data sequence until the timing monitoring ends. As an example, at time T0 when timing monitoring is turned on, the first data sequence is It includes M sample values, for example denoted as a _nx0 , a _n(x0+1) , ... a _n(x0+M-1) , and the second data sequence is /> It comprises a second data sequence of N average values, which comprises N average values, avg _y0 , avg _y0+1 , . . . avg _y0+N-1 . At time T1 when the regular monitoring ends, the first updated data sequence obtained is /> It includes M sampling values, for example marked as a _nx1 , a _n(x1+1) ,...a _n(x1+M-1) , and the updated second data sequence is /> It includes N average values, avg _y1 , avg _y1+1 , ... avg _y1+N-1 , and where avg _y1+N-1 is equal to the updated first data sequence is /> The average value of the M sample values in . In step 208, it also includes determining whether the second difference between the Nth average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring ends, such as avg _y1+N-1 in the example, and the first average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring starts, such as avg _y0 in the example, exceeds a preset second threshold value, and the second difference value can be marked as Diff ₂ . In response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, the communication device is triggered to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

Concrete example of embodiment 1

In a specific example of the method according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the sampling value of the signal quality index value of the current working antenna is acquired once every 100 milliseconds by adopting a fixed-period sampling manner. The first data sequence includes 10 sample values, that is, M is equal to 10; the second data sequence includes 25 average values, that is, N is equal to 25. The preset first threshold is set to 2.4dB, and the preset second threshold is set to 3.5dB.

For example, in one example, the timing monitoring period is set to 6 seconds, and the second difference value obtained in step 208 is 4dB, which exceeds the preset second threshold of 3.5dB. Therefore, the communication device is triggered to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

Example 2

According to the first embodiment above, in order to further effectively avoid unnecessary antenna switching caused by man-made interference, the present application provides another method for antenna selection. FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of another specific embodiment of the method according to the present application.

According to the method of this embodiment, the signal quality index value of the currently working antenna is continuously sampled to obtain the sampled value, and the following steps 402 to 410 are executed in order to select an antenna.

In step 402, in response to obtaining the latest sampled value, add the latest sampled value to the tail of the first data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence includes M consecutive sampled values.

Preferably, step 402 also includes judging whether the first data sequence is full, and, in response to the first data sequence being full, removing the sampling value at the head of the first data sequence from the first data sequence, and adding the latest sampling value to the tail of the first data sequence to update the first data sequence.

In step 404, the average value of the M sample values in the current first data sequence is calculated and added to the tail of the second data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode to update the second data sequence, wherein the second data sequence includes N average values.

Preferably, step 404 also includes judging whether the second data sequence is full, and, in response to the fact that the second data sequence is full, removing the average value at the head of the second data sequence from the second data sequence, and adding the average value of the M sampling values in the current first data sequence to the tail of the second data sequence.

In step 406, it is judged whether the first difference between the Nth average value in the current second data sequence and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds a preset first threshold;

In step 408, in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold, start the timing monitoring with a duration of T, and within the duration, repeatedly execute steps 402 and 404 to update the first data sequence and the second data sequence; and determine whether the second difference between the Nth average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring ends and the first average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring starts exceeds the preset second threshold;

In step 410, in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, obtain the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring, calculate the fluctuation index of the M sampling values in the first data sequence, and judge whether the third difference between the second difference and k times the fluctuation index exceeds the preset third threshold, where k is an empirical coefficient; and, in response to the third difference exceeding the preset third threshold, trigger the communication device to reselect another antenna as the working antenna. Wherein, as an example and not a limitation, the fluctuation index includes the difference between the first and last sampled values in the first data sequence, or any one or a combination of the variance, standard deviation, range, and coefficient of variation of all sampled values in the first data sequence. Preferably, in order to minimize the additional resources required for data transmission, the variance is used as the fluctuation index. As an example, where k is an empirical coefficient, which can be determined according to the second difference and the historical value of the volatility index. In an example, k may take a value of 0.05 or 0.1 or other numerical values.

As an example, further steps of the method according to Embodiment 2 are given. As mentioned above, as an example, at time T0 when timing monitoring is turned on, the first data sequence is It includes M sample values, for example denoted as a _nx0 , a _n(x0+1) , ... a _n(x0+M-1) , and the second data sequence is /> It comprises a second data sequence of N average values, which comprises N average values, avg _y0 , avg _y0+1 , . . . avg _y0+N-1 , where y ₀ +N-1=x ₀ . At time T1 when the regular monitoring ends, the first updated data sequence obtained is /> It includes M sampling values, for example marked as a _nx1 , a _n(x1+1) ,...a _n(x1+M-1) , and the updated second data sequence is /> It includes N average values, avg _y1 , avg _y1+1 , ... avg _y1+N-1 , and where avg _y1+N-1 is equal to the updated first data sequence is /> The average value of the M sampling values in , that is, where y ₁ +N-1=x ₁ . In step 408, it also includes determining whether the second difference between the Nth average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring ends, such as avg _y1+N-1 in the example, and the first average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring starts, such as avg _y0 in the example, exceeds a preset second threshold, and the second difference is marked as Dif ₂ . In response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring is obtained, that is, /> It includes M sampling values, for example denoted as a _nx1 , a _{n(x1+1) ,} . Taking the fluctuation index as the variance as an example, the fluctuation index of the M sampling values is denoted as /> In step 410, it further includes judging the second difference Diff ₂ and the fluctuation index /> Whether the third difference between k times of values exceeds a preset third threshold, where the third difference is marked as Diff ₃ .

Concrete example of embodiment 2

In a specific example of the method according to the above-mentioned embodiment 2, the sampling value of the signal quality index value of the current working antenna is acquired once every 100 milliseconds by adopting a fixed-period sampling manner. The first data sequence includes 10 sample values, that is, M is equal to 10; the second data sequence includes 25 average values, that is, N is equal to 25. The preset first threshold is set to 2.4dB, the preset second threshold is set to 3.5dB, and the preset third threshold is set to 3.5dB. In addition, the empirical coefficient k is set to 0.1.

For example, in one example, the timing monitoring period is set to 6 seconds, and the second difference Diff ₂ obtained in step 408 is 4dB, which exceeds the preset second threshold, therefore, continue to acquire the fluctuation index of the 10 sample values in the first data sequence when the timing monitoring ends Here is the variance with a value of 15dB. Therefore, in step 410, it is judged that the third difference between the second difference and k times of the volatility index is /> Therefore, the preset third threshold is not exceeded. Thus, in this example, the communication device is not triggered to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

In this example, assume a scenario where a worker comes to the workbench to operate the equipment, which may cause interference to the communication equipment. Although it is unlikely to leave within 6 seconds, such man-made interference is not for a long time, so it is not necessary to switch the antenna in this scenario. Although the presence of a worker would cause a second difference in the average value at the start and end of the timed monitoring to increase, this is an indication that the environment may have changed. However, since the workers generally have at least slight movements when operating the machine, for example, the swing of their body will cause fluctuations in the sampling values of the working antenna, so the fluctuations in the sampling values in the first data sequence are relatively large. Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present application, according to the above step 410, by judging whether the third difference between the second difference and the k-fold value of the fluctuation index exceeds the preset third threshold, unnecessary antenna switching caused by man-made interference can be effectively eliminated, and frequent antenna switching is avoided.

It is worth noting that the methods of the various embodiments of the present application require very little storage space and a small amount of calculation during execution, and the method of the present application can be realized only with light storage space and processing power.

Example 3

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 500 provided with at least two antennas according to an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 500 may be applied to the system shown in FIG. 1 to execute the methods in the foregoing method embodiments.

As shown, the communication device includes a wireless circuit comprising at least two antennas 502 and a transceiver 504 coupled to the two antennas, and a control circuit 506 intercommunicable with the wireless circuit, wherein the control circuit 506 is configured to control the wireless circuit to select an active antenna from the at least two antennas 502. The data or control signaling output by the transceiver can be sent out through the antenna, or the data or control signaling can be received through the antenna. Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory 508 . Wherein, the control circuit 506, the transceiver 504 and the memory 508 may communicate with each other through an internal connection path to transmit control and/or data signals.

Wherein, the control circuit 506 is configured to: (1) continuously sample the signal quality index value of the current working antenna to obtain the sampled value; (2) in response to obtaining the latest sampled value, add the latest sampled value to the tail of the first data sequence using the FIFO mode to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence includes M consecutive sample values; (4) judging whether the first difference between the Nth average value in the current second data sequence and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds the preset first threshold; (5) in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold, start the timing monitoring with a duration of T, and within the duration, continue to perform continuous sampling, and update the first data sequence and the second data sequence accordingly; exceeding the preset second threshold; (6) in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, triggering the control circuit to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

Optionally, the above (6) may be implemented as: in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, acquiring the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring, calculating the fluctuation index of M sample values in the first data sequence, and judging whether the third difference between the second difference and k times the fluctuation index exceeds the preset third threshold, where k is an empirical coefficient; and, in response to the third difference exceeding the preset third threshold, triggering the control circuit to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

It should be understood that the terminal device 500 shown in FIG. 5 can also implement a corresponding process in any method embodiment in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 . For details, reference may be made to the descriptions in the foregoing method embodiments, and detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here to avoid repetition.

Example 4

In another embodiment, the communication device for implementing the method embodiment of the present application may be configured with a state machine having multiple states. As shown in FIG. 6A , it shows a schematic flowchart of a state machine of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

In this embodiment, the communication device may include at least three states, antenna selection state, running sampling state and timing monitoring state. The following specifically describes the specific workflow of the communication device:

(1) The communication device starts up after being powered on (602), and enters the antenna selection state (604). As an example, when in the antenna selection state, the communication device measures the signal quality index values of multiple antennas configured by it, and selects the antenna with the best signal quality index value as the working antenna of the communication device. For example, the antenna with the highest Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) or Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) is selected as the working antenna. As an example, the signal quality index value may also use any one of packet loss rate, bit error rate (BER), rate, and transmission power, or any combination of the above.

(2) After the communication device determines the working antenna, it enters the running sampling state (606). As an example, when in the running sampling state, the communication device continuously samples the signal quality indicator value of the currently working antenna to obtain the sampled value. For example, sampling is performed in a fixed-period manner. For example, the signal quality index value of the currently working antenna is acquired every 100 milliseconds. Optionally, a filter may also be applied to the sampled values to remove noise.

(3) The communication device updates the first data sequence and the second data sequence each time the latest sampling value is obtained, and triggers the execution of the first judgment (608). Wherein, the latest sampling value is added to the tail of the first data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence includes M continuous sampling values. Wherein, the average value of the M sampling values in the current first data sequence is calculated and added to the tail of the second data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode to update the second data sequence, wherein the second data sequence includes N average values. Wherein, the executed first judgment is used to judge whether the first difference between the Nth average value in the current second data sequence and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds a preset first threshold.

(4) If the first difference does not exceed the preset first threshold, the communication device continues to return to the running sampling state (606). Otherwise, when the first difference exceeds the preset first threshold, the communication device enters a timing monitoring state (610), and the duration of the timing monitoring state is a preset time T. When the device is in the regular monitoring state, the communication device still continuously samples the signal quality index value of the current working antenna to obtain sampled values, and updates the first data sequence and the second data sequence in response to obtaining the latest sampled value each time. Wherein, the latest sampling value is added to the tail of the first data sequence adopting the first-in-first-out mode, so as to update the first data sequence. Wherein, the average value of the M sampling values in the current first data sequence is calculated and added to the tail of the second data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode, so as to update the second data sequence.

(5) When the timing detection state ends, trigger the execution of the second judgment (612). Wherein, the second judgment is used to judge whether the second difference between the Nth average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring ends and the first average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring starts exceeds a preset second threshold.

(6) If the second difference does not exceed the preset second threshold, the communication device continues to return to the running sampling state (606). Otherwise, when the second difference exceeds the preset second threshold, the communication device enters the antenna selection state (604) to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

As shown in FIG. 6B , another schematic flowchart of a state machine of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Wherein, after the above-mentioned execution of the second judgment (612), the above-mentioned (6) may be implemented as: if the second difference does not exceed the preset second threshold, the communication device continues to return to the running sampling state (606). Otherwise, when the second difference exceeds the preset second threshold, a third judgment is triggered (614). Wherein, the third judgment is used to obtain the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring, calculate the fluctuation index of the M sampling values in the first data sequence, and judge whether the third difference between the second difference and k times of the fluctuation index exceeds the preset third threshold, where k is an empirical coefficient. If the third difference does not exceed the preset third threshold, the communication device continues to return to the running sampling state (606). Otherwise, when the third difference exceeds the preset third threshold, the communication device enters the antenna selection state (604), so as to reselect another antenna as the working antenna.

Example 5

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 700 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 has at least two antennas. As shown in FIG. 7 , the communication device 700 includes a storage module, an operation module, a timing monitoring module, and an antenna selection module coupled to each other; the modules can communicate with each other through a communication bus.

Wherein, the storage module is used for storing the first data sequence adopting the first-in-first-out mode and the second data sequence adopting the first-in-first-out mode.

Wherein, the operation module is configured to perform the following operations: (1) continuously sample the signal quality index value of the current working antenna to obtain sampled values; in response to obtaining the latest sampled value, add the latest sampled value to the tail of the first data sequence to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence includes M consecutive sampled values; Whether the first difference between the first average value and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds the preset first threshold. Further, the running module is further configured to trigger the running of the timing monitoring module in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold. Optionally, the running module may also be configured to, in response to obtaining the latest sampled value, apply a filter to the sampled value to filter noise.

Wherein, the timing monitoring module is configured to perform the following operations: (1) start timing monitoring with a duration of T, and continue to perform continuous sampling during the duration, and update the first data sequence and the second data sequence accordingly; and (2) judge whether the second difference between the Nth average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring ends and the first average value in the second data sequence when the timing monitoring is turned on exceeds a preset second threshold. The timing monitoring module is further configured to trigger operation of the antenna selection module in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold.

In another embodiment, the timing monitoring module is further configured to perform the following operations: in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold, acquire the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring, calculate the fluctuation index of the M sampling values in the first data sequence, and determine whether the third difference between the second difference and k times the fluctuation index exceeds a preset third threshold, where k is an empirical coefficient; and, in response to the third difference exceeding the preset third threshold, trigger the operation of the antenna selection module.

Wherein, the antenna selection module is configured to: reselect another antenna as the working antenna. Optionally, the antenna selection module is configured to: measure signal quality index values of the at least two antennas, and select the antenna with the best signal quality index value as the working antenna of the communication device. Wherein, the signal quality index value includes received signal strength indicator (RSSI), packet loss rate, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), bit error rate (BER), rate, transmit power, or any one or combination thereof.

example

Referring to FIG. 8 , an example of an embodiment according to the present application is specifically introduced below.

After initialization, the communication device acquires the signal quality index value of each antenna, such as the RSSI value of each antenna, to determine the antenna with the best current signal quality index value, and use it as the current working antenna.

During the operation of the communication device, the sampling method with a fixed period of 100 milliseconds is used to obtain the sampling value of the signal quality index value of the current working antenna, and the latest sampling value is added to the tail of the first data sequence using the first-in-first-out mode. In FIG. 8 , the first data sequence may be extracted and saved in the manner of a first sliding window, that is, the size of the first sliding window is set to the default number M of sampling values in the first data sequence. In the example of FIG. 8 , the first data sequence includes 10 sample values, therefore, the size of the first sliding window is also set to 10. Every time a new sampling value is obtained, the first sliding window is moved to the right by one bit, so as to extract and save the current sampling value of the first data sequence in a first-in-first-out mode. It is worth noting that in different application scenarios, the value of M can be set to a different value. For example, in an office scene, people often walk around and cause interference, so the value of M can be set higher. In some scenes where the environment does not change much, such as a factory, the value of M can be reduced.

Further, an average value is calculated for all sampling values in the first data sequence in the current first sliding window, and the average value is saved as the second data sequence. Wherein, the second data sequence includes N average values. As an example, the second data sequence may be extracted and stored in a second sliding window manner. As shown in FIG. 8 , the second data sequence includes 25 average values, therefore, the size of the second sliding window is also set to 25. Every time the first data sequence is updated, a new average value is calculated and obtained, so the second sliding window is moved to the right by one bit to extract and save the current latest average value in a first-in-first-out mode.

According to the method of the embodiment of the present application, after each update of the second data sequence, it is triggered to judge whether the first difference between the last average value in the current second data sequence (that is, the Nth average value) and the first average value in the second data sequence before the update exceeds the preset first threshold. If exceeded, start timing monitoring.

Taking the example in FIG. 8 as an example, at time T0, determine the first difference between the last average value in the current second data sequence, i.e. avg ₂₆ , and the first average value in the second data sequence before updating, i.e. avg ₁ , and determine whether the first difference value exceeds the preset first threshold. In the example of FIG. 8 , at time T0, the first difference exceeds a preset first threshold. The first difference exceeds the preset first threshold, indicating that the current sampling value fluctuates, but it may be caused by transient interference, or it may be caused by environmental changes. If it is the former, because the transient interference may be eliminated in a short period of time, it is not necessarily necessary to switch the antenna. Therefore, in order to further confirm the cause of the change, the timing monitoring function is turned on at T0, and the duration of the timing monitoring is T. For example, in one example, T is set to 6 seconds. When the timing monitoring starts, the corresponding first data sequence is a _n26 to a _n35 , and the updated second data sequence is avg ₂ to avg ₂₆ . In the timing monitoring phase, continuous sampling is continued and the first data sequence and the second data sequence are continuously updated in the same manner as above.

Until the timing monitoring ends, the updated first data sequence is a _n86 to a _n95 , and the updated second data sequence is avg ₆₂ to avg ₈₆ . Determine whether the second difference between the Nth average value (avg ₈₆ in this example) in the second data series when the timing monitoring ends and the first average value in the second data series when the timing monitoring starts (avg ₂ in this example) exceeds a preset second threshold. If it does not exceed the preset second threshold, it means that the signal change causing the first difference is transient, which may be an interference signal. For example, the interference signal is eliminated within the duration of the regular monitoring, the antenna returns to a normal state, and the environment where the antenna is located has not changed, therefore, there is no need to trigger reselection of the working antenna. Taking the actual scene as an example, for example, when a person passes by a communication device quickly, the first difference will become larger at the moment of passing, but after regular monitoring, the second difference does not exceed the preset second threshold. Therefore, it is judged as short-term interference and there is no need to switch the working antenna. If, when the timing monitoring ends, the second difference still exceeds the preset second threshold, it indicates that the interference source still exists, and at this time, reselection of the working antenna may be triggered.

In another example, even if the second difference value still exceeds the preset second threshold at the end of the timing monitoring, it is still necessary to further determine whether the interference source is interference caused by humans, then the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring can be further obtained, the fluctuation index of the M sampling values in the first data sequence is calculated, and it is judged whether the third difference between the second difference and k times of the fluctuation index exceeds the preset third threshold. Taking the example in FIG. 8 as an example, the first data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring is a _n86 to a _n95 , and the variance of the M sampling values in the first data sequence is judged. And calculate whether the third difference between the second difference and k times of the variance exceeds the preset third threshold. In another example, the fluctuation index may use the difference between the sampling values of the head and tail of the queue in the first data sequence, which is the difference between a _n95 and a _n86 in the example of FIG. 8 . Using the difference between the first and last sampling values in the first data sequence instead of the variance as the fluctuation index can reduce the complexity of the algorithm and reduce the memory space occupied.

If the third difference does not exceed the preset third threshold, there is no need to reselect the working antenna. A scenario corresponding to this may be that a staff member comes to the console for operation and does not leave within 6 seconds, which interferes with the antenna signal of the communication device and does not leave within 6 seconds. However, since the staff cannot remain still while operating the machine, the swing of their body may cause fluctuations in the signal strength value, so this situation is still an interference signal rather than a change in the environment, so there is no need to switch the antenna. Therefore, through the determination of the third difference, it is possible to identify the antenna change caused by man-made interference for a long time, but in this case, there is no need to switch the antenna.

Conversely, if the third difference exceeds the preset third threshold, it means that there is a relatively stable error in the signal before and after the timing monitoring, and the variance of the sampling value in the first data sequence is small, so it can be judged that the environment has changed, for example, the position of the router or the position of the communication device has changed. Therefore, it is necessary to reselect the working antenna. After the working antenna is reselected, since the historical data of the previous working antenna is no longer of reference significance, the first data sequence and the second data sequence are cleared.

In addition, the present application also discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, and the instructions are configured to execute various methods according to the method embodiments disclosed in the present application when executed by a processor.

In summary, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Wi-Fi communication systems, Bluetooth communication systems, 5G communication systems, NR communication systems, etc., and can also be applied to future networks, such as 6G systems or even future systems.

According to the methods of the foregoing embodiments of the present application, man-made interference factors can be shielded, and communication quality deterioration caused by frequent switching of antennas can be avoided. In addition, this method is a lightweight method, which requires less data storage and calculation, and does not need to periodically scan the signal quality of each antenna. It only needs to sample and monitor the status of the current working antenna, and it can be triggered to find the optimal antenna for data transmission when needed. Therefore, the throughput of data transmission can be maintained at a relatively stable value for a long time. According to the technical solution of the present application, existing technical difficulties can be solved through software algorithms without increasing any hardware costs.

While various embodiments of aspects of the application have been described for the purposes of this disclosure, it should not be construed to limit the teachings of the disclosure to these embodiments. Features disclosed in a specific embodiment are not limited to that embodiment, but can be combined with features disclosed in different embodiments. For example, one or more features and/or operations of the method according to the present application described in one embodiment may also be applied individually, in combination or as a whole in another embodiment. Those skilled in the art should understand that there are more possible alternative implementations and modifications, and various changes and modifications can be made to the above system without departing from the scope defined by the claims of the present application.

Claims (17)

1. A method for selecting an operating antenna for a communication device having a plurality of antennas, comprising:

continuously sampling the signal quality index value of the current working antenna to obtain a sampling value, and executing the following steps:

step (A): in response to obtaining a latest sampling value, adding the latest sampling value to the tail of a first data sequence in a first-in first-out mode to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence comprises continuous M sampling values;

Step (B): calculating the average value of M sampling values in the current first data sequence and adding the average value to the tail of a second data sequence in a first-in first-out mode so as to update the second data sequence, wherein the second data sequence comprises N average values;

step (C): judging whether a first difference value between an Nth average value in the current second data sequence and a first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds a preset first threshold value;

step (D): in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold, initiating timing monitoring for a duration T, and repeating steps (a) and (B) for the duration to update the first and second data sequences; and judging whether a second difference value between an Nth average value in the second data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring and a first average value in the second data sequence at the start of the timing monitoring exceeds a preset second threshold value;

step (E): and triggering to reselect another antenna to be an operating antenna in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

Step (E) comprises: responding to the second difference value exceeding the preset second threshold value, acquiring a first data sequence when the timing monitoring is finished, calculating fluctuation indexes of M sampling values in the first data sequence, and judging whether a third difference value between the second difference value and a k times value of the fluctuation indexes exceeds a preset third threshold value, wherein k is an empirical coefficient; and triggering to reselect another antenna as an operating antenna in response to the third difference exceeding the preset third threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

the fluctuation index comprises a difference value of head and tail sampling values in the first data sequence, or any one of variance, standard deviation, range and variation coefficient of all sampling values in the first data sequence, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

step (a) further comprises: determining whether the first data sequence is full, and in response to the first data sequence being full, removing sample values located at the head of the first data sequence from the first data sequence and adding the latest sample values to the tail of the first data sequence to update the first data sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

step (B) further comprises: determining whether the second data sequence is full, and in response to the second data sequence being full, removing an average value located at a head of a queue of the second data sequence from the second data sequence, and adding an average value of M sampling values in the current first data sequence to a tail of the second data sequence.

6. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,

the re-selecting the operational antenna includes: the signal quality index values of the plurality of antennas are measured, and the antenna having the best signal quality index value therein is selected as an operating antenna of the communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing the first layer comprises,

after re-selecting the working antenna of the communication device, the first data sequence and the second data sequence are emptied.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing the first layer comprises,

the signal quality index value includes any one of a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), a packet loss rate, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a Bit Error Rate (BER), a rate, a transmission power, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining the position of the first electrode is performed,

and in response to the signal quality indicator value being a received signal strength indication, applying a filter to the first data sequence to filter to remove noise.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

the filter includes any one of a kalman filter or other filter.

11. A communication device, comprising:

a wireless circuit comprising at least two antennas and a transceiver coupled to the at least two antennas; and

control circuitry configured to control the wireless circuitry to select an operating antenna from the at least two antennas, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

continuously sampling the signal quality index value of the current working antenna to obtain a sampling value;

in response to obtaining a latest sampling value, adding the latest sampling value to the tail of a first data sequence in a first-in first-out mode to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence comprises continuous M sampling values;

calculating the average value of M sampling values in the current first data sequence and adding the average value to the tail of a second data sequence in a first-in first-out mode so as to update the second data sequence, wherein the second data sequence comprises N average values;

Judging whether a first difference value between an Nth average value in the current second data sequence and a first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds a preset first threshold value;

in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold, starting timing monitoring with duration T, continuing to perform continuous sampling within the duration, and correspondingly updating the first data sequence and the second data sequence; and judging whether a second difference value between an Nth average value in the second data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring and a first average value in the second data sequence at the start of the timing monitoring exceeds a preset second threshold value;

and triggering the control circuit to reselect another antenna as an operating antenna in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

responding to the second difference value exceeding the preset second threshold value, acquiring a first data sequence when the timing monitoring is finished, calculating fluctuation indexes of M sampling values in the first data sequence, and judging whether a third difference value between the second difference value and a k times value of the fluctuation indexes exceeds a preset third threshold value, wherein k is an empirical coefficient; the method comprises the steps of,

And triggering the control circuit to reselect another antenna as a working antenna in response to the third difference exceeding the preset third threshold.

13. A communication device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that,

the re-selecting the operational antenna includes: the signal quality indicator values of the at least two antennas are measured and the antenna with the best signal quality indicator value is selected as the operating antenna of the communication device.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the communication device is configured to,

the signal quality index value includes any one of a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), a packet loss rate, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a Bit Error Rate (BER), a rate, a transmission power, or a combination thereof.

15. A communication device, characterized in that,

the device comprises a storage module, an operation module, a timing monitoring module and an antenna selection module which are mutually coupled;

the storage module is used for storing a first data sequence in a first-in first-out mode and a second data sequence in the first-in first-out mode;

the execution module is configured to perform the following operations:

continuously sampling the signal quality index value of the current working antenna to obtain a sampling value;

In response to obtaining a latest sample value, adding the latest sample value to a tail of the first data sequence to update the first data sequence, wherein the first data sequence comprises consecutive M sample values;

calculating the average value of M sampling values in the current first data sequence and adding the average value to the tail of the second data sequence to update the second data sequence, wherein the second data sequence comprises N average values;

judging whether a first difference value between an Nth average value in the current second data sequence and a first average value in the second data sequence before updating exceeds a preset first threshold value;

the operation module is further configured to trigger operation of the timing monitoring module in response to the first difference exceeding the preset first threshold;

the timing monitoring module is configured to:

starting timing monitoring with duration time T, continuously executing continuous sampling within the duration time, and correspondingly updating the first data sequence and the second data sequence; and

judging whether a second difference value between an Nth average value in the second data sequence at the end of the timing monitoring and a first average value in the second data sequence at the start of the timing monitoring exceeds a preset second threshold value;

The timing monitoring module is further configured to trigger operation of the antenna selection module in response to the second difference exceeding the preset second threshold;

the antenna selection module is configured to: another antenna is reselected as the active antenna.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the communication device is configured to,

the timing monitoring module is further configured to: responding to the second difference value exceeding the preset second threshold value, acquiring a first data sequence when the timing monitoring is finished, calculating fluctuation indexes of M sampling values in the first data sequence, and judging whether a third difference value between the second difference value and a k times value of the fluctuation indexes exceeds a preset third threshold value, wherein k is an empirical coefficient; and triggering the operation of the antenna selection module in response to the third difference exceeding the preset third threshold.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor,

the instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 10.