Unmanned aerial vehicle relay system and method for wireless image transmission and wired hybrid communication based on Wi-Fi Halow

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and a method for carrying out hybrid communication relay through an Ethernet and a Wi-Fi Halow wireless technology, and belongs to the technical field of wireless communication. The system comprises a ground terminal, an air communication unmanned aerial vehicle and a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle nodes, the ground terminal is connected with the air communication unmanned aerial vehicle through the Ethernet, the air communication unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with the unmanned aerial vehicle node through a Wi-Fi Halow wireless protocol, and long-distance transmission of multiple paths of images, data and remote control signals is achieved. Through wired and wireless mixed communication relay, the transmission distance is expanded, delay is reduced, directional transmission of wireless signals is achieved through unmanned aerial vehicle relay, and anti-interference performance and safety are enhanced. The method is suitable for unmanned aerial vehicle cluster networking, remote monitoring and other scenes.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communication, in particular to a system and method for mixed communication relay of Ethernet and Wi-Fi Halow wireless technology, which is used for realizing long-distance transmission of multi-channel image, data and remote control signal through air communication unmanned aerial vehicle, and applied to cluster networking and remote control in the fields of unmanned aerial vehicle and robot. BACKGROUND

[0002] Wi-Fi Halow protocol is widely used in Internet of Things and wireless communication due to its long distance, low power consumption and high connection density characteristics; but the existing technology has significant limitations in image transmission and networking flexibility. For example, the common wireless monitoring system based on Wi-Fi Halow on the market (as described in CN115695876A) supports image transmission and ad hoc networking, but only uses one-way or simple two-way transmission mode, which cannot handle multi-channel parallel image stream (≥1 channel) and synchronous transmission of data transmission and remote control link, and the networking mode is fixed (such as star or point-to-point topology), lacking dynamic cluster management mechanism, resulting in low bandwidth utilization (usually less than 50%) and poor real-time performance; CN222852288U (a Halow serial converter and network system) relates to converting Ethernet data into Wi-Fi Halow network data, but is limited to data format conversion equipment and does not involve communication relay or air relay application; CN119383569A (broadcast forwarding method, device and equipment based on Halow-WiFi and storage medium) focuses on header protocol and audio data, without combining wired mode or unmanned aerial vehicle relay to realize distance expansion and anti-interference function; CN116684944A (a mobile communication device, wireless communication system and mobile communication system) relates to multi-mode wireless selection, also without combining wired mode or unmanned aerial vehicle relay to realize distance expansion and anti-interference function. In summary, the existing technology has the following shortcomings: limited transmission distance: pure Wi-Fi Halow wireless transmission shortens the distance in environments with many obstructions or strong interference, and the maximum transmission distance in pure Wi-Fi Halow ground-to-air transmission is 3 kilometers; fixed transmission mode: no directional transmission air relay mechanism, unable to dynamically adjust the signal transmission direction to enhance safety and distance. Therefore, the present application aims to solve the above problems, and provides a mixed communication system and method, which realizes longer distance, anti-interference and safe transmission through the combination of Ethernet and Wi-Fi Halow wireless technology and air unmanned aerial vehicle relay. SUMMARY

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a system and method for hybrid communication relay using Ethernet and Wi-Fi Halow wireless technologies. By relaying communication through Ethernet and Wi-Fi Halow wireless protocols, the transmission distance is extended, and an aerial communication drone is used as a relay point to achieve directional transmission of multiple images, data, and remote control signals, thereby reducing radio interference and enhancing communication security and flexibility.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] System composition: includes a ground terminal, at least one air communication UAV (or model aircraft, robot) and multiple UAV nodes (such as model aircraft, aircraft or robots); the ground terminal connects to the air communication UAV via wired communication; the air communication UAV then establishes wireless links with other UAV nodes via the Wi-Fi Halow protocol to realize cluster networking of multi-channel image transmission, data transmission and remote control links;

[0006] Communication protocol: Supports packet forwarding, synchronization, and switching to ensure low latency and high reliability; the wireless mode is based on the Wi-Fi Halow protocol's self-organizing network mode, supporting multiple transmissions (at least one). Data packets include sequence numbers, timestamps, and authentication fields.

[0007] Relay mechanism: The course and position of the aerial communication drone can be dynamically adjusted, and the directional transmission of Wi-Fi Halow signals can be achieved based on signal strength monitoring to enhance the transmission distance (e.g., extended to more than 3 kilometers) and communication security (reduce the risk of signal detection).

[0008] Networking modes: Supports optional cluster networking such as one machine with multiple controllers and one remote control with multiple machines, suitable for scenarios such as formation performances and cluster control.

[0009] Optionally, the drone described in the system composition can also be a robot or a model aircraft.

[0010] Optionally, the wired communication in the system can be Ethernet or fiber optic, and the Ethernet method includes fiber optic Ethernet, copper cable or direct Ethernet connection.

[0011] Optionally, the directional transmission described in the relay mechanism can also be achieved by adjusting the direction of the radio signal through the attitude of the UAV or by adjusting the direction of the radio signal through the angle of the antenna.

[0012] The aforementioned communication security refers to preventing signals from being interfered with or detected by devices in directions other than the transmission direction through directional transmission.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are: extended transmission distance, overcoming the distance limitations of pure Wi-Fi Halow transmission through Ethernet and Wi-Fi Halow hybrid wireless communication relay, and increasing the transmission distance through air-to-air directional transmission to achieve longer-distance coverage (theoretically, the distance can reach more than 3 kilometers); strong anti-interference capability, with less airborne radio signal interference, and effectively avoiding the influence of anti-drone devices and the environment when combined with directional transmission; high flexibility and security, with adjustable drone positions for airborne communication, achieving directional signal enhancement, preventing signal leakage and monitoring; multi-channel support, with one Ethernet interface supporting multiple Wi-Fi Halow communications, supporting large-scale cluster networking (such as 4 image streams + 1 data / remote control stream); wide application, suitable for drones, robots, and other fields, improving the reliability and efficiency of remote control. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are merely schematic diagrams and should not be construed as limiting the present invention:

[0015] Figure 1 The system architecture diagram illustrates the connection methods between the ground terminal, the aerial communication drone, and the drone node, including the processor, Wi-Fi Halow communication module, Ethernet interface, and wireless link;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a communication flowchart that shows the complete process of data acquisition and transmission, including image acquisition, data compression, wired transmission, wireless relay transmission, and switching mechanisms.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of relay position adjustment, illustrating the process by which an aerial communication drone dynamically adjusts its position to optimize transmission. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. This embodiment describes preferred embodiments, but should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make modifications and variations within the spirit of the present invention. This embodiment shows a typical implementation, emphasizing core components and processes, but does not limit specific hardware models.

[0019] Hybrid communication system based on Ethernet and Wi-Fi Halow wireless technology:

[0020] Ground terminal hardware: integrates a processor (such as an ARM architecture chip) and a Wi-Fi Halow communication module, with performance supporting multi-channel image acquisition; it communicates with the UAV in the air via a wired connection using fiber optic Ethernet.

[0021] Aerial communication drone: integrates a processor and Wi-Fi Halow communication module, connects to the ground terminal via fiber optic Ethernet; equipped with a directional antenna system for dynamically adjusting the antenna's orientation and position;

[0022] Drone Nodes: Multiple drone nodes with integrated Wi-Fi Halow communication modules are used to receive images, data, and remote control signals;

[0023] Image processing and compression algorithm: The processor runs customized software to compress image data in real time (this implementation uses H.265 encoding), with a bandwidth of approximately 2Mbps per image channel;

[0024] Data transmission protocol: The data transmission and remote control links adopt a lightweight protocol (UDP in this implementation), with a total bandwidth requirement of approximately 500Kbps; the data packets include sequence number, timestamp, and authentication field;

[0025] Wi-Fi Halow network configuration: self-organizing network mode, supports multi-channel transmission (such as 4 image streams + 1 data transmission / remote control stream), theoretical transmission distance up to 3 kilometers (unobstructed environment), and can be extended to a larger coverage area by relaying through networking between drones.

[0026] The workflow of the hybrid communication system:

[0027] The ground terminal collects image data through a camera, which is then compressed by the processor and sent to the airborne communication drone via Ethernet.

[0028] The drone receives data and broadcasts or unicasts it to the drone node via the Wi-Fi Halow protocol.

[0029] The drone node returns confirmation signals or sensor data, establishing two-way communication; it supports cluster networking mode.

[0030] The aerial communication drone monitors the strength of the transmitted signal in real time and dynamically adjusts its position and heading to optimize the transmission direction.

[0031] Performance metrics: In a measured transmission distance of 3 kilometers, the latency is less than 100 milliseconds, and the total bandwidth is 15Mbps (4-channel image stream and data transmission remote control).

[0032] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention. Any implementation based on the features described in the claims, regardless of the specific components or parameters used, falls within the protection scope of the present invention. The processor can be an ARM or x86 architecture chip (such as NVIDIA Jetson or Intel Atom); the Wi-Fi Halow communication module can be replaced with other chips compatible with the IEEE 802.11ah protocol; the Ethernet method can include copper cable, power line communication, or PoE (Power over Ethernet); image compression can use AV1 or JPEG2000 algorithms, with bandwidth requirements adjusted according to resolution; parameters and scenes, bandwidth, latency, and other parameters can be adjusted with technological advancements, and the application areas are not limited to model aircraft, drones, or robots; the number of drones for aerial communication can be greater than one, forming a relay chain.

Claims

1. A system for hybrid communication relay using Ethernet and Wi-Fi Halow wireless technologies, characterized in that, include: Ground terminal, used to send and receive data via Ethernet interface; At least one airborne communication UAV, integrating a processor and a Wi-Fi Halow communication module, is connected to the ground terminal via Ethernet; multiple UAV nodes, integrating Wi-Fi Halow communication modules, are used to communicate with the airborne communication UAV via the Wi-Fi Halow wireless protocol to receive data from the airborne communication UAV and return feedback signals; wherein, the airborne communication UAV is configured to dynamically adjust its position and heading based on signal strength to achieve directional signal transmission.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The Ethernet includes at least one of fiber optic, copper cable, or power line communication.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The Wi-Fi Halow communication module supports the IEEE 802.11ah protocol.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processor is an ARM or x86 architecture chip that supports image compression.

5. A method for hybrid communication relay using Ethernet and Wi-Fi Halow wireless technologies, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The ground terminal transmits data to the airborne communication drone via Ethernet; The aerial communication drone communicates with multiple drone nodes via the Wi-FiHalow wireless protocol; the aerial communication drone dynamically adjusts its position and heading based on signal strength to optimize the transmission direction.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method supports cluster networking modes of one machine with multiple controllers or one remote controller with multiple machines.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method according to claim 5 or 6.

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