Ultra-wideband ranging method, device and system

Abstract

The present application provides an ultra-wideband ranging method, device and system. The ultra-wideband ranging method is applied to a first ultra-wideband UWB module in a first electronic device, and the first UWB module is used to achieve ranging with multiple second electronic devices. The ultra-wideband ranging method includes: determining that the number of second electronic devices is greater than a preset number X; dividing the multiple second electronic devices into N groups, and the number of second electronic devices in each group of second electronic devices is less than or equal to X, and X and N are positive integers; within a ranging period, sending ranging control information RCM to N groups of electronic devices in sequence; according to the N RCMs, performing ranging communication with each group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices in sequence to obtain the distance between each group of second electronic devices. This technical solution has a high ranging capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to an ultra-wideband ranging method, device and system. Background Art

[0002] Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology is a wireless carrier communication technology with the advantages of low system complexity, low power spectrum density of transmitted signals, insensitivity to channel fading, low interception capability, and high positioning accuracy. It is especially suitable for high-speed wireless access in dense multipath places such as indoors. Therefore, UWB technology has been applied and popularized in more and more communication scenarios.

[0003] In the process of UWB modules communicating to perform ranging and other functions, certain industry specifications must be met, such as the Fira specification. In the Fira specification, information data transmission has a certain length limit. In the scenario where multiple UWB modules perform mutual ranging, the length limit of the information data will affect the number of UWB modules in the ranging system, thereby affecting the UWB ranging capacity.

[0004] In view of this, how to provide a UWB ranging method with higher ranging capacity is a technical problem to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides an ultra-wideband ranging method, device and system, which have a high ranging capacity.

[0006] In a first aspect, an ultra-wideband ranging method is provided, which is applied to a first ultra-wideband UWB module in a first electronic device, and the first UWB module is used to implement ranging with multiple second electronic devices. The ultra-wideband ranging method includes: determining that the number of second electronic devices is greater than a preset number X; dividing the multiple second electronic devices into N groups, the number of second electronic devices in each group of second electronic devices is less than or equal to X, and X and N are positive integers greater than 1; within a ranging period, sending ranging control information RCM to the N groups of electronic devices in sequence; and performing ranging communication with each group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices in sequence according to the N RCMs to obtain the distance between each group of second electronic devices.

[0007] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, when there are a large number of second electronic devices in the ranging system, the multiple second electronic devices are divided into N groups, and the number of second electronic devices in each group of second electronic devices is small. Therefore, the length of the RCM corresponding to each group of second electronic devices is also short, which can not only meet the requirements of relevant standards, but also facilitate the first electronic device to perform ranging with a large number of second electronic devices within a ranging period, thereby improving the real-time performance and ranging capacity of UWB ranging.

[0008] In some possible implementations, within a ranging period, ranging control information RCM is sent sequentially to N groups of electronic devices, including: within the i-th sub-period of the ranging period, the i-th RCM is sent to the i-th group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices; according to the N RCMs, ranging communication is performed with each group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices in sequence to obtain the distance between each group of second electronic devices, including: according to the i-th RCM, ranging communication is performed with the i-th group of second electronic devices to obtain the distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices, wherein i≤N, i is a positive integer; the i-th RCM is used to indicate the ranging message type, ranging timing, initiator role and initiator address of each ranging step in the ranging communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices.

[0009] Through the technical solution of this implementation, RCM can be used to achieve reliable control of the ranging communication between the first electronic device and each group of second electronic devices, and on the basis of being compatible with the Fira standard, it can facilitate the implementation of the entire UWB ranging method.

[0010] In some possible embodiments, when i≤N-1, the i-th RCM is also used to indicate the i+1-th RCM, and the ultra-wideband ranging method also includes: in the i-th sub-period of the ranging period, sending the i-th RCM to other groups of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices except the i-th group of second electronic devices, and the other groups of second electronic devices enter a waiting state according to the identifier indicating the i+1-th RCM in the i-th RCM.

[0011] Through the technical solution of this implementation, it is possible to prevent the other groups of second electronic devices from entering a sleep state and being unable to establish a connection with the first electronic device during the process of performing ranging communication between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices, thereby ensuring the continuous execution of UWB ranging between the first electronic device and multiple groups of second electronic devices.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the ultra-wideband ranging method further includes: within the i+1th sub-period of the ranging period, based on the identifier of the i+1th RCM, sending the i+1th RCM to the i+1th group of second electronic devices in N groups of second electronic devices; based on the i+1th RCM, performing ranging communication with the i+1th group of second electronic devices to obtain the distance between the i+1th group of second electronic devices.

[0013] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the first electronic device can continue to perform ranging communication with the i+1th group of second electronic devices according to the i+1th RCM to ensure a continuous and reliable ranging process between the first electronic device and N groups of second electronic devices.

[0014] In some possible implementations, within a ranging period, ranging control information RCM is sequentially sent to N groups of electronic devices; based on the N RCMs, ranging communication is sequentially performed with each group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices to obtain the distance between each group of second electronic devices, including: within the i-th sub-period of the first ranging period, the i-th first RCM is sequentially sent to the i-th group of second electronic devices in the N groups of electronic devices; based on the i-th first RCM, a ranging communication is performed with the i-th group of second electronic devices to obtain the initial distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices; the ultra-wideband ranging method also includes: within the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, when the initial distance between the target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the i-th second RCM is sent to the target electronic device; based on the i-th second RCM, multiple ranging communications are performed with the target electronic device to obtain the real-time distance between the target electronic device and the target electronic device multiple times; wherein the first ranging period is equal to the second ranging period.

[0015] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, in the i-th sub-period of the second ranging time period, the ranging frequency between the first electronic device and the target electronic device that is closer is higher, and the multiple real-time distances can be used to improve the ranging accuracy of the first electronic device and the target electronic device in the second ranging time period, so as to improve the UWB ranging performance. In addition, in the i-th sub-period of the first ranging time period, the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices still perform one ranging communication, which can save the power consumption of the entire ranging system to improve the UWB ranging performance.

[0016] In some possible embodiments, the ultra-wideband ranging method further includes: within the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, when the initial distance between the non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices is greater than a preset threshold, sending the i-th second RCM to the non-target electronic device; based on the i-th second RCM, performing a ranging communication with the non-target electronic device to obtain a real-time distance between the non-target electronic device and the non-target electronic device.

[0017] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, within the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, only one ranging communication is still performed between the first electronic device and the non-target electronic device that is farther away in the i-th group of second electronic devices, thereby reducing the ranging frequency between the non-target electronic device and the first electronic device, saving the power consumption of the non-target electronic device, and further improving the UWB ranging performance.

[0018] In some possible implementations, based on the i-th first RCM, performing a ranging communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices to obtain an initial distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices, including: based on the i-th first RCM, performing a ranging communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices according to a unilateral two-way ranging method or a bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain an initial distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices.

[0019] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, in the i-th sub-period of the first ranging period, different ranging methods can be flexibly selected to perform initial ranging on the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices, so as to improve the flexibility of use of the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the present application. In the first ranging period, if the SS-TWR method is used to perform ranging, the ranging capacity of the initial ranging stage can be increased, so that each group of second electronic devices can accommodate more second electronic devices. If the DS-TWR method is used to perform ranging, the ranging accuracy is high, so that the ranging accuracy of the initial ranging can be improved.

[0020] In some possible implementations, based on the i-th second RCM, multiple ranging communications are performed with the target electronic device to obtain the real-time distance between the target electronic device multiple times, including: based on the i-th second RCM, multiple ranging communications are performed with the target electronic device according to the bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain the real-time distance between the target electronic device multiple times.

[0021] Through the technical solution of this implementation, multiple ranging communications are executed in sequence, which is conducive to the reliable implementation of multiple ranging communications, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of UWB ranging.

[0022] In some possible implementations, performing multiple ranging communications with a target electronic device according to a bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain multiple real-time distances with the target electronic device, includes: performing multiple ranging communications with the target electronic device in sequence according to the bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain multiple real-time distances with the target electronic device in sequence.

[0023] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, for the target electronic device that is closer in the i-th group of second electronic devices, a DS-TWR method with higher ranging accuracy can be used to perform multiple ranging, thereby further improving the accuracy of ranging and comprehensively ensuring the UWB ranging performance.

[0024] In some possible implementations, based on the i-th second RCM, a ranging communication is performed with a non-target electronic device to obtain a real-time distance with the non-target electronic device, including: based on the i-th second RCM, a ranging communication is performed with the non-target electronic device according to a bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain the real-time distance with the non-target electronic device.

[0025] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, for non-target electronic devices that are far away in the i-th group of second electronic devices, a DS-TWR method with higher ranging accuracy can also be used to perform ranging once, thereby ensuring its ranging accuracy. In addition, the target electronic device and the non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices use the same DS-TWR ranging method, which can simplify the entire ranging process, that is, in one ranging communication, a real-time distance between the first electronic device and the target electronic device and a real-time distance between the first electronic device and the non-target electronic device can be measured simultaneously.

[0026] In some possible implementations, the first electronic device is a POS machine, and the second electronic device is a smart terminal.

[0027] In a second aspect, an ultra-wideband ranging method is provided, which is applied to a second UWB module of an i-th group of second electronic devices in N groups of second electronic devices, the second UWB module being used to achieve ranging with a first electronic device, wherein i≤N, and i is a positive integer; the ultra-wideband ranging method comprises: receiving an i-th RCM sent by a first electronic device within an i-th sub-period of a ranging period; and performing ranging communication with the first electronic device according to the i-th RCM to obtain a distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device.

[0028] In some possible implementations, the i-th RCM is used to indicate the ranging message type, ranging timing, initiator role, and initiator address of each ranging step in the ranging communication with the first electronic device.

[0029] In some possible implementations, when i≤N-1, the i-th RCM is also used to indicate the i+1-th RCM, and the identifier indicating the i+1-th RCM in the i-th RCM is used to indicate that other groups of second electronic devices in N groups of second electronic devices except the i-th group of second electronic devices enter a waiting state.

[0030] In some possible implementations, within the i-th sub-period of a ranging period, receiving the i-th RCM sent by the first electronic device; based on the i-th RCM, performing ranging communication with the first electronic device to obtain the distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device, including: within the i-th sub-period of the first ranging period, receiving the i-th first RCM sent by the first electronic device; based on the i-th first RCM, performing a ranging communication with the first electronic device to obtain the initial distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device; the ultra-wideband ranging method also includes: within the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, when the initial distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device is less than or equal to a preset threshold, receiving the i-th second RCM sent by the first electronic device; based on the i-th second RCM, performing multiple ranging communications with the first electronic device to obtain the real-time distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device multiple times.

[0031] In some possible embodiments, the ultra-wideband ranging method further includes: within the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, when the initial distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device is greater than a preset threshold, receiving the i-th second RCM sent by the first electronic device; and based on the i-th second RCM, performing a ranging communication with the first electronic device to obtain a real-time distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device.

[0032] In some possible implementations, based on the i-th first RCM, performing a ranging communication with the first electronic device to obtain an initial distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device, including: based on the i-th first RCM, performing a ranging communication with the first electronic device according to a unilateral two-way ranging method or a bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain an initial distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device.

[0033] In some possible implementations, based on the i-th second RCM, multiple ranging communications are performed with the first electronic device to obtain the real-time distance between the first electronic device multiple times, including: based on the i-th second RCM, multiple ranging communications are performed with the first electronic device according to the bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain the real-time distance between the first electronic device multiple times.

[0034] In some possible implementations, performing multiple ranging communications with the first electronic device according to the bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain the real-time distance between the first electronic device multiple times includes: performing multiple ranging communications with the first electronic device in sequence according to the bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain multiple real-time distances between the first electronic device in sequence.

[0035] In some possible implementations, based on the i-th second RCM, a ranging communication is performed with the first electronic device to obtain the real-time distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device, including: based on the i-th second RCM, a ranging communication is performed with the first electronic device according to a bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain the real-time distance between the first electronic device and the first electronic device.

[0036] In some possible implementations, the first electronic device is a POS machine, and the second electronic device is a smart terminal.

[0037] In a third aspect, an ultra-wideband ranging device is provided, comprising: a memory for storing a program, and a processor for executing the program stored in the memory, wherein when the program stored in the memory is executed, the processor is used to execute the ultra-wideband ranging method in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect, or the processor is used to execute the ultra-wideband ranging method in the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, an ultra-wideband ranging system is provided, comprising: a first electronic device, comprising a first UWB module, the first UWB module being used to execute the ultra-wideband ranging method in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect; a plurality of second electronic devices, each of the plurality of second electronic devices comprising a second UWB module, the second UWB module being used to execute the ultra-wideband ranging method in the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of SS-TWR and DS-TWR ranging provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 2 A UWB ranging system architecture diagram provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of a UWB ranging method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Figure 4 A data model defined for the Fira standard.

[0043] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Figure 7 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] Fig. 9 A schematic flowchart of a UWB ranging method for a second ranging period provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] Fig.10 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method for a second ranging period provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0049] Fig.11 A schematic structural block diagram of a UWB ranging device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0050] Fig.12 A schematic structural block diagram of a UWB ranging system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The technical solution in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0052] The present application relates to UWB ranging technology. UWB ranging mainly adopts the two-way ranging (Two-way Ranging, TWR) method, in which two nodes are generally included: device A and device B, device A is the initiator (Initiator) of ranging, device B is the responder (Responder), and both are equipped with UWB modules. Two-way ranging is mainly divided into the following two methods: Single-sided Two-way Ranging (SS-TWR) method and Double-sided Two-way Ranging (DS-TWR) method.

[0053] Figure 1 The ranging schematic diagram of SS-TWR and DS-TWR is shown.

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown in Figure (a), in the SS-TWR method, device A actively sends data and records the sending timestamp. After receiving the data, device B records the receiving timestamp. The delay T reply Afterwards, device B sends data and records the sending timestamp, and device A receives data and records the receiving timestamp.

[0055] The time difference T of device A can be determined by the sending timestamp and receiving timestamp of device A. roundSimilarly, the time difference T of device B can be determined by the sending timestamp and receiving timestamp of device B. reply Furthermore, the signal flight time T can be finally obtained according to the following calculation formula: prop .

[0056]

[0057] According to the above flight time T prop , the distance between device A and device B can be calculated.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown in Figure (b), in the DS-TWR method, device A actively initiates the first ranging data, and after device B receives the data, the interval T reply1 Send response data. After device A receives the response data from device B, it will send a response message at interval T. reply2 The second ranging data is sent again, and device B can receive the first ranging data.

[0059] The first time difference T of device A can be determined by the first sending timestamp and the first receiving timestamp of device A. round1 , through the first receiving timestamp and the second sending timestamp of device A, the second time difference T of device A can be determined reply2 Similarly, the first time difference T of device B can be determined by the first receiving timestamp and the first sending timestamp of device B. reply1 , the second time difference T of device A can be determined through the first sending timestamp and the second receiving timestamp of device B. round2 .

[0060] Furthermore, the signal flight time T can be finally obtained according to the following calculation formula: prop .

[0061]

[0062] According to the above flight time T prop , the distance between device A and device B can be calculated.

[0063] Above Figure 1 Figure (a) shows a SS-TWR ranging communication, and the above Figure 1 Figure (b) shows a DS-TWR ranging communication. In actual applications, multiple ranging communications can be performed between device A and device B to continuously monitor the distance between the two.

[0064] In addition, it should be noted that, in addition to the above introduction, the specific implementation methods of the SS-TWR method and the DS-TWR method involved in the present application can also refer to the detailed schemes in the relevant technology, which will not be elaborated here.

[0065] Since UWB ranging technology can have a very stable connection, almost no interference, and can provide a high-precision ranging function, it can maintain excellent performance even in crowded multi-path environments. Therefore, UWB ranging technology can be applied to a variety of application scenarios in people's daily lives, such as transportation, medical treatment, home appliances, security, industrial control, etc.

[0066] Figure 2 A UWB ranging system architecture diagram provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0067] like Figure 2 As shown, the UWB ranging system 100 may include two or more electronic devices, each of which may be provided with a UWB module to implement UWB ranging communication between two electronic devices.

[0068] In some application scenarios, the UWB ranging system 100 may include a gate machine 101 (or an access control device) and a smart terminal 102. The gate machine 101 may be provided with at least one point of sales (POS) machine 1011 to facilitate data interaction with the smart terminal 102. The smart terminal 102 may have various forms, for example, Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the smart terminal 102 may include: a mobile phone, a smart wearable device (such as a bracelet, a watch, etc.), a tag device, etc.

[0069] UWB modules are provided in both the POS machine 1011 and the smart terminal 102. When the smart terminal 102 enters the UWB communication range of the POS machine 1011, the UWB module in the POS machine 1011 can establish a communication connection with the UWB module in the smart terminal 102. The UWB module in the POS machine 1011 can be the initiator, and the UWB module in the smart terminal 102 can be the responder. Alternatively, the UWB module in the smart terminal 102 can be the initiator, and the UWB module in the POS machine 1011 can be the responder. The two can realize the distance measurement between the POS machine 1011 and the smart terminal 102. Furthermore, after determining the relative position relationship between the smart terminal 102 and the POS machine 1011, the smart terminal 102 can perform corresponding control on the gate 101 where the POS machine 1011 is located. For example, the smart terminal 102 can control the gate 101 to open or close.

[0070] In some relevant protocols or specifications, the information data sent between the UWB modules in the POS machine 1011 and the smart terminal 102 during the ranging communication process has a certain length limit. For example, in the Fira specification, the information data during the ranging communication process includes the ranging control message (Ranging Control Message, RCM), and Fira stipulates that the RCM has a certain length limit. In actual application, the length of RCM is generally limited to within 127 bytes.

[0071] The RCM is used to control the ranging communication of each electronic device in the ranging system. For example, when the POS machine 1011 performs ranging communication with multiple smart terminals 102 at the same time, the RCM can be used to control the ranging communication between the POS machine 1011 and each of the multiple smart terminals 102. Therefore, the RCM is related to the number of electronic devices in the ranging system. The more electronic devices in the ranging system, the longer the RCM length will be. Since the RCM has a length limit, the RCM will limit the number of electronic devices in the ranging system, thereby affecting the UWB ranging capacity.

[0072] In view of this, the present application provides a new UWB ranging method, which can improve the UWB ranging capacity.

[0073] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a UWB distance measurement method 200 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The UWB distance measurement method 200 can be applied between a first UWB module of a first electronic device and second UWB modules of a plurality of second electronic devices.

[0074] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first electronic device and the second electronic device may be respectively Figure 1 The POS machine 1011 and the smart terminal 102 are shown in FIG.

[0075] like Figure 3 As shown, the UWB ranging method 200 may include the following steps.

[0076] S210: The first UWB module of the first electronic device determines that the number of second electronic devices is greater than a preset number X.

[0077] S220: The first UWB module divides the plurality of second electronic devices into N groups, the number of second electronic devices in each group of second electronic devices is less than or equal to X, and X and N are positive integers greater than 1.

[0078] S231 and S232: within a ranging period, the first UWB module sends ranging control information RCM to N groups of electronic devices in sequence.

[0079] S241 and S242: According to the N RCMs, the first UWB module performs ranging communication with each group of the N groups of second electronic devices in sequence to obtain the distance between the first electronic device and each group of the second electronic devices.

[0080] As an example, Figure 3 The number of second electronic devices in each group may be 2, that is, X=2, or, in other implementations, X may also be another positive integer. As an example, X may be a positive integer less than or equal to 8. The value of X may be flexibly adjusted according to the requirements of the relevant specifications, so that the length of the information data of the ranging communication between each group of second electronic devices and the first electronic device meets the relevant specifications.

[0081] In addition, the value of N can also be determined according to the number of real-time second electronic devices in the ranging system and the value of X, aiming to ensure that the number of second electronic devices in each group is less than or equal to X. The embodiment of the present application does not limit its specific value.

[0082] Specifically, in step S231, the first UWB module of the first electronic device may send a first RCM to the first group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices. In step S241, the first UWB module may perform ranging communication with the second UWB module of each second electronic device in the first group of second electronic devices according to the first RCM to obtain the distance between the first electronic device and each second electronic device in the first group of second electronic devices.

[0083] By analogy, in step S232, the first UWB module of the first electronic device may send the Nth RCM to the Nth group of second electronic devices in the Nth group of second electronic devices. In step S242, the first UWB module may perform ranging communication with the second UWB module of each second electronic device in the Nth group of second electronic devices according to the Nth RCM to obtain the distance between the first electronic device and each second electronic device in the Nth group of second electronic devices.

[0084] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, when there are a large number of second electronic devices in the ranging system, the multiple second electronic devices are divided into N groups, and the number of second electronic devices in each group of second electronic devices is small. Therefore, the length of the RCM corresponding to each group of second electronic devices is also short, which can not only meet the requirements of relevant standards, but also facilitate the first electronic device to perform ranging with a large number of second electronic devices within a ranging period, thereby improving the real-time performance and ranging capacity of UWB ranging.

[0085] Optionally, in some embodiments, the duration of the above one ranging period may be equal to at least one ranging round interval (Ranging Round Interval) in the Fira standard. The one ranging period may be one ranging round (Ranging Round) in the Fira standard, or the first ranging period may also be multiple ranging rounds in the Fira standard. As an example, the duration of the one ranging period may be 500ms or 1000ms, or the duration of the one ranging period may be set accordingly according to actual needs.

[0086] For ease of understanding, Figure 4 A data model defined by the Fira standard is shown.

[0087] like Figure 4 As shown, in the Fira standard, the data model may include: a ranging block, a ranging round, and a ranging slot. Specifically, a ranging block may include X ranging rounds, and a ranging round may include Y ranging slots, where X and Y are both positive integers.

[0088] In the Y ranging time slots, the time slot length (Slot length) of each ranging time slot is equal. In addition, in the X ranging rounds, the duration of each ranging round, that is, the ranging round interval (Ranging Round Interval) between two adjacent ranging rounds is also equal.

[0089] In the existing Fira standard, a ranging wheel has only one RCM, which can only be used to control the ranging communication of a limited number of electronic devices in the ranging system. In the embodiment of the present application, a ranging wheel can have multiple RCMs, which can be used to control the ranging communication of a large number of electronic devices, thereby greatly improving the ranging capacity of UWB ranging under the Fira standard. In addition, through this technical solution, each ranging wheel can achieve ranging with each electronic device in the ranging system, and can further ensure the real-time and synchronization performance of ranging for the entire ranging system.

[0090] Figure 5 FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart of another UWB ranging method 300 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As an example, Figure 5 The i-th group of second electronic devices among the N groups of second electronic devices is shown, where i≤N and i is a positive integer. That is, the i-th group of second electronic devices can be any group of second electronic devices among the N groups of second electronic devices.

[0091] like Figure 5 As shown, the ranging method 300 may include the following steps.

[0092] S310: In an i-th sub-period of a ranging period, a first UWB module of a first electronic device sends an i-th RCM to an i-th group of second electronic devices among N groups of second electronic devices.

[0093] S320: The first UWB module and the second UWB module of the i-th group of second electronic devices perform ranging communication according to the i-th RCM to obtain the distance between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices.

[0094] The i-th RCM is used to indicate the ranging message type, ranging timing, initiator role and initiator address of each ranging step in the ranging communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices.

[0095] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the first electronic device can perform ranging communication with different groups of second electronic devices in different sub-periods within the ranging period. For example, in the i-th sub-period of the ranging period, the first electronic device can perform ranging communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present application, the i-th RCM may be used to indicate each ranging step of ranging communication between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices. In the case where the ranging period is a ranging round, each ranging step may be performed in a ranging time slot in the ranging round.

[0097] Specifically, RCM may be used to indicate the type of ranging message for each ranging step. The ranging message for each ranging step may be any of the following: Ranging Initiation Message (RIM), Ranging Response Message (RRM), Ranging Final Message (RFM), Ranging Measurement Report Message (RMRM), and Ranging Result Report Message (RRRM).

[0098] Optionally, in the RCM, different identifiers may be used to identify different types of ranging messages. As an example, the following Table 1 shows an example of using hexadecimal identifiers to identify different types of ranging messages.

[0099] Table 1

[0100]

[0101] Optionally, in order to further improve the control accuracy of RCM over ranging communication, RCM may further indicate the ranging timing, initiator role and initiator address of each ranging step.

[0102] For example, the ranging timing of the ranging step can be the index of the ranging time slot where the ranging step is located in the ranging round. The initiator role indicates whether the ranging initiator belongs to the controller or the controlled end. In the embodiment of the present application, the controller is the first UWB module in the first electronic device, and the controlled end is the second UWB module in the second electronic device. The initiator address is the address of the ranging initiator.

[0103] Specifically, RCM may include a control element for each ranging step. Each control element may include: an initiator role (Ranging Role), a ranging slot index (Ranging Slot Index), an initiator address (Address), and a predefined ranging message type. Among them, the predefined ranging message type may include any one of the ranging messages shown in Table 1 above, which can be identified by a hexadecimal identifier. Similarly, the initiator role (RangingRole) can also be identified by an identifier, for example, "1" represents the first UWB module in the first electronic device, and "0" represents the second UWB module in the second electronic device.

[0104] In the first electronic device, the first UWB module can perform the ranging step as an initiator according to the control element in the RCM. The second UWB module in the second electronic device can also perform the ranging step as an initiator according to the control element in the RCM.

[0105] Through the technical solution of this implementation, RCM can be used to achieve reliable control of the ranging communication between the first electronic device and each group of second electronic devices, and on the basis of being compatible with the Fira standard, it can facilitate the implementation of the entire UWB ranging method.

[0106] Optionally, in some embodiments, during the above-mentioned ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device may perform ranging communication with the second UWB module of the i-th group of second electronic devices according to a single-sided two-way ranging (SS-TWR) method or a double-sided two-way ranging (DS-TWR) method to obtain the distance between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices.

[0107] Taking the DS-TWR method as an example, Figure 6 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0108] like Figure 6 As shown, the ranging method 400 may include the following steps.

[0109] S410: In the i-th sub-period of the ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device sends the i-th RCM.

[0110] S420: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a RIM.

[0111] S430 and S440: The second UWB module of the second electronic device of the i-th group sends an RRM.

[0112] S450: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends an RFM.

[0113] S470 and S480: The second UWB module of the second electronic device of the i-th group sends a RRRM.

[0114] Specifically, in step S430 and step S440, the second UWB modules of the plurality of second electronic devices in the i-th group of second electronic devices sequentially send RRMs to the first UWB module of the first electronic device, and the RRMs may be response messages based on RIM.

[0115] Similarly, in step S470 and step S480, the second UWB modules of the plurality of second electronic devices in the i-th group of second electronic devices sequentially send RRRMs to the first UWB module of the first electronic device, and the RRRMs may be response messages based on RFM.

[0116] The set of RIM, RRM, RFM and RRRM may be equivalent to Figure 1 The first UWB module and the second UWB module can calculate the flight time of the message data according to the timestamps of the RIM, RRM, RFM and RRRM, and then calculate the distance between the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

[0117] Optionally, in order to improve the accuracy of ranging, such as Figure 6 As shown, before steps S470 and S480, the ranging method 400 may further include step S460: the first UWB module of the first electronic device sends an RMRM. The RMRM may carry auxiliary information related to ranging, and the first UWB module and the second UWB module may further correct or optimize the calculated ranging result according to the auxiliary information carried in the RMRM.

[0118] In step S410, the i-th RCM sent by the first UWB module can be used to configure each subsequent ranging step, that is, to configure the information for sending subsequent RIM, RRM, RFM, RMRM and RRRM. Optionally, the first RCM can also configure its own related information.

[0119] Table 2 below shows a schematic table of the i-th RCM.

[0120] Table 2

[0121]

[0122] Specifically, in the above exemplary Table 2, the i-th RCM may include 8 control elements. The 8 control elements may correspond to Figure 6 8 ranging steps in the i-th sub-period in . Corresponding to the first control element, in the first ranging step S410, the ranging initiator is the first UWB module, which can send ranging information identified as "0x3", that is, a ranging control message RCM. Similarly, corresponding to the subsequent control elements, the first UWB module and the second UWB module can perform corresponding steps according to the control element to achieve a ranging communication between the two based on DS-TWR.

[0123] It can be understood that, in the i-th sub-period of the ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device and the second UWB module of the i-th group of second electronic devices can also perform ranging communication based on SS-TWR. In this case, the ranging method 400 may not include steps S450 to S470, and a group of RIM and RRM may be equivalent to Figure 1 The ranging data sent in an execution of the SS-TWR method is shown in Figure (a).

[0124] Optionally, in some implementations, the above-mentioned i-th RCM may also be used to indicate the (i+1)-th RCM.

[0125] For example, Table 3 below shows another schematic table of the i-th RCM.

[0126] Table 3

[0127]

[0128] Specifically, in the above schematic Table 3, compared with the i-th RCM shown in Table 2, it adds a 9th control element. In the 1st control element, the ranging initiator is the first UWB module, which can send ranging information identified as "0x3", that is, RCM. The first UWB module can send the i-th first RCM according to the 1st control element. In the 9th control element, the ranging initiator is the first UWB module, which can again send ranging information identified as "0x3", that is, RCM. The first UWB module can send the i+1th first RCM according to the 9th control element.

[0129] In this case, Figure 7 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0130] like Figure 7 As shown, the ranging method 500 may include the following steps.

[0131] S511: In the i-th sub-period of the ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device sends the i-th RCM.

[0132] S512: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a RIM.

[0133] S513 and S514: The second UWB module of the second electronic device in the i-th group sends an RRM.

[0134] S515: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends an RFM.

[0135] S516: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends an RMRM.

[0136] S517 and S518: The second UWB module of the second electronic device in the i-th group sends a RRRM.

[0137] S521: In the (i+1)th sub-period of the ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device sends the (i+1)th RCM.

[0138] S522: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a RIM.

[0139] S523 and S524: The second UWB module of the second electronic device in the (i+1)th group sends an RRM.

[0140] S525: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends an RFM.

[0141] S526: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends RMRM.

[0142] S527 and S528: The second UWB module of the second electronic device of the (i+1)th group sends a RRRM.

[0143] Specifically, in step S511, the i-th RCM sent by the first UWB module of the first electronic device can be received by the other groups of electronic devices in addition to the i-th group of second electronic devices, for example, Figure 7 The i+1th group of second electronic devices shown receive it.

[0144] The other group of second electronic devices can enter a waiting state according to the identifier indicating the i+1th RCM in the i-th RCM (for example, the control element 9 in the above Table 3), and will not enter a dormant state, thereby causing the problem that the subsequent first electronic device cannot establish a connection with it. That is, in the process of the first electronic device performing ranging communication with the i-th group of electronic devices, the other group of second electronic devices can enter a waiting state ready to receive the i+1th RCM according to the identifier indicating the i+1th RCM in the i-th RCM.

[0145] Through the technical solution of this implementation, it is possible to prevent the other groups of second electronic devices from entering a sleep state and being unable to establish a connection with the first electronic device during the process of performing ranging communication between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices, thereby ensuring the continuous execution of UWB ranging between the first electronic device and multiple groups of second electronic devices.

[0146] Specifically, in step S512 to step S518, the first electronic device and the second electronic device of the i-th group perform a distance measurement communication based on the DS-TWR method. The specific distance measurement communication process can be referred to above. Figure 6 The relevant descriptions of steps S420 to S480 in the illustrated embodiment are not repeated here.

[0147] Optionally, in step S521, within the i+1th sub-period of the ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device may send the i+1th RCM according to the identifier of the i+1th RCM in the i-th RCM, and the i+1th RCM may be used to indicate each ranging step of the ranging communication between the first electronic device and the i+1th group of second electronic devices.

[0148] When i≤N-2, the last control element of the i+1th RCM can be used to indicate the i+2th RCM. When i=N-1, the i+1th RCM is the RCM corresponding to the Nth group of second electronic devices, and the i+1th RCM does not include a control element indicating the next RCM.

[0149] In step S522 to step S528, the first electronic device and the second electronic device of the i+1th group perform a distance measurement communication based on the DS-TWR method. The specific distance measurement communication process can also be referred to above. Figure 6 The relevant descriptions of steps S420 to S480 in the illustrated embodiment are not repeated here.

[0150] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the first electronic device can continue to perform ranging communication with the i+1th group of second electronic devices according to the i+1th RCM to ensure a continuous and reliable ranging process between the first electronic device and N groups of second electronic devices.

[0151] In a ranging period of the above application embodiment, the first electronic device and each second electronic device in the N groups of second electronic devices perform only one ranging communication, and the next ranging communication between the first electronic device and each second electronic device needs to wait until the next ranging period. When the second electronic device is in real-time dynamic motion, the lower ranging frequency may cause the problem of low ranging accuracy.

[0152] Specifically, in the scenario of subway distance measurement, multiple users holding smart terminals 102 (i.e., the second electronic device) with UWB modules approach POS machines 1011 (i.e., the first electronic device) and dynamically join the UWB distance measurement network. During the walking process from far to near or from near to far, the distance measurement results will be continuously updated and changed. Usually, in the UWB distance measurement results, due to the characteristics of the equipment and physical interference, there is a certain amount of drift or error in the single distance measurement results. Therefore, the UWB distance measurement system usually uses the Kalman filter algorithm to achieve certain distance measurement result smoothing and filtering to improve the system distance measurement accuracy.

[0153] During the dynamic movement of the user, the filtering algorithm usually has a certain lag, and the lag of the distance measurement of the filtering algorithm is reflected as inaccurate distance measurement in practical applications. For example, when the user approaches the POS machine 1011 from far to near, the actual distance between the two is 2.5m, 2.0m, 1.5m, 1.0m and 0.5m respectively. The five results of UWB distance measurement are 2.5m, 2.1m, 1.6m, 0.9m, and 0.4m. Through the filtering algorithm, the possible output distance result is 1.5m, but in fact the actual distance of the user at this time is 0.5m. The lag error caused by the historical value is quite obvious in this case. Considering that the actual scene may be more complicated, the distance measurement result may have more errors or influences. In order to eliminate the distance measurement error and the error caused by lag, it is usually necessary to increase the distance measurement frequency.

[0154] If the user is at 0.5m, the distance is measured quickly to obtain multiple distance measurement results, and the multiple distance measurement results are filtered, the distance measurement accuracy can be greatly improved. However, if the distance measurement frequency is increased, it will usually cause the system power consumption to increase. For example, when the user is outside the 3m range, the user's distance measurement accuracy does not need to be paid much attention to. When the distance measurement error range is between 30cm and 1m, it will not have a significant impact on the system. At this time, using a higher frequency to perform distance measurement will cause the overall power consumption of the system to be higher.

[0155] In view of this, the present application provides a new UWB ranging method, which can adapt to ranging scenarios where the distance changes in real time, while taking into account the system power consumption and improving the UWB ranging accuracy.

[0156] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0157] like Figure 8 As shown, the ranging method 600 may include the following steps.

[0158] S611: In the i-th sub-period of the first ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device sends the i-th first RCM to the i-th group of second electronic devices among the N groups of second electronic devices.

[0159] S612: The first UWB module and the second UWB module of the i-th group of second electronic devices perform a ranging communication according to the i-th first RCM to obtain an initial distance between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices.

[0160] S621: In the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, when the initial distance between the first electronic device and the target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a signal to the target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices (for example, Figure 8 The second UWB module of the second electronic device #i1) shown in sends the i-th second RCM.

[0161] S622: The first UWB module and the second UWB module of the target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices perform multiple ranging communications according to the i-th second RCM to obtain the real-time distance between the first electronic device and the target electronic device multiple times.

[0162] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, within the first ranging period, the first UWB of the first electronic device may send a first RCM to each group of second electronic devices in N groups of second electronic devices, wherein the i-th first RCM corresponds to the i-th group of second electronic devices. The i-th first RCM may be used to indicate the ranging message type of each ranging step in a ranging communication between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices within the first ranging period.

[0163] Similarly, in the second ranging period, the first UWB of the first electronic device may send a second RCM to the target electronic device of each group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices, wherein the i-th second RCM corresponds to the target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices. The i-th second RCM may be used to indicate the ranging message type of each ranging step in multiple ranging communications between the first electronic device and the target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices in the second ranging period.

[0164] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the first RCM and the second RCM are only used to distinguish the RCM in the first ranging period and the second ranging period. The relevant design scheme of the first RCM and the second RCM can refer to the relevant introduction to RCM in the above embodiment.

[0165] In the i-th sub-period of the first ranging period, for a ranging communication between the i-th group of second electronic devices and the first electronic device, the SS-TWR method or the DS-TWR method may be used. In the case of using the DS-TWR method, the relevant technical solution for a ranging communication between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices may refer to the above Figure 6 Related description in the illustrated embodiment.

[0166] In the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, the first UWB module can determine, based on multiple initial distances between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices, a target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices that is closer to the initial distance of the first electronic device, that is, the initial distance between the target electronic device and the first electronic device is less than or equal to a preset threshold. The preset threshold can be flexibly set according to the actual ranging scenario, and as an example, the preset threshold includes but is not limited to 2m.

[0167] When the initial distance between the target electronic device and the first electronic device is relatively close, the first UWB module may perform multiple ranging communications with the second UWB module of the target electronic device, thereby acquiring the real-time distance between the first electronic device and the target electronic device multiple times. Optionally, the ranging methods used in the multiple ranging communications are the same, for example, the multiple ranging communications all use the SS-TWR method, or the multiple ranging communications all use the DS-TWR method.

[0168] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, in the i-th sub-period of the second ranging time period, the ranging frequency between the first electronic device and the target electronic device that is closer is higher, and the multiple real-time distances can be used to improve the ranging accuracy of the first electronic device and the target electronic device in the second ranging time period, so as to improve the UWB ranging performance. In addition, in the i-th sub-period of the first ranging time period, the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices still perform one ranging communication, which can save the power consumption of the entire ranging system to improve the UWB ranging performance.

[0169] It is understandable that in Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the number of target electronic devices may be one. For example, the target electronic device may be Figure 8 The second electronic device #i1 in the illustrated embodiment. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the number of target electronic devices may also be multiple, in which case the first UWB module of the first electronic device may perform multiple ranging communications with the second UWB module of each target electronic device, thereby acquiring the real-time distance between the first electronic device and each target electronic device multiple times.

[0170] Alternatively, if Figure 8 As shown, in some implementations, the above step S621 may further include: in the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, the non-target electronic device (for example, Figure 8 When the initial distance between the second electronic device #i2) shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is greater than a preset threshold, an i-th second RCM is sent to the non-target electronic device.

[0171] And the ranging method 600 may further include the following steps.

[0172] S623: The first UWB module and the second UWB module of the non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices perform a ranging communication according to the second RCM to obtain a real-time distance between the first electronic device and the non-target electronic device.

[0173] In this embodiment, in the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, the first UWB module can determine, based on multiple initial distances between the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices, a non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices that has a farther initial distance from the first electronic device, that is, the initial distance between the non-target electronic device and the first electronic device is greater than a preset threshold.

[0174] In the case where the initial distance between the non-target electronic device and the first electronic device is relatively far, in the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, the first UWB module can perform a ranging communication with the second UWB module of the non-target electronic device, thereby obtaining the real-time distance between the first electronic device and the non-target electronic device. In the second ranging period, the ranging frequency between the first electronic device and the non-target electronic device at a relatively far distance is relatively low.

[0175] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, within the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, only one ranging communication is still performed between the first electronic device and the non-target electronic device that is farther away in the i-th group of second electronic devices, thereby reducing the ranging frequency between the non-target electronic device and the first electronic device, saving the power consumption of the non-target electronic device, and further improving the UWB ranging performance.

[0176] It is understandable that in Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the number of non-target electronic devices may be 1. For example, the target electronic device may be Figure 8 The second electronic device #i2 in the illustrated embodiment. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the number of non-target electronic devices may also be multiple, in which case the first UWB module of the first electronic device may perform a distance measurement communication with the second UWB module of each non-target electronic device, thereby obtaining the real-time distance between the first electronic device and each non-target electronic device.

[0177] In the application scenario of the contactless payment gate, the preset threshold for distance judgment between the user's smart terminal (i.e., the second electronic device) and the POS machine (i.e., the first electronic device) can be 2m. In this case, when the user's smart terminal (i.e., the second electronic device) is outside the 2m range of the POS machine (i.e., the first electronic device), the ranging accuracy of the smart terminal does not need to be paid much attention to, and the error range of 30cm to 1m will not have a significant impact on the system. At this time, the POS machine can determine the smart terminal as a non-target electronic device and perform only one ranging communication on it within a ranging period.

[0178] When the user's smart terminal is within 2m of the POS machine, the POS machine will usually further determine whether the smart terminal has entered the gate transaction area. In this area, a higher ranging accuracy is usually required, such as a 10cm error requirement. At this time, the POS machine can determine the smart terminal as a target electronic device and perform multiple ranging communications on it within a ranging period.

[0179] Therefore, through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, in the application scenario of the contactless payment gate, the POS machine can use different ranging frequencies for smart terminals in different locations, and only use a higher ranging frequency in key areas to improve the ranging accuracy in key areas.

[0180] Optionally, in some embodiments, the above step S612 may include: according to the i-th first RCM, performing a ranging communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices according to a single-sided two-way ranging (SS-TWR) method or a double-sided two-way ranging (DS-TWR) method to obtain an initial distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices.

[0181] In the case of adopting the DS-TWR method, the relevant technical scheme of a distance measurement communication between the first electronic device and the second electronic device of the i-th group can be referred to above. Figure 6 The relevant description of the embodiment shown in the figure. Figure 6 The one ranging period shown in can be understood as the first ranging period in the embodiment of the present application.

[0182] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, in the i-th sub-period of the first ranging period, different ranging methods can be flexibly selected to perform initial ranging on the first electronic device and the i-th group of second electronic devices, so as to improve the flexibility of use of the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the present application. In the first ranging period, if the SS-TWR method is used to perform ranging, the ranging capacity of the initial ranging stage can be increased, so that each group of second electronic devices can accommodate more second electronic devices. If the DS-TWR method is used to perform ranging, the ranging accuracy is high, so that the ranging accuracy of the initial ranging can be improved.

[0183] Optionally, in some embodiments, the above step S622 may include: according to the i-th second RCM, performing multiple ranging communications with the target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices according to the bilateral two-way ranging (DS-TWR) method to obtain the real-time distance between the target device multiple times.

[0184] In this case, Fig. 9 A schematic flowchart of a UWB ranging method 700 for the i-th sub-period in the second ranging period provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0185] like Fig. 9 As shown, the ranging method 700 may include the following steps.

[0186] S710: In the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device sends the i-th second RCM.

[0187] S721: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a first RIM.

[0188] S722: Target electronic device (e.g. Fig. 9 The second UWB module of the second electronic device #i1) shown in sends the first RRM.

[0189] S723: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a first RFM.

[0190] S724: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a first RMRM.

[0191] S725: The second UWB module of the target electronic device sends a first RRRM.

[0192] S731: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a second RIM.

[0193] S732: The second UWB module of the target electronic device sends a second RRM.

[0194] S733: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a second RFM.

[0195] S734: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a second RMRM.

[0196] S735: The second UWB module of the target electronic device sends a second RRRM.

[0197] Alternatively, if Fig. 9 As shown, steps S721 to S725 may be the first ranging communication between the first UWB module of the first electronic device and the second UWB module of the target electronic device based on DS-TWR. The first UWB module may obtain the first real-time distance with the target electronic device based on the timestamps of the first RIM, the first RRM, the first RFM, the first RMRM, and the first RRRM in the first ranging communication.

[0198] Steps S731 to S735 may be a second ranging communication between a first UWB module of a first electronic device and a second UWB module of a target electronic device based on DS-TWR. The first UWB module may acquire a second real-time distance to the target electronic device based on the timestamps of the second RIM, the second RRM, the second RFM, the second RMRM, and the second RRRM in the second ranging communication.

[0199] By analogy, in the second ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device and the second UWB module of the target electronic device may further perform more ranging communications based on DS-TWR to obtain more real-time distances to the target electronic device.

[0200] That is, in the embodiment of the present application, the first UWB module of the first electronic device can sequentially perform multiple ranging communications with the target electronic device according to the DS-TWR method to sequentially obtain multiple real-time distances between the target electronic device and the first UWB module. Through the technical solution of this embodiment, multiple ranging communications are sequentially performed, which is conducive to the reliable implementation of multiple ranging communications, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of UWB ranging.

[0201] In step S710, the i-th second RCM sent by the first UWB module can be used to configure each ranging step in subsequent multiple ranging communications, that is, to configure the sending of subsequent multiple RIMs, RRMs, RFMs, RMRMs and RRRMs. Optionally, the second RCM can also configure its own related information.

[0202] Table 4 below shows a schematic table of a second RCM.

[0203] Table 4

[0204]

[0205] Specifically, in the above exemplary Table 4, the i-th second RCM may include 11 control elements. The 11 control elements may be used for Fig. 9 11 ranging steps in the first ranging period in the DS-TWR. Corresponding to the first control element, in the first ranging step S710, the ranging initiator is the first UWB module, which can send ranging information identified as "0x3", that is, a ranging control message RCM. Similarly, corresponding to the subsequent control elements, the first UWB module and the second UWB module can perform corresponding steps according to the control element to achieve multiple ranging communications between the two based on DS-TWR.

[0206] It can be understood that, when there are multiple target electronic devices, in each ranging communication, after the first UWB module sends RIM, the second UWB module of each target electronic device can send RRM to the first UWB module in turn. Similarly, after the first UWB module sends RFM, the second UWB module of each target electronic device can send RRRM to the first UWB module in turn. The second RCM can be used to configure each ranging step in multiple ranging communications between the first UWB module and the second UWB modules of multiple target electronic devices.

[0207] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, for the target electronic device that is closer in the i-th group of second electronic devices, a DS-TWR method with higher ranging accuracy can be used to perform multiple ranging, thereby further improving the accuracy of ranging and comprehensively ensuring the UWB ranging performance.

[0208] Optionally, in some embodiments, within the i-th sub-period of the above-mentioned second ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device may also perform a ranging communication with the second UWB module of the non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices according to the bilateral two-way ranging (DS-TWR) method to obtain the real-time distance between the first electronic device and the non-target electronic device.

[0209] Fig.10 A schematic flowchart of another UWB ranging method 800 for the second ranging period provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0210] like Fig.10 As shown, the ranging method 800 may include the following steps.

[0211] S810: In the i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device sends the i-th second RCM.

[0212] S821: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a first RIM.

[0213] S822: Target electronic device (e.g. Fig.10 The second UWB module of the second electronic device #i1) shown in sends the first RRM.

[0214] S823: Non-target electronic devices (e.g. Fig.10 The second UWB module of the second electronic device #i2) shown in sends the first RRM.

[0215] S824: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a first RFM.

[0216] S825: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a first RMRM.

[0217] S826: The second UWB module of the target electronic device sends a first RRRM.

[0218] S827: The second UWB module of the non-target electronic device sends a first RRRM.

[0219] S831: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a second RIM.

[0220] S832: The second UWB module of the target electronic device sends a second RRM.

[0221] S833: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a second RFM.

[0222] S834: The first UWB module of the first electronic device sends a second RMRM.

[0223] S835: The second UWB module of the target electronic device sends a second RRRM.

[0224] Alternatively, if Fig.10 As shown, steps S821 to S827 may be a first distance measurement communication between a first UWB module of a first electronic device and a second UWB module of a target electronic device and a non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices based on DS-TWR. The first UWB module may obtain a first real-time distance with the target electronic device and a first real-time distance with the non-target electronic device based on the first distance measurement communication.

[0225] Steps S831 to S835 may be a second distance measurement communication between the first UWB module of the first electronic device and the second UWB module of the target electronic device based on DS-TWR. The first UWB module may acquire a second real-time distance to the target electronic device based on the second distance measurement communication.

[0226] By analogy, in the second ranging period, the first UWB module of the first electronic device and the second UWB module of the target electronic device can also perform more ranging communications based on DS-TWR to obtain more real-time distances to the target electronic device. Each ranging communication can refer to the above steps S831 to S835.

[0227] In step S810, the i-th second RCM sent by the first UWB module can be received by the target electronic device and the non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices. The i-th second RCM can be used to configure each ranging step in multiple ranging communications between the first UWB module and the target electronic device and each ranging step in one ranging communication with the non-target electronic device. Optionally, the i-th second RCM can also configure its own related information.

[0228] Table 5 below shows a schematic table of another second RCM.

[0229] Table 5

[0230]

[0231]

[0232] Specifically, in the above exemplary Table 4, the second RCM may include 13 control elements. The 13 control elements may be used for Fig.10 There are 13 ranging steps in the first ranging period.

[0233] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, for non-target electronic devices that are far away in the i-th group of second electronic devices, a DS-TWR method with higher ranging accuracy can also be used to perform ranging once, thereby ensuring its ranging accuracy. In addition, the target electronic device and the non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices use the same DS-TWR ranging method, which can simplify the entire ranging process, that is, in one ranging communication, a real-time distance between the first electronic device and the target electronic device and a real-time distance between the first electronic device and the non-target electronic device can be measured simultaneously.

[0234] In addition to the above UWB ranging methods, such as Fig.11 As shown, an embodiment of the present application further provides a UWB ranging device 1000, including: a memory 1020 and a processor 1010, wherein the memory 1020 is used to store programs, and the processor 1010 is used to execute the programs stored in the memory 1020. When the programs stored in the memory 1020 are executed, the processor 1010 is used to execute the UWB ranging method in any of the above embodiments.

[0235] Optionally, the UWB ranging device 1000 may include the first UWB module in the first electronic device in the above embodiment, or the UWB ranging device may also be the second UWB module in the second electronic device in the above embodiment. Each UWB module in the first electronic device and the second electronic device may specifically be a UWB chip, which may include a processor and other related functional units.

[0236] Specifically, the processor in the UWB module may include a transceiver interface for implementing the reception and transmission of data in the UWB ranging method. In addition, the processor in the UWB ranging device may also include a data processing unit for implementing data processing in the UWB ranging method.

[0237] like Fig.12 As shown, the embodiment of the present application further provides a UWB ranging system 1100, including: a first electronic device 1110 and a plurality of second electronic devices 1120, wherein the first electronic device 1110 includes a first UWB module, and each of the plurality of second electronic devices 1120 includes a second UWB module. The first UWB module in the first electronic device 1110 and the second UWB modules in the plurality of second electronic devices 1120 can execute the ranging method in any of the above embodiments to implement UWB ranging communication between the first electronic device 1110 and the plurality of second electronic devices 1120.

[0238] In some implementations, the first electronic device 1110 may be a POS machine, which may be applied to a gate machine or an access control system. The second electronic device 1120 may be a smart terminal, such as a mobile phone, a wristband, or a tag device.

[0239] It should be understood that the specific examples in this article are only intended to help those skilled in the art better understand the embodiments of the present application, rather than to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0240] It should also be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial number of each process 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 constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0241] It should also be understood that the various implementation methods described in this specification can be implemented individually or in combination, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0242] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application are the same as the meanings generally understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of the present application. The terms used in the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. The term "and / or" used in the present application includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. The singular forms of "a kind of", "above" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include majority forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" etc. are only used for description purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting relative importance.

[0243] It should be understood that the processor or processing module of the embodiment of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor or an instruction in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiment of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware decoding processor to be executed, or a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor to be executed. The software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the field such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in a memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware.

[0244] The memory or storage module in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories.

[0245] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0246] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0247] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0248] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0249] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0250] If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk, etc., various media that can store program codes.

[0251] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An ultra-wideband ranging method, characterized in that: A first ultra-wideband (UWB) module is applied to a first electronic device, the first UWB module is used to achieve ranging with a plurality of second electronic devices, and the ultra-wideband ranging method includes: Determining that the plurality of second electronic devices is greater than a preset number X; Divide the plurality of second electronic devices into N groups, the number of second electronic devices in each group of second electronic devices is less than or equal to X, X and N are positive integers greater than 1, and the N groups of second electronic devices all correspond to the first electronic device; In one ranging period, sequentially sending ranging control information RCM to N groups of second electronic devices, wherein the one ranging period is one ranging round, and each group of second electronic devices corresponds to one RCM; According to the N RCMs, sequentially perform ranging communication with each group of the N groups of second electronic devices to obtain a distance between each group of the second electronic devices; The sending of ranging control information RCM to N groups of electronic devices in sequence within a ranging period includes: In an i-th sub-period of the ranging period, sending an i-th RCM to an i-th group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices; The performing, in sequence, ranging communication with each group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices according to the N RCMs to obtain the distance between each group of second electronic devices includes: According to the i-th RCM, ranging communication is performed with the i-th group of second electronic devices to obtain the distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices, wherein i≤N, and i is a positive integer.

2. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The i-th RCM is used to indicate the ranging message type, ranging timing, initiator role and initiator address of each ranging step in the ranging communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices.

3. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the case where i≤N-1, the i-th RCM is also used to indicate the i+1-th RCM, and the ultra-wideband ranging method further includes: In the i-th sub-period of the ranging period, the i-th RCM is sent to other groups of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices except the i-th group of second electronic devices, and the other groups of second electronic devices enter a waiting state according to an identifier indicating the (i+1)-th RCM in the i-th RCM.

4. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ultra-wideband ranging method further includes: In the i+1th sub-period of the ranging period, according to the identifier of the i+1th RCM, sending the i+1th RCM to the i+1th group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices; According to the (i+1)th RCM, ranging communication is performed with the (i+1)th group of second electronic devices to obtain the distances between the (i+1)th group of second electronic devices.

5. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The method includes sequentially sending ranging control information RCM to N groups of electronic devices within a ranging period; and sequentially performing ranging communication with each group of second electronic devices in the N groups of second electronic devices according to the N RCMs to obtain the distance between each group of second electronic devices, including: In the i-th sub-period of the first ranging period, sequentially sending the i-th first RCM to the i-th second electronic device of the N groups of electronic devices; According to the i-th first RCM, perform a distance measurement communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices to obtain an initial distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices; The ultra-wideband ranging method further includes: In an i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, when the initial distance between the target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices is less than or equal to a preset threshold, sending an i-th second RCM to the target electronic device; According to the i-th second RCM, performing multiple ranging communications with the target electronic device to obtain the real-time distance between the target electronic device and the target electronic device multiple times; The first ranging period and the second ranging period are equal in length.

6. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The ultra-wideband ranging method further includes: In an i-th sub-period of the second ranging period, when an initial distance between the non-target electronic device in the i-th group of second electronic devices is greater than a preset threshold, sending an i-th second RCM to the non-target electronic device; According to the i-th second RCM, a distance measurement communication is performed with the non-target electronic device to obtain a real-time distance with the non-target electronic device.

7. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The performing a distance measurement communication with the i-th group of second electronic devices according to the i-th first RCM to obtain an initial distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices includes: According to the i-th first RCM, a ranging communication is performed with the i-th group of second electronic devices according to a unilateral two-way ranging method or a bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain an initial distance between the i-th group of second electronic devices.

8. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The performing a plurality of distance measurement communications with the target electronic device according to the i-th second RCM to obtain a real-time distance with the target electronic device for a plurality of times includes: According to the i-th second RCM, multiple ranging communications are performed with the target electronic device according to a bilateral two-way ranging method, so as to obtain the real-time distance between the target electronic device and the target electronic device multiple times.

9. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The performing of multiple ranging communications with the target electronic device according to the bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain the real-time distance between the target electronic device and the target electronic device multiple times includes: Multiple distance measurement communications with the target electronic device are sequentially performed according to the bilateral two-way ranging method to sequentially obtain multiple real-time distances with the target electronic device.

10. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The performing a distance measurement communication with the non-target electronic device according to the i-th second RCM to obtain a real-time distance with the non-target electronic device includes: According to the i-th second RCM, a ranging communication is performed with the non-target electronic device according to a bilateral two-way ranging method to obtain a real-time distance with the non-target electronic device.

11. The ultra-wideband ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first electronic device is a POS machine, and the second electronic device is a smart terminal.

12. An ultra-wideband ranging device, characterized in that: include: A memory is used to store a program, and a processor is used to execute the program stored in the memory. When the program stored in the memory is executed, the processor is used to execute the ultra-wideband ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. An ultra-wideband ranging system, characterized in that: include: A first electronic device, comprising a first UWB module; A plurality of second electronic devices, each of the plurality of second electronic devices comprising a second UWB module; The first UWB module is used to perform the ultra-wideband ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 to perform ranging with the second UWB modules in the plurality of second electronic devices.

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