Relative phase determination for frequency drift compensation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for relative phase determination for frequency drift compensation. The method includes obtaining, at a first device, a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna from a second device within a first time period and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; and determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, wherein the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna are located in the same antenna array. In this way, compensation for frequency drift can be achieved based on the determination of relative phase, which is critical to positioning accuracy and stability in high-accuracy BLE AoA / AoD positioning solutions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for relative phase determination for frequency drift compensation. Background Art

[0002] Reliable and accurate location services are key to Internet of Things (IoT) applications such as asset tracking, smart manufacturing, and public safety. By capturing and processing environmental information, the system can improve work efficiency and enhance safety care by monitoring employee behavior and self-awareness of the environment. Consumers will benefit from personalized contextual information and services, as well as new services such as smart city public safety.

[0003] To promote the intelligence of factories, low-cost and high-accuracy location-based services (LBS) will be an important value-added service. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) provides a feasible technology for indoor positioning. Specifically, the direction finding solution based on the angle of arrival (AoA) and the angle of departure (AoD) is introduced, which can provide positioning technology for high-accuracy positioning in two or three dimensions. Summary of the invention

[0004] In summary, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for relative phase determination for frequency drift compensation.

[0005] In a first aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least: obtain a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna from a second device within a first time period and obtain a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; and determine a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based on at least the first reference signal and the second reference signal, wherein the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna are located in the same antenna array.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method is provided. The method includes obtaining, at a first device, a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna from a second device in a first time period and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna in a second time period after the first time period; and determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna being located in the same antenna array.

[0007] In a third aspect, a device is provided, comprising a component for obtaining, at a first device, a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna from a second device within a first time period and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; and a component for determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, wherein the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna are located in the same antenna array.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by at least one processor of a device, causes the device to perform the method according to the second aspect.

[0009] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will also be apparent from the following description of specific embodiments read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure are presented in an exemplary sense and their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0011] Figure 1 illustrates an example environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0012] Figure 2 A flow chart showing an example method for relative phase determination for frequency drift compensation according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3A and Figure 3D shows examples of antenna switching patterns according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4A and Figure 4B shows examples of virtual signal reconstruction and relative phase determination according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0016] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only for illustrative purposes and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure, rather than to impose any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways different from the way described below.

[0019] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0020] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an example embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, it is considered to be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0021] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the functionality of the various elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0022] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms. It should also be understood that when used in this article, the terms "comprising", "having" and / or "including" specify the presence of stated features, elements and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0023] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0024] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation of analog and / or digital circuitry only) and

[0025] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0026] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0027] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) and software (including digital signal processor(s), software and memory(s) that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions), and

[0028] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), but which software may not be present when it is not required for operation.

[0029] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. By way of example and where applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also includes a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0030] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as a fifth generation (5G) system, long term evolution (LTE), advanced LTE (LTE-A), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), high speed packet access (HSPA), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) communication protocol and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be communication technologies and systems of future types that can embody the present disclosure. It should not be considered that the scope of the present disclosure is limited to the above-mentioned system.

[0031] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR next generation NodeB (gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low power node (such as a femto, pico, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied. The RAN separation architecture includes a gNB-CU (centralized unit, hosting RRC, SDAP and PDCP) that controls multiple gNB-DUs (distributed units, hosting RLC, MAC and PHY). A relay node may correspond to the DU portion of an IAB node.

[0032] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device that can perform wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, the terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a user station (SS), a portable user station, a mobile station (MS) or an access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device (such as a digital camera), a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices running in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronic devices, equipment running in commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) part of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node (also known as a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0033] While in various example embodiments, the functionality described herein may be performed in fixed and / or wireless network nodes, in other example embodiments, the functionality may be implemented in a user equipment device (such as a mobile phone or tablet or laptop or desktop computer or mobile IoT device or fixed IoT device). The user equipment device may, for example, be appropriately equipped with corresponding capabilities as described in conjunction with (multiple) fixed and / or wireless network nodes. The user equipment device may be a user device and / or a control device such as a chipset or processor, which when installed therein is configured to control the user equipment. Examples of such functionality include boot server functions and / or home subscriber servers, which may be implemented in a user equipment device by providing the user equipment device with software configured to cause the user equipment device to perform from the perspective of these functions / nodes.

[0034] Figure 1 1 shows an example communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the communication network 100 includes a receiving device 110 (hereinafter also referred to as the first device 110) and a transmitting device 120 (hereinafter also referred to as the second device 120). The transmitting device 120 can communicate with the receiving device 110. It can be understood that Figure 1 The number of network devices and terminal devices shown in is not limited thereto. Figure 1 The above description is provided for the purpose of illustration and does not imply any limitation. The communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices. In addition, it should be understood that in some cases, the receiving device 110 may be referred to as a terminal device and the transmitting device 120 may be referred to as a network device. In some cases, the receiving device 110 may be referred to as a network device and the transmitting device 120 may be referred to as a terminal device.

[0035] Depending on the communication technology, network 100 can be a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network, a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) network or any other network. The communication discussed in network 100 can meet any suitable standard, including but not limited to new radio access (NR), long term evolution (LTE), evolved LTE, advanced LTE (LTE-A), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), cdma2000 and global system for mobile communications (GSM) etc. In addition, communication can be performed according to any generation communication protocol currently known or developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include but are not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols. The technology described herein can be used for the wireless network and radio technology mentioned above as well as other wireless networks and radio technologies. For clarity, certain aspects of the techniques are described below for LTE, and LTE terminology is used in much of the description below.

[0036] In direction-finding solutions, the measurement of the relative phase between different antennas of an antenna array is critical to the accuracy of AoA / AoD estimation. However, BLE has only one RF chain for low cost. Therefore, a switchable antenna array is used to send a constant tone extension (CTE) signal in an AoD scenario or to receive a CTE signal in an AoA scenario. The CTE signal is a sine wave with a frequency of 250KHz. In the receiving device, the phase of each antenna is measured based on the CTE signal received in different time slots.

[0037] In order to calculate the relative phase between two specified antennas, it is necessary to estimate the phase of one antenna during the time slots when the other antenna is active. For example, for a 2-antenna array, it is usually assumed that the frequency of the received CTE signal remains constant within a packet. Unfortunately, this assumption does not hold true due to frequency drift in the transmitting and receiving devices. The frequency drift can be as high as 20KHz, which will result in an average error of up to ±15 degrees in the relative phase calculation.

[0038] Therefore, the present invention proposes a solution for relative phase determination for frequency drift compensation. In this solution, a certain reference antenna can be used to transmit or receive a reference signal. With the help of the reference signal, a virtual signal associated with the reference antenna can be generated. Based on the virtual signal associated with the target antenna in the antenna array and the target signal, the relative phase of the target antenna and the reference antenna can be determined. In this way, compensation for frequency drift can be achieved based on the determination of the relative phase, which is crucial for positioning accuracy and stability in high-accuracy BLE AoA / AoD positioning solutions.

[0039] Combine the following Figure 2-Figure 6 The principle and implementation of the present invention are described in detail. Figure 2 A flow chart of an example method 200 for relative phase determination for frequency drift compensation according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 200 may be implemented in a Figure 1 For ease of discussion, reference will be made to the receiving device 110 shown in FIG. Figure 1 Method 200 is described.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown in , at 210, the receiving device 110 obtains a first reference signal associated with the reference antenna in a first time period and obtains a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna in a second time period from the transmitting device 120. It should be understood that the first time period and the second time period may be continuous. For example, the second time period is after the first time period.

[0041] In some example embodiments, an antenna array may be located at the receiving device 110, and a certain antenna in the antenna array may be designated as a reference antenna. In this case, the receiving device 110 may be considered as a network device, and the transmitting device 120 may be considered as a terminal device. The transmitting device 120 may transmit a reference signal (such as the CTE signal mentioned above) to the receiving device 110. The receiving device 110 may receive the reference signal via the reference antenna. The receiving device 110 may obtain the first reference signal and the second reference signal in different sampling time periods. For example, the receiving device 110 may receive the first reference signal via the reference antenna in a first time period, and receive the second reference signal via the reference antenna in a second time period.

[0042] In some example embodiments, an antenna array may be located at the transmitting device 120, and a certain antenna in the antenna array may be designated as a reference antenna. In this case, the receiving device 110 may be considered as a terminal device, and the transmitting device 120 may be considered as a network device. A reference signal, such as the CTE signal mentioned above, may be transmitted from the reference antenna of the transmitting device 120 to the receiving device 110. The receiving device 110 may obtain the first reference signal and the second reference signal in different sampling time periods. For example, the receiving device 110 may receive the first reference signal transmitted from the reference antenna in a first time period and receive the second reference signal transmitted from the reference antenna in a second time period.

[0043] Return to reference Figure 2 At 220, the receiving device 110 determines a phase relationship between the reference antenna and the at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal. The at least one target antenna and the reference antenna may be located in the same antenna array. That is, if the reference antenna is located at the receiving device 110, the at least one target antenna is also located at the receiving device 110. If the reference antenna is located at the transmitting device 120, the at least one target antenna is also located at the transmitting device 120. The at least one target antenna may also transmit or receive a CTE signal in a time slot in which it is activated.

[0044] The antennas of the antenna array may be operated in different modes, which may be referred to as antenna switching pattern design. The antenna switching pattern may indicate which antenna in the antenna array, such as which antenna among the reference antenna and the at least one target antenna, is to be activated in each time slot in order to receive or transmit a CTE signal. It is allowed to activate one of the antennas in the antenna array in a single time slot.

[0045] Figure 3A and Figure 3D Examples of antenna switching patterns according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0046] Figure 3A and Figure 3B The RAR type antenna switching patterns of the 3-antenna array and the 7-antenna array are shown respectively. In the RAR type antenna switching pattern, one out of every two time slots is allocated to the reference antenna, and the remaining time slots are evenly allocated to the target antennas.

[0047] For example, Figure 3AAs shown in , for a three-antenna array, there is one reference antenna 352 and two target antennas 351 and 353. The switching of antennas can be performed in switching time slots 321, 322 and sampling time slots 331, 332. During the switching process, the reference antenna 352 and the target antenna 351 or 353 can be activated alternately. The reference antenna 352 and the target antenna 351 or 353 can transmit / receive CTE signals during their active time periods. There is a switching time slot (time slots 341-348) between each active time period of the reference antenna 352 and the target antenna 351 or 353. Since the time slot for the target antenna 351 or 353 (i.e., the target antenna A1 or A2) can be embedded between the two time slots for the reference antenna 352 (i.e., the reference antenna R), an antenna unit of RAR can be formed, and therefore this antenna switching mode can be referred to as an RAR type mode.

[0048] For Figure 3B In the 7-antenna array shown in FIG. , there is one reference antenna 352 and seven target antennas 351 and 353-357. The switching of the antennas can be performed in the switching time slots 321, 322 and the sampling time slots 331, 332. During the switching process, the reference antenna 352 and one of the target antennas 351 and 353-357 can be activated alternately. The reference antenna 352 and the target antennas 351 and 353-357 can transmit / receive CTE signals during their active time periods. There is a switching time slot (time slots 361-372) between each active time period of the reference antenna 352 and one of the target antennas 351 and 353-357.

[0049] Figure 3C and Figure 3D The RAAR type antenna switching patterns of the 3-antenna array and the 7-antenna array are shown respectively. In the RAAR type antenna switching pattern, one out of every three time slots is allocated to the reference antenna, and the remaining time slots are evenly allocated to the other antennas.

[0050] For example, Figure 3C As shown in , for a three-antenna array, there is one reference antenna 352 and two target antennas 351 and 353. The switching of antennas can be performed in switching time slots 321, 322 and sampling time slots 331, 332. The reference antenna 352 and the target antenna 351 or 353 can transmit / receive CTE signals during their active time periods. There is a switching time slot (time slots 373-378) between each activation time period of the reference antenna 352 and the target antenna 351 or 353. During the switching process, the time slots of the two target antennas 351 and 353 (i.e., the target antenna A1 or A2) can be embedded between every two time slots for the reference antenna 352 (i.e., the reference antenna R). The antenna unit of RAAR can be formed, and therefore this antenna switching mode can be called a RAAR type mode.

[0051] For Figure 3D In the antenna array shown in FIG. 1 , there is one reference antenna 352 and seven target antennas 351 and 353-357. The switching of antennas can be performed in the switching time slots 321, 322 and the sampling time slots 331, 332. The reference antenna 352 and the target antennas 351 and 353-357 can transmit / receive CTE signals during their active time periods. There is a switching time slot (time slots 381-389) between each active time period of the reference antenna 352 and one of the target antennas 351 and 353-357. During the switching process, two time slots in the target antennas 351 and 353-357 can be embedded between every two time slots for the reference antenna 352.

[0052] Figure 4A and Figure 4B An example of virtual signal reconstruction and relative phase determination according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In the following, for RAR-type mode and RAAR-type mode, the determination of the relative phase between the reference antenna and the target antenna can be combined with Figure 4A and Figure 4B To describe as follows.

[0053] In both AoD and AoA scenarios, the CTE signal may be sampled as a composite signal at the receiving device 110. As mentioned above, the receiving device 110 may obtain a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna in a first time period and obtain a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna in a second time period.

[0054] For RAR-type mode, for example, Figure 4A As shown in , the receiving device 110 can obtain a first reference signal 406 associated with the reference antenna in time slot 401 and a second reference signal 409 associated with the reference antenna in time slot 405 .

[0055] The receiving device 110 may also obtain a target signal associated with the target antenna in a third time period after the first time period and before the second time period. Figure 4A As shown in , a target signal 408 can be obtained in time slot 403.

[0056] The receiving device 110 may generate a virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the third time period based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal. Figure 4A Also shown is a virtual signal 407 generated based on the first reference signal 406 and the second reference signal 409 .

[0057] In some example embodiments, virtual signal 407 may be generated based on reference initial phase 412 of virtual signal 407 and target frequency of target signal 408. Target frequency of target signal 408 may be measured by receiving device 110. Reference initial phase 412 of virtual signal 407 may be determined based on at least first reference frequency and reference end phase 411 of first reference signal 406 and second reference frequency and reference initial phase 413 of second reference signal 409.

[0058] In some example embodiments, the reference initial phase 412 of the virtual signal 407 may be determined by:

[0059]

[0060] Where φ represents the reference initial phase of the virtual signal, φ R1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents another reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the switching time interval between the transmission of the target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal or the second reference signal, f A represents the target frequency, and T A Indicates the duration of the third time period.

[0061] Based on the reference initial phase 412 of the virtual signal 407 and the target frequency of the target signal 408, the virtual signal 407 may be determined as follows:

[0062] φ V (t)=2πf A t+φ (2)

[0063] The receiving device 110 may determine a phase difference between the target signal 408 and the virtual signal 407 and determine a phase relationship between the reference antenna and the target antenna based on the phase difference. For example, the phase relationship may be referred to as a phase difference, i.e., a relative phase between the reference antenna and the target antenna. AR (t) can be determined by:

[0064] φ AR (t) = φ A (t)-φ V (t) (3)

[0065] where φ A (t) may represent the original phase of the target signal in time slot 403 .

[0066] like Figure 3A As shown in FIG. , the target signal 408 may be Figure 3A Any one of the antennas 351 and 353 of the three-antenna array shown in FIG. 1 or as Figure 3B The receiving device 110 may be associated with any one of the antennas 351 and 353-357 of the 7-antenna array shown in FIG. In a similar manner, the receiving device 110 may determine the relative phase between the reference antenna and each target antenna. The receiving device 110 may also determine the average relative phase based on the determined relative phase.

[0067] For RAAR-type patterns, for example, Figure 4B As shown in , the receiving device 110 can obtain a first reference signal 421 associated with the reference antenna in the time slot 411 and obtain a second reference signal 426 associated with the reference antenna in the time slot 417 .

[0068] The receiving device 110 may also obtain a target signal associated with the target antenna in a third time period after the first time period and before the second time period and obtain a second target signal associated with the second target antenna in a fourth time period after the first time period and before the second time period.

[0069] For example, Figure 4B As shown in , a first target signal 423 may be obtained in time slot 413 and a second target signal 424 may be obtained in time slot 415 .

[0070] The receiving device 110 may generate a first virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to a third time period and a second virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to a fourth time period based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal. Figure 4B Also shown are virtual signals 422 and 425 generated based on the first reference signal 421 and the second reference signal 426 .

[0071] In some example embodiments, the first virtual signal 422 may be generated based on the reference initial phase 415 of the virtual signal 422 and the first target frequency of the first target signal 423. The first virtual signal 425 may be generated based on the reference initial phase 416 of the virtual signal 425 and the second target frequency of the second target signal 424.

[0072] The first target frequency of the first target signal 423 and the second target frequency of the second target signal 424 may be measured by the receiving device 110. The reference initial phase 415 of the virtual signal 422 and the reference initial phase 416 of the virtual signal 425 may be determined based on at least the first reference frequency and the reference termination phase 414 of the first reference signal 421 and the second reference frequency and the reference initial phase 417 of the second reference signal 426.

[0073] In some example embodiments, the reference initial phase 415 of the virtual signal 422 may be determined by:

[0074]

[0075] Where φ1 represents the first reference initial phase of the first virtual signal, φ R1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents another reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the time interval between the transmission of the first target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal or the time interval between the transmission of the second target signal and the transmission of the second reference signal, f A1 represents the first target frequency, f A2 represents the second target frequency, and T A Indicates the total duration of the third time period and the fourth time period.

[0076] In some example embodiments, the reference initial phase 416 of the virtual signal 425 may be determined by:

[0077]

[0078] Where φ2 represents the second reference initial phase of the second virtual signal, φ R1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents another reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the time interval between the transmission of the first target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal or the time interval between the transmission of the second target signal and the transmission of the second reference signal, f A1 represents the first target frequency, f A2 represents the second target frequency, and T A Indicates the total duration of the third time period and the fourth time period.

[0079] Based on the reference initial phase 415 of the virtual signal 422 and the first target frequency of the first target signal 423, the virtual signal 422 may be determined as follows:

[0080] φ V1 (t)=2πf A1 t+φ1 (6)

[0081] Based on the reference initial phase 416 of the virtual signal 425 and the second target frequency of the second target signal 424, the virtual signal 425 may be determined as follows:

[0082] φ V2 (t)=2πf A2 t+φ2 (7)

[0083] Receiving device 110 may then determine a phase difference between target signal 423 and virtual signal 422, and a phase difference between target signal 424 and virtual signal 425. A relative phase between the reference antenna and the target antenna associated with target signal 423 may be determined based on the phase difference between target signal 423 and virtual signal 422. A relative phase between the reference antenna and the target antenna associated with target signal 424 may be determined based on the phase difference between target signal 424 and virtual signal 425.

[0084] The relative phase φ between the reference antenna and the target antenna associated with the target signal 423 A1R (t) can be determined by:

[0085] φ A1R (t) = φ A1 (t)-φ V1 (t) (8)

[0086] The relative phase φ between the reference antenna and the target antenna associated with the target signal 424 A2R (t) can be determined by:

[0087] φ A2R (t) = φ A2 (t)-φ V2 (t) (9)

[0088] where φ A1 (t) and φ A2 (t) denotes the original phases of the target signals received in time slot 413 and time slot 415, respectively.

[0089] The target signals 423 and 425 can be respectively Figure 3A Antennas 351 and 353 of the three-antenna array shown in FIG. Figure 3B The receiving device 110 can determine the relative phase between the reference antenna and each target antenna by associating any two of the antennas 351 and 353-357 of the 7-antenna array shown in FIG. In a similar manner, the receiving device 110 can determine the relative phase between the reference antenna and each target antenna. The receiving device 110 can also determine the average relative phase based on the determined relative phase.

[0090] In this way, compensation for frequency drift can be achieved based on the determination of relative phase, which is critical to positioning accuracy and stability in high-accuracy BLE AoA / AoD positioning solutions.

[0091] The residual relative phase error after frequency drift compensation by using the solution of the present disclosure can be listed as follows.

[0092] Table 1: Residual relative phase error (unit: degree)

[0093]

[0094] As shown in Table 1, for the 3-antenna array, the residual error is reduced to less than 2 degrees, and for the 7-antenna array, the residual error is reduced to less than 5 degrees. This improves the accuracy and stability of direction finding.

[0095] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 200 (e.g., implemented at receiving device 110) may include a component for performing the corresponding steps of method 200. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for obtaining, at a first device, a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna from a second device within a first time period and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; and means for determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna being located in the same antenna array. During the switching process,

[0097] Figure 5 is a simplified block diagram of a device 500 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 500 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 . As shown, the device 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 550 coupled to the processor 510, and one or more transmitters and / or receivers (TX / RX) 540 coupled to the processor 510.

[0098] TX / RX 540 is used for bidirectional communication. TX / RX 540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

[0099] Processor 510 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 500 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0100] The memory 520 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 524, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic storage devices and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 522 and other volatile memories that do not persist over the duration of a power outage.

[0101] Computer program 530 includes computer executable instructions executed by associated processor 510. Program 530 may be stored in ROM 520. Processor 510 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 530 into RAM 520.

[0102] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by means of a program 530, so that the device 500 can execute the Figure 2-4B Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0103] In some embodiments, program 530 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 500 (such as in memory 520) or in other storage devices accessible to device 500. Device 500 may load program 530 from the computer-readable medium to RAM 522 for execution. Computer-readable media may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 6 An example of a computer readable medium 600 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer readable medium has a program 530 stored thereon.

[0104] Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0105] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as those included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced Figure 2 The method 200 described. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as desired. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local devices or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0106] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, enables the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0107] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0108] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, device or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer readable storage media would include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0109] In addition, although each operation is depicted in a specific order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in order, or performing all illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. In some scenarios, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be combined in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0110] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least: obtaining, from a second device, a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna within a first time period, and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; as well as determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna being located in a same antenna array, wherein the at least one target antenna comprises a single target antenna, and wherein the first device is caused to determine the phase relationship, comprising: obtaining, from the second device, a target signal associated with the target antenna within a third time period after the first time period and before the second time period; generating a virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the third time period based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal; determining a phase difference between the target signal and the virtual signal; and The phase relationship is determined based on the phase difference.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the antenna array, and wherein the first device is caused to obtain the first reference signal and the second reference signal by: receiving the first reference signal via the reference antenna of the first device during the first time period; and The second reference signal is received via the reference antenna during the second time period.

3. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the second device comprises the antenna array, and wherein the first device is caused to obtain the first reference signal and the second reference signal by: receiving the first reference signal transmitted from the reference antenna of the second device within the first time period; and The second reference signal transmitted from the reference antenna is received during the second time period.

4. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to generate the virtual signal by: determining a reference initial phase of the virtual signal based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal; determining a target frequency of the target signal; as well as The virtual signal is generated based on the reference initial phase and the target frequency.

5. The first device according to claim 4, wherein the first device is configured to determine the reference initial phase by: determining a first reference frequency and a reference termination phase of the first reference signal; determining a second reference frequency and another reference initial phase of the second reference signal; as well as The reference initial phase of the virtual signal is determined based on the first reference frequency, the reference termination phase, the second reference frequency, and the another reference initial phase.

6. The first device according to claim 5, wherein the reference initial phase of the virtual signal is determined by: Where φ represents the reference initial phase of the virtual signal, φR1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents the other reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the time interval between the transmission of the target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal or the second reference signal, A represents the target frequency, and T A Indicates the duration of the third time period.

7. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a receiving device and the second device comprises a transmitting device.

8. A first device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least: obtaining, from a second device, a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna within a first time period, and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; as well as determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna being located in a same antenna array, wherein the at least one target antenna comprises a first target antenna and a second target antenna, and wherein the first device is caused to determine the phase relationship by: obtaining, from the second device, a first target signal associated with the first target antenna within a third time period after the first time period and before the second time period; obtaining, from the second device, a second target signal associated with the second target antenna in a fourth time period after the first time period and before the second time period, the fourth time period being different from the third time period; generating, based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, a first virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the third time period and a second virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the fourth time period; determining a first phase difference between the first target signal and the first virtual signal, and a second phase difference between the second target signal and the second virtual signal; as well as The phase relationship is determined based on the first phase difference and the second phase difference.

9. The first device according to claim 8, wherein the first device is caused to generate the first virtual signal by: Determine a first reference initial phase of the first virtual signal and a second reference initial phase of the second virtual signal based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal; determining a first target frequency of the first target signal and a second target frequency of the second target signal; as well as The first virtual signal is generated based on the first reference initial phase and the first target frequency, and the second virtual signal is generated based on the second reference initial phase and the second target frequency.

10. The first device according to claim 9, wherein the first device is caused to determine the first reference initial phase and the second reference initial phase by: determining a first reference frequency and a reference termination phase of the first reference signal; determining a second reference frequency and another reference initial phase of the second reference signal; as well as The first reference initial phase and the second reference initial phase are determined based on the first reference frequency, the reference termination phase, the second reference frequency, and the another reference initial phase.

11. The first device according to claim 10, wherein the first reference initial phase of the first virtual signal is determined by: Where φ1 represents the first reference initial phase of the first virtual signal, φ R1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents the other reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the time interval between the transmission of the first target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal, or the time interval between the transmission of the second target signal and the transmission of the second reference signal, f A1 represents the first target frequency, f A2 represents the second target frequency, and T A Indicates the total duration of the third time period and the fourth time period.

12. The first device according to claim 10, wherein the second reference initial phase of the second virtual signal is determined by: Where φ2 represents the second reference initial phase of the second virtual signal, φ R1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents the other reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the time interval between the transmission of the first target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal, or the time interval between the transmission of the second target signal and the transmission of the second reference signal, f A1 represents the first target frequency, f A2 represents the second target frequency, and T A Indicates the total duration of the third time period and the fourth time period.

13. The first device of claim 8, wherein the first device comprises a receiving device and the second device comprises a transmitting device.

14. A method comprising: At the first device, obtaining a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna from a second device within a first time period, and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; as well as determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna being located in a same antenna array, wherein the at least one target antenna comprises a single target antenna, and wherein determining the phase relationship comprises: obtaining, from the second device, a target signal associated with the target antenna within a third time period after the first time period and before the second time period; generating a virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the third time period based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal; determining a phase difference between the target signal and the virtual signal; and The phase relationship is determined based on the phase difference.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first device comprises the antenna array, and wherein obtaining the first reference signal and the second reference signal comprises: receiving the first reference signal via the reference antenna of the first device during the first time period; as well as The second reference signal is received via the reference antenna during the second time period.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second device comprises the antenna array, and wherein obtaining the first reference signal and the second reference signal comprises: receiving the first reference signal transmitted from the reference antenna of the second device within the first time period; as well as The second reference signal transmitted from the reference antenna is received during the second time period.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the virtual signal comprises: determining a reference initial phase of the virtual signal based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal; determining a target frequency of the target signal; as well as The virtual signal is generated based on the reference initial phase and the target frequency.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the reference initial phase comprises: determining a first reference frequency and a reference termination phase of the first reference signal; determining a second reference frequency and another reference initial phase of the second reference signal; as well as The reference initial phase of the virtual signal is determined based on the first reference frequency, the reference termination phase, the second reference frequency, and the another reference initial phase.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the reference initial phase of the virtual signal is determined by: Where φ represents the reference initial phase of the virtual signal, φR1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents the other reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the time interval between the transmission of the target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal or the second reference signal, A represents the target frequency, and T A Indicates the duration of the third time period.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first device comprises a receiving device and the second device comprises a transmitting device.

21. A method comprising: At the first device, obtaining a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna from a second device within a first time period, and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; as well as determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna being located in a same antenna array, wherein the at least one target antenna comprises a first target antenna and a second target antenna, and wherein determining the phase relationship comprises: obtaining, from the second device, a first target signal associated with the first target antenna within a third time period after the first time period and before the second time period; obtaining, from the second device, a second target signal associated with the second target antenna in a fourth time period after the first time period and before the second time period, the fourth time period being different from the third time period; generating, based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, a first virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the third time period and a second virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the fourth time period; determining a first phase difference between the first target signal and the first virtual signal, and a second phase difference between the second target signal and the second virtual signal; and The phase relationship is determined based on the first phase difference and the second phase difference.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein generating the first virtual signal comprises: Determine a first reference initial phase of the first virtual signal and a second reference initial phase of the second virtual signal based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal; determining a first target frequency of the first target signal and a second target frequency of the second target signal; as well as The first virtual signal is generated based on the first reference initial phase and the first target frequency, and the second virtual signal is generated based on the second reference initial phase and the second target frequency.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining the first reference initial phase and the second reference initial phase comprises: determining a first reference frequency and a reference termination phase of the first reference signal; determining a second reference frequency and another reference initial phase of the second reference signal; as well as The first reference initial phase and the second reference initial phase are determined based on the first reference frequency, the reference termination phase, the second reference frequency, and the another reference initial phase.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the first reference initial phase of the first virtual signal is determined by: Where φ1 represents the first reference initial phase of the first virtual signal, φ R1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents the other reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the time interval between the transmission of the first target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal, or the time interval between the transmission of the second target signal and the transmission of the second reference signal, f A1 represents the first target frequency, f A2 represents the second target frequency, and TA represents the total duration of the third time period and the fourth time period.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the second reference initial phase of the second virtual signal is determined by: Wherein φ2 represents the second reference initial phase of the second virtual signal, φR1 represents the reference termination phase, φ R2 represents the other reference initial phase, f R1 represents the first reference frequency, f R2 represents the second reference frequency, T SW represents the time interval between the transmission of the first target signal and the transmission of the first reference signal, or the time interval between the transmission of the second target signal and the transmission of the second reference signal, f A1 represents the first target frequency, f A2 represents the second target frequency, and T A Indicates the total duration of the third time period and the fourth time period.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the first device comprises a receiving device and the second device comprises a transmitting device.

27. An apparatus comprising: means for obtaining, at a first device, from a second device, a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna within a first time period, and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; as well as means for determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna being located in a same antenna array, wherein the at least one target antenna comprises a single target antenna, and wherein the means for determining comprises: means for obtaining a target signal associated with the target antenna from the second device within a third time period after the first time period and before the second time period; means for generating a virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the third time period based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal; means for determining a phase difference between the target signal and the virtual signal; and Means for determining the phase relationship based on the phase difference.

28. An apparatus comprising: means for obtaining, at a first device, from a second device, a first reference signal associated with a reference antenna within a first time period, and obtaining a second reference signal associated with the reference antenna within a second time period after the first time period; as well as means for determining a phase relationship between the reference antenna and at least one target antenna based at least on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the at least one target antenna and the reference antenna being located in a same antenna array, wherein the at least one target antenna comprises a first target antenna and a second target antenna, and wherein the means for determining comprises: means for obtaining, from the second device, a first target signal associated with the first target antenna within a third time period after the first time period and before the second time period; means for obtaining, from the second device, a second target signal associated with the second target antenna within a fourth time period after the first time period and before the second time period, the fourth time period being different from the third time period; means for generating a first virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the third time period and a second virtual signal associated with the reference antenna corresponding to the fourth time period based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal; means for determining a first phase difference between the first target signal and the first virtual signal and a second phase difference between the second target signal and the second virtual signal; and Means for determining the phase relationship based on the first phase difference and the second phase difference.

29. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 14-20 or claims 21-26.

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