Unmanned cluster ranging method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of unmanned cluster ranging method, including by administrator broadcast issues instruction information, each member receives after, to own time synchronization, identify whether it belongs to on-duty member;On-duty member broadcast issues ranging information, each member receives after, respectively to on-duty member sends back response information, on-duty member receives the response information of each member after, again issues end information, each member receives end information after, respectively corresponding calculate the distance value between each other and on-duty member and store;Repeat the preceding step, until each member assumes on-duty member once and completes corresponding distance measurement, each member sequentially respectively broadcasts the distance information stored in each member in order, receives corresponding other members, finally all distance information in each member is combined, obtains distance matrix, completes the distance measurement of unmanned cluster.The method solves the mutual ranging problem of each member of unmanned cluster, improves the positioning accuracy and positioning frequency of unmanned cluster network member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mobile wireless communication and positioning technology, and in particular to an unmanned swarm ranging method. Background Technology

[0002] An unmanned swarm refers to a group of multiple unmanned moving objects. Unmanned moving objects include unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned watercraft, unmanned land vehicles, robots, and bionics.

[0003] In recent years, with the advancement of hardware platforms and the development of communication and control technologies, unmanned swarm systems have been increasingly used in both civilian and military fields, such as reconnaissance patrols, precision strikes, disaster relief, and farmland irrigation.

[0004] Driven by different mission objectives, unmanned swarms execute corresponding formation control commands. The information interaction and collaborative decision-making of the swarm system rely on positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) information. Among these, spatial location information plays a fundamental enabling role, and efficient and accurate positioning services are irreplaceable for achieving swarm formation control. Therefore, improving the positioning accuracy of individual unmanned moving bodies within an unmanned swarm has become one of the main challenges currently faced. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main technical problem solved by this invention is to provide a method for ranging in unmanned swarms, so as to solve the dynamic ranging problem between moving bodies in an unmanned swarm, so that the moving bodies in the unmanned swarm network can obtain mutual ranging matrices, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and positioning frequency of the unmanned swarm.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one technical solution adopted by the present invention is to provide an unmanned swarm ranging method, wherein each member of the unmanned swarm has a corresponding identification number, and one of them is identified as the administrator, including:

[0007] Step 1: The administrator broadcasts an instruction message, which includes time synchronization information and duty officer information. After receiving the instruction message, each member synchronizes their own time, identifies whether they are a duty officer, and then reports back to the administrator.

[0008] Step 2: The duty officer broadcasts the distance measurement information. After receiving the distance measurement information, each member sends a response information back to the duty officer. After receiving the response information from each member, the duty officer broadcasts the end information again. After receiving the end information, each member calculates and stores the distance value between themselves and the duty officer, thus completing this distance measurement.

[0009] Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 until each member of the unmanned swarm has served as a duty officer and completed the corresponding distance measurement. Then, each member broadcasts its stored distance information in sequence, which is received by the other members. Finally, all the distance information in each member is combined to obtain a distance matrix, thus completing the distance measurement of the unmanned swarm.

[0010] Preferably, the unmanned swarm performs ranging based on the number of members and time-series planning. Each member sends and receives information in an orderly manner within a specified time period, and each member works according to the planned time-series protocol.

[0011] Preferably, in step two, the ranging information broadcast by the duty officer includes a transmission timestamp T1 recording the transmission time; each member, upon receiving the ranging information, records the first arrival timestamp T. 1_N N represents the sequence number of each member in the unmanned cluster, and there are M members in total, N∈(1,2,3…M).

[0012] Preferably, each member sends response information to the duty officer sequentially according to a pre-set time slot. The response information includes their own identification number and the corresponding sending time, i.e., the second timestamp T. 2_N ;

[0013] After receiving the response information sent by each member, the duty officer parses it. After parsing out the member identification number corresponding to the response information, the third timestamp T of receiving the response information is recorded. 3_N ;

[0014] After receiving response information from all members, the duty officer broadcasts an end message according to the set time sequence. The corresponding sending time is the fourth timestamp T4. The duty officer then obtains two time periods τ from each member. R1N τ P2N :

[0015]

[0016] These two time periods are calculated by the duty officer and then included in the end message and sent out.

[0017] Preferably, after receiving the termination information, each member records the fifth timestamp T corresponding to the receipt of the termination information. 5_N Simultaneously, based on its own identification number, it identifies the two time periods τ related to itself in the end information. R1N τ P2N Extracted, each member now has two time periods:

[0018]

[0019] Each member, according to their own four time periods (τ) R1N τ P2N τ R2N τ P1N The airborne propagation time τ from each signal to the duty officer was calculated. 1,N :

[0020]

[0021] The distance between each member and the duty officer is Dis. 1,N =τ 1,N c, where c represents the speed of light.

[0022] Preferably, in step three, steps one and two are repeated until each member of the unmanned cluster has served as a duty officer and completed the corresponding distance measurement. For any member with sequence number N, the first storage matrix A corresponding to its stored distance information can be obtained:

[0023]

[0024] Dis N1 …Dis NM These represent the measured distances between the member with sequence number N and each other.

[0025] Preferably, in step three, according to the set timing, each member sends its own distance information in a predetermined order, and each member synchronously receives and parses the distance information, merging the different first storage matrices A into an M×M second storage matrix B:

[0026]

[0027] Preferably, after the unmanned cluster completes the current round of distance measurement and obtains the current round of second storage matrix B1, it returns to step one to perform the next round of distance measurement and obtain the corresponding next round of second storage matrix B2. Then, it compares and analyzes the two adjacent rounds of second storage matrices B1 and B2 to determine the dynamic changes of the unmanned cluster and make operational adjustments.

[0028] The present invention also provides an electronic device, including a memory and a processor coupled to each other, wherein the processor is used to execute program instructions stored in the memory to implement the unmanned swarm ranging method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0029] The present invention also provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions thereon, characterized in that the program instructions, when executed by a processor, implement the unmanned swarm ranging method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0030] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention discloses an unmanned swarm ranging method, comprising: an administrator broadcasting instruction information; each member receiving the instruction synchronizes its own time and identifies whether it is a duty officer; the duty officer broadcasts ranging information; each member receiving the instruction sends a response message back to the duty officer; the duty officer receiving the response messages from each member sends an end message; each member receiving the end message calculates and stores the distance value between itself and the duty officer; the aforementioned steps are repeated until each member has acted as a duty officer and completed the corresponding distance measurement; each member then broadcasts its stored distance information sequentially, which is received by other members; finally, all the distance information from each member is combined to obtain a distance matrix, completing the distance measurement of the unmanned swarm. This method solves the problem of mutual ranging among members of an unmanned swarm, improving the positioning accuracy and frequency of unmanned swarm network members. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an embodiment of the unmanned swarm ranging method according to the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of an embodiment of the unmanned swarm ranging method according to the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the ranging stage according to an embodiment of the unmanned swarm ranging method of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the reporting phase of an embodiment of the unmanned swarm ranging method according to the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the framework of a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0038] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0039] Figure 1 This invention illustrates an embodiment of the unmanned swarm ranging method, wherein each member of the unmanned swarm, i.e., each unmanned moving body, has a corresponding identification number. The embodiment identifies one of the unmanned moving bodies in the unmanned swarm as the administrator. The steps include:

[0040] Step 1 S1: The administrator broadcasts an instruction message, which includes time synchronization information and duty officer information. After receiving the instruction message, each member synchronizes their own time, identifies whether they are a duty officer, and then reports back to the administrator before proceeding to the next step of distance measurement.

[0041] Step 2 S2: The duty officer broadcasts the distance measurement information. After receiving the distance measurement information, each member sends a response information back to the duty officer. After receiving the response information from each member, the duty officer broadcasts the end information again. After receiving the end information, each member calculates and stores the distance value between themselves and the duty officer, thus completing this distance measurement.

[0042] Step 3 (S3): Repeat steps 1 and 2 until each member of the unmanned swarm has acted as a duty officer and completed the corresponding distance measurement. Each member then broadcasts its stored distance information sequentially to the other members, who in turn receive the broadcasts. Finally, each member combines all the distance information into a distance matrix to complete the distance measurement of the unmanned swarm. If necessary, the process can return to step 1 and repeat the above three steps continuously for measurement.

[0043] Combination Figure 2 Further Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment will be used for explanation. In unmanned swarm ranging, timing planning is required based on the number of moving objects to ensure that each moving object can perform orderly wireless communication ranging within a specified time period. This timing is planned in advance based on the number of moving objects, and all moving objects operate according to the planned timing protocol.

[0044] Step one serves as the initiation phase, where the administrator sequentially assigns duty officers. The administrator also has one opportunity to serve as a duty officer. The duty officer acts as the central figure in the distance measurement process, serving as a reference point for measuring the distances from the duty officer to other members. Step two involves the actual distance measurement process, known as the distance measurement phase. In this phase, timestamps in the transmitted information indicate the propagation time of electromagnetic waves, thus completing the distance measurement. After one duty officer completes their measurement, the process returns to Step one, where the administrator replaces the duty officer, and the process resumes in Step two. This continues until all members have served as duty officers and completed their corresponding measurements. Then, the process proceeds to Step three, the reporting phase. In Step three, each member, following a pre-defined time sequence, sends their measured distance results to other members. Ultimately, each member obtains the measured distances between all members in the unmanned swarm. This completes the current round of distance measurement. The process can then return to Step one to begin the next round of distance measurement, achieving dynamic and continuous measurement of the unmanned swarm.

[0045] Preferably, in step one, the duty officer and other members are in any position where they can communicate with each other. Members can move during the distance measurement process. This method is not limited to a static state and is equally applicable in a moving state.

[0046] Preferably, the wireless communication method between members is UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication.

[0047] Preferably, in step one, after receiving the instruction information, other members respond to the administrator in an orderly manner according to their respective identification numbers, that is, they send feedback information in the corresponding time period according to the prescribed time sequence, thereby avoiding time conflicts between them.

[0048] The following combination Figure 3 The implementation method of step two will be explained in detail.

[0049] For any member, the first step in step two is to determine if they are on duty. If they are, they will perform the duties of a duty officer; otherwise, they will perform the corresponding tasks. If they are on duty, after proceeding to step two, they will work according to the predetermined sequence. The first step is to determine if the time for sending ranging information has arrived. If the time has arrived, they will send the ranging information.

[0050] Preferably, in step two, the ranging information broadcast by the duty officer includes a timestamp recording the sending time, denoted as T1; correspondingly, each member records the first timestamp of arrival after receiving the ranging information, denoted as T. 1_NN represents the sequence number of the moving body in the unmanned swarm, where there are M moving bodies, N∈(1,2,3…M). The identification number corresponding to each moving body also corresponds to the specific value of N (i.e., the sequence number). Since the duty officer sends the ranging information at the same time, but the time when each member receives the ranging information is not exactly the same, for example, the time when the duty officer receives the ranging information is the same as the time when he sends the ranging information, because there is no transmission time.

[0051] Next, each member must determine whether the time for sending the response information has arrived. Each member then sends the response information to the duty officer sequentially according to the pre-set time slot. The response information includes their own identification number and the corresponding sending time, i.e., the second timestamp is T. 2_N .

[0052] Preferably, after receiving each response message from each member, the duty officer parses it. Once the source identification number of the response message is determined, the third timestamp of the received response message is bound to the identification number ID contained in the response message and recorded for subsequent operations. The third timestamp corresponding to the response message received by the duty officer is denoted as T. 3_N .

[0053] After the duty officer receives the response information from all members, they determine whether the time for sending the end message has arrived according to the set time sequence. If it has, the duty officer broadcasts the end message, and the corresponding sending time is the fourth timestamp, denoted as T4. At this time, based on the above timestamp information, the duty officer can obtain two time periods τ with other members. R1N τ P2N :

[0054]

[0055] These two time periods are calculated by the duty officer and then included in the end message and sent out.

[0056] Preferably, after receiving the termination information, each member records the fifth timestamp corresponding to the receipt of the information, denoted as T. 5_N Simultaneously, based on its own identification number ID, it identifies the two time periods τ related to itself in the end information. R1N τ P2N Extracted, each of these members can now obtain two time periods:

[0057]

[0058] Preferably, each member follows their own four time periods (τ). R1N τ P2N τ R2N τP1N The time it takes for each signal to travel through the air to the duty officer can then be calculated, denoted as τ. 1,N :

[0059]

[0060] Since radio signals are electromagnetic waves, and electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed as light in the air, the distance between each member and the duty officer is Dis. 1,N =τ 1,N c, where c represents the speed of light. After obtaining the distance to the duty officer, this distance value is bound and stored with the current duty officer's identification ID, to be shared across the entire network in step three.

[0061] Therefore, in step two, since information sending and receiving occur within a set time sequence, the duty officer, after sending the end message, waits for the end of this ranging operation and then identifies and judges it. Other members, after receiving the end message, each calculates and stores the distance to the duty officer, and then also waits for the end of this ranging operation and then identifies and judges it. Once the end time for this ranging operation arrives, the process proceeds to step three.

[0062] Preferably, in step three, steps one and two are repeated until each member of the unmanned cluster has served as a duty officer and completed the corresponding distance measurement. For any member with sequence number N, the first storage matrix A corresponding to its stored distance information can be obtained, represented as follows:

[0063]

[0064] Dis N1 …Dis NM These represent the measured distances between the member with sequence number N and each other.

[0065] Combination Figure 4 In step three, after all members have completed a round of distance measurement as duty officers, each member will receive a complete first storage matrix A, thus forming their respective distance information. In step three, according to the set timing sequence, each member sends their respective distance information in a predetermined order. Other members synchronously receive each distance information, parse it, and merge the different first storage matrices A to form a second storage matrix B.

[0066] Preferably, each member ultimately obtains an M×M second storage matrix B, represented as:

[0067]

[0068] During the distance information transmission process, each member checks whether its designated transmission time has arrived. If it has, the member transmits its corresponding distance information; otherwise, it continues to check and wait. Once all members have transmitted their distance information, each member can form the second storage matrix B, thus completing this round of distance measurement and ultimately forming the distance matrix among all members. This concludes step three, the reporting phase.

[0069] Optionally, in the second storage matrix B, for any two members X1 and X2, two measured distances, namely Dis, will be obtained. X1X2 and Dis X2X1 Although both distances represent the distance between the two members, they may differ. This is because the various moving objects in the cluster are in motion, and these two distances are measured at different times. When these two distance values ​​are significantly different, it indicates that the distance between the two moving objects is dynamically changing over time. Therefore, this measurement method can also be used to verify whether the distance changes of the moving objects meet the requirements.

[0070] Optionally, after the unmanned swarm completes the current round of distance measurement and obtains the second storage matrix B1, it returns to step one to perform the next round of distance measurement and obtain the corresponding second storage matrix B2. Then, it compares and analyzes these two adjacent second storage matrices B1 and B2 to determine the dynamic changes of the unmanned swarm and make operational adjustments. For example, it can be used to change the formation of the unmanned swarm and to test the stability and coordination of the spatial operation of each member.

[0071] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a framework of an embodiment of the electronic device of this application. The electronic device consists of a main processor (MCU), a UWB wireless transceiver module connected to the main processor, a memory, and other peripherals. Figure 5 As shown, this example uses an STM32F405 chip with a main frequency of 168MHz as the MCU, a DW1000 chip as the UWB wireless transceiver module, and a 3.7V battery for power supply.

[0072] Specifically, the processor controls itself and the memory to implement the steps in any of the above-described unmanned swarm ranging method embodiments. The processor can also be called a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. The processor can also be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. Furthermore, the processor can be implemented using integrated circuit chips.

[0073] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a framework of an embodiment of the non-volatile computer-readable storage medium 50 of this application. The non-volatile computer-readable storage medium 50 stores program instructions 501 that can be executed by a processor. The program instructions 501 are used to implement the steps in any of the above embodiments of the unmanned swarm ranging method.

[0074] In some embodiments, the functions or modules of the apparatus provided in this disclosure can be used to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The specific implementation can be referred to the description of the above method embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0075] Therefore, this invention discloses an unmanned swarm ranging method, comprising: an administrator broadcasting a command message; each member receiving the message synchronizing its own time and identifying whether it is a duty officer; the duty officer broadcasting ranging information; each member receiving the message sending a response message back to the duty officer; the duty officer receiving the responses and then sending a termination message; each member receiving the termination message calculating and storing the distance between itself and the duty officer; repeating the above steps until each member has acted as a duty officer and completed the corresponding distance measurement; each member then sequentially broadcasts its stored distance information, which is received by other members; finally, all the distance information from each member is combined to obtain a distance matrix, completing the distance measurement of the unmanned swarm. This method solves the problem of mutual ranging among members of an unmanned swarm, improving the positioning accuracy and frequency of unmanned swarm network members.

[0076] The above are merely embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the content of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for unmanned swarm ranging, characterized in that, Each member in the unmanned cluster has a corresponding identification number, which identifies one of them as an administrator, including: Step 1: The administrator broadcasts an instruction message, which includes time synchronization information and duty officer information. After receiving the instruction message, each member synchronizes their own time, identifies whether they are a duty officer, and then reports back to the administrator. Step 2: The duty officer broadcasts the distance measurement information. After receiving the distance measurement information, each member sends a response information back to the duty officer. After receiving the response information from each member, the duty officer broadcasts the end information again. After receiving the end information, each member calculates and stores the distance value between themselves and the duty officer, thus completing this distance measurement. Step 3: Repeat Step 1 and Step 2. The administrator determines the duty officer in sequence. When a duty officer completes the distance measurement in Step 2, the process returns to Step 1, where the administrator replaces the duty officer and starts Step 2 again for measurement. This continues until each member of the unmanned cluster has served as a duty officer and completed the corresponding distance measurement. Then, each member broadcasts their stored distance information in sequence, which is received by the other members. Finally, all the distance information from each member is combined to obtain a distance matrix, completing the distance measurement of the unmanned cluster. The duty officer serves as the central figure in the distance measurement process, and the purpose is to measure the distance from the duty officer to other members using the duty officer as a reference.

2. The unmanned swarm ranging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unmanned swarm performs ranging based on the number of members and time-series planning. Each member sends and receives information in an orderly manner within a specified time period, and each member works according to the planned time sequence.

3. The unmanned swarm ranging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step two, the ranging information broadcast by the duty officer includes a timestamp recording the time of transmission. Each member receives the ranging information and records the first timestamp of arrival. N represents the sequence number of each member in the unmanned cluster, and there are a total of M members. .

4. The unmanned swarm ranging method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each member sends a response message to the duty officer sequentially according to a pre-set time slot. The response message includes their own identification number and the corresponding sending time, i.e., the second timestamp. ; After receiving the response information sent by each member, the duty officer parses it. After parsing out the member identification number corresponding to the response information, the officer records the third timestamp of the received response information. ; After receiving the response information from all members, the duty officer broadcasts an end message according to the set sequence, with the corresponding sending time being the fourth timestamp. The duty officer receives two time periods from each member. , : These two time periods are calculated by the duty officer and then included in the end message and sent out.

5. The unmanned swarm ranging method according to claim 4, characterized in that, After receiving the termination information, each member records the fifth timestamp corresponding to the receipt of the information. Simultaneously, based on its own identification number, it identifies the two time periods related to itself in the end information. , Extracted, each member now has two time periods: Each member, according to their respective four time periods ( , , , The airborne propagation time from each signal to the duty officer was calculated. : ； The distance between each member and the duty officer is then... c represents the speed of light.

6. The unmanned swarm ranging method according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step three, steps one and two are repeated until each member of the unmanned cluster has served as a duty officer and completed the corresponding distance measurement. For any member with sequence number N, the first storage matrix A corresponding to its stored distance information can be obtained: ， These represent the measured distances between the member with the sequence number N and each other.

7. The unmanned swarm ranging method according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step three, according to the set timing, each member sends its own distance information in a predetermined order. Each member synchronously receives and parses the distance information, merging the different first storage matrices A into an M×M second storage matrix B. 。 8. The unmanned swarm ranging method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The unmanned cluster completed the distance measurement in this round and obtained the second storage matrix in this round. Then return to step one to perform the next round of distance measurement and obtain the corresponding second storage matrix for the next round. Then, for these two adjacent rounds of the second storage matrix and Comparative analysis is conducted to determine the dynamic changes of the unmanned cluster and to make operational adjustments.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor coupled to each other, the processor being used to execute program instructions stored in the memory to implement the unmanned swarm ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions thereon, characterized in that, When the program instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the unmanned swarm ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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