Communication system, method and electronic device

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a communication system, method, and electronic device to address the technical problems of low communication time utilization and low communication frequency in communication systems. The system includes a control device and multiple base stations. The control device performs the following operations to allocate communication time to the multiple base stations: based on the identification information of the multiple base stations, it divides the multiple base stations into multiple base station groups; configures a target master base station for each base station group; and configures a system master base station for the communication system; it divides a preset communication period into a preset number of communication time periods and allocates the preset number of communication time periods to the multiple base station groups; and for each base station group, it divides the communication time period of the base station group into multiple communication time segments according to the number of base stations in the group.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a communication system, method, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) is a communication technology used to share a transmission medium or network. It allows multiple terminals to use the same frequency in different time slots. Generally, after a terminal requests network access, the base station polls and schedules the terminals sequentially, communicating with them in separate time slots to ensure that there are no time conflicts between the terminals.

[0003] Furthermore, in order to avoid channel conflicts caused by multiple base stations communicating with the terminal at the same time, only one base station communicates with the terminal at the same time, while other base stations are in a listening and waiting state, resulting in low communication time utilization and communication frequency of the entire communication system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a communication system, method, and electronic device to solve the technical problems of low communication time utilization and low communication frequency in communication systems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of this disclosure provides a communication system comprising a control device and a plurality of base stations, the control device being configured to perform the following operations to allocate communication time to the plurality of base stations:

[0006] Based on the identification information of the multiple base stations, the multiple base stations are divided into multiple base station groups, a target main base station is configured for each base station group, and a system main base station is configured for the communication system.

[0007] The preset communication cycle is divided into a preset number of communication time periods, and the preset number of communication time periods are allocated to the multiple base station groups. The communication time periods of base station groups within the same communication group are different, and the communication time periods of base station groups within different communication groups correspond one-to-one. Each communication group includes the preset number of adjacent base station groups, and different communication groups include different base station groups.

[0008] For each of the base station groups, the communication time period of the base station group is divided into multiple communication time segments according to the number of base stations in the base station group, wherein the number of communication time segments is the same as the number of base stations in the base station group, and the base stations of the base station group correspond one-to-one with the communication time segments.

[0009] Optionally, the system further includes a communication device equipped with a positioning tag;

[0010] The base station is used to broadcast query messages within the corresponding communication time segments;

[0011] The device to be communicated with is used to receive the query message through the positioning tag, and broadcast the positioning tag information of the device to be communicated with after a preset time interval after receiving the query message;

[0012] The base station is used to receive the location tag information broadcast by the device to be communicated, and send the location tag information to the target main base station of the target base station group corresponding to the base station;

[0013] The target master base station of the target base station group is used to receive the location tag information sent by the base stations of the target base station group, summarize the received location tag information and send it to other base stations in the target base station group.

[0014] Optionally, the base station is used to broadcast ranging messages within corresponding communication time segments, the ranging messages including target tag information;

[0015] The device to be communicated is used to receive the ranging message, and when the target tag information matches the positioning tag information of the device to be communicated, it sends a ranging feedback message, the ranging feedback message including the time when the device to be communicated receives the ranging message;

[0016] The base station is used to receive the ranging feedback message and locate the communication device based on the ranging feedback message.

[0017] Optionally, the target master base station of the target base station group is used to store the received positioning tag information into a tag queue according to the time order in which the target master base station of the target base station group receives the positioning tag information, and send the tag queue to other base stations in the target base station group;

[0018] The base stations of the target base station group are used to sequentially use the positioning tag information as target tag information according to the storage order of the positioning tag information in the tag queue within the corresponding communication time segment to obtain the ranging message.

[0019] Optionally, the base stations of the target base station group are further configured to generate location information of the communication device after locating the communication device, the location information including a serial number, the serial number being used to characterize the period information of a preset communication period in which the base station locates the communication device.

[0020] Optionally, the system master base station is used to send a first self-test message to each of the base stations;

[0021] After completing the currently executing operation, the base station responds to the first self-test message by broadcasting a second self-test message, so that other base stations in the base station group to which the base station belongs respond to the second self-test message by broadcasting the first self-test feedback message.

[0022] The base station is also configured to, in response to receiving the first self-test feedback message, determine whether the base station is functioning normally based on the first self-test feedback message.

[0023] Optionally, the system further includes a communication device equipped with multiple positioning tags;

[0024] The communication device is used to receive the second self-test message through the first positioning tag, and broadcast the tag self-test message after a preset waiting time, so that the second positioning tag other than the first positioning tag among the plurality of positioning tags responds to the tag self-test message and broadcasts the second self-test feedback message.

[0025] The communication device is further configured to receive the second self-test feedback message through the first positioning tag, and determine whether the first positioning tag is normal based on the second self-test feedback message.

[0026] Optionally, the system master base station is used to send a first deletion message to the target master base station of each of the base station groups;

[0027] The target main base station is used to respond to receiving the first deletion message by deleting the location tag information aggregated by the target main base station and sending a second deletion message to other base stations in the base station group to which the target main base station belongs.

[0028] Other base stations within the base station group to which the target main base station belongs are used to delete the location tag information received from the target main base station in response to receiving the second deletion message.

[0029] Optionally, the system master base station is used to send a first-time synchronization message to the target master base station of each of the base station groups;

[0030] The target master base station is used to respond to the first time synchronization message, adjust the time of the target master base station to be consistent with the time of the system master base station, and send a second time synchronization message to other base stations in the base station group to which the target master base station belongs;

[0031] Other base stations within the base station group to which the target main base station belongs respond to the second time synchronization message and adjust their own time to be consistent with the time of the target main base station.

[0032] A second aspect of this disclosure also provides a communication method applied to the communication system described in any one of the first aspects above, the method comprising:

[0033] Based on the identification information of the multiple base stations, the multiple base stations are divided into multiple base station groups, a target main base station is configured for each base station group, and a system main base station is configured for the communication system.

[0034] The preset communication cycle is divided into a preset number of communication time periods, and the preset number of communication time periods are allocated to the multiple base station groups. The communication time periods of base station groups within the same communication group are different, and the communication time periods of base station groups within different communication groups correspond one-to-one. Each communication group includes the preset number of adjacent base station groups, and different communication groups include different base station groups.

[0035] For each of the base station groups, the communication time period of the base station group is divided into multiple communication time segments according to the number of base stations in the base station group, wherein the number of communication time segments is the same as the number of base stations in the base station group, and the base stations of the base station group correspond one-to-one with the communication time segments.

[0036] A third aspect of this disclosure also provides an electronic device, comprising:

[0037] A memory on which computer programs are stored;

[0038] A processor for executing the computer program in the memory to implement the steps of the method described in the second aspect above.

[0039] The above technical solution can achieve at least the following technical effects:

[0040] First, multiple base stations are divided into multiple base station groups. Then, a preset communication period is divided into a preset number of communication time segments, and these preset number of communication time segments are allocated to the multiple base station groups. The communication time segments of base station groups within the same communication group are different, and the communication time segments of base station groups within different communication groups correspond one-to-one. Each communication group includes a preset number of adjacent base station groups, and different communication groups include different base station groups. In other words, adjacent base station groups use different communication time segments, while non-adjacent base station groups can use the same communication time segment, avoiding channel conflicts while improving the communication time utilization and communication frequency of the communication system. Furthermore, for each base station group, based on the number of base stations in the group, the communication time segment of the base station group is divided into multiple communication time segments, with each base station in the group corresponding one-to-one with a communication time segment, thereby preventing adjacent base stations from using the same communication time segment and causing channel conflicts.

[0041] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0043] Figure 1 This is a communication diagram of a time-division multiple access communication system;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of base station group division of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the communication cycle division of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of communication between a base station and a positioning tag in a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0048] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0049] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0051] It should be noted that all actions involving the acquisition of signals, information, or data in this disclosure are carried out in compliance with the relevant data protection laws and policies of the country where the location is situated, and with authorization from the owner of the relevant device.

[0052] It should be understood that the various steps described in the method embodiments of this disclosure may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. Furthermore, method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect. The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended, meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". Relevant definitions for other terms will be given in the description below.

[0053] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this disclosure are used only to distinguish different devices, modules, or units, and are not used to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules, or units or their interdependencies. It should also be noted that the modifications of "a" and "a plurality of" mentioned in this disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0054] Generally, the effective signal coverage range of a base station is 500 meters, and the spacing between adjacent base stations is usually less than this effective coverage range. Therefore, to avoid channel conflicts arising from multiple base stations communicating with a terminal, communication systems in related technologies typically utilize time-division multiple access (TDMA) to prevent channel conflicts. (See reference...) Figure 1 Communication systems typically allocate a corresponding time slot to each base station, and each base station divides its time slot to communicate with the terminal. In other words, during the communication process, only one base station communicates with the terminal at any given time slot, while other base stations are in a listening and waiting state. As a result, the overall communication system has low communication time utilization and low communication frequency.

[0055] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a communication system, method, and electronic device to solve the above problems.

[0056] The following provides a detailed description of the embodiments of the technical solution disclosed herein.

[0057] This disclosure provides a communication system, referring to... Figure 2 The system 20 includes a control device 201 and multiple base stations 202. The control device 201 performs the following operations to allocate communication time to the multiple base stations 202: First, based on the identification information of the multiple base stations, the multiple base stations are divided into multiple base station groups. A target master base station is configured for each base station group, and a system master base station is configured for the communication system. Then, a preset communication period is divided into a preset number of communication time periods, and the preset number of communication time periods are allocated to the multiple base station groups. The communication time periods of base station groups within the same communication group are different, and the communication time periods of base station groups within different communication groups are identical. Each communication group includes a preset number of adjacent base station groups, and different communication groups include different base station groups. Finally, for each base station group, the communication time period of the base station group is divided into multiple communication time segments according to the number of base stations in the base station group. The number of communication time segments is the same as the number of base stations in the base station group, and the base stations in the base station group correspond one-to-one with the communication time segments.

[0058] For example, refer to Figure 3Based on the identification information of multiple base stations, multiple base stations are divided into multiple base station groups. The identification information can be the location information or the number information of the base stations. According to the identification information, all base stations within the communication system are assigned to different base station groups. Base stations within the same base station group are considered adjacent base stations. The maximum number of base stations in each base station group is N (N is a positive integer), which can be set according to the communication time utilization and communication frequency requirements of the communication system. For example, N can be 5, but this disclosure does not impose a specific limitation. The control device can configure any base station within each base station group as the target master base station for that base station group, with the other base stations in the group acting as slave base stations. Furthermore, any base station within any base station group can be configured as the system master base station of the communication system. The system master base station can be either the target master base station or a slave base station, and this disclosure does not impose a limitation in this regard.

[0059] For example, refer to Figure 4 The preset communication period is determined by dividing time sequentially. For example, a preset communication period can be 4 seconds, starting from 00:00:00. Preset communication period 1 is from 00:00:00 to 00:00:04, preset communication period 2 is from 00:00:04 to 00:00:08, and so on. Furthermore, the preset communication period can be divided into a preset number of communication time segments. It should be noted that in practical applications, since the effective signal coverage range of a base station is 500 meters and the working range of a base station cluster is 300 meters, base stations separated by three base station clusters will not experience channel conflicts due to the distance. Therefore, communication time segments can be reused every three base station clusters without causing channel conflicts.

[0060] For example, following the above example, if each preset communication cycle (e.g., preset communication cycle 1, preset communication cycle 2, etc.) is divided into 4 communication time periods, then each communication time period is 1 second. In this case, the 4 communication time periods can be allocated to 4 adjacent base station groups. (Refer to...) Figure 4 Four adjacent base station groups (group 1, group 2, group 3, and group 4) are grouped together as a single communication group, using four communication time periods within a preset communication period 1. Similarly, adjacent base station groups (group 5, group 6, group 7, and group 8) are grouped together as another communication group, reusing the four communication time periods within the preset communication period 1. Since base station group 1 and base station group 5 are separated by three base station groups, simultaneous communication between base stations in base station group 1 and base stations in base station group 5 will not cause channel conflicts.

[0061] Furthermore, for each base station group, the communication time period of the base station group is divided into multiple communication time segments based on the number of base stations in the group. (Refer to...) Figure 4If base station group 1 has 4 base stations, the communication time period is divided into 4 communication time segments and allocated to the 4 base stations one by one. If base station group 4 has 3 base stations, the communication time period is divided into 3 communication time segments and allocated to the 3 base stations one by one.

[0062] It should be noted that the duration of the preset communication cycle can be determined according to requirements, and the number of communication time segments can be adjusted based on the effective coverage range of the base station. For example, if the effective coverage range is smaller, and simultaneous communication by base stations in two adjacent base station groups will not cause channel conflicts, the communication time segment can be divided into three segments, with the three adjacent base station groups considered as the same communication group. Furthermore, the duration of each communication time segment or the duration of each communication time interval can be equal or unequal. As long as the distance between multiple base stations communicating at the same time is greater than the effective coverage range of the base station, simultaneous communication by multiple base stations will not cause channel conflicts, thereby improving the communication time utilization and communication frequency of the communication system.

[0063] Using the above communication system, adjacent base station groups use different communication time periods, while non-adjacent base station groups can use the same communication time period, avoiding channel conflicts while improving the communication time utilization and communication frequency of the communication system. Furthermore, for each base station group, the communication time period is divided into multiple communication time segments based on the number of base stations in the group. Each base station in the group corresponds one-to-one with a communication time segment, thereby preventing channel conflicts caused by adjacent base stations using the same communication time segment.

[0064] In one possible configuration, the system also includes a communication device equipped with a location tag. The base station broadcasts query messages within corresponding communication time segments. The communication device receives the query messages via its location tag and, after a preset time interval following the receipt of the query message, broadcasts its own location tag information. The base station receives the location tag information broadcast by the communication device and sends it to the target master base station of the target base station group. The target master base station of the target base station group receives the location tag information sent by the base stations in the target base station group, aggregates the received location tag information, and sends it to other base stations within the target base station group.

[0065] For example, the device to be communicated can be a terminal, a vehicle, or an electronic device that can be installed on a terminal or vehicle. Taking vehicle positioning as an application scenario, the device to be communicated can be a vehicle or an electronic device installed on a vehicle. During vehicle operation, it enters the effective coverage area of ​​a base station. The base station broadcasts query messages at certain time intervals within the corresponding communication time segments. After receiving the query message via its positioning tag, to avoid communicating with the base station simultaneously with other vehicles, the vehicle broadcasts the positioning tag information of the device to be communicated after a preset time interval following the receipt of the query message. The preset time interval can be determined by multiplying the last 7 digits of the positioning tag number by 5 microseconds. Since the positioning tag number is unique, multiple positioning tags will have different time intervals, thus preventing multiple vehicles from communicating with the base station simultaneously. Of course, the preset time interval can also be determined by multiplying the last 6 digits of the positioning tag number by 5 microseconds, or other methods that can yield different time intervals; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0066] After receiving location tag information from multiple vehicles within a communication time segment, a base station can transmit this information to the target master device within the corresponding base station group via Ethernet or other wired communication methods, avoiding conflicts with query messages sent by the next base station. In other words, the base station communicates wirelessly with the device to be communicated with, while the base station communicates with the target master base station via wired communication. After receiving location tag information from the base stations within the target base station group, the target master base station aggregates the received location tag information and sends it to other base stations within the target base station group. This allows the vehicle to complete network registration with the base station and establish communication between the base station and the vehicle. Furthermore, base station groups located across multiple base station groups also broadcast query messages within the same communication time segment, improving the communication time utilization and communication frequency compared to related technologies where only one base station operates within the same communication time segment.

[0067] It should be noted that in related technologies, when a device to be communicated registers with a base station, in order to avoid channel conflicts with other devices to be communicated as much as possible, or to resend the registration message to register when a channel conflict occurs, a potentially small registration message is used for network registration. However, based on the communication system of this disclosure, since different communication time segments are divided for different base stations, and multiple devices to be communicated communicate with the base station at different intervals within each communication time segment, no channel conflicts occur between them, therefore the size of the registration message can be unlimited.

[0068] In one possible approach, the base station broadcasts ranging messages, including target tag information, within corresponding communication time segments. The device to be communicated receives the ranging messages and, when the target tag information matches the device's location tag information, sends a ranging feedback message, which includes the time the device received the ranging messages. The base station receives the ranging feedback messages and uses them to locate the device to be communicated.

[0069] For example, taking vehicle positioning as an application scenario, the base station broadcasts ranging messages within corresponding communication time segments. After receiving the broadcast ranging message, the vehicle compares the target tag information in the broadcast ranging message with its own positioning tag information, such as comparing whether the positioning tag number matches. If the target tag information matches its own positioning tag information, the vehicle sends a ranging feedback message containing the time the ranging message was received. Upon receiving the ranging feedback message, the base station can determine the distance between the vehicle and the base station, thereby determining the vehicle's location.

[0070] In this method, the base station can identify the frame header as a ranging frame and then broadcast the entire message as a ranging message. Ranging between the base station and the vehicle can be performed using TWR (two-sided ranging), which requires four one-way trips ("base station-tag-base station, base station-tag-base station") and two round-trip pulse transmissions and receptions. The distance is determined by the time difference between transmission and reception. Alternatively, two-sided two-way ranging and other ranging methods can also be used, which are not limited in this disclosure.

[0071] In one possible approach, the target master base station of the target base station group stores the received positioning tag information into a tag queue according to the time order in which the target master base station of the target base station group receives the positioning tag information, and sends the tag queue to other base stations within the target base station group. The base stations of the target base station group then, within the corresponding communication time segment, sequentially use the positioning tag information as target tag information according to the storage order of the positioning tag information in the tag queue to obtain ranging messages.

[0072] For example, taking vehicle positioning as an application scenario, since vehicles are constantly moving, new positioning tags are continuously sending positioning tag information. The target main base station stores the positioning tag information received by multiple base stations at different time segments into a tag queue, and then sends the tag queue to the base stations in the base station group. The base stations, based on the storage order of the positioning tag information in the tag queue, sequentially retrieve the positioning tag information in the tag queue as the target tag information, obtain the ranging message, and broadcast it. (Refer to...) Figure 5 Taking a base station cluster with 3 base stations and 3 positioning tags in the tag queue as an example, each base station sequentially measures the distance with the positioning tag within the corresponding communication time segment.

[0073] It should be noted that the time required for a single base station to complete a ranging operation with a single tag is very short. Tens of thousands of ranging operations can be performed within a single communication time segment, while the effective coverage range of a base station is only a few hundred meters. Therefore, a single base station is sufficient to complete ranging operations for all vehicles within its effective coverage area within a corresponding communication time segment. Furthermore, multiple base station clusters, even those separated by distance, broadcast ranging messages within the same communication time segment. Compared to related technologies where only one base station operates within the same communication time segment, this improves the communication time utilization and communication frequency of the communication system.

[0074] In one possible manner, the base stations of the target base station group are also used to generate location information of the device to be communicated after locating it. The location information includes a sequence number, which is used to characterize the period information of the preset communication period in which the base station locates the device to be communicated.

[0075] For example, taking vehicle positioning as an application scenario, after the base station locates the vehicle, it generates the vehicle's positioning information. The sequence number of the positioning information is used to represent the period information of the preset communication cycle in which the base station locates the communication device. For example, the sequence number of the preset communication cycle 00:00:00-00:00:04 is 0001, and the sequence number of the preset communication cycle 00:00:04-00:00:08 is 0002. After obtaining the vehicle's positioning information, it can be stored or sent to the backend of the communication system and displayed in a visual interface. Taking logistics management as an example, the sequence number can be used to distinguish the positioning information of the vehicle obtained in different preset cycles and displayed in a visual interface. Managers can view the vehicle's location, driving route, etc., which facilitates timely monitoring of cargo transportation or task scheduling of vehicles.

[0076] In one possible configuration, the system's master base station sends a first self-test message to each base station. Each base station, after completing its current operation, responds to the first self-test message by broadcasting a second self-test message, so that other base stations within the base station group respond to the second self-test message and broadcast the first self-test feedback message. The base station also determines, upon receiving the first self-test feedback message, whether it is functioning correctly.

[0077] For example, when a base station performs ranging with a device to be communicated, a base station malfunction can cause abnormal positioning of the device. Therefore, the system's main base station can send a first self-test message to each base station at intervals. After receiving the first self-test message, the base station first completes the operation within the current communication time segment, and then, in the next communication time segment, responds to the first self-test message by broadcasting a second self-test message. Other base stations in the base station group to which the base station belongs respond to the second self-test message by broadcasting a first self-test feedback message. The base station is also used to determine whether it is functioning normally based on the first self-test feedback message received. Since the distance between base stations is fixed and known during installation, the measured distance between the base station and other base stations can be compared with the known fixed distance to determine whether the base station is functioning normally. For details, please refer to the process of the base station performing ranging with the device to be communicated; this disclosure will not elaborate further here.

[0078] In one possible implementation, the system further includes a communication device equipped with multiple positioning tags. This communication device, in response to receiving the second self-test message via the first positioning tag, broadcasts a tag self-test message after a preset waiting time. This allows a second positioning tag (excluding the first positioning tag) among the multiple positioning tags to respond to the tag self-test message and broadcast a second self-test feedback message. The communication device is also configured to determine whether the first positioning tag is functioning correctly based on the second self-test feedback message received via the first positioning tag.

[0079] For example, to prevent location failure due to malfunctioning positioning tags, the communication device typically uses one primary tag and two secondary tags. When the primary tag malfunctions, the secondary tags communicate with the base station. Upon receiving the second self-test message, the first positioning tag broadcasts a tag self-test message after a preset waiting time to avoid channel conflicts with the base station's self-test. This preset waiting time can be set based on the number of base stations in the base station group and the self-test time. Similarly, since the distance between multiple positioning tags is fixed and known during installation, the base station's self-test process can be referenced to determine if the positioning tags are functioning correctly.

[0080] By performing self-tests on base stations and positioning tags, it is possible to promptly detect any faults in the base stations or positioning tags, thereby ensuring that the base stations and positioning tags can function normally.

[0081] In one possible manner, the system's master base station sends a first deletion message to the target master base station in each base station group. The target master base station, in response to receiving the first deletion message, deletes the location tag information aggregated by the target master base station and sends a second deletion message to other base stations within the base station group to which the target master base station belongs. Other base stations within the base station group to which the target master base station belongs delete the location tag information received from the target master base station in response to receiving the second deletion message.

[0082] It should be noted that, taking vehicle positioning as an example, since vehicles are constantly moving during operation, they may leave the effective coverage area of ​​the base station. Therefore, the positioning tag information can be cleared at intervals or after several preset communication cycles to prevent the base station from continuing to communicate with vehicles that have left its effective coverage area.

[0083] In one possible manner, the system master base station sends a first time synchronization message to the target master base station of each base station group. The target master base station responds to the first time synchronization message, adjusts its time to match the system master base station's time, and sends a second time synchronization message to other base stations within the target master base station's base station group. Other base stations within the target master base station's base station group respond to the second time synchronization message, adjusting their own time to match the target master base station's time.

[0084] It should be noted that since base stations communicate in segments based on the divided communication time, in order to avoid channel conflicts caused by time errors between adjacent base stations, it is necessary to ensure that the time of each base station is consistent. Therefore, time synchronization can be performed every preset time to make the time of all base stations consistent.

[0085] It is worth noting that, in addition to ranging operations with the device to be communicated, the base station in the above communication system can also be used for other communications with the device to be communicated, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0086] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a communication method applicable to any of the above-mentioned communication systems, the method comprising:

[0087] S601. The control equipment divides multiple base stations into multiple base station groups based on the identification information of multiple base stations, configures a target main base station for each base station group, and configures a system main base station for the communication system.

[0088] S602, The control device divides the preset communication cycle into a preset number of communication time periods and allocates the preset number of communication time periods to multiple base station groups.

[0089] The communication time periods of base station groups within the same communication group are different, and the communication time periods of base station groups within different communication groups are the same. Each communication group includes a preset number of adjacent base station groups, and different communication groups include different base station groups.

[0090] S603. For each base station group, the control equipment divides the communication time period of the base station group into multiple communication time segments according to the number of base stations in the base station group.

[0091] The number of communication time segments is the same as the number of base stations in the base station group, and there is a one-to-one correspondence between the base stations in the base station group and the communication time segments.

[0092] Using the above method, adjacent base station groups use different communication time periods, while non-adjacent base station groups can use the same communication time period, avoiding channel conflicts while improving the communication time utilization and communication frequency of the communication system. Furthermore, for each base station group, the communication time period is divided into multiple communication time segments based on the number of base stations in the group. Each base station in the group corresponds one-to-one with a communication time segment, thereby preventing channel conflicts caused by adjacent base stations using the same communication time segment.

[0093] Optionally, the communication system includes a device to be communicated with, which is equipped with a positioning tag, and the method includes:

[0094] The base station broadcasts query messages within the corresponding communication time segments;

[0095] The device to be communicated receives the query message through the positioning tag, and broadcasts the positioning tag information of the device to be communicated after a preset time interval after receiving the query message;

[0096] The base station receives the location tag information broadcast by the device to be communicated and sends the location tag information to the target main base station of the target base station group corresponding to the base station;

[0097] The target master base station of the target base station group receives the location tag information sent by the base stations of the target base station group, and summarizes the received location tag information and sends it to other base stations in the target base station group.

[0098] Optionally, the method includes:

[0099] The base station broadcasts ranging messages within the corresponding communication time segments, and the ranging messages include target tag information.

[0100] The device to be communicated receives the ranging message, and when the target tag information matches the positioning tag information of the device to be communicated, it sends a ranging feedback message, the ranging feedback message including the time when the device to be communicated receives the ranging message;

[0101] The base station receives the ranging feedback message and locates the communication device based on the ranging feedback message.

[0102] Optionally, the method includes:

[0103] The target master base station of the target base station group stores the received positioning tag information into a tag queue according to the time sequence in which the target master base station of the target base station group receives the positioning tag information, and sends the tag queue to other base stations in the target base station group;

[0104] Within the corresponding communication time segment, the base stations of the target base station group sequentially use the location tag information as target tag information according to the storage order of the location tag information in the tag queue to obtain ranging messages.

[0105] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0106] After locating the device to be communicated, the base stations of the target base station group generate location information of the device to be communicated. The location information includes periodic information that characterizes the preset communication period in which the base station locates the device to be communicated.

[0107] Optionally, the method includes:

[0108] The system's main base station sends a first self-test message to each of the base stations;

[0109] After the base station completes the currently executing operation, it responds to the first self-test message by broadcasting a second self-test message, so that other base stations in the base station group to which the base station belongs respond to the second self-test message by broadcasting the first self-test feedback message.

[0110] The base station responds to receiving the first self-test feedback message and determines whether the base station is normal based on the first self-test feedback message.

[0111] Optionally, the system further includes a communication device equipped with multiple positioning tags, and the method further includes:

[0112] The communication device receives the second self-test message through the first positioning tag, and broadcasts the tag self-test message after a preset waiting time, so that the second positioning tag among the plurality of positioning tags, excluding the first positioning tag, responds to the tag self-test message and broadcasts the second self-test feedback message.

[0113] The communication device receives the second self-test feedback message through the first positioning tag, and determines whether the first positioning tag is normal based on the second self-test feedback message.

[0114] Optionally, the method includes:

[0115] The system's main base station sends a first deletion message to the target main base station of each of the base station groups.

[0116] Upon receiving the first deletion message, the target main base station deletes the location tag information aggregated by the target main base station and sends a second deletion message to other base stations in the base station group to which the target main base station belongs.

[0117] Other base stations within the base station group to which the target main base station belongs respond to receiving the second deletion message and delete the location tag information received from the target main base station.

[0118] Optionally, the method includes:

[0119] The system's main base station sends a first-time synchronization message to the target main base station of each of the base station groups.

[0120] The target master base station responds to the first time synchronization message, adjusts the time of the target master base station to be consistent with the time of the system master base station, and sends a second time synchronization message to other base stations in the base station group to which the target master base station belongs.

[0121] Other base stations within the base station group to which the target main base station belongs respond to the second time synchronization message and adjust their own time to be consistent with the time of the target main base station.

[0122] A third aspect of this disclosure also provides an electronic device, comprising:

[0123] A memory on which computer programs are stored;

[0124] A processor is configured to execute the computer program in the memory to implement the steps of the communication method provided in the above embodiments.

[0125] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 700 according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the electronic device 700 may be provided as a server. (Refer to...) Figure 7 The electronic device 700 includes a processor 722, which may be one or more, and a memory 732 for storing computer programs executable by the processor 722. The computer program stored in the memory 732 may include one or more modules, each corresponding to a set of instructions. Furthermore, the processor 722 may be configured to execute the computer program to perform the aforementioned communication methods.

[0126] Additionally, the electronic device 700 may also include a power supply component 726 and a communication component 750. The power supply component 726 can be configured to perform power management of the electronic device 700, and the communication component 750 can be configured to enable communication of the electronic device 700, such as wired or wireless communication. Furthermore, the electronic device 700 may also include an input / output (I / O) interface 758. The electronic device 700 can operate on an operating system, such as Windows Server, stored in memory 732. TM Mac OSX TM Unix TM Linux TM etc.

[0127] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium including program instructions is also provided, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the communication method described above. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be the memory 732 including the program instructions described above, which may be executed by the processor 722 of the electronic device 700 to complete the communication method described above.

[0128] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product comprising a computer program executable by a programmable device, the computer program having a code portion for performing the above-described communication method when executed by the programmable device.

[0129] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of this disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0130] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, this disclosure will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0131] Furthermore, various different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this disclosure, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A communication system, characterized by The system includes a control device and multiple base stations. The control device is configured to perform the following operations to allocate communication time to the multiple base stations: Based on the identification information of the multiple base stations, the multiple base stations are divided into multiple base station groups, a target main base station is configured for each base station group, and a system main base station is configured for the communication system. The preset communication cycle is divided into a preset number of communication time periods, and the preset number of communication time periods are allocated to the multiple base station groups. The communication time periods of base station groups within the same communication group are different, and the communication time periods of base station groups within different communication groups correspond one-to-one. Each communication group includes the preset number of adjacent base station groups, and different communication groups include different base station groups. For each of the base station groups, the communication time period of the base station group is divided into multiple communication time segments according to the number of base stations in the base station group, wherein the number of communication time segments is the same as the number of base stations in the base station group, and the base stations of the base station group correspond one-to-one with the communication time segments.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The system also includes a communication device equipped with a positioning tag; The base station is used to broadcast query messages within the corresponding communication time segments; The device to be communicated with is used to receive the query message through the positioning tag, and broadcast the positioning tag information of the device to be communicated with after a preset time interval after receiving the query message; The base station is used to receive the location tag information broadcast by the device to be communicated, and send the location tag information to the target main base station of the target base station group corresponding to the base station; The target master base station of the target base station group is used to receive the location tag information sent by the base stations of the target base station group, summarize the received location tag information and send it to other base stations in the target base station group.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The base station is used to broadcast ranging messages within the corresponding communication time segments, and the ranging messages include target tag information; The device to be communicated is used to receive the ranging message, and when the target tag information matches the positioning tag information of the device to be communicated, it sends a ranging feedback message, the ranging feedback message including the time when the device to be communicated receives the ranging message; The base station is used to receive the ranging feedback message and locate the communication device based on the ranging feedback message.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The target master base station of the target base station group is used to store the received positioning tag information into a tag queue according to the time order in which the target master base station of the target base station group receives the positioning tag information, and send the tag queue to other base stations in the target base station group; The base stations of the target base station group are used to sequentially use the positioning tag information as target tag information according to the storage order of the positioning tag information in the tag queue within the corresponding communication time segment to obtain the ranging message.

5. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The base stations of the target base station group are also used to generate location information of the communication device after locating it. The location information includes a serial number, which is used to characterize the period information of the preset communication period in which the base station locates the communication device.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The system's main base station is used to send a first self-test message to each of the base stations; After completing the currently executing operation, the base station responds to the first self-test message by broadcasting a second self-test message, so that other base stations in the base station group to which the base station belongs respond to the second self-test message by broadcasting the first self-test feedback message. The base station is also configured to, in response to receiving the first self-test feedback message, determine whether the base station is functioning normally based on the first self-test feedback message.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The system also includes a communication device equipped with multiple positioning tags; The communication device is used to receive the second self-test message through the first positioning tag, and broadcast the tag self-test message after a preset waiting time, so that the second positioning tag other than the first positioning tag among the plurality of positioning tags responds to the tag self-test message and broadcasts the second self-test feedback message. The communication device is further configured to receive the second self-test feedback message through the first positioning tag, and determine whether the first positioning tag is normal based on the second self-test feedback message.

8. The system according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The system master base station is used to send a first deletion message to the target master base station of each of the base station groups; The target main base station is used to respond to receiving the first deletion message by deleting the location tag information aggregated by the target main base station and sending a second deletion message to other base stations in the base station group to which the target main base station belongs. Other base stations within the base station group to which the target main base station belongs are used to delete the location tag information received from the target main base station in response to receiving the second deletion message.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The system's main base station is used to send a first-time synchronization message to the target main base station of each of the base station groups. The target master base station is used to respond to the first time synchronization message, adjust the time of the target master base station to be consistent with the time of the system master base station, and send a second time synchronization message to other base stations in the base station group to which the target master base station belongs; Other base stations within the base station group to which the target main base station belongs respond to the second time synchronization message and adjust their own time to be consistent with the time of the target main base station.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the communication system according to any one of claims 1-9, the method comprises: Based on the identification information of the multiple base stations, the control device divides the multiple base stations into multiple base station groups, configures a target main base station for each base station group, and configures a system main base station for the communication system. The control device divides the preset communication cycle into a preset number of communication time periods and allocates the preset number of communication time periods to the multiple base station groups. The communication time periods of base station groups within the same communication group are different, and the communication time periods of base station groups within different communication groups correspond one-to-one. Each communication group includes the preset number of adjacent base station groups, and different communication groups include different base station groups. For each base station group, the control device divides the communication time period of the base station group into multiple communication time segments according to the number of base stations in the base station group. The number of communication time segments is the same as the number of base stations in the base station group, and there is a one-to-one correspondence between the base stations in the base station group and the communication time segments.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A memory on which computer programs are stored; A processor for executing the computer program in the memory to implement the steps of the method of claim 10.

Images