A method for estimating the number of base stations

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of radio technology, and in particular, to a method for estimating the number of base stations. The method for estimating the number of base stations includes: after obtaining a site layout diagram, dividing the site area into multiple sub-areas; determining the environmental situation collection plane for each sub-area according to the layout type, and then collecting environmental conditions for each sub-area; wherein the environmental conditions include the proportion of the projection area of ​​the signal obstruction in the collection plane relative to the area of ​​the entire collection plane; based on the proportion of the signal obstruction area in multiple sub-areas, the proportion of the signal obstruction area in the entire site area is obtained, and the base station spacing distance is generated according to the calculation model in combination with the regional accuracy requirements, delay requirements and regional boundary parameters; the estimated point locations are calculated based on the regional boundary parameters and the base station spacing distance, and the estimated number of base stations is obtained by statistically estimating the point locations. In this way, the problem of high reliance on experience and large errors in evaluating the number of base station deployments is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of radio technology, and in particular to a method for estimating the number of base stations. Background Art

[0002] Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology is a wireless carrier communication technology that does not use a sinusoidal carrier but uses nanosecond non-sinusoidal narrow pulses to transmit data, so it occupies a wide spectrum range. UWB technology has the advantages of low system complexity, low power spectrum density of transmitted signals, insensitivity to channel fading, low interception capability, and high positioning accuracy. It is especially suitable for high-speed wireless access in dense multipath places such as indoors.

[0003] UWB technology usually uses a base station to receive the tag's signal and generate information that is uploaded to a solution center, which processes and calculates the information to determine the tag's location.

[0004] Before a project starts, it is usually necessary to evaluate the project site to estimate the number of base stations required, so as to provide support for project quotation, construction preparation, etc. In an automated factory workshop, there are usually multiple areas in one space, such as high-level shelf aisles, production line aisles, offices, ground aisles, open areas, etc., and there are also various structures and objects that block signals in these areas, such as building walls, large equipment, etc. These factors will affect the layout and number of base stations. However, in the actual evaluation process, there is a high reliance on base station deployment experience, and during the evaluation, it is easy to cause large evaluation errors due to lack of experience. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the problem that the evaluation of the number of base station deployments has a high reliance on experience and a large error, the present invention provides a method for estimating the number of base stations.

[0006] The method for estimating the number of base stations includes: after obtaining the site layout map, dividing the site area into multiple sub-areas; determining the environmental condition collection plane for each sub-area according to the layout type, and then collecting the environmental condition for each sub-area; wherein the environmental condition includes the ratio of the projection area of ​​the signal blocker in the collection plane to the area of ​​the entire collection plane; based on the ratio of the signal blocker area in multiple sub-areas, the ratio of the signal blocker area in the entire site area is obtained, and the base station spacing distance is generated according to the calculation model in combination with the regional accuracy requirements, delay requirements and regional boundary parameters; the estimated point locations are calculated based on the regional boundary parameters and the base station spacing distance, and the estimated number of base stations is obtained by statistically analyzing the estimated point locations.

[0007] In some embodiments, collecting environmental conditions for each sub-area includes: taking a photo of the environmental condition collection plane of the sub-area, and obtaining the ratio of the area of ​​the signal blocker in the current sub-area by calculating the ratio of the area of ​​the signal blocker in the photo to the total area of ​​the photo.

[0008] In some embodiments, taking photos of the sub-areas includes: selecting an environment picture acquisition method according to the on-site environment, and planning an on-site environment acquisition path according to the on-site layout diagram and the environment picture acquisition method.

[0009] In some embodiments, the environmental image collection method is: using a drone to take pictures of the sub-area.

[0010] In some embodiments, the area of ​​the sub-region is smaller than or equal to the area covered by the photos that can be taken by the drone.

[0011] In some embodiments, the drone is located at the center of the sub-area to take photos of the sub-area.

[0012] In some embodiments, when the live area includes multiple layout types, the live area is first divided into multiple type areas according to the layout types, and then the multiple type areas are respectively divided into sub-areas.

[0013] In some embodiments, the region boundary parameters include region shape and area.

[0014] In some embodiments, calculating the estimated point locations includes: evenly distributing base stations along the boundary line of the type area based on the base station spacing distance; arranging other base stations within the type area according to the base station spacing distance, and making the signal range of multiple base stations within the current type area cover the entire type area; and counting the number of base stations within the current type area.

[0015] In some embodiments, calculating the estimated point locations further includes:

[0016] When the on-site area includes multiple types of areas, base stations of various types of areas may be merged to reuse base stations, and base stations separated by a distance less than a preset distance may be merged into one.

[0017] In order to solve the problem that the evaluation of the number of base station deployments is highly dependent on experience and has large errors, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] Since signal obstructions have different effects on signals due to different types of on-site layouts, the corresponding collection planes can be set in a targeted manner to make the collected information more targeted, thereby improving the accuracy of the estimate. As an estimation scheme, by calculating the proportion of the projected area of ​​the signal obstruction in the collection plane relative to the area of ​​the entire collection plane, the number or volume of the signal obstruction can be reflected to a certain extent, and the degree of influence on the signal can be more accurately reflected. Combined with the calculation of the calculation model, the base station spacing can be obtained, and the distribution of base stations in the area can be further obtained, thereby further calculating the estimated number of base stations. At the same time, since the on-site area usually occupies a large area, the on-site area is divided into multiple sub-areas for environmental condition collection. Multiple sub-areas can be selected for collection in sequence according to the actual situation, which is convenient for statistical collection and can also prevent omissions and repetitive work. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A flow chart of a method for estimating the number of base stations according to an embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, rather than implying any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0021] As used herein, the term "including" and its variants are to be interpreted as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be interpreted as "based at least in part on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are to be interpreted as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is to be interpreted as "at least one other embodiment". The orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal" and the like is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are mainly for better describing the present application and its embodiments, and are not used to limit the indicated devices, elements or components to have a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. In addition, in addition to being used to indicate an orientation or position relationship, some of the above terms may also be used to indicate other meanings, such as the term "upper" may also be used to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship in some cases. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of these terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "install", "set", "provided with", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, elements or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components. Unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0022] This embodiment discloses a method for estimating the number of base stations. Figure 1 As shown, this may include:

[0023] After obtaining the site layout map, the site area is divided into multiple sub-areas; the environmental condition collection plane of each sub-area is determined according to the layout type, and then the environmental condition is collected for each sub-area; wherein the environmental condition includes the ratio of the projection area of ​​the signal obstruction in the collection plane to the area of ​​the entire collection plane; based on the ratio of the signal obstruction area in multiple sub-areas, the ratio of the signal obstruction area in the entire site area is obtained, and the base station spacing distance is generated according to the calculation model in combination with the regional accuracy requirements, delay requirements and regional boundary parameters; the estimated deployment point positions are calculated based on the regional boundary parameters and the base station spacing distance, and the estimated number of base stations is obtained by statistically analyzing the estimated deployment point positions.

[0024] It should be noted that the site layout diagram usually needs to include the expected site planning. The planning content should include which areas need to be tagged and what type these areas belong to, such as high-level shelf aisles, production line aisles, offices, ground pile aisles, and open areas. The positioning requirements and accuracy requirements of these areas are different. Therefore, for areas with the same area but different types, the number of base stations set up may also be different. In addition, the site layout diagram should also be able to clearly show the boundary lines and specific area parameters of each area. For example, for a square area, its area parameters should include the length and width of the area to fully reflect the area of ​​the area. Among them, signal obstructions include building structures such as walls and columns that can block signals. Since metal can shield signals, signal obstructions also include metal objects, such as signboards, production equipment, metal shelves, etc. Among them, some items may overlap, so when calculating the area of ​​signal obstructions, the area of ​​overlapping items only needs to be calculated once.

[0025] Since the arrangement of facilities in areas with different layout types may be significantly different, taking the high-level shelf area as an example, since the high-level shelf is at a high height, it may cause a more obvious obstruction to the signal. Therefore, in addition to the floor area of ​​the high-level shelf, it may also be necessary to collect the situation of the high-level shelf in the height direction. That is, the environmental situation collection plane of each sub-area can be determined according to the layout type. For open areas and office areas, the environmental situation collection plane can be set to the ground situation of the area, and you can look down directly from a high place to count and calculate the projection area of ​​the signal obstruction on the ground.

[0026] In addition, the calculation model may be a mathematical model formed based on experience, and the base station spacing distance may be quickly calculated by directly inputting relevant parameters into the mathematical model. Specifically, the mathematical model may be:

[0027] Base station spacing distance = regional accuracy requirement * 2 * base station deployment benchmark * (1- signal obstruction area ratio)

[0028] Among them, the regional accuracy requirement is the setting requirement for the positioning accuracy of the tag in the on-site area. This requirement is usually related to the customer's choice and the base station model. It is an inherent constant, for example, it can be set to 0.5m; the base station deployment benchmark refers to the maximum distance between two base stations when the base stations meet the regional accuracy requirements in an ideal on-site environment. This data is usually known data obtained through experiments during the base station design phase.

[0029] Since signal obstructions have different effects on signals due to different types of on-site layouts, the corresponding collection planes can be set in a targeted manner to make the collected information more targeted, thereby improving the accuracy of the estimate. As an estimation scheme, by calculating the proportion of the projected area of ​​the signal obstruction in the collection plane relative to the area of ​​the entire collection plane, the number or volume of the signal obstruction can be reflected to a certain extent, and the degree of influence on the signal can be more accurately reflected. Combined with the calculation of the calculation model, the base station spacing can be obtained, and the distribution of base stations in the area can be further obtained, thereby further calculating the estimated number of base stations. At the same time, since the on-site area usually occupies a large area, the on-site area is divided into multiple sub-areas for environmental condition collection. Multiple sub-areas can be selected for collection in sequence according to the actual situation, which is convenient for statistical collection and can also prevent omissions and repetitive work.

[0030] The present application aims to solve the problem of making a relatively accurate estimate of the number of base stations based on known site conditions during the construction preparation or quotation stage, rather than a completely accurate and precise estimate of the number of base stations. This can serve as a means to quickly solve the problem, assist in cost estimation for quotations or stock preparation before construction, and speed up the work process. The method disclosed in this application can effectively reduce reliance on experience and reduce errors.

[0031] In some embodiments, collecting environmental conditions for each sub-area includes: taking a photo of the environmental condition collection plane of the sub-area, and obtaining the ratio of the area of ​​the signal blocker in the current sub-area by calculating the ratio of the area of ​​the signal blocker in the photo to the total area of ​​the photo.

[0032] The proportion of the area of ​​signal blockers in the current sub-area can, to a certain extent, reflect the overall volume of objects in the area that can block or affect signal propagation. That is, when the proportion of the area of ​​signal blockers is high, it can be considered that there are more objects that can block the signal in the current sub-area. At this time, the number of base stations that need to be deployed can be appropriately increased when estimating the number.

[0033] The method of taking photos can be simple manual shooting with a camera, or it can be done by a small aircraft or car with a shooting function. It can be set to automatically shoot according to preset rules, or it can be directly controlled by an operator.

[0034] In order to improve the efficiency of environmental image collection, as an optional implementation method, taking photos of the sub-areas includes: selecting an environmental image collection method according to the on-site environment, and planning the on-site environment collection path according to the on-site layout map and the environmental image collection method.

[0035] Since it is usually necessary to collect environmental images of the entire site, the multiple sub-areas that are divided are usually connected in sequence, so the efficiency of collection can be improved by planning the on-site environmental collection path. When using small aircraft, small cars, etc. to collect environmental images, they can also be controlled by programming to move along the planned on-site environmental collection path, reducing the control content and labor.

[0036] As a specific implementation method, the environmental image collection method is: using a drone to take pictures of the sub-area.

[0037] Drones can be small in size and can be equipped with cameras. For large on-site environments, drones can move quickly and fly to higher positions to collect ground conditions, especially in large open areas, when the collection plane is the ground of the area; and the top area of ​​high-rise shelves; drones can reach higher positions without the help of other equipment, reducing manual labor intensity and improving work efficiency. In addition, since base stations are mostly arranged at the top of factories and workshops, and these locations may also have pipelines, ventilation equipment and other equipment installed at high places, drones can also easily reach these locations and collect information at these locations.

[0038] In addition, the area of ​​the sub-region is less than or equal to the area covered by the photos that can be taken by the drone.

[0039] Since the camera shooting range on the drone is limited, the sub-area area is set to be smaller than the area covered by the photos that the drone can take, so that the drone only needs to take one photo of a single sub-area, which effectively improves efficiency. Due to the limitations of the camera, when an object is at the edge of the camera's shooting range, the area it occupies in the photo will change compared to when it is facing the camera. Therefore, the camera's shooting range needs to be limited to a certain range to prevent the estimation from being significantly deviated due to excessive changes in area. The proportion of the area change can be controlled within 5% through testing in advance. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid using devices such as fisheye lenses that produce obvious image distortion as shooting devices. Although these devices may be able to capture a larger range, their severe image distortion will seriously affect the estimation of the number of base stations.

[0040] At the same time, the drone is located at the center of the sub-area and takes photos of the sub-area.

[0041] When shooting, the drone's camera can be directed to the exact center of the current sub-area. Although there may be certain errors in objects at the edge of the current area due to the viewing angle, the error has been controlled within a reasonable range and will not have a significant impact on quantity estimation. The estimation result is still relatively accurate.

[0042] Due to the complexity of the on-site environment, for example, the same factory building may include high shelves for material placement and office areas, so when the on-site area includes multiple layout types, the on-site area is first divided into multiple type areas according to the layout type, and then the multiple type areas are divided into sub-areas respectively.

[0043] Specifically, the region boundary parameters include region shape and area.

[0044] The shape of the region includes simple squares, circles, etc., or it can be a complex shape composed of multiple shapes. For a straight line region boundary, its length should be included, and for an arc region boundary, its central angle, arc radius, length and other data should be included. The area of ​​the region can be calculated using the above data.

[0045] Furthermore, the calculation of the estimated point locations includes:

[0046] Based on the base station spacing distance, base stations are evenly distributed along the boundary line of the type area; other base stations in the type area are arranged according to the base station spacing distance, and the signal range of multiple base stations in the current type area can cover the entire type area; the number of base stations in the current type area is counted.

[0047] That is, the base stations are evenly arranged along the border of the area of ​​this type, and the interval is the distance between the base stations calculated above. Then, according to the distance between the base stations, the base stations are arranged in a certain reasonable pattern in the area of ​​this type, so as to calculate the number of base stations. The array mode can be reasonably selected according to the shape of the area. For example, for a circular area, a circular array distribution can be selected, and for a square area, a linear array distribution can be selected.

[0048] In actual layout, the base stations are usually not distributed too densely, therefore, the calculation of estimated deployment locations also includes: when the site area includes multiple types of areas, merging reusable base stations of each type of area, and merging base stations with interval distances less than a preset distance into one.

[0049] Among them, the preset distance can be 3-8m, which can be set according to the actual situation based on the model, power, coverage range, etc. of the base station.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-mentioned embodiments are specific examples for implementing the present disclosure, and in actual applications, various changes may be made thereto in form and detail without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for estimating the number of base stations, characterized in that: The method for estimating the number of base stations comprises: After obtaining the site layout map, the site area is divided into multiple sub-areas; Determine the environment condition collection plane of each sub-area according to the layout type, and then collect the environment condition of each sub-area; The environmental conditions include the proportion of the projection area of ​​the signal blocking object in the acquisition plane relative to the area of ​​the entire acquisition plane; Based on the ratio of the signal obstruction areas in the multiple sub-areas, the ratio of the signal obstruction areas in the entire on-site area is obtained, and the base station spacing distance is generated according to the calculation model in combination with the regional accuracy requirements, delay requirements and regional boundary parameters; Calculate the estimated point locations based on the area boundary parameters and the base station spacing distance, and obtain the estimated number of base stations by counting the estimated point locations; When the scene area includes multiple layout types, firstly divide the scene area into multiple type areas according to the layout type, and then divide the multiple type areas into the sub-areas respectively; Calculating the estimated point location includes: Based on the base station spacing distance, the base stations are evenly distributed along the boundary line of the type area; Arrange other base stations in the type area according to the base station spacing distance, and make the signal ranges of the multiple base stations in the current type area cover the entire type area; Count the number of base stations in the current type of area; Calculating the estimated point location also includes: When the on-site area includes a plurality of areas of the type, base stations of the respective areas of the type may be merged and base stations separated by a distance less than a preset distance may be merged into one.

2. A method for estimating the number of base stations according to claim 1, characterized in that: Collecting environmental conditions for each sub-area includes: taking a plane photo of the environmental conditions of the sub-area, and calculating the ratio of the area of ​​signal blockers in the photo to the total area of ​​the photo to obtain the area ratio of signal blockers in the current sub-area.

3. A method for estimating the number of base stations according to claim 2, characterized in that: Taking a photo of the sub-area includes: Select the environmental image collection method according to the on-site environment, and plan the on-site environment collection path according to the on-site layout and environmental image collection method.

4. A method for estimating the number of base stations according to claim 3, characterized in that: The environmental image collection method is: using a drone to take pictures of the sub-area.

5. A method for estimating the number of base stations according to claim 4, characterized in that: The area of ​​the sub-region is smaller than or equal to the area covered by the photos that can be taken by the drone.

6. A method for estimating the number of base stations according to claim 5, characterized in that: The drone is located at the center of the sub-area and takes photos of the sub-area.

7. A method for estimating the number of base stations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The region boundary parameters include region shape and area.

Images