A signal enhancement method and device, a signal transmitting end, a medium and a program product

Abstract

This application discloses a signal enhancement method, apparatus, signal transmitter, medium, and program product, relating to the field of communication technology, to address the problems of high implementation difficulty and complexity of existing technical solutions, and the inability to guarantee enhancement effects in actual deployment environments. The method includes: transmitting signals to a receiver concurrently through at least two antennas, and controlling the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas to be less than a preset threshold, thereby increasing the amplification period of the combined signal; wherein the combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of signal amplitude growth. The embodiments of this application can effectively guarantee the signal enhancement effect of concurrent antennas without requiring excessive adjustment of antenna parameters, resulting in relatively low implementation difficulty and complexity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a signal enhancement method, apparatus, signal transmitter, medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technologies, antenna arrays are typically used to improve the coverage of RFID systems and increase the success rate of RFID tag readings. Alternatively, phase measurement schemes are employed, using multiple transmitting antennas to ensure that the transmitted signals structurally interfere at the location of the radio frequency (RF) tag, rather than canceling each other out. However, these existing technical solutions often involve adjusting multiple parameters such as antenna beam, frequency, phase, and even power, and the resulting effects are likely to be enhanced, probabilistic, and random. In other words, the implementation of existing technical solutions is difficult and complex, and the enhancement effect cannot be guaranteed in actual deployment environments. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a signal enhancement method, apparatus, electronic device, medium, and program product to address the problems that existing technical solutions are difficult and complex to implement, and the enhancement effect cannot be guaranteed in actual deployment environments.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a signal enhancement method, including:

[0005] Signals are transmitted to the receiver concurrently through at least two antennas, and the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas is controlled to be less than a preset threshold, so as to increase the amplification period of the combined signal.

[0006] The combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of the signal amplitude increase.

[0007] Optionally, controlling the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas to be less than a preset threshold includes:

[0008] By combining the backscatter link frequency (BLF) of the receiver and the enhancement probability required in practice, the maximum frequency deviation is controlled to be less than the preset threshold.

[0009] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0010] If the inventory period at the receiving end is greater than or equal to the amplification period, the maximum frequency deviation is reduced so that the inventory period at the receiving end is less than the amplification period.

[0011] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0012] If the storage time slot at the receiving end does not fall completely into the amplification range, the phase difference of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas is adjusted so that the storage time slot at the receiving end falls into the amplification range, wherein the amplification range includes an amplification start time and an amplification end time corresponding to one amplification cycle.

[0013] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0014] Reduce the amplitude difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas, and / or increase the number of concurrent antennas to improve the power gain of the combined signal.

[0015] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a signal enhancement device, including N antennas, where N is an integer greater than 1, the signal enhancement device comprising:

[0016] The control module is used to control the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signal between at least two of the N antennas to be less than a preset threshold, so as to increase the amplification period of the combined signal.

[0017] A transmitting module is used to transmit signals to a receiving end in a concurrent manner through the at least two antennas;

[0018] The combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of the signal amplitude increase.

[0019] Optionally, the control module is used to combine the backscatter link frequency (BLF) of the receiver and the enhancement probability required in practice to control the maximum frequency deviation to be less than the preset threshold.

[0020] Optionally, the signal enhancement device further includes:

[0021] The first adjustment module is used to reduce the maximum frequency deviation when the inventory period at the receiving end is greater than or equal to the amplification period, so that the inventory period at the receiving end is less than the amplification period.

[0022] Optionally, the signal enhancement device further includes:

[0023] The second adjustment module is used to adjust the phase difference of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas when the storage time slot of the receiving end does not fall completely into the amplification range, so that the storage time slot of the receiving end falls into the amplification range, wherein the amplification range includes an amplification start time and an amplification end time corresponding to an amplification period.

[0024] Optionally, the signal enhancement device further includes:

[0025] The third adjustment module is used to reduce the amplitude difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas, and / or increase the number of concurrent antennas to improve the power gain of the combined signal.

[0026] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a signal transmitting end, including: a transceiver, a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps in the signal enhancement method described above.

[0027] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the signal enhancement method described above.

[0028] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps in the signal enhancement method described above.

[0029] In this embodiment, at least two antennas transmit signals to the receiver concurrently, and the maximum frequency deviation between the transmitted signals from the at least two antennas is controlled to be less than a preset threshold, thereby increasing the amplification period of the combined signal. The combined signal is formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of signal amplitude growth. In this embodiment, the inventors, through analysis of the time-domain envelope waveform characteristics of the combined signal formed by the superposition of multiple antennas, discovered that by adjusting the frequency deviation between the concurrent antennas to keep the deviation within a very small range, the synthesized signal can ensure that all tags (i.e., the receiver) within the overlapping coverage area fall into the enhancement range. In other words, the solution of this application can effectively guarantee the signal enhancement effect of the concurrent antennas without requiring excessive adjustment of antenna parameters, making it relatively easy and complex to implement. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the signal enhancement method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a radio frequency system architecture diagram provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of different phase differences on the amplitude of the combined signal, as analyzed in the embodiments of this application.

[0034] Figure 4a , Figure 4b and Figure 4c This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of different frequency differences on the amplitude of the combined signal when the phase difference is 0, as analyzed in the embodiments of this application.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of different frequency differences on the amplitude of the combined signal when the phase difference is 120°, as analyzed in the embodiments of this application.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of different frequency differences on the amplitude of the combined signal when the phase difference is 180°, as analyzed in the embodiments of this application.

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the superposition gain range of different frequency offset signals analyzed in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a timing diagram of tag inventory provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 9a , Figure 9b , Figure 9c and Figure 9d This is a schematic diagram illustrating the proportion of the gain range of the combined signal at different frequency offsets for a forward command Query length analyzed in an embodiment of this application.

[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the proportion of the disk time slot length in the combined signal gain range analyzed in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of the signal enhancement device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0042] Figure 12 This is a structural diagram of the signal transmitting end provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] To make the embodiments of this application clearer, the relevant technical terms and knowledge involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced as follows:

[0045] RFID: Radio Frequency Identification.

[0046] CW: Continuous Wave, carrier wave

[0047] Exciter: Sends CW waves and forwards inventory signaling

[0048] Receiver: Controls, coordinates, and configures multiple actuators to achieve inventory management.

[0049] Tag: Tags

[0050] T1: The time from when the reader finishes sending a command to when the tag sends a response data packet.

[0051] T2: The time the tag waits for the reader to respond, typically 3.0Tpri-20.0Tpri

[0052] Tpri: Backscatter link pulse repetition interval; Tpri = 1 / BLF = TRcal / DR

[0053] BLF: Backscatter-link frequency; BLF = 1 / Tpri = DR / TRcal

[0054] DR: Divide ratio

[0055] The existing methods for enhancing incentives mainly include the following:

[0056] Method 1: Utilize antenna arrays to improve the coverage of the RFID system and increase the success rate of RFID tag reading.

[0057] This method primarily proposes an RFID system comprising an antenna array, each antenna configured to emit multiple beams in different directions. The beams of each pair of adjacent antennas in the antenna array are aligned and overlapped to form overlapping beams, thereby creating an interference pattern in space. By controlling the relative phase and / or frequency of these overlapping beams through at least one RFID reader, the interference pattern can be shifted, thereby allowing the reading of one or more RFID tags within the shifted interference pattern.

[0058] Specific implementation: In one case, each antenna is configured to emit multiple beams (n beams) in different radial directions. These beams form a specific geometric pattern in space; for example, when n=6, a triangular grid can be formed, while when n=3, a hexagonal grid can be formed.

[0059] The design of the antenna array allows for different antenna arrangements to suit the required coverage area, and / or the shape, size, and type of RFID tags that may appear in the area.

[0060] Method 2: Utilize phase measurements and employ multiple transmit antennas to ensure that the transmitted signals constructively interfere at the location of the RF tag, rather than canceling each other out.

[0061] Transmission diversity ensures that the transmitted signals constructively interfere rather than cancel each other out at the location of the RF tag by using multiple transmit antennas. Specifically, the process is as follows: A reference antenna is selected and used to transmit a pilot signal. The phase of the modulated signal reflected from the RF tag is then measured. Next, a second antenna is selected, and the phase of the signal transmitted by the second antenna is adjusted based on the phase of the modulated signal received from the RF tag. This process involves measuring the phase difference between the signals transmitted by the two antennas and adjusting the phase of the second antenna accordingly to ensure that the two signals interfere at the RF tag.

[0062] Method 3: By using frequency and phase adjustment, the impact of multipath effects and fading on RFID reading performance can be reduced, thereby improving the reading effect.

[0063] Phase and frequency optimization is used to improve the coverage of passive RFID. This is achieved by applying phase shifts between multiple antennas and varying the phase from 0° to 360° in 24° steps, while varying the frequency from 865.7MHz to 867.5MHz in 200kHz steps.

[0064] In the experimental setup, two transmitters were used to transmit two different frequencies simultaneously. One was used to transmit RFID carrier signals within the global tag frequency band (from 860MHz to 960MHz), which were sent to antennas 1 and 2. The other was used to transmit signals in the same frequency band, which were sent to antenna 3.

[0065] The existing architecture described above has the following problems:

[0066] 1) In the existing technology, multiple parameters such as antenna beam, frequency, phase and even power are involved. Among them, the frequency is changed in the granularity of channel spacing (200KHz), which is a channel-level jump, belonging to the category of frequency hopping. The purpose is to change the position and phase of the signal in order to solve the hole problem randomly.

[0067] 2) Existing technologies all enhance the effects of probability, randomness, or other factors. However, there are many constraints on whether enhancement is possible, such as environmental multipath, tag attachment attributes, device latency, etc., which often makes it impossible to achieve the enhancement effect in actual deployment environments.

[0068] 3) In existing technologies, multiple parameters need to be adjusted, such as antenna beam, frequency, phase, and power. In order to increase accuracy, a measurement process for a single tag is added, which leads to high implementation difficulty and complexity, large latency, and low speed, especially in multi-tag, large-scale deployment scenarios.

[0069] To address the aforementioned shortcomings of existing technologies, this application proposes a method for signal enhancement using the frequency difference of multiple transmitting antennas, which can achieve the following:

[0070] 1) By using multiple antennas and setting small frequency deviations for different transmitter antennas, the effect can be enhanced on the receiving side.

[0071] 2) The signal enhancement effect will inevitably be triggered within the enhancement range, and the smaller the frequency offset, the greater the enhancement range or the greater the enhancement probability.

[0072] 3) Easy to deploy. Within the interference range of multiple antennas, it is only necessary to control the frequency offset of different transmitters within a small range, and the overlapping coverage of multiple antennas needs to have a certain gain.

[0073] The signal enhancement method and apparatus provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0074] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the signal enhancement method provided in the embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0075] Step 101: Transmit signals to the receiving end in a concurrent manner through at least two antennas, and control the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas to be less than a preset threshold, so as to increase the amplification period of the combined signal;

[0076] The combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of the signal amplitude increase.

[0077] The embodiments of this application can be executed by a signal transmitting end, which may include one or more transmitters (also called transmitters). The transmitter may refer to an electronic device, radio frequency module or transmitter capable of transmitting signals. Each transmitter is equipped with an antenna, and multiple antennas may even be set in one transmitter. In practical applications, the antennas of one or more transmitters can be used to form a concurrent antenna array to transmit signals outward according to actual needs.

[0078] The aforementioned receiving end can be understood as an electronic device or receiver that receives the transmitted signal from the signal transmitting end. It is understood that the receiving end is also equipped with an antenna for receiving signals.

[0079] In one application scenario, such as Figure 2 The illustrated tag storage scenario shows an RFID system comprising a reader and electronic tags. The reader is the transmitter as described in this embodiment, and the tag is the receiver as described in this embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the baseband signal of the reader is s(t), and the carrier frequency is f. The same baseband signal is transmitted through two antennas, Tx1 and Tx2, and then combined into the tag after passing through different wireless channels 1 and 2. By analyzing the time-domain envelope waveform characteristics of the equivalent baseband signal after the combination of signal 1 transmitted by Tx1 and signal 2 transmitted by Tx2 at the tag side, the factors affecting the waveform envelope characteristics can be determined. Here, Tx1 and Tx2 can be antennas carried by two separate readers, or two antennas carried by one reader. The embodiments of this application mainly focus on... Figure 2 The following example illustrates the RF system architecture and tag storage scenario.

[0080] based on Figure 2 The following factors can be analyzed to influence the waveform envelope characteristics in the scenario shown:

[0081] The time deviation of signal 2 relative to signal 1 is Δt;

[0082] The amplitude multiple of signal 2 relative to signal 1 is ΔA;

[0083] The frequency deviation of signal 2 relative to signal 1 is Δf;

[0084] The phase deviation of signal 2 relative to signal 1 is Δθ.

[0085] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application mainly take the transmission of signals by two antennas Tx1 and Tx2 as an example for analysis. In practical applications, there may be situations where more than two antennas transmit signals concurrently. In such cases, the time deviation MaxΔt, amplitude multiple MaxΔA, frequency deviation MaxΔf, and phase deviation MaxΔθ of these antennas can be considered.

[0086] First, multipath propagation can be temporarily disregarded. This embodiment assumes the channel is time-invariant and ignores the effects of device phase noise. The signal 1 received by the receiver is expressed as follows:

[0087] s1(t)=s(t)*e j(2πft+θ)

[0088] For signal 2 received by the receiver, considering the time deviation Δt, the amplitude multiple ΔA, and the frequency deviation Δf, it can be expressed as:

[0089] s2(t)=s(t)*ΔA*ej(2π(f+Δf)(t+Δt)+θ+Δθ)

[0090] Synthetic signal s total (t) is the superposition of two signals:

[0091] s total (t)=s1(t)+s2(t)

[0092] Substituting the expressions for s1(t) and s2(t) into the above equation, we get:

[0093] s total (t)=s(t)*e j(2πft+θ) +ΔA*s(t)*e j2πft e j2πfΔt e j2πΔft e j2πΔfΔt e jΔθ e jθ

[0094] Synthetic signal s total (t) can be further written as:

[0095] s total (t)=s(t)*e j(2πft+θ) *(1+ΔAe j2πfΔt e j2πΔfΔt e j2πΔft e jΔθ )

[0096] Let S(t) = s(t) * e j(2πft+θ) Therefore, the above formula only includes the frequency difference / amplitude difference / phase difference between the two signals. The combined signal of signal 1 and signal 2 at the receiving side is:

[0097] s total (t)=|s(t)+s(t+Δt)|=|S(t)*(1+ΔAe j2πfΔt e j2πΔfΔt e j2πΔft e jΔθ )| ①

[0098] For quantitative analysis, the formulas in this application are further simplified as follows:

[0099] Scenario 1: In actual deployment, to ensure the forward excitation effect, the distance from the transmitter to the tag is generally less than 10m, and the distance difference between the two transmitters and the tag is generally less than 20m, corresponding to a propagation delay of 66.7ns. Therefore, the delay caused by the distance difference is much smaller than the symbol period of s(t) (6.25-25us), so it can be approximated as Δt = 0. The above formula ① can be further simplified as follows:

[0100] |s(t)+s(t+Δt)|=|S(t)*(1+ΔAej2πΔft e jΔθ )| ②

[0101] Case 2: Considering the impact of the combined signal on the tag demodulation performance, ΔA considers the worst-case scenario where Tx1 and Tx2 are equidistant from the tag, i.e., ΔA = 1. Formula ② is further expressed as:

[0102] |s(t)+s(t+Δt)|=|S(t)*(1+e j2πΔft e jΔθ )| ③

[0103] Case 3: For formula ③, the factors affecting the envelope are only the frequency difference Δf and the phase difference Δθ. To simplify the analysis of the uniqueness of the influencing variables, it is first assumed that Tx1 and Tx2 have the same frequency and the frequency difference Δf = 0. The influence of different Δθ differences on the combined signal is analyzed. Formula ③ is further simplified as follows:

[0104] |s(t)+s(t+Δt)|=|S(t)*(1+e jΔθ )| ④

[0105] Based on formula ④ above, the effect of phase difference on the envelope of the combined signal can be analyzed:

[0106] The value range of Δθ is [0°, 360°]. The relationship between the amplitude envelope change and the phase difference of the signal is analyzed as follows: Figure 3 As shown, according to Figure 3 The simulation results show that when the phase difference Δθ changes from 0 to 360°, the amplitude enhancement range is [0 to 120°] and [240 to 360°], with the enhancement range accounting for 66.7% and the amplitude variation range being [0, 2].

[0107] It should be noted that the combining signal mentioned in the embodiments of this application can also be called combining pulse width encoding (PIE).

[0108] Further analysis can be conducted on the impact of frequency difference on the envelope of the combined signal:

[0109] Three typical frequency differences were taken as references Δθ = [0°, 120°, 180°], and the envelope changes of the combined signal were analyzed when the frequency difference Δf was 100Hz, 1000Hz, and 2000Hz.

[0110] 1) When the phase difference Δθ = 0°, according to formula ③, the combined signal is:

[0111] |s(t)+s(t+Δt)|=|S(t)*(1+e j(2πΔft) )|

[0112] In this case, the envelope change of the combined signal is as follows: Figures 4a to 4c As shown, according to Figures 4a to 4c The simulation results show that when the frequency difference is 100Hz, the envelope of the combined signal changes slowly and has almost no impact on tag decoding. However, as the frequency difference increases to 1000Hz and 2000Hz, the period of the combined envelope change becomes shorter and shorter, and the envelope detection performance deteriorates sharply.

[0113] 2) When the phase difference Δθ = 120°, the combined signal is:

[0114] |s(t)+s(t+Δt)|=|s(t)*(1+e j(2πΔft+2π / 3) )|

[0115] In this case, the envelope changes of the combined signal with different frequency offsets are as follows: Figure 5 As shown.

[0116] 3) When the phase difference Δθ = 180°, the combined signal is:

[0117] |s(t)+s(t+Δt)|=|s(t)*(1+e j(2πΔft+π) )|=|s(t)*(1-e j(2πΔft) )|

[0118] In this case, the envelope changes of the combined signal with different frequency offsets are as follows: Figure 6 As shown.

[0119] from Figures 4a to 4c , Figure 5 and Figure 6 It can be seen that the phase change only affects the starting point of the combined signal envelope change, but does not affect the period of the envelope change. Only the frequency difference determines the period of the envelope change. The higher the frequency difference, the shorter the period of the combined envelope change.

[0120] In this embodiment, to facilitate observation of the influence of frequency difference on the envelope of the combined signal, the s(t) signal can be converted into a (Carrier Wave, CW) signal with a sampling rate of 15.36MHz. This allows observation of the envelope fluctuation trend at different frequency offsets (i.e., frequency differences) and the length of the amplitude gain interval at different frequency offsets. Specific simulation results are as follows: Figure 7 As shown.

[0121] Depend on Figure 7 It can be seen that when the frequency offsets are 100Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz, the duration of the amplitude gain interval is 6.7ms, 1.3ms, and 0.67ms, respectively. That is, the smaller the frequency difference of the transmitted signal, the longer the duration of the amplitude gain interval of the combined signal.

[0122] In fact, according to calculations, if the frequency offset of the transmitted signal at the signal transmitter can be controlled within 10Hz, the amplitude gain range of the combined signal can reach 67ms. This range can meet the storage cycle of most BLFs. The detailed amplitude gain ranges for different frequency offsets are shown in the table below:

[0123] Table 1

[0124] Frequency offset Period of complete envelope change (ms) Gain range (ms) 10Hz 100 67 20Hz 50 33.5 50Hz 20 13.4 100Hz 6.7 10 500Hz 1.3 2 1000Hz 0.67 1

[0125] In summary, the smaller the frequency difference between the transmitted signals from the antennas, the longer the duration of the amplitude gain range of the combined signal. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the above analysis, it is proposed that by controlling the frequency offset of the two transmitted signals within a very small range, the amplification period of the combined signal can be made longer, that is, to ensure that the combined signal has a large amplitude gain range, which can also be simply referred to as the amplification range. Figure 7 As shown, when the frequency offset is 100Hz, the interval between 0.01ms and 0.015ms on the horizontal axis is one amplification period / amplification interval. It can be understood that the amplification period in the embodiments of this application refers to the time period during which the signal amplitude continuously increases. For example, if the reference amplitude is 1, the amplification period refers to the continuous time period during which the amplitude is continuously greater than 1.

[0126] Therefore, in step 101, signals can be transmitted to the receiver concurrently through at least two antennas (e.g., through at least two transmitters), and the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas can be controlled to be less than a preset threshold. Even if the maximum frequency deviation is within a small range, the preset threshold can be set according to actual needs. For example, according to Table 1 above, in order to obtain an amplification period of more than 60ms, the preset threshold can be set to 10Hz; in order to obtain an amplification period of more than 30ms, the preset threshold can be set to 20Hz, and so on.

[0127] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0128] If the storage time slot at the receiving end does not fall completely into the amplification range, the phase difference of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas is adjusted so that the storage time slot at the receiving end falls into the amplification range, wherein the amplification range includes an amplification start time and an amplification end time corresponding to one amplification cycle.

[0129] Based on the conclusion drawn from the foregoing analysis that the phase change only affects the starting point of the envelope change of the combined signal, but not the period of the envelope change, in some embodiments, the adjustment of the phase difference Δθ can be incorporated. By adjusting the phase difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas, the probability of the combined signal amplitude enhancement can be increased, so that the probability of the combined signal enhancement is no longer random, but inevitable.

[0130] The aforementioned inventory time slot can refer to the time slot corresponding to a complete tag inventory process, or at the very least, the time slot corresponding to a single query command within an inventory process, such as... Figure 8 The diagram shown is a timing diagram of a tag inventory. A single inventory slot includes all commands from Query, RN16, ACK to EPC, as well as the total duration of the intervals T1 and T2 between commands, or a single Query cycle.

[0131] Specifically, if it is discovered or detected that the storage time slot of the receiving end does not completely fall within the amplification range, such as when storage fails or is interrupted halfway through storage, it can be considered that the current storage time slot of the receiving end does not completely fall within the amplification range of the combined signal. Alternatively, it can be determined based on the storage failure message fed back by the receiving end that the storage time slot of the receiving end does not completely fall within the amplification range of the combined signal. In this case, the phase difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas can be adjusted to change the starting position of the amplification range. Specifically, the adjustment can be made to ensure that the storage time slot of the receiving end falls within the amplification range.

[0132] In practice, the relationship between the phase difference and the starting position of the amplification interval can be measured. Based on this relationship, the phase difference can be adjusted precisely and efficiently to ensure that the storage time slot of the receiving end falls into the amplification interval, so that all tags of the synthesized signal fall into the enhancement interval within the overlapping coverage area.

[0133] This implementation method allows for the control of the starting position of the amplitude enhancement interval of the combined signal by changing the phase difference of the transmitted signal, thereby achieving the enhancement effect within the required time slot.

[0134] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0135] If the inventory period at the receiving end is greater than or equal to the amplification period, the maximum frequency deviation is reduced so that the inventory period at the receiving end is less than the amplification period.

[0136] The aforementioned inventory cycle can refer to the duration of a complete tag inventory process, such as... Figure 8 The diagram shown is a timing diagram of a tag inventory. One inventory cycle includes all commands from Query, RN16, ACK to EPC, as well as the total duration of the intervals T1 and T2 between commands.

[0137] In some embodiments, if the inventory period of the receiving end is found to be greater than or equal to the amplification period, indicating that the current amplification period is short, the amplification period can be increased to ensure that the inventory period falls within the amplification period as much as possible, thereby ensuring the success rate of tag inventory.

[0138] As the analysis above shows, the frequency deviation between transmitted signals can affect the length of the amplification period. The smaller the frequency deviation, the longer the amplification period. Therefore, when the storage period at the receiving end is greater than or equal to the amplification period, the maximum frequency deviation can be reduced to increase the amplification period. Specifically, the maximum frequency deviation can be gradually reduced by a fixed minimum step size until the amplification period is greater than the storage period at the receiving end.

[0139] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0140] Reduce the amplitude difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas, and / or increase the number of concurrent antennas to improve the power gain of the combined signal.

[0141] In some embodiments, to ensure a high concurrent power gain, the amplitude difference between the transmitted signals at least two antennas at the signal transmitter can be reduced, or the number of concurrent antennas can be increased, thereby improving the power gain of the final combined signal.

[0142] Building upon the aforementioned analysis of the impact of frequency offset and phase difference on the combined signal envelope, we can further analyze the effects of amplitude difference and the number of concurrent antennas on the combined signal envelope. Specifically, we can analyze the impact of different amplitude differences between multiple antenna signals on the concurrent power gain of the multiple antennas, i.e., the power gain of the combined signal. The specific results are shown in Table 2 below:

[0143] Table 2

[0144]

[0145]

[0146] Referring to Table 2 above, let the main antenna transmit power be X dBm, and the cooperative antenna transmit power be 1-10 dB lower than that of the main antenna. Observe the concurrent gain when the main antenna and cooperative antenna 1 are activated concurrently, and when the main antenna, cooperative antenna 1, and cooperative antenna 2 are activated concurrently. From the results:

[0147] Two antennas operating at the same power in parallel have a maximum gain of 6dB; three antennas operating at the same power in parallel have a maximum gain of 9dB.

[0148] Two antennas with a 3dB power difference operating concurrently achieve a maximum gain of 4.6dB; three antennas with a 3dB power difference operating concurrently achieve a maximum gain of 7.6dB.

[0149] Two antennas with a 10dB power difference operating concurrently achieve a maximum gain of 2.3dB; three antennas with a 10dB power difference operating concurrently achieve a maximum gain of 4.2dB.

[0150] In summary, as long as it falls within the gain range, the concurrent gain is highest when the power of multiple antennas on the receiving side is the same. Even if the power of multiple antennas on the receiving side differs significantly, such as by 10dB, the concurrent gain can still reach 2.3dB. Furthermore, the effect is even better when there are more than two antennas running concurrently, such as three antennas running concurrently.

[0151] Therefore, based on the conclusions drawn from the above analysis, in some embodiments, in order to ensure a high concurrent power gain, the amplitude difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas can be reduced. Specifically, the transmit power of the antenna with the lower transmit power can be adjusted to the maximum as much as possible so as to achieve a basically consistent transmit power with the other antennas, or the transmit power of each antenna can be adjusted to the maximum at the same time.

[0152] In some embodiments, the number of concurrent antennas can be increased, i.e., more antennas are used concurrently, thereby increasing the power gain of the final combined signal.

[0153] In this implementation, by using multiple antennas and multiple signals concurrently, a greater gain effect can be obtained. By changing the amplitude difference between different signals, the amplitude intensity of the synthesized signal on the tag side can be controlled to achieve the best signal synthesis and superposition effect.

[0154] Optionally, step 101 includes:

[0155] By combining the backscatter-link frequency (BLF) of the receiver and the enhancement probability required in practice, the maximum frequency deviation is controlled to be less than the preset threshold.

[0156] Considering that BLF characterizes tag storage efficiency, a larger BLF indicates higher storage efficiency and a shorter storage cycle. Correspondingly, a shorter storage cycle means a greater probability that the tag will fall into the gain range of the combined signal, i.e., a greater enhancement probability. Therefore, in some embodiments, a suitable frequency offset threshold can be selected by combining the BLF of the receiver and the actual required enhancement probability, and the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signal between antennas can be controlled to not exceed the frequency offset threshold.

[0157] Specifically, it can be analyzed whether synthetic signal enhancement can be achieved during the complete reading process of a tag in one time slot. Figure 8 This is a timing diagram of a tag inventory. First, we can calculate the probability that a successful time slot will satisfy the enhancement requirement. The enhancement probability calculation formula can be defined as:

[0158] Enhancement probability = (Amplification period - Command length within time slot) / Envelope change period

[0159] The influence of different frequency offsets on the envelope change of the combined signal under different BLF conditions can be analyzed, and the corresponding enhancement probability can be calculated according to the above formula. The results are shown in Table 3 below:

[0160] Table 3

[0161]

[0162] For easier understanding, it can be combined with Figure 9a , Figure 9b , Figure 9c and Figure 9d For example, to evaluate the proportion of a forward command query length in the gain range of the combined signal, as shown in the figure, the frequency offsets are set to 20Hz, 50Hz, 100Hz, and 500Hz, the length of the forward symbol Tari is 25µs, and the phase difference is 0°.

[0163] It can also be combined Figure 10 The proportion of a storage time slot length in the gain range is evaluated, as shown in the figure. The frequency offset is set to 20Hz, Tari 6.25us, BLF 160KHz, Miller 8, and phase difference 0°.

[0164] Based on the above analysis, we can conclude that:

[0165] With BLF = 40kHz, the longest symbol period is 25µs. Long symbols mean that it is difficult to enhance the signal during disk storage. However, with a frequency offset of 10Hz, there is still a 24.44% probability that the entire disk storage time slot will fall into the signal enhancement range of the combined signal.

[0166] With BLF = 640KHz, the shortest symbol period is 6.25us. A short symbol means that the tag is more likely to fall into the enhancement range during storage. Even with a frequency offset of 100Hz, there is still a 37.54% probability of being enhanced. If the frequency offset is controlled at 10Hz, the tag storage has a 64.05% probability of falling into the combined signal enhancement range.

[0167] With a common configuration of BLF=160kHz, it can be seen that even with a frequency offset of 50Hz, there is still a 13.75% probability of being enhanced, while with the frequency offset controlled at 10Hz, the label has a 56.35% probability of falling into the combined signal enhancement range.

[0168] Therefore, in practical applications, a suitable frequency offset can be selected by combining the BLF and the required enhancement probability to ensure that the enhancement probability can meet the requirements. For example, when the BLF is 640K, if the desired enhancement probability is above 60%, then according to Table 3, the frequency deviation between transmitted signals can be controlled within 20Hz. As another example, when the BLF is 160K, if the desired enhancement probability is above 50%, then according to Table 3, the frequency deviation between transmitted signals can be controlled within 10Hz.

[0169] It should be noted that the above is the enhancement probability under random conditions. As we know from the previous analysis, the phase difference between the transmitted signals will affect the position of the enhancement interval of the combined signal. Therefore, in some embodiments, the frequency offset and phase difference between the transmitted signals can be adjusted to control the signal transmission so that the final enhancement probability becomes inevitable.

[0170] This implementation method allows for the achievement of the desired enhancement probability by reasonably adjusting the frequency offset between transmitted signals.

[0171] The following examples illustrate the edge tag reading situation under different frequency differences using dual antennas.

[0172] The reader / writer parameters are configured as follows:

[0173] Encoder: Miller8

[0174] BLF: 160KHz

[0175] Frequency: 920.625MHz

[0176] Q value: 4

[0177] Total number of tags: 10

[0178] Number of concurrent antennas: 2 antennas

[0179] Transmit power: 10dBm. Antenna gain is usually not calculated. The maximum transmit power is 33dBm. The power is reduced here to simulate the situation where edge tags cannot be read in complex environments.

[0180] The results of the 1-minute inventory test are shown in Table 4 below:

[0181]

[0182] The test results in the table above show that, under the commonly used read / write configuration of Miller8+160KHz:

[0183] A single antenna excitation can hardly read any tags.

[0184] When the frequency difference between two transmitted signals is less than or equal to 80Hz, there is a gain compared to a single antenna, and the smaller the frequency difference, the greater the gain; however, when the frequency difference is greater than 80Hz, there is no gain.

[0185] Even when the frequency difference is ±2Hz, there is still gain even if the power is reduced to 7dBm.

[0186] The signal enhancement method of this application embodiment transmits signals to the receiving end concurrently through at least two antennas, and controls the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas to be less than a preset threshold, thereby increasing the amplification period of the combined signal. The combined signal is formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of signal amplitude growth. In this application embodiment, the inventors, through analysis of the time-domain envelope waveform characteristics of the combined signal formed by the superposition of multiple antennas, discovered that by adjusting the frequency deviation between the concurrent antennas to keep the deviation within a very small range, the synthesized signal can ensure that all tags (i.e., the receiving end) within the overlapping coverage area fall into the enhancement range. In other words, the solution of this application can effectively guarantee the signal enhancement effect of concurrent antennas without adjusting too many antenna parameters, and its implementation difficulty and complexity are relatively low.

[0187] Based on the above description of the implementation methods, it can be seen that the embodiments of this application can achieve the following:

[0188] 1) By controlling the frequency offset between different antenna signals within a very small range, it is possible to ensure that all tags in the overlapping coverage area of ​​the synthesized signal fall into the enhancement zone;

[0189] 2) By changing the phase difference between different antenna signals, the starting position of the gain range can be controlled;

[0190] 3) By changing the amplitude difference between different signals, the amplitude intensity of the synthesized signal on the tag side can be controlled;

[0191] 4) By changing different parameters and adding relevant measurement procedures, the enhancement effect can be further improved.

[0192] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application have the following technical advantages:

[0193] First, compared to traditional solutions where multiple antennas operating concurrently often lead to severe interference and reduce overall system efficiency, the solution in this application controls the frequency difference within a very small range (usually within 100Hz, and the smaller the better) to enable multiple antennas to operate concurrently, thereby producing an enhancement effect on the tag side within the antenna overlap coverage area.

[0194] Second, compared to traditional solutions where the concurrent enhancement effect of multiple antennas is often applied to a single tag or a small area with a very close distance, which essentially requires phase matching of multiple signals at the tag side to produce an enhancement effect, the solution in this application controls the frequency difference within a very small range, so that the enhancement interval changes over time, and all tags in the overlapping area produce an enhancement effect.

[0195] Traditional solutions typically require various constraints after equipment deployment, such as tag location and multipath environment. They often require adjustments to antenna frequency, phase, amplitude, etc., and even auxiliary measurement methods are needed to enhance individual or partial tags. However, the solution in this application only needs to control the antenna frequency difference within a very small range to achieve 100% tag enhancement, while auxiliary phase and amplitude modulation can achieve precise control.

[0196] Third, compared to traditional solutions, which often target single or closely spaced tags, enhancing coverage for all tags requires various constraints, such as tag location and multipath environment. This typically necessitates adjustments to antenna frequency (frequency hopping), phase, amplitude, and even auxiliary measurement methods, making the process complex, highly random, and even then, not guaranteeing coverage of all tags. In contrast, the solution in this application only requires controlling the frequency difference between multiple antennas within a very small range (usually below 100Hz, and the smaller the better), achieving enhanced coverage without subsequent adjustments. Furthermore, techniques such as phase modulation and amplitude modulation can be used to assist in precise control, simplifying the implementation.

[0197] This application also provides a signal enhancement device, including N antennas, where N is an integer greater than 1, wherein the N antennas are respectively disposed on different transmitters or disposed on the same transmitter. See also Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of the signal enhancement device provided in the embodiments of this application. Since the principle of the signal enhancement device in solving the problem is similar to that of the signal enhancement method in the embodiments of this application, the implementation of this signal enhancement device can refer to the implementation of the method, and the repeated parts will not be described again.

[0198] like Figure 11 As shown, the signal enhancement device 1100 includes:

[0199] Control module 1101 is used to control the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signal between at least two of the N antennas to be less than a preset threshold, so as to increase the amplification period of the combined signal.

[0200] Transmitting module 1102 is used to transmit signals to the receiving end in a concurrent manner through the at least two antennas;

[0201] The combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of the signal amplitude increase.

[0202] Optionally, the control module 1101 is used to combine the backscatter link frequency (BLF) of the receiver and the enhancement probability required in practice to control the maximum frequency deviation to be less than the preset threshold.

[0203] Optionally, the signal enhancement device 1100 further includes:

[0204] The first adjustment module is used to reduce the maximum frequency deviation when the inventory period at the receiving end is greater than or equal to the amplification period, so that the inventory period at the receiving end is less than the amplification period.

[0205] Optionally, the signal enhancement device 1100 further includes:

[0206] The second adjustment module is used to adjust the phase difference of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas when the storage time slot of the receiving end does not fall completely into the amplification range, so that the storage time slot of the receiving end falls into the amplification range, wherein the amplification range includes an amplification start time and an amplification end time corresponding to an amplification period.

[0207] Optionally, the signal enhancement device 1100 further includes:

[0208] The third adjustment module is used to reduce the amplitude difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas, and / or increase the number of concurrent antennas to improve the power gain of the combined signal.

[0209] The signal enhancement device 1100 provided in this application embodiment can execute the above method embodiment, and its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, so it will not be described again here.

[0210] The signal enhancement device 1100 of this application embodiment transmits signals to the receiving end concurrently through at least two of N antennas, and controls the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas to be less than a preset threshold, thereby increasing the amplification period of the combined signal; wherein, the combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of the signal amplitude increase. In this application embodiment, the inventors, through analysis of the time-domain envelope waveform characteristics of the combined signal formed by the superposition of multiple antennas, discovered that by adjusting the frequency deviation between the concurrent antennas to keep the deviation within a very small range, the synthesized signal can be made to fall into the enhancement range for all tags, i.e., the receiving end, within the overlapping coverage area. That is, the solution of this application can effectively guarantee the signal enhancement effect of concurrent antennas, and does not require adjusting too many antenna parameters, making it relatively easy and complex to implement.

[0211] This application also provides a signal transmitting end with N antennas, where N is an integer greater than 1. The N antennas are either disposed on different transmitters or on the same transmitter. Since the principle by which the electronic device solves the problem is similar to the signal enhancement method in this application, the implementation of this signal transmitting end can be referred to the implementation of the method, and repeated details will not be elaborated further. Figure 12 As shown, the signal transmitting end of this application embodiment includes:

[0212] Processor 1200 is used to read the program from memory 1220 and execute the following procedures:

[0213] Signals are transmitted to the receiver concurrently through at least two of the N antennas, and the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas is controlled to be less than a preset threshold, so as to increase the amplification period of the combined signal.

[0214] The combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration of the signal amplitude increase.

[0215] Transceiver 1210 is used to receive and send data under the control of processor 1200.

[0216] Among them, Figure 12 In this context, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits together, represented by one or more processors (processor 1200) and memory (memory 1220). The bus architecture may also link various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. A bus interface provides an interface. Transceiver 1210 may be multiple elements, including transmitters and transceivers, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. Processor 1200 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and memory 1220 may store data used by processor 1200 during operation.

[0217] Optionally, the processor 1200 is also used to read the program from the memory 1220 and perform the following steps:

[0218] By combining the backscatter link frequency (BLF) of the receiver and the enhancement probability required in practice, the maximum frequency deviation is controlled to be less than the preset threshold.

[0219] Optionally, the processor 1200 is also used to read the program from the memory 1220 and perform the following steps:

[0220] If the inventory period at the receiving end is greater than or equal to the amplification period, the maximum frequency deviation is reduced so that the inventory period at the receiving end is less than the amplification period.

[0221] Optionally, the processor 1200 is also used to read the program from the memory 1220 and perform the following steps:

[0222] If the storage time slot at the receiving end does not fall completely into the amplification range, the phase difference of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas is adjusted so that the storage time slot at the receiving end falls into the amplification range, wherein the amplification range includes an amplification start time and an amplification end time corresponding to one amplification cycle.

[0223] Optionally, the processor 1200 is also used to read the program from the memory 1220 and perform the following steps:

[0224] Reduce the amplitude difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas, and / or increase the number of concurrent antennas to improve the power gain of the combined signal.

[0225] The signal transmitting end provided in this application embodiment can execute the above method embodiment, and its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, so it will not be described again here.

[0226] Furthermore, the computer-readable storage medium of this application embodiment is used to store a computer program, which can be executed by a processor. Figure 1 The steps in the illustrated signal enhancement method embodiment are shown.

[0227] This application provides a computer program product, including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement as follows: Figure 1 The various processes of the signal enhancement method embodiment shown are all capable of achieving the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0228] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods and apparatus can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0229] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be physically included separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0230] The integrated units implemented as software functional units described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. These software functional units, stored in a storage medium, include several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute some steps of the transmission and reception methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0231] The above description is the preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles described in this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A signal enhancement method, characterized in that, include: Signals are transmitted to the receiver concurrently through at least two antennas, and the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas is controlled to be less than a preset threshold, so as to increase the amplification period of the combined signal. The combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration for which the signal amplitude is continuously greater than the reference amplitude.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Controlling the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas to be less than a preset threshold includes: By combining the backscatter link frequency (BLF) of the receiver and the enhancement probability required in practice, the maximum frequency deviation is controlled to be less than the preset threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the inventory period at the receiving end is greater than or equal to the amplification period, the maximum frequency deviation is reduced so that the inventory period at the receiving end is less than the amplification period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: If the storage time slot at the receiving end does not fall completely into the amplification range, the phase difference of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas is adjusted so that the storage time slot at the receiving end falls into the amplification range, wherein the amplification range includes an amplification start time and an amplification end time corresponding to one amplification cycle.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Reduce the amplitude difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas, and / or increase the number of concurrent antennas to improve the power gain of the combined signal.

6. A signal boosting device, characterized by The signal enhancement device includes N antennas, where N is an integer greater than 1, and comprises: The control module is used to control the maximum frequency deviation of the transmitted signal between at least two of the N antennas to be less than a preset threshold, so as to increase the amplification period of the combined signal. A transmitting module is used to transmit signals to a receiving end in a concurrent manner through the at least two antennas; The combined signal is a signal formed by superimposing the signals transmitted by the at least two antennas, and the amplification period characterizes the duration for which the signal amplitude is continuously greater than the reference amplitude.

7. The signal boost device of claim 6, wherein, The control module is used to combine the backscatter link frequency (BLF) of the receiver and the enhancement probability required by the actual needs to control the maximum frequency deviation to be less than the preset threshold.

8. The signal boost device of claim 6, wherein, The signal enhancement device further includes: The first adjustment module is used to reduce the maximum frequency deviation when the inventory period at the receiving end is greater than or equal to the amplification period, so that the inventory period at the receiving end is less than the amplification period.

9. The signal boost device of claim 6, wherein, The signal enhancement device further includes: The second adjustment module is used to adjust the phase difference of the transmitted signal between the at least two antennas when the storage time slot of the receiving end does not fall completely into the amplification range, so that the storage time slot of the receiving end falls into the amplification range, wherein the amplification range includes an amplification start time and an amplification end time corresponding to an amplification period.

10. The signal boosting device of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The signal enhancement device further includes: The third adjustment module is used to reduce the amplitude difference of the transmitted signals between the at least two antennas, and / or increase the number of concurrent antennas to improve the power gain of the combined signal.

11. A signal transmitting end, comprising: A transceiver, a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor; characterized in that the processor is configured to read the program in the memory to implement the steps of the signal enhancement method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

12. A computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the signal enhancement method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

13. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps in the signal enhancement method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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