Method and apparatus for cluster configuration and round allocation for UWB communications

Abstract

An operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise the steps of: confirming bidirectional ranging (TWR) values for a plurality of anchor points; configuring a first cluster including a first initiator anchor point and a first responder anchor point based on the TWR value; configuring a second cluster including a second initiator anchor point and a second responder anchor point based on the TWR value; and assigning a ranging round to each of the first cluster and the second cluster.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to UWB communication, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for cluster configuration and round allocation optimization for UWB communication. Background Art

[0002] The Internet is evolving from a human-centric connected network where humans create and consume information to an Internet of Things (IoT) network where information is communicated and processed between things or other distributed components. Another emerging technology is the Internet of Everything (IoE), which is a combination of big data processing technology and IoT technology through, for example, connections to cloud servers. Implementing IoT requires the following technical elements, such as sensing technology, wired / wireless communication and network infrastructure, service interfaces, and security technology. Recent ongoing research on thing-to-thing connectivity is on technologies for sensor networking, machine-to-machine (M2M), or machine type communication (MTC).

[0003] In the IoT environment, intelligent Internet technology (IT) services can be provided that collect and analyze data generated by things connected to each other to create new value for human life. Through the transformation or integration of conventional information technology (IT) technology and various industries, IoT can have various applications such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars or connected cars, smart grids, healthcare or smart appliance industries, or state-of-the-art medical services.

[0004] As wireless communication systems continue to develop to provide various services, methods for efficiently providing these services are needed. For example, a ranging technology using ultra-wideband (UWB) can be used to measure the distance between electronic devices. Summary of the invention

[0005] [Technical issues]

[0006] The present disclosure provides a method and device for anchor role allocation and cluster configuration for UWB communication.

[0007] The present disclosure provides methods and devices for spatial reuse of temporal resources.

[0008] [Technical solution]

[0009] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for operating an electronic device may include: identifying a two-way ranging (TWR) value for a plurality of anchor points; configuring a first cluster including a first initiator anchor point and a first responder anchor point based on the TWR value; configuring a second cluster including a second initiator anchor point and a second responder anchor point based on the TWR value; and allocating a ranging round to each of the first cluster and the second cluster.

[0010] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes a transceiver and a processor. The processor can identify a two-way ranging (TWR) value for a plurality of anchor points, configure a first cluster including a first initiator anchor point and a first responder anchor point based on the TWR value, configure a second cluster including a second initiator anchor point and a second responder anchor point based on the TWR value, and allocate a ranging round to each of the first cluster and the second cluster.

[0011] [Beneficial Effects of the Invention]

[0012] Through the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to assign optimization anchor point roles and configure optimization clusters during UWB communication.

[0013] Through the embodiments of the present disclosure, the efficiency of resource use can be improved by spatially multiplexing the same time resources when allocating rounds to configured clusters. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 An example architecture of a UWB device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 2 An example configuration of a framework of a UWB device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 3 A method for performing communication by a plurality of electronic devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 4 The structure of a UWB MAC frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 5a and Figure 5b The structure of a UWB PHY packet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 6 An example of the structure of a ranging block and a round for UWB ranging according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 7a Schematic operation of the DL-TDoA process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 7b Example message exchange operations of a DL-TDoA procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown.

[0022] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a method for configuring a multi-cluster chain for time synchronization according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 9a An example of a cluster configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 9b Another example of cluster configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Fig.10 An example diagram of defining a connection between an initiator anchor point and a responder anchor point according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Fig.11 An example of allocating rounds to configured clusters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Fig.12 An example sequence of executing an optimization algorithm in the time domain according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Fig.13 An example process of performing TWR between anchor points installed at designated locations according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Fig.14 An example of determining whether a NLOS context occurs between anchor points according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Fig.15 An example of a matrix indicating whether anchor points belong to the same cluster according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Fig.16 An example of configuring a cluster to minimize the summation of NLOS weight factors between anchor points according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Fig.17 An example of allocating a turn to each of the clusters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Fig.18 An example of a matrix indicating rounds allocated to each of the clusters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0034] Fig.19 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] When describing the embodiments, descriptions of technologies that are well known in the art and not directly related to the present disclosure are omitted. This is to further clarify the main points of the present disclosure without making it unclear.

[0038] For the same reason, some elements may be shown exaggeratedly or schematically. The size of each element does not necessarily reflect the actual size of the element. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same elements.

[0039] The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for realizing the advantages and features of the present disclosure can be understood by the following embodiments described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, and various changes can be made to these embodiments. The embodiments disclosed herein are only used to inform those of ordinary skill in the art of the categories of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is limited only by the attached claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0040] It should be understood that the combination of the blocks and flow charts in each flow chart can be executed by computer program instructions. Since the computer program instructions can be equipped in a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate a device for performing the functions described in the blocks in conjunction with each flow chart. Since the computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory, the computer-usable or computer-readable memory can be oriented to the computer or other programmable data processing device to implement the function in a specific manner, so the instructions stored in the computer-usable or computer-readable memory can produce a product including an instruction device, and the instruction device is used to perform the functions described in conjunction with the blocks in each flow chart. Since the computer program instructions can be equipped in a computer or other programmable data processing device, the instructions for generating the process run by the computer are executed on the computer or other programmable data processing device as a series of operating steps, and the operating computer or other programmable data processing device can provide steps for running the functions described in conjunction with the blocks in each flow chart.

[0041] In addition, each frame can represent a module, field or a part of code including one or more executable instructions for running a specific logic function. In addition, it should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions mentioned in the frame can occur in different orders. For example, two frames shown in succession can be performed substantially simultaneously or in reverse order according to the corresponding functions.

[0042] As used herein, the term "unit" refers to a software element or a hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The unit plays a certain role. However, a "unit" is not limited to software or hardware. A "unit" can be configured in a storage medium that can be addressed or configured to run one or more processors. Therefore, as an example, a "unit" includes the following elements, such as software elements, object-oriented software elements, class elements and task elements, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segmentation of program code, drivers, firmware, microcodes, circuits, data, databases, data architectures, tables, arrays, and parameters. The functions provided in components and "units" can be combined into smaller numbers of components and "units", or can be further separated into additional components and "units". In addition, components and "units" can be implemented as one or more CPUs in a running device or a secure multimedia card. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a "unit" can include one or more processors.

[0043] As used herein, the term "terminal" or "device" may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a user equipment (UE), a user terminal (UT), a terminal, a wireless terminal, an access terminal (AT), a user unit, a subscriber station (SS), a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), a mobile node or a mobile phone, or may be referred to by other terms. Various embodiments of the terminal may include a cellular phone, a smart phone with wireless communication capabilities, a personal digital assistant (PDA) with wireless communication capabilities, a wireless modem, a portable computer with wireless communication capabilities, a recording / recording / shooting / photography device such as a digital camera with wireless communication capabilities, a game player with wireless communication capabilities, a music storage and playback home appliance with wireless communication capabilities, a networked home appliance capable of wireless Internet access and browsing, or a portable unit or terminal comprising a combination of these capabilities. In addition, the terminal may include a machine-to-machine (M2M) terminal and a machine type communication (MTC) terminal / device, but is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, a terminal may be referred to as an electronic device or simply as a device.

[0044] Hereinafter, the working principle of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. When it is determined to make the subject matter of the present disclosure unnecessarily unclear, a detailed description of a well-known function or configuration may be skipped when describing the embodiments of the present disclosure. The terms as used herein are defined in consideration of the functions in the present disclosure and may be replaced with other terms according to the intention or practice of the user or operator. Therefore, these terms should be defined based on the entire disclosure.

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, although a communication system using UWB is described in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure, as an example, embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems having similar technical backgrounds or features. For example, communication systems using Bluetooth or ZigBee may be included. In addition, at the discretion of a person skilled in the art, embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified within the scope of the present disclosure without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and these modifications may be applied to other communication systems.

[0046] When it is determined that the subject matter of the present disclosure is unclear, the detailed description of the well-known technology or function can be skipped. The terms used in this article are defined in consideration of the functions in the present disclosure, and can be replaced with other terms according to the intention or practice of the user or operator. Therefore, these terms should be defined based on the entire disclosure.

[0047] Generally, wireless sensor network technology is mainly divided into wireless local area network (WLAN) technology and wireless personal area network (WPAN) technology according to the recognition distance. In this case, WLAN is a technology based on IEEE 802.11, which can access the backbone network within a radius of about 100m. WPAN is a technology based on IEEE 802.15, which includes Bluetooth, ZigBee and ultra-wideband (UWB). The wireless network that implements this wireless network technology can include multiple electronic devices.

[0048] According to the definition of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), UWB may refer to a wireless communication technology that uses a bandwidth of 500 MHz or more or a bandwidth corresponding to a center frequency of 20% or more. UWB may refer to the frequency band itself to which UWB communication is applied. UWB can achieve secure and accurate ranging between devices. Therefore, UWB can achieve relative position estimation based on the distance between two devices, or achieve accurate position estimation of a device based on the distance from a fixed device (whose position is known).

[0049] The terms used herein are provided for better understanding of the present disclosure and may be changed without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

[0050] An "application specific file (ADF)" may be a data structure, such as an application data structure, which may carry application or application specific data.

[0051] An "Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU)" may be a command and response used when communicating with an application data structure in a UWB device.

[0052] The “application specific data” may be, for example, a file structure having a root level and an application level, which includes UWB controller information and UWB session data required for a UWB session.

[0053] A "controller" may be a ranging device that defines and controls ranging control messages (RCMs) (or control messages).

[0054] A "controller" may be a ranging device that uses ranging parameters in an RCM (or control message) received from a controller.

[0055] Unlike "static STS", "dynamic scrambled timestamp sequence (STS) mode" may be an operation mode in which STS is not repeated during a ranging session. In this mode, STS may be managed by the ranging device, and the ranging session key for generating STS may be managed by the security component.

[0056] An "applet" may be, for example, an applet including UWB parameters and service data that runs on a secure component. In the present disclosure, an applet may be a FIRa applet defined by FIRa.

[0057] A “ranging device” may be a device capable of performing UWB ranging. In the present disclosure, the ranging device may be an enhanced ranging device (ERDEV) defined in IEEE802.15.4z or a FIRa device defined by FIRa. The ranging device may be referred to as a UWB device.

[0058] A "UWB-enabled application" may be an application for a UWB service. For example, a UWB-enabled application may be an application that uses a framework API to configure an OOB connector, security services, and / or UWB services for a UWB session. In the present disclosure, a "UWB-enabled application" may be abbreviated as an application or a UWB application. A UWB-enabled application may be a FIRa-enabled application defined by FIRa.

[0059] A "framework" may be a component that provides access to profiles, individual UWB configurations, and / or notifications. A "framework" may be a collection of logical software components including, for example, a profile manager, an OOB connector, security services, and / or UWB services. In the present disclosure, a framework may be a FIRa framework defined by FIRa.

[0060] The "OOB connector" may be a software component for establishing an out-of-band (OOB) connection (eg, a BLE connection) between ranging devices. In the present disclosure, the OOB connector may be a FIRa OOB connector defined by FIRa.

[0061] A "profile" may be a previously defined set of UWB and OOB configuration parameters. In the present disclosure, a profile may be a FIRa profile defined by FIRa.

[0062] A "profile manager" may be a software component that implements profiles available on a ranging device. In the present disclosure, the profile manager may be a FIRa profile manager defined by FIRa.

[0063] A "service" may be an implementation of a use case that provides a service to an end user.

[0064] A "smart ranging device" may be a ranging device that may implement an optional framework API. In the present disclosure, a smart ranging device may be a FIRa smart device defined by FIRa.

[0065] A "Global Private File (GDF)" may be a root level of application specific data that includes data needed to establish a USB session.

[0066] A "framework API" may be an API used by UWB-enabled applications to communicate with the framework.

[0067] An "initiator" may be a ranging device that initiates a ranging exchange.

[0068] An "object identifier (OID)" may be an identifier of an ADF in an application data structure.

[0069] "Out-of-band (OOB)" may be data communications that do not use UWB as the underlying wireless technology.

[0070] A "Ranging Data Set (RDS)" may be data required to establish a UWB session when confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity need to be protected (eg, UWB session key, session ID, etc.).

[0071] A "responder" may be a ranging device that responds to an initiator in a ranging exchange.

[0072] "STS" may be an encryption sequence used to increase the integrity and accuracy of the ranging timestamp. STS may be generated from the ranging session key.

[0073] A "secure channel" may be a data channel that is protected from eavesdropping and tampering.

[0074] A "secure component" may be an entity with a defined security level (eg, SE or TEE) that interfaces with the UWBS for the purpose of providing RDS to the UWBS, eg, when using dynamic STS.

[0075] A “secure element (SE)” may be a tamper-resistant secure hardware component that may be used as a secure component in a ranging device.

[0076] “Secure ranging” can be performed based on the STS generated through strong cryptographic operations.

[0077] A “security service” may be a software component used to interface with a security component, such as a secure element or a trusted execution environment (TEE).

[0078] A "service applet" may be an applet on a secure component that handles service specific transactions.

[0079] "Service data" may be data defined by a service provider that needs to be transmitted between two ranging devices to implement a service.

[0080] A "service provider" may be an entity that defines and provides the hardware and software necessary to deliver a particular service to an end user.

[0081] "Static STS mode" is an operation mode in which the STS is repeated during a session and does not need to be managed by a security component.

[0082] The "Secure UWB Service (SUS) applet" may be an applet on the SE that the SE communicates with to retrieve data needed to implement a secure UWB session with other ranging devices. The SUS applet may transmit corresponding data (information) to the UWBS.

[0083] A "UWB Service" may be a software component that provides access to a UWB S.

[0084] A "UWB session" may be a period of time from when a controller and a controlled person start communicating through UWB until the communication stops. A UWB session may include ranging, data transfer, or both ranging and data transfer.

[0085] The “UWB session ID” may be an ID (eg, a 32-bit integer) confirming a UWB session shared between the master and the controller.

[0086] The "UWB session key" may be a key for protecting a UWB session. The UWB session key may be used to generate an STS. In the present disclosure, the UWB session key may be a UWB ranging session key (URSK) and may be abbreviated as a session key.

[0087] "UWB subsystem (UWBS)" may be a hardware component that implements the UWB PHY and MAC layer specifications. The UWBS may have an interface to the framework and an interface to the security component to search for RDS. In the present disclosure, the UWB PHY and MAC specifications may be, for example, the FIRa PHY and FIRa MAC specifications defined by the FIRa reference IEEE 802.15.4 / 4z.

[0088] A "UWB message" may be a message including a payload IE (eg, ERDEV) sent by a UWB device.

[0089] A "ranging message" may be a message sent by a UWB device (e.g., ERDEV) during a UWB ranging process. For example, a ranging message may be a message sent by a UWB device (e.g., ERDEV) at a specific stage of a ranging round, such as a ranging initiation message (RIM), a ranging response message (RRM), a ranging final message (RFM), or a measurement report message (MRM). A ranging message may include one or more UWB messages. If desired, multiple ranging messages may be combined into one message. For example, in the case of non-delayed DS-TWR ranging, RFM and MRM may be combined into one message at the final stage of ranging.

[0090] The "payload IE" may be referred to as a payload information element and may be included in a MAC payload of a UWB MAC frame defined in IEEE 802.15.4 / 4z. The MAC payload may include a plurality of payload IEs.

[0091] "Data transfer IE" can be an additional payload IE for sending application data. Application data can be data transmitted from a framework or application above the UWB MAC layer. The data transfer IE can be used in the process of ranging between the initiator and the responder. In this case, the ranging message may include at least one of the payload IE for ranging and the data transfer IE for application data transmission, or both. For example, the data transfer IE can be included and sent as part of the MAC payload IE of the ranging initiation message (RIM), ranging response message (RRM), ranging final message (RFM), measurement report message (MRM) and ranging result report message (RRRM) for ranging. The data transfer IE can be transmitted to the payload IE of the MAC payload of the DTM. For example, the data transfer IE can be transmitted together with the DTM payload IE and attached to the MAC payload part of the polling DTM, the responding DTM and the final DTM.

[0092] The "UWB channel" may be one of the candidate UWB channels allocated to UWB communication. The candidate UWB channel allocated to UWB communication may be a channel allocated to UWB communication defined in IEEE 802.15.4 / 4z. The UWB channel may be used for UWB ranging and / or transactions. For example, the UWB channel may be used for transmission / reception of ranging frames RFRAME and / or transmission / reception of data frames.

[0093] A "narrowband (NB) channel" may be a channel having a narrower bandwidth than a UWB channel. In an embodiment, a NB channel may be a subchannel of one of the candidate UWB channels allocated to UWB communication. The candidate UWB channel allocated to UWB communication may be a channel allocated to UWB communication as defined in IEEE 802.15.4 / 4z. The NB channel may be used for advertising, device discovery, and / or connection establishment, for additional parameter negotiation / authentication. For example, the NB channel may be used for sending and receiving advertising messages, additional advertising messages, connection request messages, and / or connection permission messages.

[0094] "One-way ranging (OWR)" may be a ranging scheme using a time difference of arrival (TDoA) positioning method. The TDoA method corresponds to a method for positioning a mobile device (tag device) based on the relative arrival time of a single message or multiple messages. For the description of OWR (TDoA), reference may be made to the description of IEEE 802.15.4z. As an example of an OWR scheme, an uplink (UL)-TDoA scheme may be included.

[0095] "Two-way ranging (TWR)" may be a ranging scheme capable of estimating the relative distance between two devices by measuring the time of flight (ToF) via exchanging ranging messages between the two devices. The TWR scheme may be one of dual-sided two-way ranging (DS-TWR) and single-sided two-way ranging (SS-TWR). SS-TWR may be a process for performing ranging through one round-trip time measurement. DS-TWR may be a process for performing ranging through two round-trip time measurements. For the description of SS-TWR and DS-TWR, reference may be made to the description of IEEE 802.15.4z.

[0096] "DL-TDoA" may be referred to as downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDoA), reverse TDoA, and its default operation may be to have the user equipment (UE) (tag device) listen to messages of the anchor device while multiple anchor devices are broadcasting or exchanging messages. The UE performing the DL-TDoA operation may listen to messages sent by the two anchor devices to calculate a time difference of arrival (TDoA) proportional to the difference between the distances between each anchor device and the UE. The UE may calculate the relative distance to the anchor device by using the TDoA of several pairs of anchor devices and use it for positioning. The operation of the anchor device for DL-TDoA may be similar to the operation of the bilateral two-way ranging (DS-TWR) defined in IEEE 802.15.4z, and may also include other useful time information so that the UE may calculate the TDoA. In the present disclosure, DL-TDoA may be referred to as DL-TDoA positioning.

[0097] An "anchor device" may be referred to as an anchor, a UWB anchor, or a UWB anchor device, and may be a UWB device deployed in a specific location to provide a positioning service. For example, an anchor device may be a UWB device installed on a wall, ceiling, structure, or the like in a room by a service provider to provide an indoor positioning service. Anchor devices may be divided into an initiator anchor and a responder anchor according to the order and role of sending messages.

[0098] An "initiator anchor" may be referred to as an initiator UWB anchor, an initiator anchor device, or the like, and may announce the start of a particular ranging round. An initiator anchor may schedule ranging slots for responder anchors operating in the same ranging round to respond. The initiation message of the initiator anchor may be referred to as an initiator downlink TDoA message (DTM) or a Poll message. The initiation message of the initiator anchor may include a send timestamp. The initiator anchor may additionally transmit an end message after receiving a response from the responder anchor. The end message of the initiator anchor may be referred to as a final DTM or a final message. The end message may include the time of the reply to the message sent by the responder anchor. The end message may include a send timestamp.

[0099] A "responder anchor" may also be referred to as a responder UWB anchor, a responder UWB anchor device, a responder anchor device, etc. A responder anchor may be a UWB anchor that responds to an initiation message of an initiator anchor. The message to which the responder anchor responds may include a response time to the initiation message. The message to which the responder anchor responds may be referred to as a responder DTM or a response message. The response message of the responder anchor may include a sending timestamp.

[0100] "Cluster" may refer to a group of UWB anchors covering a specific area. A cluster may consist of an initiator UWB anchor and responder UWB anchors that respond thereto. For 2D positioning, typically one initiator UWB anchor and at least two responder UWB anchors are required, while for 3D positioning, one initiator UWB anchor and at least three responder UWB anchors are required. If the initiator UWB anchor and the responder UWB anchor can be accurately time synchronized via a separate wired / wireless connection, one initiator UWB anchor and two responder UWB anchors are required for 2D positioning, and one initiator UWB anchor and three responder UWB anchors are required for 3D positioning. Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed that there is no separate device for wired / wireless time synchronization between UWB anchors. A cluster area may be a space formed by the UWB anchors that constitute the cluster. In order to support positioning services for a wide area, multiple clusters may be configured to provide positioning services to UEs. In the present disclosure, a cluster may be referred to as a cell. In the present disclosure, the operation of a cluster may be understood as the operation of one or more anchor points belonging to the cluster.

[0101] An "active ranging round" may be a ranging round that operates in an active state. In an active ranging round, anchor devices may exchange DL-TDoA messages, and tag devices (UEs) may listen to messages sent by anchor devices. In the present disclosure, an active ranging round may be referred to as an active round.

[0102] An "inactive ranging round" may be a ranging round that operates in an inactive state or a dormant state. In an inactive ranging round, the anchor device does not exchange DL-TDoA messages, and the tag device UE may be in a dormant state. In the present disclosure, an inactive ranging round may be referred to as a dormant ranging round, an inactive round, or a dormant round.

[0103] "Reference clock" may refer to a common clock that allows the anchor point (DT-anchor) and the tag (DT-tag) constituting the downlink TDoA system to operate in synchronization with each other and allows the DT-tag to obtain the correct TDoA value. Since the DT-anchor and the DT-tag are different terminals and operate with different crystal oscillators, there may be slight differences in the clock speed, and the clock starting point may be different due to different power supply times. Therefore, a mechanism to maintain the same clock throughout the system is required, which may be referred to as time synchronization. Time synchronization between components in a cluster may be referred to as intra-cluster synchronization, and the operation of synchronizing the clocks of multiple response anchor points constituting the same cluster with the initiator anchor point of the same cluster may be referred to as intra-cluster synchronization. Synchronization between adjacent clusters may be referred to as inter-cluster synchronization, and maintaining the same ranging block structure between the initiator anchor points of adjacent clusters may be referred to as inter-cluster synchronization. In a cluster, the clock of the initiator anchor point may be the reference clock, and in the entire system, the clock of a specific initiator anchor point may be the reference clock.

[0104] A "global controller" may be a UWB terminal that can set the order of operation of the DT-anchors that make up the downlink TDoA system, the structure of the cluster, and the reference clock. A global controller may be one of the DT-anchors, and there may be multiple global controllers in the same system.

[0105] When it is determined to make the subject matter of the present disclosure unnecessarily unclear, a detailed description of related well-known functions or features may be skipped in describing the present disclosure.

[0106] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0107] Figure 1 An example architecture of a UWB device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0108] In the present disclosure, the UWB device 100 may be an electronic device supporting UWB communication. The UWB device 100 may be, for example, a ranging device supporting UWB ranging. In an embodiment, the ranging device may be an enhanced ranging device (ERDEV) defined in IEEE 802.15.4z or a FIRa device defined by FIRa.

[0109] exist Figure 1 In the implementation manner, the UWB device 100 may interact with other UWB devices via a UWB session.

[0110] The UWB device 100 may implement a first interface (Interface #1), which is an interface between the UWB-enabled application 110 and the framework 120, and the first interface allows the UWB-enabled application 110 on the UWB device 100 to use the UWB capabilities of the UWB device 100 in a predetermined manner. In an embodiment, the first interface may be a framework API or a proprietary interface, but is not limited thereto.

[0111] The UWB device 100 may implement a second interface (Interface #2) as an interface between the UWB framework 110 and the UWB subsystem (UWBS, 130). In an embodiment, the second interface may be a UWB command interface (UCI) or a proprietary interface, but is not limited thereto.

[0112] Reference Figure 1 , UWB device 100 may include UWB enabled application 110, framework (UWB framework) 120 and / or UWBS 130 including UWB MAC layer and UWB physical layer. Depending on the embodiment, some entities may not be included in the UWB device, or additional entities (eg, security layer) may not be included.

[0113] The UWB enabled application 110 may trigger the establishment of a UWB session by the UWBS 130 through the first interface. The UWB enabled application 110 may use one of the previously defined profiles. For example, the UWB enabled application 110 may use one of the profiles defined in FIRa or a custom profile. The UWB enabled application 110 may use the first interface to handle related events, such as service discovery, ranging notifications, and / or error conditions.

[0114] The framework 120 may provide access to configuration files, individual UWB configurations, and / or notifications. The framework 120 may support at least one of a function for UWB ranging and transaction operations, a function for providing an interface to an application and the UWBS 130, or a function for estimating the location of the device 100. The framework 120 may be a set of software components. As described above, the UWB-enabled application 110 may interface with the framework 120 through a first interface, and the framework 120 may interface with the UWBS 130 through a second interface.

[0115] Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, the UWB-enabled application 110 and / or the framework 120 may be implemented by an application processor (AP) (or a processor). Therefore, in the present disclosure, the operation of the UWB-enabled application 110 and / or the framework 120 may be understood to be performed by the AP (or a processor). In the present disclosure, the framework may be referred to as an AP or a processor.

[0116] UWBS 130 may be a hardware component including a UWB MAC layer and a UWB physical layer. UWBS 130 may perform UWB session management and may communicate with the UWBS of another UWB device. UWBS 130 may interface with framework 120 via a second interface and may obtain security data from a security component. In an embodiment, framework (or application processor) 120 may send a command to UWBS 130 via UCI, and UWBS 130 may send a response to the command to framework 120. UWBS 130 may transmit a notification to framework 120 via UCI.

[0117] Figure 2 An example configuration of a framework of a UWB device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0118] Figure 2 A UWB device can be Figure 1 Examples of UWB devices.

[0119] Reference Figure 2 , the framework 220 may include, for example, software components such as a profile manager 221 , an OOB connector 222 , a security service 223 , and / or a UWB service 224 .

[0120] The profile manager 221 may be used to manage profiles available on UWB devices. A profile may be a set of parameters required to establish communication between UWB devices. For example, a profile may include parameters indicating which OOB secure channel to use, UWB / OOB configuration parameters, parameters indicating whether the use of a particular security component is mandatory, and / or parameters related to the file structure of an ADF. The UWB enabled application 210 may communicate with the profile manager 221 via a first interface (e.g., a framework (API)).

[0121] The OOB connector 222 may be used to establish an OOB connection with another device. The OOB connector 222 may process an OOB procedure including a discovery procedure and / or a connection procedure. The OOB component (eg, a BLE component) 250 may be connected to the OOB connector 222 .

[0122] The security service 223 may function to interface with a security component 240 such as a SE or TEE.

[0123] The UWB service 224 may perform a role of managing the UWBS 230. The UWB service 224 may provide access to the UWBS 230 from the profile manager 221 by implementing a second interface.

[0124] Figure 3 A method for performing communication by a plurality of electronic devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0125] Figure 3 The first electronic device 301 and the second electronic device 302 may be, for example, Figure 1 or Figure 2 UWB devices.

[0126] Reference Figure 3 , the first electronic device 301 and the second electronic device 302 may perform a device search / connection establishment process 310 and a data communication process 320. The device search / connection establishment process 310 and the data communication process 320 may be managed or controlled by a MAC layer (entity) of the electronic device.

[0127] (1) Device search / connection establishment process

[0128] In the present disclosure, the device search / connection establishment process 310 may be a previous process performed before the data communication process 320. As an example, the device discovery / connection establishment process 310 may be performed on OOB communication (channel), NB communication (channel) and / or UWB communication (channel).

[0129] The device search / connection establishment process 310 may include at least one of the following operations.

[0130] -Device discovery operation: an operation in which an electronic device searches for (discovers) another UWB device. The device discovery operation may include an operation for sending / receiving an advertisement message. In the present disclosure, the device discovery operation may be referred to as a discovery operation or an advertisement operation.

[0131] -Connection establishment operation: an operation in which two electronic devices establish a connection. The connection establishment operation may include operations for sending / receiving a connection request message and a connection permission message. The connection (channel) established by the connection establishment operation may be used to configure and control a UWB session for data communication. For example, parameters (e.g., UWB performance parameters (controller performance parameters), UWB configuration parameters, session key related parameters) for configuring a UWB session through a secure channel established via the connection establishment operation may be negotiated between two electronic devices.

[0132] (2) Data communication process

[0133] In the present disclosure, the data communication process 320 may be a process for transmitting and receiving data using UWB communication. As an embodiment, the data communication process may be performed by UWB communication or NB communication.

[0134] The data communication process 320 may include at least one of the following operations.

[0135] UWB ranging operation: An electronic device performs UWB ranging operation with another electronic device in a preset UWB ranging scheme (eg, OWR, SS-TWR, DS-TWR scheme). As an embodiment, the UWB ranging operation may include a ToF measurement operation and / or an AoA measurement operation.

[0136] Transaction operation: An operation in which an electronic device exchanges service data with another electronic device.

[0137] Figure 4 The structure of a UWB MAC frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0138] exist Figure 4 In an embodiment, the UWB MAC frame may follow, for example, a MAC frame structure of IEEE 802.15.4z. In the present disclosure, the UWB MAC frame may be simply referred to as a MAC frame or a frame. As an embodiment, the UWB MAC frame may be used to transmit UWB data (e.g., UWB messages, ranging messages, control information, service data, application data, transaction data, etc.).

[0139] Reference Figure 4 , the UWB MAC frame may include a MAC frame header (MHR), a MAC payload and / or a MAC frame tail (MFR).

[0140] (1) MAC frame header

[0141] The MAC frame header may include a frame control field, a sequence number field, a destination address field, a source address field, an auxiliary security frame header field and / or at least one frame header IE field. Depending on the implementation, some fields may not be included in the MAC frame header.

[0142] As an implementation, the frame control field may include a frame type field, a security enable field, a frame suspension field, an AR field, a PAN ID compression field, a sequence number suppression field, an IE presence field, a destination address mode field, a frame version field, and / or a source address mode field. Each field is described below.

[0143] The frame type field may indicate a frame type. As an embodiment, the frame type may include a data type and / or a multi-purpose type.

[0144] The security enable field may indicate whether a secondary security frame header field exists. The secondary security frame header field may include information required for security processing.

[0145] The frame pending field may indicate whether the device sending the frame has more data for the recipient. In other words, the frame pending field may indicate whether there are pending frames for the recipient.

[0146] The AR field may indicate whether an acknowledgment of frame reception is required from the receiver.

[0147] The PAN ID Compression field may indicate whether the PAN ID field exists.

[0148] The Sequence Number Suppression field may indicate whether a Sequence Number field is present. The Sequence Number field may indicate a sequence identifier for a frame.

[0149] The IE presence field may indicate whether a frame header IE field and a payload IE field are included in a frame.

[0150] The destination address mode field may indicate whether the destination address field may include a short address (eg, 16 bits) or an extended address (eg, 64 bits).The destination address field may indicate the address of the receiver of the frame.

[0151] The frame version field may indicate a frame version. For example, the frame version field may be set to a value indicating IEEE std802.15.4z-2020.

[0152] The source address mode field may indicate whether the source address field is present, and if so, whether the source address field includes a short address (eg, 16 bits) or an extended address (eg, 64 bits).The source address field may indicate the address of the originator of the frame.

[0153] (2) MAC payload

[0154] The MAC payload may include at least one payload IE field. As an implementation, the payload IE field may include a vendor specific nested IE. As an implementation, the payload IE field may include a payload IE field of a UWB message, a ranging message, or a control message.

[0155] (3) MAC frame tail

[0156] The MAC frame tail may include an FCS field. The FCS field may include a 16-bit CRC or a 32-bit CRC.

[0157] Figure 5a and Figure 5b The structure of a UWB PHY packet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0158] Figure 5a shows an example architecture of a UWB PHY packet without applying an STS packet configuration, and Figure 5b An example architecture of a UWB PHY packet applying an STS packet configuration is shown. In the present disclosure, a UWB PHY packet may be referred to as a PHY packet, a PHY PDU (PPDU), or a frame.

[0159] refer to Figure 5a PPDU may include a synchronization frame header (SHR), a PHY frame header (PHR) and a PHY payload (PSDU). PSDU may include a MAC frame. Figure 4 As shown, the MAC frame may include a MAC frame header (MHR), a MAC payload and / or a MAC frame tail (MFR). In the present disclosure, the synchronization frame header portion may be referred to as a preamble, and the portion including the PHY frame header and the PHY payload may be referred to as a data portion.

[0160] The synchronization frame header may be used for synchronization of signal reception, and may include a SYNC field and a start frame delimiter (SFD).

[0161] The SYNC field may be a field including a plurality of preamble symbols used for synchronization between transmitting / receiving devices. The preamble symbol may be set by one of the previously defined preambles.

[0162] The SFD field may be a field indicating the end of the SHR and the start of the data field.

[0163] The PHY frame header may provide information about the configuration of the PHY payload. For example, the PHY frame header may include information about the length of the PSDU, information indicating whether the current frame is an RFRAME, and the like.

[0164] At the same time, the PHY layer of the UWB device may include an optional mode to provide reduced air time for high-density / low-power operation. In this case, the UWB PHY packet may include an encryption sequence (i.e., STS) to increase the integrity and accuracy of the ranging measurement timestamp. The STS may be included in the STS field of the UWB PHY packet and used for secure ranging.

[0165] refer to Figure 5b , in the case of STS packet (SP) setting 0 (SP0), the STS field is not included in the PPDU (SP0 packet). In the case of SP setting 1 (SP1), the STS field is immediately after the frame start delimiter (SFD) field and before the PHR field (SP1 packet). In the case of SP setting 2 (SP2), the STS field is located after the PHY payload (SP2 packet). In the case of SP setting 3 (SP3), the STS field is immediately after the SFD field, and the PPDU does not include the PHR and data fields (PHY payload) (SP3 packet). In other words, in the case of SP3, the PPDU does not include the PHR and the PHY payload.

[0166] exist Figure 5b In an embodiment, each UWB PHY packet may include a RMARKER for defining a reference time. The RMARKER may be used to obtain a transmission time, a reception time and / or a time range of a ranging message (frame) during a UWB ranging process.

[0167] Figure 6 An example of the structure of a ranging block and a round for UWB ranging according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0168] In the present disclosure, a ranging block refers to a time period used for ranging. A ranging round may be a duration sufficient to complete an entire ranging measurement cycle (ranging cycle) involving a group of UWB devices participating in a ranging exchange. A ranging slot may be a time period sufficient to send at least one ranging frame (RFRAME) (e.g., ranging initiation / response / final message, etc.).

[0169] like Figure 6 As shown, a ranging block may include at least one ranging round. Each ranging round may include at least one ranging slot.

[0170] When the ranging mode is a block-based mode, the average time between consecutive ranging rounds can be constant. Alternatively, when the ranging mode is a gap-based mode, the time between consecutive ranging rounds can be dynamically changed. In other words, the gap-based mode can adopt a time structure with adaptive intervals.

[0171] The number and duration of time slots included in a ranging round may be varied between ranging rounds.

[0172] In the present disclosure, ranging blocks, ranging rounds, and ranging slots may be abbreviated as blocks, rounds, and slots.

[0173] Figure 7a Schematic operation of the DL-TDoA process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0174] Reference Figure 7a In operation 710, the DT anchor point 1 700-1 as an initiator DL-TDoA (DT) anchor point may initiate a DT process by sending a polling message (Poll DTM).

[0175] In operation 720, DT anchor 2 to DT anchor N 700-2, ..., 700-N as responder DT anchors may send a response message (responder DTM). For example, the responder DT anchor may identify whether a response message should be sent and / or a ranging slot for sending a response message based on the scheduling information included in the polling message. As an embodiment, the response message may include information about a first response time β. Here, the first response time may be the time required for the corresponding responder DT anchor to receive the initiation message and send a response message corresponding to the initiation message.

[0176] In operation 730, DT anchor 1 700-1 may end the DT process by sending a termination message (final DTM). As an embodiment, the termination message may include information about the second response time γ. Here, the second response time may be the time required for the initiator DT anchor to receive the response message and send the termination message.

[0177] like Figure 7a As shown, the DT tag 701 can receive (or monitor) the initiation message, response message and end message exchanged between the DT anchor points 700-1, ..., DT anchor points 700-N, and obtain (find) the TDoA curve. The DT tag 701 can obtain the TDoA result by repeating the same process for signals received from, for example, three or more DT anchor points.

[0178] In operation 740 , the DT tag 701 may obtain a relative position to the DT anchor point based on the TDoA result.

[0179] Figure 7b Example message exchange operations of a DL-TDoA procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown.

[0180] refer to Figure 7b , the ranging block of DL-TDoA may include multiple ranging rounds.

[0181] As an embodiment, a ranging block may include a plurality of ranging rounds allocated for each cluster. For example, when n clusters are deployed, a ranging block may include a first ranging round (ranging round #0) allocated for a first cluster (cluster #0), a second ranging round (ranging round #1) allocated for a second cluster (cluster #1), ... and an nth ranging round allocated for an nth cluster. Figure 7b Although not shown in the figure, according to an embodiment, a plurality of ranging rounds may be allocated to one cluster, or one ranging round may be allocated to a plurality of clusters.

[0182] As described above, a "cluster" may refer to a group of DT anchors (UWB anchors) covering a specific area. A cluster may consist of an initiator DT anchor and a responder DT anchor that responds to it. A cluster area may be a space formed by the UWB anchors that constitute the cluster. In order to support positioning services for a wide area, multiple clusters may be configured to provide positioning services to UEs. In the present disclosure, a cluster may be referred to as a cell. In the present disclosure, the operation of a cluster may be understood as the operation of one or more anchors belonging to the cluster.

[0183] A ranging round may include multiple ranging slots.

[0184] In an embodiment, a ranging round may include a number of ranging slots allocated for each ranging message sent by a UWB anchor point belonging to a cluster associated with the ranging round. Figure 7a As shown, if a cluster includes one initiator DT anchor and three responder DT anchors, the ranging round of the first cluster may include: a first ranging slot, which is allocated for sending / receiving a polling message of the initiator DT anchor included in the first cluster; a second ranging slot, which is allocated for sending / receiving a response message of the first responder DT anchor; a third ranging slot, which is allocated for sending / receiving a response message of the second responder DT anchor; a fourth ranging slot, which is allocated for sending / receiving a response message of the third responder DT anchor; and a fifth ranging slot, which is allocated for sending / receiving a final message of the initiator DT-anchor. As an embodiment, the time period other than the duration for sending the relevant ranging message in the corresponding ranging slot may be a dormant time period.

[0185] In this scheme, ranging slots may be allocated for the ranging round of each cluster.

[0186] Through Figure 7bIn the ranging block structure of the embodiment of the present invention, each cluster can exchange its own ranging messages (e.g., polling / response / final message) once in the ranging block, and the DT tag (UE) can receive these ranging messages and calculate its position. This operation can be repeated for each ranging block. Therefore, the position of the UE can be updated in the time period of the ranging block in the corresponding cluster. Therefore, in Figure 7b In an embodiment, a ranging block may correspond to a time period for positioning updates.

[0187] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a method for configuring a multi-cluster chain for time synchronization according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0188] Figure 8 An implementation of may be an example of a multi-cluster chain configuration for time synchronization.

[0189] Reference Figure 8 , ranging block N may include multiple ranging rounds. In the multiple ranging rounds, ranging round #0 may be allocated to cluster #0, ranging round #1 may be allocated to cluster #1, ranging round #2 may be allocated to cluster #2, ranging round #3 may be allocated to cluster #3, and ranging round #4 may be allocated to cluster #4.

[0190] As an embodiment, the initiator of cluster #0 associated with the first ranging round (ranging round #0) of ranging block N may send the scheduling information. As an embodiment, the initiator of cluster #0 may act as a global initiator.

[0191] Each anchor point receiving the scheduling information may identify its operation time and role based on the scheduling information. Therefore, the anchor points may perform message exchange operations for DL-TDoA (e.g., operations of exchanging polling messages, response messages, and / or final messages) according to their respective roles in the corresponding ranging rounds.

[0192] refer to Figure 8 ,The operations of the anchor points in each cluster are described below.

[0193] <Anchor Operations in Cluster #0>

[0194] The initiator of cluster #0 may send a polling message including scheduling information.

[0195] The remaining anchor points in cluster #0 may receive the polling message from the initiator and recognize that their role is responder based on the scheduling information included in the polling message. In addition, one anchor point in cluster #0 may recognize that it plays multiple roles.

[0196] Each responder may send a response message corresponding to the polling message to the initiator in the ranging time slot allocated to itself. As an embodiment, information about the ranging time slot allocated to each responder may be included in the polling message. For example, information about the ranging time slot allocated to each responder may be included in the ranging device management list field included in the polling message.

[0197] The initiator may send a final message corresponding to the response message from the responder.

[0198] At the same time, one of the responders in cluster #0 can play multiple roles. For example, a responder in cluster #0 plays the role of responder in the current ranging round (ranging round #0), but can play the role of initiator in the next ranging round (ranging round #1). Ranging (DL-TDoA) in the next ranging round can be initiated by a responder playing multiple roles.

[0199] <Operation of anchor points in cluster #1>

[0200] The initiator of cluster #1 may send a polling message. As described above, the initiator of cluster #1 is a multi-role anchor point and acts as a responder in ranging round #0 (previous ranging round) of cluster #0. As an embodiment, the polling message may include scheduling information.

[0201] The remaining anchor points (responders) of cluster #1 may receive the polling message from the initiator and send a response message corresponding to the polling message to the initiator in the ranging slot allocated thereto. As an embodiment, information on the ranging slot allocated to each responder may be included in the polling message.

[0202] The initiator may send a final message corresponding to the response message from the responder.

[0203] At the same time, one of the responders in cluster #1 can play multiple roles. For example, a responder in cluster #1 plays the role of responder in the current ranging round (ranging round #1), but can play the role of initiator in the next ranging round (ranging round #2). Ranging (DL-TDoA) in the next ranging round can be initiated by a responder playing multiple roles.

[0204] <Operations in the rest of the cluster>

[0205] In the remaining clusters, similar to the operation in cluster #1, each anchor point may perform a message exchange operation for DL-TDoA ranging according to the operation time and role indicated by the scheduling information.

[0206] Figure 8The multi-cluster configuration in the implementation method corresponds to a multi-cluster chain configuration. Therefore, one anchor point in the cluster is configured to perform multiple roles. Through the multi-cluster chain configuration, intra-cluster time synchronization and inter-cluster time synchronization can be achieved.

[0207] <Synchronization within the cluster>

[0208] Intra-cluster synchronization may be time synchronization between anchor points in a cluster. As an implementation, intra-cluster synchronization may include an operation for synchronizing a responder belonging to a cluster with a clock of an initiator belonging to the same cluster. For example, when a CFO-based time synchronization scheme is applied, the responder may obtain (or calculate) the CFO based on the initiator's polling message, and perform time synchronization between the initiator and the responder using the CFO. As an implementation, the polling message may include CFO information.

[0209] <Inter-cluster synchronization>

[0210] Inter-cluster synchronization may be time synchronization between adjacent clusters. As an embodiment, inter-cluster synchronization may include operations for maintaining the same ranging block structure between adjacent clusters. Figure 8 When the multi-cluster chain configurations are the same, due to the chain configuration of the clusters, the anchor point that operates as the responder of the current cluster operates as the initiator of the next cluster, so that the above intra-cluster time synchronization method can be extended to the inter-cluster time synchronization method. In other words, inter-cluster time synchronization can be performed by extending the intra-cluster time synchronization method based on polling messages without the need for a separate message exchange for time synchronization between the initiators of the clusters.

[0211] Meanwhile, when the DL-TDoA process is performed, 1) a permanent or temporary non-line-of-sight (NLOS) situation may occur between anchor points, or 2) a situation in which a message reception rate between anchor points is reduced may occur.

[0212] For example, permanent NLOS may occur during the DL-TDoA process, depending on the anchor point installation / attachment situation and / or anchor point H / W limitations (e.g., signal radiation angle). For example, temporary NLOS may occur during the DL-TDoA process due to moving objects passing between anchor points or temporary obstacles appearing.

[0213] For example, in the case where the DL-TDoA message between the anchor points is not received due to anchor point H / W and S / W reasons, temporary power supply problems and / or deterioration of the radio channel conditions between the anchor points, the message reception rate between the anchor points may be reduced. For example, if the responder anchor point does not receive the initiation message, the responder anchor point may not send a response message, which may cause problems in the cluster chain. For example, if the responder anchor point sends a response message but the initiator anchor point does not receive the response message, a problem may occur in the cluster chain.

[0214] However, at least problems due to deterioration of radio channel conditions between anchor points can be prevented in advance. The present disclosure proposes a method for optimizing cluster configuration to prevent problems.

[0215] Figure 9a An example of a cluster configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0216] refer to Figure 9a , the first initiator anchor point 901, the first responder anchor point 903, the second responder anchor point 905, and the third responder anchor point 907 may configure the first cluster. The third responder anchor point 907 in the first cluster may operate as the second initiator anchor point 907 in the second cluster. The second initiator anchor point 907, the first responder anchor point 903, the fourth responder anchor point 909, and the fifth responder anchor point 911 may configure the second cluster. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the number of clusters may vary, and the number of anchor points included in each cluster may also vary.

[0217] According to an embodiment, all anchor points within an effective transmit / receive distance from an initiator anchor point may potentially become responder anchor points. According to an embodiment, clusters may be configured in various ways for spatial reuse of time resources (eg, ranging rounds) in a DL-TDoA system.

[0218] Figure 9b Another example of cluster configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0219] refer to Figure 9b , the first initiator anchor point 921, the first responder anchor point 923, the second responder anchor point 925, and the third responder anchor point 927 may configure the first cluster. The third responder anchor point 927 in the first cluster may operate as the second initiator anchor point 927 in the second cluster, and the first initiator anchor point 921 in the first cluster may operate as the sixth responder anchor point 921 in the second cluster.

[0220] The second initiator anchor point 927, the first responder anchor point 923, the second responder anchor point 925, the fourth responder anchor point 929, the fifth responder anchor point 931, and the sixth responder anchor point 921 may configure a second cluster. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the number of clusters may vary, and the number of anchor points included in each cluster may also vary.

[0221] Fig.10 An example diagram of defining a connection between an initiator anchor point and a responder anchor point according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0222] According to an embodiment, the UWB device, the server, and / or the electronic device may define connections between a plurality of initiator anchor points and a plurality of responder anchor points, and may configure a plurality of clusters.

[0223] refer to Fig.10 , a first initiator anchor point 1000 and multiple responder anchor points 1001, 1003, 1005, 1007, 1009 and 1010 may configure a first cluster, and a second initiator anchor point 1010 and multiple responder anchor points 1007, 1009, 1011, 1013, 1015, 1017 and 1020 may configure a second cluster.

[0224] The third initiator anchor point 1020 and the plurality of responder anchor points 1017, 1019, 1021, 1023, 1025, and 1030 may configure a third cluster, and the fourth initiator anchor point 1030 and the plurality of responder anchor points 1020, 1023, 1025, 1027, 1029, 1031, and 1040 may configure a fourth cluster. The fifth initiator anchor point 1040 and the plurality of responder anchor points 1030, 1031, 1033, 1035, 1037, and 1050 may configure a fifth cluster, and the sixth initiator anchor point 1050 and the plurality of responder anchor points 1033, 1037, 1039, 1039, and 1040 may configure a sixth cluster.

[0225] Fig.11 An example of allocating rounds to configured clusters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0226] refer to Fig.10 and Fig.11 , the UWB device, server and / or electronic device can send Fig.10 Each of the clusters configured in is assigned a ranging round.

[0227] Reference Fig.11, the first ranging round may be allocated to the first cluster including the first initiator anchor point 1100, the second ranging round may be allocated to the second cluster including the second initiator anchor point 1110, the third ranging round may be allocated to the third cluster including the third initiator anchor point 1120, the fourth ranging round may be allocated to the fourth cluster including the fourth initiator anchor point 1130, and the fifth ranging round may be allocated to the fifth cluster including the fifth initiator anchor point 1140. According to an embodiment, the first ranging round may be allocated to the sixth cluster including the sixth initiator anchor point 1150, similar to the first cluster.

[0228] However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the ranging round allocated to each of the clusters may be set in various ways.

[0229] According to an embodiment, the UWB device, the server and / or the electronic device may determine (or identify) whether a NLOS situation occurs between the first anchor point and the second anchor point based on at least two pieces of data.

[0230] According to an embodiment, the UWB device, the server and / or the electronic device may compare a first value corresponding to the TWR between the anchor points with a second value corresponding to the distance between the anchor points calculated through the site survey, and if the absolute value of the difference between the first value and the second value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it may be determined that an NLOS situation occurs between the anchor points. For example, when the second value exceeds the first value by a predetermined ratio, the UWB device, the server and / or the electronic device may determine that an NLOS situation occurs between the anchor points.

[0231] According to another embodiment, when TWR is performed between anchor points for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes), if the message reception rate of each link is lower than a predetermined threshold, the UWB device, server and / or electronic device may estimate that the radio channel condition between the anchor points is not good.

[0232] According to another embodiment, the UWB device, the server and / or the electronic device may estimate that the radio channel condition between the anchor points is not good based on the RSSI values ​​of the anchor points.

[0233] Fig.12 An example sequence of executing an optimization algorithm in the time domain according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0234] Reference Fig.12 In the TWR ready state (anchor installation completed), a survey mode 1210 for reporting a TWR value may be performed, an optimization algorithm operation 1220 may be performed, and then a DL-TDoA operation 1230 may be performed. According to an embodiment, after the DL-TDoA operation 1230, a survey mode 1240 for reporting a TWR value may be performed again.

[0235] According to an embodiment, each of the survey mode 1210, the optimization algorithm operation 1220, the DL-TDoA operation 1230, and the survey mode 1240 may be performed in at least one ranging block (or a plurality of ranging slots).

[0236] According to an embodiment, at least one of the investigation mode 1210, the optimization algorithm operation 1220, and the investigation mode 1240 may be performed at night time or at the initiative of a network operator. According to an embodiment, the DL-TDoA operation 1230 may be performed during day time.

[0237] In the survey modes 1210 and 1240 for reporting TWR values, contention-based TWR (one-to-many mode) between anchor points installed at designated locations may be repeatedly performed.

[0238] The specific operation of the anchor point in the survey modes 1210 and 1240 for reporting TWR values ​​is as follows.

[0239] <Survey mode for TWR value reporting>

[0240] 1) Enter TWR measurement mode with the installed anchor point

[0241] 2) Each anchor point broadcasts a group polling message (GPM) as the initiator anchor point

[0242] 3) The anchor point receiving the GPM sends the RRM as the responder anchor point

[0243] 4) The initiator anchor calculates the TWR value between the initiator anchor and the responder anchor based on the received RRM

[0244] 5) Obtain the average TWR value between anchor points by repeating the above operation for a predetermined duration

[0245] Specific operations of the UWB device, anchor point and / or electronic device for optimizing algorithm operation 1220 are as follows.

[0246] <Optimization algorithm>

[0247] 1) Configure multiple clusters for anchor points to minimize the occurrence of NLOS

[0248] 2) Considering the minimum distance between anchor points, the ranging round is assigned to each cluster to minimize the interference between multiple clusters.

[0249] Fig.13 An example process of performing TWR between anchor points installed at designated locations according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0250] If there are a total of N anchor points in the entire positioning target space S and N is very large, performing TWR for all (N-1)X(N-1) pairs is very inefficient, and considering the time slot count limit of each ranging round, performing TWR for all (N-1)X(N-1) pairs may be impossible.

[0251] Reference Fig.13 , if the entire positioning target space S is divided into L subspaces si, it can be expressed as S = {s 0 ,s 1 ,…,s L-1}. For example, in Fig.13 In , the entire positioning target space S can be divided into five subspaces S0, S1, S2, S3 and S4.

[0252] exist Fig.13 , the first subspace S0 may include a first initiator anchor point 1300 , the second subspace S1 may include a second initiator anchor point 1310 , the third subspace S2 may include a third initiator anchor point 1320 , the fourth subspace S3 may include a fourth initiator anchor point 1330 , and the fifth subspace S4 may include a fifth initiator anchor point 1350 .

[0253] According to an embodiment, the UWB device, server and / or electronic device may be configured to utilize a temporary set of anchor points for investigation of predetermined (b-1)X(b-1) pairs among a predetermined number (eg, b) of anchor points.

[0254] According to an embodiment, an ultra-wideband (UWB) device, a server and / or an electronic device may perform L times of TWR for all L ( Fig.13 The V matrix is ​​configured by collecting only the TWR values ​​between the adjacent anchor points (i.e., the anchor points that are close enough to actually perform TWR) subspaces. According to an embodiment, the V matrix may refer to a matrix containing binary indicators v ij , which indicates whether there is a link between anchor points considering the valid positioning space and the valid movement path.

[0255] Fig.14 An example of determining whether a NLOS situation occurs between anchor points according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0256] exist Fig.14 In the present invention, the UWB device, the server and / or the electronic device may compare a first value corresponding to the TWR between the anchor points with a second value corresponding to the distance between the anchor points calculated through the site survey, and determine whether a NLOS situation occurs between the anchor points based on the comparison result.

[0257] When there are a total of N anchor points in the entire target space S, the anchor point set can be expressed as A: = {a 1 , a 2 , …, a N}, |A|=N.

[0258] Reference Fig.14 , the weight factor of NLOS between the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point is denoted as w ij , where w ij It can be based on the measured distance d between the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point ij and the average TWR value between the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point to be sure.

[0259] exist Fig.14 In the above example, we can use the measured distance d between the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point as ij The average TWR value between the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point Function between To determine the NLOS weight factor W ij .

[0260] According to an embodiment, the function is a linear function and can be expressed as a coefficient δ based on the LOS LOS Form to achieve.

[0261] According to another embodiment, the function is an exponential function and can be expressed as a function of the first coefficient α, the second coefficient β, the third coefficient γ and the coefficient δ based on the LOS. LOS Form to achieve.

[0262] Fig.15 An example of a matrix indicating whether anchor points belong to the same cluster according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0263] Reference Fig.15 , a first initiator anchor a1 and multiple responder anchors a2, a3, a4, and a6 can configure a first cluster, and one responder anchor a3 in the first cluster can be used as an initiator anchor in a second cluster. A second initiator anchor a3 and multiple responder anchors a4, a5, and a6 can configure a second cluster, and one responder anchor a5 in the second cluster can be used as an initiator anchor in a third cluster. A third initiator anchor a5 and multiple responder anchors a6, a7, and a8 can configure a third cluster.

[0264] Fig.15An example is shown, where the number of clusters is 3 (K=3) and the number of anchors is 8 (N=8), and the representation can be configured Fig.15 The matrix X(x ij ).

[0265] For example, a first cluster including a first initiator anchor a1 and a plurality of responder anchors a2, a3, a4, and a6 can be represented in a matrix X as {x 11 =1,x 12 =1,x 13 =1,x 14 =1,x 15 =0,x 16 =1,x 17 =0,x 18 =0}.

[0266] For example, the second cluster including the second initiator anchor point a3 and the plurality of responder anchor points a4, a5 and a6 can be represented in the matrix X as {x 31 =0,x 32 =0,x 33 =1,x 34 =1,x 35 =1,x 36 =1,x 37 =0,x 38 =0}.

[0267] For example, a third cluster including a third initiator anchor a5 and a plurality of responder anchors a6, a7, and a8 can be represented in the matrix X as {X 51 =0,X 52 =0,X 53 =01,X 54 =0,X 55 =1,X 56 =1,X 57 =1,X 58 =1}.

[0268] Fig.16 An example of configuring clusters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, such that the matrix X (x ij ) and the weight factor w of NLOS between the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point ij The summation operation is minimized.

[0269] According to the first embodiment, the cluster can be configured considering the following constraints, so that the weight factor w of NLOS between anchor points is ij The summation operation is minimized.

[0270] <Cluster Configuration Constraints According to the First Embodiment>

[0271] 1) Limit the number of responder anchors per cluster: (n min ≤n≤n max )

[0272] n min =2,n max <The number of time slots that can be allocated in a single ranging round

[0273] Only valid links between anchor points need to be considered, taking into account valid positioning space and valid movement paths.

[0274] All anchors should belong to at least one cluster

[0275] 3) In addition to the global initiator anchor, K-1 initiator anchors should serve as responder anchors in clusters other than the cluster in which they are the initiator anchors

[0276] 4) The area in each cluster should be equal to or greater than the minimum area limit (limiting the situation where the anchor points in the cluster are placed on the same line, etc.).

[0277] Reference Fig.16 According to the first embodiment, X* can be derived so that the matrix X(x ij ) and the weight factor w of NLOS between the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point ij The summation operation is minimized.

[0278] For ease of description, assume that the matrix X(x ij ) Fig.15 Configure in the same way.

[0279] <Cluster configuration restriction condition according to the first embodiment> can be expressed as the following equations C1 to C7.

[0280]

[0281] Referring to C1, the matrix X(x ij ) can be configured as either 0 or 1. For example, x ij = 0 may indicate that the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point do not belong to the same cluster. ij =1 may indicate that the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point belong to the same cluster.

[0282] C2:∑ i x ii =K

[0283] Referring to C2, the number of clusters can be K. For example, if xii =1, then the i-th anchor point may be the initiator anchor point in the corresponding cluster.

[0284]

[0285] Referring to C3, the matrix V (v ij ) and the matrix X(x ij ) should be considered together. For example, when there is a link (v ij =1) and the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point belong to the same cluster (x ij =1), C3 can be satisfied.

[0286] C4:∑ j x ij =0 i where x ii =0,n min ≤∑ j x ij ≤n max , where x ii =1

[0287] Referring to C4 above, if the i-th anchor point is not the initiator anchor point in the cluster (xi i =0), then it should satisfy ∑ j x ij =o, and if the i-th anchor is the initiator anchor in the cluster (x ii = 1), then the responder anchor count limit n per cluster can be set min ≤n≤n max .

[0288]

[0289] Referring to C5, in each cluster, all j-th anchors are either initiator anchors or responder anchors. In other words, all such anchors should belong to at least one cluster.

[0290] C6:∑ i x ii min(1,∑ j，j≠i x ji )=K-1

[0291] Referring to C6, in addition to the global initiating anchor, the other K-1 initiating anchors should operate as responder anchors in clusters other than the cluster in which they act as initiator anchors.

[0292] [C7:S i ≥S min , if xii =1

[0293] Referring to C7, the area S in each cluster i Should be equal to or greater than the minimum area limit S min .

[0294] According to a second embodiment, clusters may be configured in consideration of the following constraints so as to minimize the sum of weights assigned to pairs of anchor points in a cluster: According to an embodiment, the weight between two anchor points may increase as the difference between the actual distance and the TWR value increases.

[0295] <Cluster Configuration Constraints According to the Second Embodiment>

[0296] 1) Limit the number of anchor points in the cluster: (n min ≤n≤n max )

[0297] 2) Anchor points can belong to the same cluster only if the TWR between them is measurable

[0298] 3) All anchor points should belong to at least one cluster

[0299] 4) Initiators other than the global initiator should operate as responders in at least one other cluster

[0300] 5) The area of ​​a polygon formed by considering the anchor points belonging to each cluster as vertices should be greater than a predetermined value.

[0301] 6) Each point in the target area should be covered by at least one cluster.

[0302] According to a second embodiment, X* can be derived based on Equation 1, which allows the matrix X(x) indicating whether the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point belong to the same cluster. ij ) and the weight factor w of NLOS between the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point ij The summation operation is minimized.

[0303] [Equation 1]

[0304]

[0305] <Cluster configuration restriction condition according to the second embodiment> can be expressed as the following equations C1 to C7.

[0306]

[0307] Referring to C1, the matrix X(x ij ) can be configured as either 0 or 1. For example, x ij=0 may indicate that the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point do not belong to the same cluster. For example, xij=1 may indicate that the i-th anchor point and the j-th anchor point belong to the same cluster.

[0308]

[0309] Referring to C2 above, the number of anchors in a cluster can be limited (n min ≤n≤n max ).

[0310]

[0311] Referring to C3, the matrix V (v ij ) and the matrix X(x ij ) should be considered together.

[0312]

[0313] Referring to C4, all anchor points should be included in at least one cluster.

[0314]

[0315] Referring to C5, initiators other than the global initiator should operate as responders in at least one other cluster.

[0316]

[0317] Referring to C6, the area of ​​the polygon configured by considering the anchor points belonging to each cluster as vertices should be equal to or greater than the minimum area limit value S min .

[0318]

[0319] Referring to C7, each point in the target area should be covered by at least one cluster. Fig.17 An example of allocating a round to each of the clusters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0320] To minimize interference between clusters, a single ranging round can be assigned to each cluster. In this case, the minimum distance d between the initiator anchors of different clusters (spatial reuse) that allocate the same ranging round should be satisfied. th , and the maximum value M of the total number of allocated ranging rounds should be met.

[0321] Reference Fig.17, the first ranging round may be allocated to the first cluster including the first initiator anchor point 1700, the second ranging round may be allocated to the second cluster including the second initiator anchor point 1710, the third ranging round may be allocated to the third cluster including the third initiator anchor point 1720, and the fourth ranging round may be allocated to the fourth cluster including the fourth initiator anchor point 1730. And the fifth ranging round may be allocated to the fifth cluster including the fifth initiator anchor point 1740. According to an embodiment, the first ranging round may be allocated to the sixth cluster including the sixth initiator anchor point 1750, similar to the first cluster (spatial reuse).

[0322] According to an embodiment, the distance between the initiator anchor points 1700 and 1750 of different clusters to which the same first ranging round is allocated may be equal to or greater than the minimum distance d th .

[0323] Fig.18 An example of a matrix indicating rounds allocated to each of the clusters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0324] Reference Fig.18 According to the first embodiment, RD may include rd km The matrix, rd km is a binary indicator indicating whether the mth round is assigned to the kth cluster. Fig.18 The matrix RD is configured according to the equation shown.

[0325] Reference Fig.18 , a first initiator anchor a1 and multiple responder anchors a2, a3, a4, and a6 can configure a first cluster, and one responder anchor a3 in the first cluster can be used as an initiator anchor in a second cluster. A second initiator anchor a3 and multiple responder anchors a4, a5, and a6 can configure a second cluster, and one responder anchor a5 in the second cluster can be used as an initiator anchor in a third cluster. A third initiator anchor a5 and multiple responder anchors a6, a7, and a8 can configure a third cluster.

[0326] exist Fig.18 In the example, when the number of clusters is 3 (K=3), the maximum number of rounds is 5 (M=5), and the number of allocated rounds is 2, the matrix RD (rd km ).

[0327] For example, if the first round is assigned to the first cluster including the first initiator anchor a1 and a plurality of responder anchors a2, a3, a4, and a6, it can be represented in the matrix RD as rd 11=1, if the second round is assigned to the second cluster including the second initiator anchor point a3 and multiple responder anchor points a4, a5 and a6, it can be represented as rd in the matrix RD. 22 =1, and if the first round is assigned to the third cluster including the third initiator anchor point a5 and the plurality of responder anchor points a6, a7 and a8, it can be represented as rd in the matrix RD. 31 =1.

[0328] <Restriction Condition When Allocating the m-th Round to the k-th Cluster According to the First Embodiment> can be expressed as equations C1 to C3 as follows.

[0329]

[0330] Referring to C1, a single round can be assigned to each cluster.

[0331] C2:d kk′ ≥d th If rd km =1 and rd k′m =1

[0332] Referring to C2, the minimum distance between initiator anchors in different clusters assigned the same round can be set to d th .

[0333] C3:∑ m min(1,∑ k rd km )≤M

[0334] Referring to C3 , a maximum value of the total number of allocatable rounds may be set to M.

[0335] According to a second embodiment, Y may be a im The matrix, y im is a binary indicator indicating whether the mth ranging round is allocated to the cluster in which the ith anchor point is the initiator. According to an embodiment, the UWB device, the server and / or the electronic device may configure the matrix Y according to Equation 2.

[0336] [Equation 2]

[0337]

[0338] In Equation 2, N may be the total number of anchor points, and M may be the total number of ranging rounds.

[0339] <Restriction condition when allocating the mth round to the cluster in which the i-th anchor point is the initiator according to the second embodiment> can be expressed as equations C1 and C2 as follows.

[0340]

[0341] Referring to C1, y im Configured as 0 or 1.

[0342]

[0343] Referring to C2, if the i-th anchor point is the initiator, a ranging round may be allocated.

[0344] Fig.19 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0345] exist Fig.19 In the implementation manner, the electronic device may be a UWB device or a server device that communicates with the UWB device.

[0346] Reference Fig.19 , the electronic device may include a transceiver 1910, a controller 1920, and a storage unit 1930. In the present disclosure, the controller may be defined as a circuit or an application specific integrated circuit or at least one processor.

[0347] The transceiver 1910 may transmit and receive signals to and from another entity. The transceiver 1910 may transmit and receive data to and from another UWB device through, for example, NB communication, UWB communication, or OOB communication (eg, BLE communication).

[0348] According to an embodiment, the controller 1920 may control the overall operation of the electronic device. For example, the controller 1920 may control the signal flow between blocks to perform a combined operation. Figures 1 to 18 Specifically, the controller 1920 may identify two-way ranging (TWR) values ​​of a plurality of anchor points, configure a first cluster including (one) first initiator anchor point and (multiple) first responder anchor points based on the TWR value, configure a second cluster including (one) second initiator anchor point and (multiple) second responder anchor points based on the TWR value, and allocate a ranging round to each of the first cluster and the second cluster.

[0349] The storage unit 1930 may store at least one of information transmitted / received via the transceiver 1910 and information generated via the controller 1920. For example, the storage unit 1930 may store the above-mentioned Figures 1 to 18 The information and data necessary for describing the method, such as spatial reuse of temporal resources.

[0350] Fig. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0351] Reference Fig. 20In step 2010, the electronic device may identify two-way ranging (TWR) values ​​of the plurality of anchor points. According to an embodiment, the electronic device may be implemented as a UWB device or a server device.

[0352] In step 2020, the electronic device may configure a first cluster including a first initiator anchor point and a first responder anchor point based on the TWR value. According to an embodiment, the first initiator anchor point included in the first cluster may be a global initiator controlling spatial reuse for a DL-TDoA infrastructure.

[0353] In step 2030, the electronic device may configure a second cluster including a second initiator anchor point and second responder anchor points based on the TWR value. According to an embodiment, the second initiator anchor point included in the second cluster may be one of the first responder anchor points included in the first cluster.

[0354] In step 2040, the electronic device may allocate a ranging round to each of the first cluster and the second cluster.

[0355] According to an embodiment, the electronic device may identify a first value corresponding to an average TWR between a first anchor point and a second anchor point, and identify a second value corresponding to a distance between the first anchor point and the second anchor point. According to an embodiment, the electronic device may determine whether non-line-of-sight (NLOS) occurs between the first anchor point and the second anchor point based on the first value and the second value.

[0356] According to an embodiment, if it is determined that non-line-of-sight (NLOS) occurs between the first anchor point and the second anchor point, the electronic device may determine that the link between the first anchor point and the second anchor point is invalid.

[0357] According to an embodiment, the electronic device may configure a third cluster including (one) third initiator anchor point and (multiple) third responder anchor points based on the TWR value. The third initiator anchor point included in the third cluster may be one of (multiple) second responder anchor points included in the second cluster.

[0358] According to an embodiment, the electronic device may identify whether the distance between the first initiator anchor point and the third initiator anchor point is equal to or greater than the minimum distance. According to an embodiment, the electronic device may identify the number of clusters in the entire positioning space and the number of allocatable ranging rounds.

[0359] According to an embodiment, if the distance between the first initiator anchor point and the third initiator anchor point is greater than or equal to the minimum distance, and the number of clusters in the entire positioning space is greater than the number of allocatable rounds, the electronic device may allocate the same ranging round to the first initiator anchor point and the third initiator anchor point.

[0360] According to an embodiment, an area of ​​each of the first to third clusters may be equal to or greater than a minimum area value. According to an embodiment, the number of responder anchor points included in each of the first to third clusters may be limited by the number of time slots allocatable in one ranging round.

[0361] In the above-mentioned detailed description, the components included in the present disclosure are expressed in singular or plural form, depending on the specific embodiment proposed. However, the singular or plural form is selected to be sufficient for the content suggested for ease of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0362] Although the specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, various changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above embodiments, but should be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising: Identify the two-way ranging TWR values ​​of multiple anchor points; configuring a first cluster including a first initiator anchor point and a first responder anchor point based on the TWR value; configuring a second cluster including a second initiator anchor point and a second responder anchor point based on the TWR value; as well as A ranging round is allocated to each of the first cluster and the second cluster.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: identifying a first value corresponding to an average TWR between the first anchor point and the second anchor point; identifying a second value corresponding to a distance between the first anchor point and the second anchor point; as well as It is determined whether a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) occurs between the first anchor point and the second anchor point based on the first value and the second value.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: A link between the first anchor point and the second anchor point is determined to be invalid based on determining that the non-line-of-sight NLOS occurs between the first anchor point and the second anchor point.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second initiator anchor point included in the second cluster is one of the first responder anchor points included in the first cluster.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first initiator anchor point included in the first cluster is a global initiator anchor point controlling spatial reuse of a DL-TDoA infrastructure.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: configuring a third cluster including a third initiator anchor point and a third responder anchor point based on the TWR value, Wherein, the third initiator anchor point included in the third cluster is one of the second responder anchor points included in the second cluster.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: identifying whether a distance between the first initiator anchor point and the third initiator anchor point is greater than or equal to a minimum distance; Identify the number of clusters within the entire positioning space and the number of ranging rounds that can be allocated; as well as If the distance between the first initiator anchor point and the third initiator anchor point is greater than or equal to the minimum distance and the number of clusters in the entire positioning space is greater than the number of allocatable rounds, the same ranging round is allocated to the first initiator anchor point and the third initiator anchor point.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein: An area of ​​each of the first to third clusters is equal to or greater than a minimum area value.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The number of responder anchor points included in each of the first to third clusters is limited by the number of time slots allocatable in one ranging round.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The electronic device is a UWB device or a server device.

11. Electronic equipment, including: Transceiver; as well as processor: Identify the two-way ranging TWR values ​​of multiple anchor points; configuring a first cluster including a first initiator anchor point and a first responder anchor point based on the TWR value; configuring a second cluster including a second initiator anchor point and a second responder anchor point based on the TWR value; as well as A ranging round is allocated to each of the first cluster and the second cluster.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The processor: identifying a first value corresponding to an average TWR between the first anchor point and the second anchor point; identifying a second value corresponding to a distance between the first anchor point and the second anchor point; and It is determined whether a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) occurs between the first anchor point and the second anchor point based on the first value and the second value.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein: The processor determines that a link between the first anchor point and the second anchor point is invalid based on determining that the non-line-of-sight NLOS occurs between the first anchor point and the second anchor point.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The second initiator anchor point included in the second cluster is one of the first responder anchor points included in the first cluster.

15. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The first initiator anchor point included in the first cluster is a global initiator anchor point controlling spatial reuse of a DL-TDoA infrastructure.

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