Dynamic scheduling method and device for ultra wide band communication

Abstract

An operation method of a first ultra wide band (UWB) device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure comprises the steps of: receiving, from a second UWB device, a beacon message including configuration information on a superframe through which a plurality of UWB devices communicate; determining a mixing period HP and a ranging only period ROP in the superframe based on the configuration information; and communicating with the third UWB device based on the HP and the ROP.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to UWB communication, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing dynamic scheduling for multiple UWB devices in the case of a mixture of multiple UWB devices and various ranging modes. 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. The realization of 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 related to 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 traditional information technology (IT) technologies 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 home 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, ranging technology using ultra-wideband (UWB) can be used to measure the distance between electronic devices. UWB is a wireless communication technology that uses a very wide frequency band of several GHz or more in the baseband without using a wireless carrier. Summary of the invention

[0005]

Technical issues

[0006] The present disclosure proposes a method for providing dynamic scheduling for multiple UWB devices in the case where multiple UWB devices and various ranging modes are mixed.

[0007]

Technical solution

[0008] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for operating a first ultra-wideband (UWB) device may include: receiving a beacon message including configuration information about a superframe in which multiple UWB devices communicate from a second UWB device; identifying a hybrid period (HP) and a ranging-only period (ROP) in the superframe based on the configuration information; and communicating with a third UWB device based on the HP and the ROP.

[0009] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for operating a second ultra-wideband (UWB) device may include: sending a beacon message including configuration information about a superframe in which multiple UWB devices communicate to a first UWB device; receiving a change request (CR) from the first UWB device for requesting a change of a hybrid period (HP) or a ranging period only (ROP) in the superframe; and changing the HP or ROP in the superframe based on the CR.

[0010] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a first ultra-wideband (UWB) includes a transceiver and a controller. The controller is configured to: control receiving a beacon message including configuration information about a superframe in which multiple UWB devices communicate from a second UWB device; identify a hybrid period (HP) and a ranging period (ROP) in the superframe based on the configuration information; and control communication with a third UWB device based on the HP and the ROP.

[0011] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a second ultra-wideband (UWB) may include a transceiver and a controller. The controller is configured to: control sending a beacon message including configuration information about a superframe in which multiple UWB devices communicate to a first UWB device; control receiving a change request (CR) from the first UWB device for requesting a change of a hybrid period (HP) or a ranging period only (ROP) in a superframe; and change the HP or ROP in the superframe based on the CR.

[0012]

Beneficial Effects

[0013] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide dynamic scheduling for multiple UWB devices when multiple UWB devices and various ranging modes are mixed, thereby saving power used during UWB communications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 An example architecture of a UWB device is shown.

[0015] Figure 2 An example configuration of a framework for a UWB device is shown.

[0016] Figure 3 Various examples of UWB ranging methods are shown.

[0017] Figure 4 An example of the structure of ranging blocks and rounds for UWB ranging is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 An example in which a plurality of UWB devices perform communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 6An example for describing a role of each of a plurality of UWB devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 7 An example for describing a superframe time structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 8 An example configuration in which a UWB device operates as a local controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Fig. 9 An example configuration in which a UWB device operates as a local slave according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Fig.10 An example of an operation method in which a UWB device operates as a global coordinator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Fig.11 An example of an operation method in which a UWB device operates as a local controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Fig.12 Another example of an operation method in which a UWB device operates as a local controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Fig.13a An example of a descriptor IE format included in an advanced beacon message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Fig.13b The embodiment according to the present disclosure includes Fig.13a Example of the format of a sub-periodic table element in the Descriptor IE format.

[0028] Fig.14a , Fig.14b and Fig.14c Each of them shows an example of information included in a change request sent by a local controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig.15 The structure of a first UWB device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Fig.16 The structure of a second UWB device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] When describing the embodiments, descriptions of technologies that are well known in the art and not directly related to the present invention are omitted. This is to further clarify the main points of the present disclosure without making it unclear.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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 embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention 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 invention is limited only by the attached claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0035] It should be understood that the combination of the blocks and flow charts in each flowchart 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 conjunction with the blocks of each flowchart. Since the computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory, which can be oriented to the computer or other programmable data processing device to implement the functions in a specific manner, the instructions stored in the computer-usable or computer-readable memory can produce a product including an instruction device, which is used to perform the functions described in conjunction with the blocks in each flowchart. Since the computer program instructions can be configured in a computer or other programmable data processing device, the instructions for generating a process executed by the computer as a series of operating steps can be executed on the computer or other programmable data processing device, and the instructions for operating the computer or other programmable data processing device can provide steps for performing the functions associated with one or more blocks in each flowchart.

[0036] 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 embodiments, 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 corresponding functions.

[0037] 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, the "unit" is not limited to software or hardware. The "unit" can be configured in a storage medium that can be addressed or configured to run one or more processors. Therefore, as an example, the "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 the components and "units" can be combined into a smaller number of components and "units", or can be further separated into additional components and "units". In addition, the 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, the "... unit" can include one or more processors.

[0038] 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 enabling wireless Internet access and browsing, or a portable unit or terminal including 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.

[0039] 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 an embodiment 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.

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, although a communication system using UWB is described in conjunction with an embodiment of the present invention, as an example, embodiments of the present invention may also be applied to other communication systems with 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 invention may be modified within the scope of not significantly departing from the scope of the present invention, and these modifications may be applied to other communication systems.

[0041] When it is determined to make the subject matter of the present invention unclear, the detailed description of the well-known technology or function can be skipped. The terms used herein 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] UWB may refer to a short-range, high-rate wireless communication technology that uses a wide frequency band of several GHz or more, low spectrum density, and short pulse width (e.g., 1 nanosecond to 4 nanoseconds) in a baseband state. UWB may mean 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 can achieve accurate position estimation of a device based on the distance from a fixed device (whose position is known).

[0044] 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.

[0045] An "application specific file (ADF)" may be a data structure, such as within an application data structure, which may carry application or application specific data.

[0046] An "Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU)" may be a command and response used when communicating with an application data structure in a UWB device.

[0047] 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.

[0048] A "controller" may be a ranging device that defines and controls ranging control messages (RCMs) (or control messages).

[0049] A "controller" may be a ranging device that uses ranging parameters in an RCM (or control message) received from a controller.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] A "profile manager" may be a software component that implements a profile available on a ranging device. In the present disclosure, the profile manager may be a FiRa profile manager defined by FiRa.

[0058] A "service" may be an implementation of a use case that provides a service to an end user.

[0059] 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.

[0060] A "Global Private File (GDF)" may be a root level of application specific data that includes data needed to establish a USB session.

[0061] A "framework API" may be an API used by UWB-enabled applications to communicate with the framework.

[0062] An "initiator" may be a ranging device that initiates a ranging exchange.

[0063] An "object identifier (OID)" may be an identifier of an ADF in an application data structure.

[0064] "Out-of-band (OOB)" may be data communications that do not use UWB as the underlying wireless technology.

[0065] 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.).

[0066] A "responder" may be a ranging device that responds to an initiator in a ranging exchange.

[0067] "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.

[0068] A "secure channel" may be a data channel that is protected from eavesdropping and tampering.

[0069] 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.

[0070] A “secure element (SE)” may be a tamper-resistant secure hardware component that may be used as a secure component in a ranging device.

[0071] “Secure ranging” can be performed based on the STS generated through strong cryptographic operations.

[0072] 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).

[0073] A "service applet" may be an applet on a secure component that handles service specific transactions.

[0074] "Service data" may be data defined by a service provider that needs to be transmitted between two ranging devices to implement a service.

[0075] A "Service Provider" may be an entity that defines and provides the hardware and software necessary to deliver a specific service to an end user.

[0076] "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.

[0077] A "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.

[0078] A "UWB Service" may be a software component that provides access to a UWB S.

[0079] A "UWB session" may be a period of time from when a controller and a controlled person start communicating via UWB until the communication stops. A UWB session may include ranging, data transmission, or both ranging and data transmission.

[0080] The "UWB session ID" may be an ID (eg, a 32-bit integer) identifying a UWB session shared between a controller and a controllable.

[0081] 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.

[0082] "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 FiRa reference IEEE 802.15.4 / 4z.

[0083] “DL-TDoA” may be referred to as downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDoA), reverse TDoA, and its default operation may be to let a user equipment (UE) (tag device (UWB device)) listen to messages of an anchor device while multiple anchor devices are broadcasting or exchanging messages.

[0084] An "anchor device" may be referred to as 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.

[0085] 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 responses for responder anchors operating in the same ranging round. 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 a response time to a message sent by the responder anchor. The end message may include a send timestamp.

[0086] 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 that the responder anchor uses to respond may include a response time to the initiation message. The message that the responder anchor uses to respond may be referred to as a responder DTM or a response message. The response message of the responder anchor may include a send timestamp.

[0087] "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.

[0088] An "active ranging round" may be a ranging round in which a UE (UWB device) acting as a tag in DL-TDoA is running in an active state. In an active ranging round or in an active state, the UE may listen to messages sent by an anchor device. In the present disclosure, an active ranging round may be referred to as an active round.

[0089] An "inactive ranging round" may be a ranging round in which a UE (UWB device) acting as a tag in DL-TDoA is in an inactive state or a dormant state. In an inactive ranging round or in an inactive state (dormant state), the UE cannot monitor messages sent by an anchor device. In the present disclosure, an inactive ranging round may be referred to as a dormant ranging round, an inactive round, or a dormant round.

[0090] When it is determined to make the subject matter of the present invention unnecessarily unclear, a detailed description of related well-known functions or features may be skipped in describing the present disclosure.

[0091] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0092] Figure 1 An example architecture of a UWB device is shown.

[0093] 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.

[0094] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the UWB device 100 can interact with other UWB devices through a UWB session.

[0095] In addition, the UWB device 100 may implement a first interface (interface #1), which is an interface between the UWB-enabled application 110 and the UWB framework (or UWB 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.

[0096] 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.

[0097] Reference Figure 1 , the UWB device 100 may include a UWB enabled application 110, a framework (UWB framework) 120, and / or a UWBS 130 including a UWB MAC layer and a UWB physical layer. Depending on the embodiment, some entities may not be included in the UWB device, or additional entities (eg, a security layer) may be further included.

[0098] The UWB enabled application 110 may trigger the establishment of a UWB session by the UWBS 130 via 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] 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.

[0102] Figure 2 An example configuration of a framework for a UWB device is shown.

[0103] Figure 2 A UWB device can be Figure 2 Examples of UWB devices.

[0104] 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 .

[0105] 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 to force the use of a special security component, 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)).

[0106] 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 .

[0107] The security service 223 may function to interface with a security component 240 such as a SE or TEE.

[0108] 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.

[0109] Figure 3 Various examples of UWB ranging methods are shown.

[0110] Figure 3 (a) shows an example of a two-way ranging (TWR) scheme, Figure 3 (b) shows an example of an uplink Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA) scheme (One-Way Ranging (OWR)), Figure 3 (c) shows an example of a downlink TDoA scheme.

[0111] "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.

[0112] "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) by 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.

[0113] "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 from 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.

[0114] In the present disclosure, the TWR scheme corresponds to a method in which UWB devices exchange ranging messages between them to calculate the time of flight (ToF) and determine the position of the UWB device based thereon. The uplink TDoA method corresponds to a method in which a UWB anchor point receives a ranging message sent from a UWB device (tag), calculates the time difference (TDoA) and determines the position of the UWB device based thereon. The downlink TDoA method corresponds to a method in which a UWB device (UWB tag) receives a ranging message sent from a UWB anchor point, calculates the time difference (TDoA) and determines the position of the UWB device based thereon.

[0115] refer to Figure 3 (a) The UWB device 320a may perform ranging through ranging exchange using at least one UWB anchor point 310a and a plurality of ranging messages. Figure 3 The TWR scheme of a can follow the scheme defined in IEEE 802.15.4 / 4z. Figure 3 As shown in (a), TWR can be easily installed because no synchronization or networking is required between UWB anchor points, but its disadvantage is that the number of users (UEs) is limited.

[0116] Reference Figure 3 (b), the user's UWB device 320b may send (broadcast) a ranging message to at least one UWB anchor point 310b, and at least one UWB anchor point 310b may identify the location of the UWB device 320b based on the time difference (TDoA) when the ranging message is received. Figure 3The uplink TDoA shown in (b) has the advantage of reducing power consumption in the UE, but has disadvantages such as installation difficulties due to the need for synchronization or networking between UWB anchor points, privacy issues due to the system operator knowing the location of all users, and limitations on the number of users (UEs).

[0117] Reference Figure 3 (c), the UWB device 320c can receive (sniff) the ranging message sent / received between at least one UWB anchor point 310c and identify its location. Figure 3 The downlink TDoA shown in (c) has the following advantages: no limit on the number of UEs (scalability); no privacy issues, unlike in uplink TDoA; no synchronization or networking between UWB anchors and easy installation; the possibility for the UD to calculate its position itself; and the possibility to use additional data (e.g., sensor data from the UE) to enhance positioning. However, unlike Figure 3 (a) TWR and Figure 3 Compared with the uplink TDoA of (b), due to the longer active duration and more computation, Figure 3 The downlink TDoA of (c) may consume more power in the UE.

[0118] Figure 4 An example of the structure of ranging blocks and rounds for UWB ranging is shown.

[0119] 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 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.).

[0120] like Figure 4 As shown, a ranging block may include at least one ranging round. Each ranging round may include at least one ranging slot.

[0121] 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 an interval-based mode, the time between consecutive ranging rounds can be dynamically changed. In other words, the interval-based mode can adopt a time structure with adaptive gaps.

[0122] The number and duration of the time slots included in a ranging round can be changed between ranging rounds. This can be configured by a control message from the controller.

[0123] In the present disclosure, ranging blocks, ranging rounds, and ranging slots may be abbreviated as blocks, rounds, and slots.

[0124] Figure 5 An example in which a plurality of UWB devices perform communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0125] Reference Figure 5 , a first UWB device 500 operating as an anchor point or UWB infrastructure can perform UWB communication with each of a plurality of UWB devices 510, 520, and 530 worn by a user and operating as UWB nodes. The plurality of UWB devices 510, 520, and 530 can perform UWB communication with each other.

[0126] According to an embodiment, each of the plurality of UWB devices 510, 520, and 530 may be implemented as an augmented reality (AR) device or a virtual reality (VR) device including a UWB module (or chip). For example, the second UWB device 510 may be implemented as VR glasses worn on the face of a user, the third UWB device 520 may be implemented as a first VR device worn on the hand of a user, and the fourth UWB device 530 may be implemented as a second VR device worn on the hand of a user.

[0127] According to an embodiment, the second UWB device 510 may use the UWB ranging value or the angle of arrival (AoA) value for initial reference direction position setting and periodic direction calibration of the VR glasses.

[0128] According to an embodiment, UX of the AR / VR device may be supported by one-to-one (O2O) mode ranging, one-to-many (O2M) mode ranging, and / or many-to-many (M2M) mode ranging between the first UWB device 500 and the plurality of UWB devices 510, 520, and 530.

[0129] According to an embodiment, the UX of the AR / VR device can be supported by one-to-one (O2O) mode ranging, one-to-many (O2M) mode ranging and / or many-to-many (M2M) mode ranging between multiple UWB devices 510, 520 and 530 and peripheral auxiliary devices (e.g., wireless headphones, watch-type / ring-type devices and / or tactile devices).

[0130] Meanwhile, the maximum sampling rate that can be expected when the UWB device uses nominal ranging parameters is slightly lower than the sampling rate in the sensor, but can be at a level sufficient to provide UX assistance to VR / AR devices (e.g., a few milliseconds). UWB devices that continuously maintain the maximum sampling rate can achieve more accurate and agile UX assistance, but may greatly increase the energy consumption burden of battery-powered UWB devices (e.g., AR / VR devices) and peripheral auxiliary devices.

[0131] The present disclosure proposes a dynamic ranging parameter adjustment and / or ranging scheduling method for reducing energy consumption of a UWB device (e.g., an AR / VR device) and / or a peripheral auxiliary device.

[0132] For AR / VR services, the number of UWB devices involved in ranging and / or the degree of user mobility can change continuously, and considering the trade-off between sampling rate and energy efficiency, ranging parameters and scheduling need to be dynamically adjusted.

[0133] In addition, considering the situations where multiple devices access and various ranging modes are mixed, the situation where device-to-device (D2D) ranging is mixed, the situation where infrastructure-to-device (I2D) ranging is mixed, the situation where the number of devices participating in / leaving ranging is variable, and / or the situation where multiple ranging groups are mixed, dynamic time resource management is required.

[0134] Figure 6 An example for describing a role of each of a plurality of UWB devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0135] Reference Figure 6 During UWB communication, a predetermined role may be assigned to each of the plurality of UWB devices. For example, the first UWB device 600 may operate as a global coordinator. The second UWB device 610 may operate as a first local controller #1, the third UWB device 612 may operate as a second local controller #2, and the fourth UWB device 614 may operate as a third local controller #3.

[0136] In the present disclosure, the global coordinator can manage (or control) a superframe time structure in which various UWB devices and various types of ranging methods coexist. The global coordinator can broadcast an advanced beacon to manage (or control) the superframe time structure.

[0137] In the present disclosure, the local controller of each ranging group can control the RDEV of the corresponding ranging group by sending a ranging control message (RCM). The local controlees in the corresponding ranging group can apply the ranging parameters included in the RCM received from the local controller during UWB communication. For example, in the case of DL-TDoA, the initiator in the DT anchor point can be the local controller.

[0138] The local controller of each ranging group may receive the advanced beacon broadcast from the global coordinator. According to an embodiment, when the local controller wants to change the time resources allocated to the ranging group, the local controller may send a change request for the time resources in a local roller.

[0139] According to an embodiment, the local controller may apply a hybrid period (HP), a ranging-only period (ROP), a HP, and a sub-period in the ROP based on an advanced beacon received from the global coordinator.

[0140] For example, the second UWB device 610 may control the UWB communication between the fifth UWB device 620 operating as the first local controlee #1 and the sixth UWB device 622 operating as the second local controlee #2. The third UWB device 612 may control the UWB communication between the seventh UWB device 630 operating as the third local controlee #3 and the eighth UWB device 632 operating as the fourth local controlee #4. The fourth UWB device 614 may control the UWB communication between the ninth UWB device 640 operating as the fifth local controlee #53 and the tenth UWB device 642 operating as the sixth local controlee #6.

[0141] Figure 7 An example for describing a superframe time structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0142] Reference Figure 7 , a superframe managed (or controlled) by a global coordinator may include a hybrid period (HP) and a ranging-only period (ROP).

[0143] According to an embodiment, the HP in a superframe may include a plurality of contention-free periods (CFPs) and a plurality of contention access periods (CAPs). For example, the first subperiod in the HP may be allocated to the CFP for DL-TDoA, the second subperiod in the HP may be allocated to the CAP, and the third subperiod in the HP may be allocated to the CFP for OWR or TWR.

[0144] According to an embodiment, the ROP in the superframe may be a period for ranging only between UWB devices. For example, the first sub-ROP (or first sub-period) in the ROP may be allocated to the TWR, and the second sub-ROP (or second sub-period) in the ROP may be allocated to the OWR.

[0145] According to an embodiment, the global coordinator may broadcast an advanced beacon for managing (or controlling) the superframe in the first sub-period in the superframe. The local controller in each ranging group may receive the advanced beacon broadcast from the global coordinator. According to an embodiment, the advanced beacon may include information for configuring the HP, ROP, and sub-period (e.g., CFP and CAP for HP, and low-level ROP for ROP).

[0146] According to an embodiment, the global coordinator may send an advanced beacon for managing (or controlling) a superframe, thereby enabling the coexistence of multiple ranging groups. Each ranging group may consist of a local controller and a RDEV (or a local controleee).

[0147] According to an embodiment, each local controller of each ranging group may send a ranging control message (RCM) in a first sub-ROP or a second sub-ROP in the ROP to control the RDEV of the corresponding ranging group. According to an embodiment, each of the sub-ROPs in the ROP may be implemented as a ranging block period assigned to each ranging group.

[0148] According to an embodiment, each local controller of each ranging group may send a ROP change request (ROP-CR) for requesting a ROP change to the global coordinator in a CFP or CAP in the HP. According to an embodiment, based on a plurality of ROP-CRs from a plurality of ranging groups and a HP change request (HP-CR) for requesting a HP change, the global coordinator may adjust (or control) the entire ROP duration and the sub-ROP duration.

[0149] According to an embodiment, the local controller of each ranging group may control scheduling information and ranging parameters (eg, block period and ranging period) about RDEVs (or local controlees) belonging to the allocated sub-ROP.

[0150] According to an embodiment, a local controller in a ranging group may send a ranging change request (RCR) to a local controller. According to an embodiment, a local controller running in a CFP or CAP of an HP may send an HP-CR in a CAP or CFP. Here, the RCR may be an IE sent by a responder to change the ranging parameters defined in IEEE 802.15.4z.

[0151] According to an embodiment, the global coordinator may adjust (or control) the entire HP cycle and CAP / CFP cycle based on the received HP-CR.

[0152] According to an embodiment, the global coordinator in each ranging group may change the ranging time structure based on at least one of the HP-CR and the ROP-CR and the number of CAPs and CFPs required in the HP.

[0153] According to an embodiment, the local controller in each ranging group may change the ranging time structure based on at least one of the number of RDEVs per group, the required ranging sampling rate, and the RCR.

[0154] Figure 8 An example configuration of a UWB device operating as a local controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0155] Reference Figure 8, the UWB device 800 operating as a local controller may include a VR / AR application 810, a plurality of sensors 820, a UWB framework 830, and a UWBS 840. The UWB device 800 may be implemented as a VR / AR device, and a VR / AR application 810 for providing services to VR / AR users may be implemented (or installed) in the UWB device 800.

[0156] According to an embodiment, the UWB device 800 implemented as a VR / AR device may configure a network of a single ranging group with a tactile sensor device operating as a local slave.

[0157] According to an embodiment, the UWBS 840 may transmit OWR / TWR result values ​​(eg, ranging, AoA, CIR) and DL-TDoA result values ​​(eg, Tx / Rx timestamp, time measurement value) to the UWB framework 830 as a higher layer.

[0158] According to an embodiment, the UWBS 840 may transmit at least one of a timestamp, measurement information, ranging, AoA, a channel impulse response (CIR) result value, and information about an advanced beacon to the UWB framework 830 .

[0159] According to an embodiment, the VR / AR application 810 may continuously track the user's mobility based on the sensor measurement information provided from the plurality of sensors 820. For example, when the VR / AR application 810 determines that the user's movement is small based on the sensor measurement information provided from the plurality of sensors 820, the UWB ranging period may be set to be long (sparse ranging). For example, when the VR / AR application 810 determines that the user's movement is large or fast based on the sensor measurement information provided from the plurality of sensors 820, the UWB ranging period may be set to be short (fine ranging).

[0160] According to an embodiment, the VR / AR application 810 may determine ranging parameters within a sub-period and / or HP / ROP duration based on sensor measurement information received from the plurality of sensors 820 and a UWB ranging or TDoA-based positioning result value received from the UWB framework 830. According to an embodiment, the VR / AR application 810 may send the determined ranging parameters within the sub-period and / or HP / ROP duration to the UWB framework 830.

[0161] According to an embodiment, the VR / AR application 810 may send a UWB configuration (eg, sub-period (HP) duration, sub-period scheduling information) to the UWB framework 830 .

[0162] According to an embodiment, the UWB framework 830 may send configuration parameters (e.g., HP, ROP configuration, additional resource allocation (if necessary), HP-CR, ROP-CR transmission request, and ranging time structure parameter configuration (for RCM transmission) within the corresponding sub-cycle (e.g., sub-ROP)) to the UWBS 840 through UCI. According to an embodiment, the ranging parameters within the sub-cycle may be adjusted based on RCM and RCR, and if the superframe time structure needs to be changed and additional time needs to be allocated, the UWB device 800 may send ROP-CR and / or HP-CR to the UWB device performing the global initiator operation.

[0163] Fig. 9 An example configuration of a UWB device operating as a local slave according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0164] Reference Fig. 9 , a UWB device 900 operating as a local controller may include a sensing application 910, a plurality of sensors 920, a UWB framework 930, and a UWBS 940. The UWB device 900 may be implemented as a tactile sensor device, and a sensing application 910 for providing sensing information to a VR / AR user may be implemented (or installed) in the UWB device 900.

[0165] According to an embodiment, the UWB device 900 implemented as a tactile sensor device may configure a network of a single ranging group with a VR / AR device operating as a local controller.

[0166] According to an embodiment, the UWBS 940 may transmit OWR / TWR result values ​​(eg, ranging, AoA, CIR) and / or DL-TDoA result values ​​(eg, Tx / Rx timestamp, time measurement) to the UWB framework 930 as a higher layer.

[0167] According to an embodiment, the UWBS 940 may transmit at least one of a timestamp, measurement information, ranging, AoA, a channel impulse response (CIR) result value, and information about an advanced beacon to the UWB framework 930 .

[0168] According to an embodiment, the sensing application 910 may continuously track the user's mobility based on the sensor measurement information provided from the plurality of sensors 920. For example, when the sensing application 910 determines that the user's movement is small based on the sensor measurement information provided from the plurality of sensors 920, the UWB ranging cycle may be set to be long (sparse ranging). For example, when the sensing application 910 determines that the user's movement is large or fast based on the sensor measurement information provided from the plurality of sensors 920, the UWB ranging cycle may be set to be short (fine ranging).

[0169] According to an embodiment, the sensing application 910 may determine the ranging parameters within the sub-cycle and / or HP / ROP duration at a level suitable for reporting sensor measurement information to the VR / AR device (e.g., considering the generation rate of the sensor measurement information). According to an embodiment, the sensing application 910 may send the determined ranging parameters within the sub-cycle and / or HP / ROP duration to the UWB framework 930.

[0170] According to an embodiment, the sensing application 910 may send the UWB configuration (eg, preferred sub-cycle (HP, ROP) duration, ranging parameters) to the UWB framework 930 .

[0171] According to an embodiment, the UWB framework 930 may transmit sensor measurement information obtained from the plurality of sensors 920 for UWB in-band transmission to the UWBS 940. According to an embodiment, when it is necessary to adjust the ranging parameters within a sub-period (e.g., sub-ROP), the UWB framework 930 may transmit an RCR transmission request to be transmitted to the local controller.

[0172] Fig.10 An example of an operation method of a UWB device operating as a global coordinator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0173] Reference Fig.10 In step 1000, the UWB device operating as a global coordinator may drive (turn on) a UWB module installed in the device and supporting UWB communication (eg, Figure 1 UWB enabled applications 110, UWB framework 110 and / or UWBS 130).

[0174] In step 1010, the UWB device operating as a global coordinator may configure an initial superframe (or superframe time structure) for at least one ranging group. According to an embodiment, a ranging group may include a local controller and a plurality of local controlees.

[0175] In step 1020, the UWB device operating as a global coordinator may broadcast an advanced beacon including information about the superframe.

[0176] In step 1030, the UWB device operating as a global coordinator may identify (or determine) whether a ranging cycle change request only (ROP-CR) or a hybrid change request (HP-CR) has been received. According to an embodiment, the UWB device operating as a global coordinator may receive a ROP-CR or a HP-CR from a local controller.

[0177] If the UWB device operating as a global coordinator receives ROP-CR or HP-CR in step 1030 (yes in 1020), the UWB device operating as a global coordinator can determine ROP and / or HP based on at least one of ROP-CR, HP-CR and sensor measurement information in the device in step 1040.

[0178] If the UWB device operating as the global coordinator does not receive the ROP-CR or HP-CR in step 1030 (“NO” in 1020 ), the UWB device operating as the global coordinator may determine to maintain the current ROP and / or HP in step 1050 .

[0179] Fig.11 An example of an operation method of a UWB device operating as a local controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0180] Reference Fig.11 In step 1100, the UWB device operating as a local controller may drive (turn on) a UWB module (eg, Figure 1 UWB enabled applications 110, UWB framework 110 and / or UWBS 130).

[0181] In step 1110, a UWB device operating as a local controller may receive an advanced beacon including information about a superframe from a global coordinator.

[0182] In step 1120 , the UWB device operating as a local controller may perform UWB communication by applying a superframe including a ROP and / or HP changed based on the received advanced beacon.

[0183] In step 1130, the UWB device operating as a local controller may obtain at least one of a ranging change request (RCR) and sensor measurement information obtained from a sensor in the device. Here, the RCR may be a message sent by a responder to change a ranging parameter defined in IEEE 802.15.4z. According to an embodiment, the UWB device operating as a local controller may receive an RCR from a local controle.

[0184] In step 1140, the UWB device operating as a local controller may determine whether to transmit the ROP-CR and / or the HP-CR based on at least one of the RCR and sensor measurement information obtained from sensors in the device.

[0185] If the UWB device operating as the local controller determines to send ROP-CR and / or HP-CR based on this ("YES" in 1140), the UWB device operating as the local controller may send ROP-CR and / or HP-CR to the global coordinator.

[0186] If the UWB device operating as a local controller determines not to transmit ROP-CR and / or HP-CR based on the device in step 1140 (“No” in 1140 ), the UWB device operating as a local controller may return to step 1110 and receive an advanced beacon broadcast from the global coordinator.

[0187] Fig.12 Another example of an operation method of a UWB device operating as a local controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0188] Reference Fig.12 In step 1200, the UWB device operating as a local controller may drive (turn on) a UWB module (eg, Figure 1 UWB enabled applications 110, UWB framework 110 and / or UWBS 130).

[0189] In step 1210, a UWB device operating as a local controller may receive an advanced beacon including information about a superframe from a global coordinator.

[0190] In step 1220, the UWB device operating as the local controller may perform UWB communication by applying a sub-period of a superframe changed based on the received advanced beacon.

[0191] In step 1230, the UWB device operating as a local controller may obtain at least one of a ranging change request (RCR), sensor measurement information obtained from a sensor in the device, and sensor IE information in a ranging response. Here, the RCR may be a message sent by a responder to change the ranging parameters defined in IEEE 802.15.4z. According to an embodiment, the UWB device operating as a local controller may receive an RCR from a local controle. According to an embodiment, the UWB device operating as a local controller may receive a ranging response from a local controle.

[0192] According to an embodiment, the sensor IE information may be sent as an "application payload" within a sub-ROP together with a general ranging message. According to an embodiment, the sensor IE information may be implemented to include a message counter, a length of the sensor data, and a type of the sensor data. According to another embodiment, the sensor IE information may be implemented to include a message counter, a length of the sensor data in bytes, and a type of the sensor data. According to another embodiment, the sensor IE information may be implemented to include a sensor type ID, a length of the sensor data, and a type of the sensor data.

[0193] In step 1240, the UWB device operating as a local controller may determine whether a ranging parameter within a sub-cycle needs to be changed.

[0194] If the UWB device operating as the local controller determines in step 1240 that the ranging parameters within the sub-cycle need to be changed ("Yes" in 1240), the UWB device operating as the local controller may send an RCM applying (or including) the changed ranging parameters to the local controllable in step 1250.

[0195] If the UWB device operating as the local controller determines in step 1240 that there is no need to change the ranging parameters within the sub-cycle ("No" in 1240), the UWB device operating as the local controller can send the RCM to the local controle without changing the ranging parameters in step 1260.

[0196] Fig.13a An example of a descriptor IE format included in an advanced beacon message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0197] The global coordinator may send a high-level beacon including a descriptor IE format to the local controller.

[0198] Reference Fig.13a , the descriptor IE format may include a beacon slot (BS) duration defined as a ranging scheduling time unit (RSTU unit), a beacon interval defined as a BS unit, a first RCM BS index for ROP, a sub-period table length, and a sub-period table. According to an embodiment, the sub-period table length may indicate the number of sub-periods in a superframe. According to an embodiment, the sub-period table may include configuration information for each sub-period in a superframe.

[0199] Fig.13b The embodiment according to the present disclosure includes Fig.13a Example of the format of a sub-periodic table element in the Descriptor IE format.

[0200] Reference Fig.13bThe sub-period table element format may include a period type indicating HP or ROP (e.g., 0: HP, 1: ROP), a sub-period type indicating a sub-period type of HP or ROP, a sub-period ID, a sub-period start BS index indicating a start BS index of the sub-period, a sub-period end BS index indicating a last BS index of the sub-period, and a reservation.

[0201] For example, if the cycle type is HP (cycle type = "0"), the subcycle type may indicate CAP (subcycle type = "0"), CFP (subcycle type = "1"), or reserved (subcycle type = "2" or "3").

[0202] For example, if the cycle type is ROP (cycle type = "1"), the sub-cycle type can indicate SS-TWR (sub-cycle type = "0"), DS-TWR (sub-cycle type = "1"), OWR (sub-cycle type = "2"), or reserved (sub-cycle type = "3").

[0203] At the same time, the local controller may send ROP-CR and / or HP-CR to the global coordinator. Figures 14a to 14c An example of ROP-CR or HP-CR is shown.

[0204] Figures 14a to 14c Each shows an example of information included in a change request sent by a local controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0205] Reference Fig.14a , the ROP-CR or HP-CR may include a sub-cycle ID and a sub-cycle update duration defined in BS units.

[0206] Reference Fig.14b , the ROP-CR or HP-CR may include a sub-cycle ID and a sub-cycle update duration defined in RSTU units.

[0207] Reference Fig.14c , ROP-CR or HP-CR may include a cycle type indicating HP or ROP (e.g., 0:HP, 1:ROP), a sub-cycle type indicating the sub-cycle type of HP or ROP, a sub-cycle ID, a sub-cycle start BS index indicating the start BS index of the sub-cycle, a sub-cycle end BS index indicating the last BS index of the sub-cycle, and a reservation.

[0208] For example, if the cycle type is HP (cycle type = "0"), the subcycle type may indicate CAP (subcycle type = "0"), CFP (subcycle type = "1"), or reserved (subcycle type = "2" or "3").

[0209] For example, if the cycle type is ROP (cycle type = "1"), the sub-cycle type can indicate SS-TWR (sub-cycle type = "0"), DS-TWR (sub-cycle type = "1"), OWR (sub-cycle type = "2"), or reserved (sub-cycle type = "3").

[0210] Fig.15 The structure of a first UWB device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0211] exist Fig.15 In an embodiment of the present invention, the first UWB device may correspond to Figure 1 A UWB device may include a UWB device, or may be an electronic device that may include a part of a UWB device.

[0212] exist Fig.15 In an embodiment of the present invention, the first UWB device may be a device configured to perform a role as a local controller.

[0213] Reference Fig.15 , the UWB device may include a transceiver 1510, a controller 1520, and a storage unit 1530. In the present disclosure, the controller may be defined as a circuit or an application specific integrated circuit or at least one processor.

[0214] The transceiver 1510 may transmit and receive signals to and from another entity. The transceiver 1510 may transmit and receive data to and from another device through, for example, UWB communication or OOB communication (eg, BLE communication).

[0215] The controller 1520 may control the overall operation of the UWB device according to the embodiments proposed in the present disclosure. For example, the controller 1520 may control the inter-block signal flow to perform the operation according to the above flowchart. Specifically, the controller 1520 may control the reference Figures 1 to 14c Describes the operation of a UWB device (eg, a framework of a UWB device or the operation of a UWBS).

[0216] Controller 1520 may control receiving a beacon message including configuration information of a superframe in which multiple UWB devices communicate from a second UWB device and identifying a hybrid period (HP) and a ranging period only (ROP) in the superframe based on the configuration information. Controller 1520 may communicate with a third UWB device based on the HP and the ROP.

[0217] According to an embodiment, the HP may include at least one contention free period (CFP) and at least one contention access period (CAP). According to an embodiment, the ROP may include at least one of a sub-ROP for two-way ranging (TWR) and a sub-ROP for one-way ranging (OWR).

[0218] According to an embodiment, the first UWB device may be configured as a local controller, the second UWB device may be configured as a global coordinator, and the third UWB device may be configured as a local controllable.

[0219] According to an embodiment, the beacon message may include at least one of a beacon slot (BS) duration defined in units of ranging scheduling time units (RSTUs), a beacon interval defined in units of BSs, a first RCM BS index for the ROP, and information about a sub-cycle.

[0220] According to an embodiment, the information about the sub-cycle may include at least one of a cycle type indicating HP or ROP, information indicating a sub-cycle type of HP or ROP, a sub-cycle ID, a start BS index of the sub-cycle, a last BS index of the sub-cycle, or a reserved field.

[0221] The controller 1520 may control receiving a ranging change request (RCR) for changing a ranging parameter between the first UWB device and the third UWB device from the third UWB device.

[0222] The controller 1520 may determine whether to send a change request (CR) for HP or ROP based on at least one of the sensor information and RCR measured by the first UWB device. If it is determined to send a CR for HP or ROP, the controller 1520 may control the CR for HP or ROP to be sent to the second UWB device.

[0223] The controller 1520 may control the sensor information measured by the third UWB device to be received from the third UWB device. The controller 1520 may determine whether it is necessary to change the ranging parameter within the sub-period based on at least one of the sensor information measured by the first UWB device, the sensor information measured by the third UWB device, and the RCR.

[0224] If it is determined that the ranging parameters within the sub-period need to be changed, the controller 1520 may control the transmission of a ranging control message (RCM) applying the changed ranging parameters to the third UWB device.

[0225] If it is determined that there is no need to change the ranging parameters within the sub-period, the controller 1520 may control the RCM to be sent to the third UWB device without changing the ranging parameters.

[0226] The storage unit 1530 may store at least one of information transmitted / received via the transceiver 1510 and information generated via the controller 1520. For example, the storage unit 1530 may store the above-mentioned Figures 1 to 14c Information and data necessary for the described method.

[0227] Fig.16The structure of a second UWB device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0228] exist Fig.16 In an embodiment of the present invention, the first UWB device may correspond to Figure 2 A UWB device may include a UWB device, or may be an electronic device that may include a part of a UWB device.

[0229] exist Fig.16 In an embodiment of the present invention, the second UWB device may be a device configured to perform a role as a global coordinator.

[0230] Reference Fig.16 , the second UWB device may include a transceiver 1610, a controller 1620, and a storage unit 1630. In the present disclosure, the controller may be defined as a circuit or an application specific integrated circuit or at least one processor.

[0231] The transceiver 1610 may transmit and receive signals to and from another entity. The transceiver 1610 may transmit and receive data to and from another device using, for example, UWB communication.

[0232] The controller 1620 may control the overall operation of the UWB device according to the embodiments proposed in the present disclosure. For example, the controller 1620 may control the inter-block signal flow to perform the operation according to the above flowchart. Specifically, the controller 1620 may control the above reference Figures 1 to 14c Describe the operation of a UWB device.

[0233] The controller 1620 may control the transmission of a beacon message including configuration information about a superframe in which a plurality of UWB devices communicate to the first UWB device. The controller 1620 may control the reception of a change request (CR) for requesting a change of a hybrid period (HP) or a ranging period only (ROP) in a superframe from the first UWB device. The controller 1620 may change the HP or ROP in the superframe based on the CR.

[0234] According to an embodiment, the HP may include at least one contention free period (CFP) and at least one contention access period (CAP). According to an embodiment, the ROP may include at least one of a sub-ROP for two-way ranging (TWR) and a sub-ROP for one-way ranging (OWR).

[0235] According to an embodiment, the first UWB device may be configured as a local controller, and the second UWB device may be configured as a global coordinator.

[0236] According to an embodiment, the beacon message may include at least one of a beacon slot (BS) duration defined in units of ranging scheduling time units (RSTUs), a beacon interval defined in units of BSs, a first RCM BS index for the ROP, and information about a sub-cycle.

[0237] According to an embodiment, the information about the sub-cycle may include at least one of a cycle type indicating HP or ROP, information indicating a sub-cycle type of HP or ROP, a sub-cycle ID, a start BS index of the sub-cycle, a last BS index of the sub-cycle, or a reserved field.

[0238] The storage unit 1630 may store at least one of information transmitted / received via the transceiver 1610 and information generated via the controller 1620. For example, the storage unit 1630 may store the above-referenced Figures 1 to 14c Information and data necessary for the described method.

[0239] In the above-mentioned specific embodiments, 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 proposed 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.

[0240] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. 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 a first ultra-wideband (UWB) device, the method comprising: receiving, from a second UWB device, a beacon message including configuration information related to a superframe in which a plurality of UWB devices communicate; Identifying a hybrid period HP and a ranging-only period ROP in the superframe based on the configuration information; and Communicate with a third UWB device based on the HP and the ROP.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The HP includes at least one contention-free period CFP and at least one contention access period CAP, and The ROP includes at least one of a sub-ROP for two-way ranging TWR and a sub-ROP for one-way ranging OWR.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first UWB device is configured as a local controller, the second UWB device is configured as a global coordinator, and the third UWB device is configured as a local controllable.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A ranging change request RCR for changing a ranging parameter between the first UWB device and the third UWB device is received from the third UWB device.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: determining whether to send a change request CR for the HP or the ROP based on at least one of sensor information measured by the first UWB device and the RCR; as well as If it is determined to send the CR for the HP or the ROP, the CR for the HP or the ROP is sent to the second UWB device.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: receiving, from the third UWB device, sensor information measured by the third UWB device; as well as Whether it is necessary to change a ranging parameter within a sub-cycle is determined based on at least one of sensor information measured by the first UWB device, sensor information measured by the third UWB device, and the RCR.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: If it is determined that the ranging parameters within the sub-period need to be changed, a ranging control message RCM to which the changed ranging parameters are applied is sent to the third UWB device.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: If it is determined that the ranging parameters within the sub-period do not need to be changed, the RCM is sent to the third UWB device without changing the ranging parameters.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The beacon message includes a beacon slot BS duration defined in units of ranging scheduling time units RSTU, a beacon interval defined in units of BS, a first RCM BS index for the ROP, and information on a sub-cycle.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The information about the sub-cycle includes a cycle type indicating the HP or the ROP, information indicating a sub-cycle type of the HP or the ROP, a sub-cycle ID, a start BS index of the sub-cycle, a last BS index of the sub-cycle, and a reserved field.

11. A method for operating a second ultra-wideband (UWB) device, the method comprising: sending a beacon message including configuration information related to a superframe in which a plurality of UWB devices communicate to a first UWB device; receiving a change request CR for requesting to change a hybrid period HP or a ranging period ROP in the superframe from the first UWB device; as well as The HP or the ROP in the superframe is changed based on the CR.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The HP includes at least one contention-free period CFP and at least one contention access period CAP, and The ROP includes at least one of a sub-ROP for two-way ranging TWR and a sub-ROP for one-way ranging OWR.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The first UWB device is configured as a local controller, and the second UWB device is configured as a global coordinator.

14. A first ultra-wideband (UWB) device, comprising: Transceiver; as well as A controller, wherein the controller is configured to control: receiving, from a second UWB device, a beacon message including configuration information related to a superframe in which a plurality of UWB devices communicate; Identifying a hybrid period HP and a ranging-only period ROP in the superframe based on the configuration information; and Communicate with a third UWB device based on the HP and the ROP.

15. A second ultra-wideband (UWB) device, comprising: Transceiver; as well as A controller, wherein the controller is configured to control: sending a beacon message including configuration information related to a superframe in which a plurality of UWB devices communicate to a first UWB device; receiving a change request CR for requesting to change a hybrid period HP or a ranging period ROP in the superframe from the first UWB device; as well as The HP or the ROP in the superframe is changed based on the CR.

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