Single-module multi-channel self-adaptive frequency self-modulation repeater

Abstract

The invention discloses a single-module multi-channel self-adaptive frequency self-modulation repeater, which adopts single-module communication and can prevent the problem of mutual interference of multiple modules. The repeater frequency points can configure and set uplink and downlink receiving and transmitting frequency points, the specific scanning frequency point number and single frequency point CAD scanning time, the total CAD scanning time is automatically adjusted, different LoRa network configurations and applications are supported, and the utilization rate is improved; the relays can mark, identify and count data, so that a ping-pong mode is prevented from being generated between the relays, and the whole network is ensured to be in effective communication for more time; the repeater can set the number of times of multi-hop to prevent excessive forwarding from influencing the real-time performance of data and reduce invalid occupation during multi-relay; the repeater can be configured and set as a relay of a plurality of multi-frequency-point terminals, can also be set and configured as a relay of independent terminal nodes, and is not shared with other terminals. According to the repeater, the communication coverage range of the LoRaWAN is effectively improved, and the problem of insufficient distance or signal blind area is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of intelligent communications, and more specifically, to a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater. Background Art

[0002] Current communication protocols, such as ZigBee, Bluetooth and WiFi, have shortcomings such as poor penetration, limited communication range and long network delay. Even with relay expansion, the delay problem will still be aggravated, and it cannot meet the real-time communication requirements of smart home systems.

[0003] In addition, most existing relay technologies use fixed frequency co-frequency or heterodyne modes, which are difficult to meet the diverse needs of terminals with different frequencies. When the frequency is unified, communication is prone to blockage, self-interference or mutual interference, resulting in data packet loss.

[0004] In the existing LoRaWAN protocol, relay devices often rely on multiple modules, but concentrating these modules in the same housing increases the risk of self-interference, which in turn causes packet loss and bit error problems, and the cost is also high. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency repeater that supports different LoRa network configurations and applications, improves relay utilization, optimizes the LoRa communication network, and solves the problem of insufficient LoRaWAN communication distance or blind spots.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater, including a power input interface and a power conversion circuit, a serial port, a dip switch, a LoRa SoC chip, and a LoRa radio frequency circuit.

[0007] The input end of the power input interface is used to connect to an external power supply, and the output end is connected to the input end of the power conversion circuit; the output end of the power conversion circuit is connected to the LoRa SoC chip; the dip switch is connected to the chip; the repeater is connected to the server through gateway transparent transmission, and the repeater is also connected to the terminal device.

[0008] In this solution, the MCU in the repeater adopts the LoRa SoC chip, and the external circuit includes a 32.768KHz external low-speed crystal oscillator for the microcontroller, a 32MHz external crystal oscillator for LoRa, and a reset circuit.

[0009] In this solution, the repeater also includes three LED indicator lights, one for indicating the working status of the LoRa SoC chip; one for indicating the current configuration status of the module, that is, whether it is an independent mode relay; and one for indicating the LoRa transceiver status; the input end of the power conversion circuit is connected to the output end of the external power supply of the power input interface, and the output end is respectively connected to the LoRa SoC chip, the LED indicator light, and the LoRa radio frequency circuit.

[0010] In this solution, the repeater configures its own parameters by sending instructions through the local serial port or the server. The configurable parameters include: the frequencies of uplink and downlink transmission and reception, the specific number of scanned frequencies and the CAD scanning time of a single frequency, the number of multi-hops, the relay of multiple multi-frequency terminals, or the relay of independent terminal nodes.

[0011] In this solution, the repeater continuously scans the CAD of n frequency points. The CAD is composed of m symbles, where m and n are both configurable (serial port or server). The duration of the preamble used by the terminal during initialization is greater than or equal to the CAD scanning time within one cycle of the relay.

[0012] When the repeater scans the terminal's preamble in the qth CAD, it will enter the receiving state and the data transmission to the terminal will be completed. When the relay reception is completed, the corresponding data will be forwarded. Similarly, the repeater receives gateway data similarly to the terminal.

[0013] The repeater will count the number of times each channel frequency is received within the channel frequency counting statistical time T (configurable), and increase or decrease the CAD scanning times of the channel frequency according to the proportion of times received at different channel frequencies. The minimum number is 1, and the maximum number is that the entire CAD scanning cycle T2 (tn2-tn0) is no more than 1.5 times the default value of the CAD initial state cycle of the repeater (configurable).

[0014] If the relay receives multiple CAD signals at the xth frequency point within a CAD scanning cycle T2, it is mainly because the proportion of the number of times the xth channel frequency point is received increases within a certain period of time T, which makes the repeater believe that the xth channel frequency point in the area needs to send more data for some reason (such as a large number of terminals at the xth frequency point or a large amount of data sent by the terminals at the xth frequency point), thereby occupying a longer channel time. Therefore, the repeater will intermittently increase the CAD scan of the xth frequency point within the CAD scanning cycle based on the big data statistical algorithm.

[0015] If there are 2, 3 or even more channels that need to occupy a longer channel time, the repeater will increase or decrease the CAD scan times of these channel frequencies according to the proportion of reception times of these channel frequencies within the statistical time T. The minimum number is 1 time, and the maximum number is that the entire CAD scan cycle T2 is no more than 1.5 times (configurable) of the default value of the CAD initial state cycle; within a certain time T, when the proportion of reception times of all channel frequencies almost reaches the average, the CAD scan state will return to the initial state again.

[0016] The repeater will continuously update the time T as time changes. If when time T is arrived, the reception times of all channel frequencies almost reach the average or the reception times of all channel frequencies are almost 0, the CAD scanning state of the repeater will return to the initial state to ensure that it is in the optimal reception state for all terminals at all times. The repeater adaptively adjusts the CAD scanning times to ensure that it is in the optimal reception state for all terminals at all times.

[0017] In this scheme, the repeater can be set to an independent terminal node mode. At this time, the CAD scan times of the repeater can be set to 0 or 1 to ensure that the repeater can serve the corresponding independent terminal node throughout its life cycle. The independent terminal node mode is divided into two modes: serving only a specified node mode and serving a certain type of channel frequency mode.

[0018] In the mode of serving only a specified node, the repeater is set as the relay of node 1 in channel frequency 1. At this time, the repeater only receives the LoRa signal of channel frequency 1, and filters the received data according to the device ID of relay node 1. Only the data of node 1 will be forwarded, and other data will be discarded.

[0019] In the mode of serving a certain type of channel frequency, the repeater is only set as the repeater of channel frequency 2. At this time, within the effective communication range, all node data of channel frequency 2 can be received and forwarded by the relay. At this time, the repeater does not determine the node ID.

[0020] In this solution, when the repeater is in multi-node multi-frequency mode, it will execute the CAD channel frequency scanning mode, and at the same time, within the time period T, it will perform CAD frequency scanning adaptive adjustment through a data statistical algorithm.

[0021] If node A1 needs to send data frequently, relay A will frequently receive data from node A1 within time period T. The proportion of channel frequency A1 is calculated according to the data statistical algorithm, and the number of channel frequency A1 in the channel frequency scanning period is adaptively increased to ensure that node A1 is better relayed; similarly, the channel frequencies of nodes B2, Bp and Bq are all channel frequency 2, which will cause relay B to frequently receive data from channel frequency B2 within time period T. The proportion of channel frequency B2 is calculated according to the data statistical algorithm, and the number of channel frequency B2 in the channel frequency scanning period is adaptively increased to ensure that the node corresponding to channel frequency B2 is better relayed.

[0022] In this solution, when multiple relays are within the effective communication range, the repeater adds a relay ID to mark a packet of data after forwarding it. When the marked data packet is received again from other relays, it will automatically filter and discard the data packet to prevent invalid forwarding and the generation of a ping-pong mode between relays.

[0023] If relay A and relay B are within the effective communication range, when gateway A sends data 1 to relay A, relay A will forward the corresponding data. At this time, since relay B can receive the data forwarded by relay A, relay B will also forward the data after receiving the data marked by relay A's ID, and A will also receive the data. When relay A receives the data again, it will first identify the relay mark ID. If the data packet sent is a data packet already marked by relay A, it will directly filter and discard the data packet, thereby stopping the forwarding.

[0024] In this solution, the repeater can limit the number of multi-hop interactions through the settings of the local serial port or the remote server, ensure a reasonable LoRa network transmission time, and ensure the real-time performance of the LoRa network.

[0025] If the one-hop limit is set, relays A1 and A2 will directly filter and discard all data forwarded by other relays without forwarding them. In the same network, only some relays can be subject to the one-hop limit.

[0026] If the two-hop limit is set, the gateway can go directly to node B1 through relay B1, or go through relay B1 to relay B2, and then to node B2 and node B3. The gateway can go from relay B1 to relay B4, and then to node B4 and node B5, but it is not allowed to go from relay B1 to relay B2 and then to relay B4, that is, through two-hop relays. Similarly, the network two-hop limit can be set for only some relays.

[0027] In practical applications, the repeater can perform p (p=1, 2...n) hop limit, and different hop limits can be imposed on different relays in the same network, that is, some relays are limited to one hop, some relays are limited to two hops, and some relays are limited to n hops. The 1-n hop limit can be combined at will without having to follow the order.

[0028] In this solution, the repeater will filter the same packet data forwarded by other relays, reduce the LoRa network overhead, and increase the communication capacity and communication effectiveness of the LoRa network.

[0029] When the gateway sends the data, both relay A and relay C receive the data packet, and both relay A and relay C will forward the data. After that, since relay B receives the data forwarded by relay C, relay B will forward the data. After relay B forwards the data, relay A will receive it again. Since relay A has forwarded the data packet sent from the gateway within the limited time, relay A will identify the data as an invalid data packet, and then filter and discard the data packet forwarded by relay B.

[0030] Similarly, data initiated by nodes to relays also follows this design concept.

[0031] In this solution, the same data forwarded by the repeater within a certain period of time is counted and identified.

[0032] After the gateway sends the data, both relay A and relay C receive the data packet. At this time, relay A will add 1 to the data packet count, and relay C will also add 1 to the data packet count. After relay C forwards the data packet, relay B receives the data forwarded by relay C, and relay B will also add 1 to the data packet count. After relay B forwards the data packet, since node A2 has already received the data packet from relay A, after node A2 receives the forwarded data from relay B again within the limited time, it can directly determine that the data packet has been received based on the relay count value, and directly filter and discard it.

[0033] Similarly, data initiated by nodes to relays also follows this design concept.

[0034] The second aspect of the present invention provides a method for implementing a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater, and the method is specifically as follows:

[0035] After the repeater is powered on, it first performs CAD scanning initialization, reads configuration parameters, and determines whether it is an independent repeater or a multi-frequency repeater.

[0036] If it is determined to be an independent relay, it is then determined whether the data source is the repeater or another repeater.

[0037] If the data source is the repeater, the data is marked with the repeater ID, the data count is +1, and then the data is forwarded.

[0038] If the data source is from other repeaters, determine whether it exceeds the preset multi-hop limit; if it exceeds the multi-hop limit, filter and discard it; if it does not exceed the multi-hop limit, determine whether it is a data packet marked by the relay ID; if it is a marked data packet, filter and discard it; if it is determined to be an unmarked data packet, determine whether the relay has forwarded this data packet; if the repeater has forwarded this data packet, filter and discard it; if it has not been forwarded, the data is marked with the relay ID, the data count +1, and then the data is forwarded.

[0039] If it is determined to be a multi-frequency repeater, it is then determined whether the data source is the repeater or another repeater.

[0040] If the data source is the repeater, the data is marked with the relay ID, the data count is +1, and then the data is forwarded, the channel frequency reception times is +1, and the CAD scanning mode is adaptively adjusted according to the data statistical algorithm and the corresponding channel frequency ratio.

[0041] If the data source is from other repeaters, determine whether it exceeds the preset multi-hop limit; if it exceeds the multi-hop limit, filter and discard it; if it does not exceed the multi-hop limit, determine whether it is a data packet marked by the relay ID; if it is a marked data packet, filter and discard it; if it is determined to be an unmarked data packet, determine whether the relay has forwarded this data packet; if the repeater has forwarded this data packet, filter and discard it; if it has not been forwarded, the data is marked with the relay ID, the data count +1, and then the data is forwarded, the number of times the channel frequency is received +1, and according to the data statistical algorithm, combined with the corresponding channel frequency ratio, the CAD scanning method is adaptively adjusted.

[0042] The invention discloses a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater and an implementation method thereof. The repeater adopts single-module communication to prevent the problem of mutual interference among multiple modules.

[0043] The repeater frequency can configure and set the frequencies of uplink and downlink transmission and reception, the specific number of scanned frequencies and the CAD scanning time of a single frequency, automatically adjust the total CAD scanning time, support different LoRa network configurations and applications, and improve utilization.

[0044] The repeaters will mark, identify, and count data to prevent a ping-pong pattern from occurring between repeaters, ensuring that the entire network is in effective communication more of the time.

[0045] The repeater can be set with multiple hop times to prevent excessive forwarding, affect data real-time performance, and reduce invalid occupancy during multiple relays.

[0046] The repeater can be configured and set as a relay for multiple multi-frequency terminals, and can also be set and configured as a relay for an independent terminal node and not shared with other terminals.

[0047] The repeater effectively improves the communication coverage of LoRaWAN and solves the problems of insufficient distance or signal blind spots. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Figure 1 A block diagram of a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater of the present application is shown.

[0049] Figure 2 The embedded software architecture diagram of the single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater described in the present invention is shown.

[0050] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the CAD frequency scanning initialization state is shown.

[0051] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the CAD frequency point scanning to data receiving state is shown.

[0052] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the CAD frequency scanning adaptive adjustment state is shown.

[0053] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of independent terminal node interaction is shown.

[0054] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of single-repeater multi-node multi-frequency interaction is shown.

[0055] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the interaction of marking and filtering the data forwarded by oneself is shown.

[0056] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of multi-hop interaction is shown.

[0057] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of multi-hop restriction interaction is shown.

[0058] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of filtering the same packet data forwarded by other relays is shown.

[0059] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of counting and identifying interactions of identical data forwarded within a certain period of time is shown. Fig.13 A flow chart of a method for implementing a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned purpose, features and advantages of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0061] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0062] Figure 1 A block diagram of a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater of the present application is shown.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, the present application discloses a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater, wherein the repeater 1 includes a power input interface 11, a power conversion circuit 15, a dip switch 12, a serial port 13, an LED indicator light 14, a LoRa SoC chip 16, and a LoRa radio frequency circuit 17.

[0064] The input end of the power input interface 11 is used to connect to an external power supply, and the output end is connected to the input end of the power conversion circuit; the output end of the power conversion circuit is connected to the LoRa SoC chip 16; the dip switch 12 is connected to the LoRa SoC chip 16; the repeater is connected to the server through gateway transparent transmission, and the repeater is also connected to the terminal device.

[0065] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the repeater also includes three LED indicator lights 14, one for indicating the working status of the LoRa SoC chip; one for indicating the current configuration status of the module, that is, whether it is an independent mode relay; and one for indicating the LoRa transceiver status; the input end of the power conversion circuit 15 is connected to the output end of the power input interface, and the output end is respectively connected to the LoRa SoC chip 16, the LED indicator light 14, and the LoRa radio frequency circuit 17.

[0066] It should be noted that, as a specific embodiment, the power conversion circuit 15 described in this embodiment is a 5-24V to 3.3V circuit, the MCU in the repeater adopts the LoRa SoC chip ASR6601, and the external circuit includes a 32.768KHz external low-speed crystal oscillator for the microcontroller, a 32MHz external crystal oscillator for LoRa, and a reset circuit.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2This is the embedded software architecture diagram of the single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency repeater. As can be seen from the figure, the embedded software architecture includes four layers: hardware peripherals, hardware drivers, MAC layer and business layer. Among them, the hardware peripherals mainly include RTC, GPIO, UART, EEPROM and SPI; the hardware driver includes RTC driver, GPIO interrupt driver, LED driver, GPIO query driver, UART parameter setting, URAT log printing, EEPROM parameter storage and LoRa transceiver driver; the MAC layer includes RTC real-time clock, timer, key interrupt, LED light status indication, dip switch, CAD scan time parameter configuration, CAD scan frequency configuration, multi-hop limit parameter configuration, independent mode parameter setting and LoRaWAN MAC; the business layer includes sending queue service, RTC timing service, data analysis service, data source marking service, relay forwarding self-marking service, CAD adaptive adjustment algorithm, CAD scan channel frequency service, relay mode configuration service, storage service, printing service, timing service, LED indication service, key switch interrupt service, dip switch query service, LoRa transceiver service and relay multi-hop limit service.

[0068] The embedded software is based on the corresponding hardware foundation and realizes the repeater's adaptive algorithm adjustment, multi-hop restriction, data forwarding and other functions through the interrelated calls between the business layers.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the CAD frequency point scanning initialization state. As can be seen from the figure, the repeater (repeater) continuously scans the CAD of n frequency points. The CAD is composed of m symbles. Both m and n can be configured (serial port or server). The duration of the preamble used by the terminal (node) during initialization is greater than or equal to the CAD scanning time within one cycle of the repeater.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the CAD frequency scanning to data receiving state. As can be seen from the figure, when the relay scans the terminal's preamble in the qth CAD, it will enter the receiving state and the data transmission to the terminal will be completed. When the relay receives the data, it will forward the corresponding data. Similarly, the relay receives gateway data similarly to the terminal.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the adaptive adjustment of CAD frequency scanning. As can be seen from the figure, the repeater will count the number of times each channel frequency is received within the channel frequency counting statistical time T (settable), and at the same time increase or decrease the CAD scanning times of the channel frequency according to the proportion of times received at different channel frequencies. The minimum number is 1, and the maximum number is that the entire CAD scanning cycle T2 (tn2-tn0) is not greater than 1.5 times the default value of the relay CAD initial state cycle (configurable). If the relay has multiple CAD times at the xth frequency within a CAD scanning cycle T2. This is mainly because within a certain period of time T, the proportion of the number of times the relay receives the xth channel frequency increases, which makes the relay believe that the xth channel frequency in the area needs to send more data due to some reason (such as a large number of terminals at the xth frequency or a lot of data sent by the terminals at the xth frequency), thereby occupying a longer channel time. Therefore, the relay will increase the CAD scan of the xth frequency at intervals within the CAD scanning cycle based on the big data statistical algorithm; if there are 2, 3 or even more channels that need to occupy a longer channel time, the repeater will increase or decrease the CAD scan times of these channel frequencies according to the proportion of the number of receptions within the statistical time T, with the minimum number being 1 and the maximum number being that the entire CAD scanning cycle T2 is no more than 1.5 times (configurable) of the default value of the CAD initial state cycle; within a certain period of time T, when the proportion of the number of receptions of all channel frequencies is almost average, the CAD scanning state will return to the initial state again.

[0072] It should be noted that the repeater will continuously update the time T as time changes. If when time T arrives, the reception times of all channel frequencies are almost average or the reception times of all channel frequencies are almost 0, the CAD scanning state of the relay will return to the initial state of the relay to ensure that the relay is in the optimal state for all terminals to receive at any time; the repeater adaptively adjusts the CAD scanning times to ensure that the relay is in the optimal state for all terminals to receive at any time.

[0073] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of independent terminal node interaction. As can be seen from the figure, the repeater can be set to independent terminal node mode. Figure 3 The CAD scan times of the repeater can be set to 0 or 1 to ensure that the repeater can serve the corresponding independent terminal node throughout its life cycle.

[0074] like Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the independent terminal node mode is divided into two modes: serving only a specified node mode ( Figure 6 Part A in the middle and serving a certain type of channel frequency mode ( Figure 6In the mode of serving only a specified node, the repeater is set as the relay of node 1 in channel frequency point 1. At this time, the repeater only receives the LoRa signal of channel frequency point 1, and at the same time, it will filter the received data according to the device ID of relay node 1. Only the data of node 1 will be forwarded, and all other data will be discarded. In the mode of serving a certain type of channel frequency point, the repeater is only set as the repeater of channel frequency point 2. At this time, within the effective communication range, all node data of channel frequency point 2 can be received and forwarded by the relay, and the repeater does not judge the node ID.

[0075] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction of multiple nodes and multiple frequencies on a single repeater. As can be seen from the figure, the repeater is set to multi-node multi-frequency mode. In this mode, the repeater initialization will execute Figure 3 In the CAD channel frequency scanning mode, during the time period T, the data statistics algorithm will be used to perform Figure 5 The relay CAD frequency scanning is adaptively adjusted. For example, Figure 7 In A, assuming that node A1 needs to send data frequently, relay A will frequently receive data from node A1 within time period T. The relay will calculate the proportion of channel frequency A1 according to the data statistical algorithm, and adaptively increase the number of channel frequency A1 in the channel frequency scanning period to ensure that node A1 is better relayed.

[0076] Similarly, if Figure 7 As shown in B, the channel frequencies of nodes B2, Bp and Bq are all channel frequency 2, which will cause relay B to frequently receive data of channel frequency B2 within time period T. The relay will calculate the proportion of channel frequency B2 according to the data statistical algorithm, and adaptively increase the number of times channel frequency B2 appears in the channel frequency scanning period to ensure that the nodes corresponding to channel frequency B2 are better relayed.

[0077] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the interaction of marking and filtering the data forwarded by itself. As can be seen from the figure, when multiple relays are within the effective communication range, the repeater will use the relay ID to mark the data after forwarding a packet of data. When receiving the marked data packet forwarded by other relays again, it will automatically filter and discard the data packet to prevent invalid forwarding and the generation of ping-pong mode between relays.

[0078] like Figure 8As shown in the figure, relay A and relay B are within the effective communication range. When gateway A sends data 1 to relay A, relay A forwards the corresponding data. At this time, since relay B can receive the data forwarded by relay A, relay B will also forward the data after receiving the data marked by relay A's ID, and A will also receive the data. If relay A still forwards the data, a data forwarding ping-pong mode will be generated between it and relay B until the packet is lost, causing the entire transmission network to collapse; when relay A receives the data again, it will first identify the relay mark ID. When the data packet sent is a data packet that has been marked by relay A, it will directly filter and discard the data packet, thereby stopping this forwarding.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 9 As shown, Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of multi-hop interaction. As can be seen from the figure, when the distance between the gateway and the node is too far or there are too many communication obstacles, multiple relay multi-hop modes are needed to complete the relay of communication data between the gateway and the node.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.10 As shown, Fig.10 It can be seen from the figure that the repeater can limit the number of multi-hop interactions through the settings of the local serial port or the remote server, ensure a reasonable LoRa network transmission time, and ensure the real-time performance of the LoRa network.

[0081] like Fig.10 As shown, A on the left is a one-hop limit, and B on the right is a two-hop limit. From A (one-hop limit), it can be seen that when both relays are set to a one-hop limit, relays A1 and A2 will directly filter and discard all data forwarded by other relays without forwarding. In the same network, only some relays can be restricted to one hop. From B (two-hop limit), it can be seen that the gateway can go directly to node B1 through relay B1, or go to relay B2 through relay B1, and then to node B2 and node B3. The gateway can have relay B1 to relay B4, and then to node B4 and node B5. However, it is not allowed to go from relay B1 to relay B2 and then to relay B4, that is, through two-hop relays. Similarly, only some relays can be restricted to two-hop network.

[0082] It should be noted that Fig.10 Only independent one-hop restriction and independent two-hop restriction are shown. In actual applications, the relay can be restricted to p (p=1, 2...n) hops. At the same time, different relays in the same network can be restricted to different hops, that is, some relays are restricted to one hop, some relays are restricted to two hops, and some relays are restricted to n hops. The 1-n hop restrictions can be combined at will without having to follow the order.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.11 As shown, Fig.11 Schematic diagram of the interaction of filtering the same data packet forwarded by other relays. As can be seen from the figure, when the gateway sends the data, both relay A and relay C receive the data packet, and at this time, relay A and relay C will forward the data. Later, because relay B receives the data forwarded by relay C, relay B will forward the data. After relay B forwards, it will be received by relay A again. Since relay A has forwarded the data packet sent from the gateway within the limited time, relay A will identify the data as an invalid data packet, and then filter and discard the data packet forwarded by relay B, thereby reducing the LoRa network overhead and increasing the communication capacity and effectiveness of the LoRa network.

[0084] It should be noted that the data initiated by the node to the relay also follows this design concept.

[0085] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.12 As shown, Fig.12 Schematic diagram of counting and identifying the same data forwarded within a certain period of time. As can be seen from the figure, after the gateway sends the data, both relay A and relay C receive the data packet. At this time, relay A will count the data packet +1, and relay C will also count the data packet +1. After relay C forwards the data packet, relay B receives the data forwarded by relay C, and relay B will also count the data packet +1. After relay B forwards the data packet, since node A2 has already received the data packet from relay A, after node A2 receives the forwarded data from relay B again within the limited time, it can directly determine that the data packet has been received based on the relay count value, and directly filter and discard it.

[0086] It should be noted that the data initiated by the node to the relay also follows this design concept.

[0087] Fig.13 A flow chart of a method for implementing a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater of the present application is shown.

[0088] like Fig.13 As shown, the second aspect of the present invention provides a method for implementing a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater, and the method is specifically as follows:.

[0089] After the repeater is powered on, it first performs CAD scanning initialization, reads configuration parameters, and determines whether it is an independent repeater or a multi-frequency repeater.

[0090] If it is determined to be an independent relay, it is then determined whether the data source is the repeater or another repeater.

[0091] If the data source is the repeater, the data is marked with the repeater ID, the data count is +1, and then the data is forwarded.

[0092] If the data source is from other repeaters, determine whether it exceeds the preset multi-hop limit; if it exceeds the multi-hop limit, filter and discard it; if it does not exceed the multi-hop limit, determine whether it is a data packet marked by the relay ID; if it is a marked data packet, filter and discard it; if it is determined to be an unmarked data packet, determine whether the relay has forwarded this data packet; if the repeater has forwarded this data packet, filter and discard it; if it has not been forwarded, the data is marked with the relay ID, the data count +1, and then the data is forwarded.

[0093] If it is determined to be a multi-frequency repeater, it is then determined whether the data source is the repeater or another repeater.

[0094] If the data source is the repeater, the data is marked with the relay ID, the data count is +1, and then the data is forwarded, the channel frequency reception times is +1, and the CAD scanning mode is adaptively adjusted according to the data statistical algorithm and the corresponding channel frequency ratio.

[0095] If the data source is from other repeaters, determine whether it exceeds the preset multi-hop limit; if it exceeds the multi-hop limit, filter and discard it; if it does not exceed the multi-hop limit, determine whether it is a data packet marked by the relay ID; if it is a marked data packet, filter and discard it; if it is determined to be an unmarked data packet, determine whether the relay has forwarded this data packet; if the repeater has forwarded this data packet, filter and discard it; if it has not been forwarded, the data is marked with the relay ID, the data count +1, and then the data is forwarded, the number of times the channel frequency is received +1, and according to the data statistical algorithm, combined with the corresponding channel frequency ratio, the CAD scanning method is adaptively adjusted.

[0096] The invention discloses a single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater and an implementation method thereof. The repeater adopts single-module communication to prevent the problem of mutual interference among multiple modules.

[0097] The repeater frequency can configure and set the frequencies of uplink and downlink transmission and reception, the specific number of scanned frequencies and the CAD scanning time of a single frequency, automatically adjust the total CAD scanning time, support different LoRa network configurations and applications, and improve utilization.

[0098] The repeaters will mark, identify, and count data to prevent a ping-pong pattern from occurring between repeaters, ensuring that the entire network is in effective communication more of the time.

[0099] The repeater can be set with multiple hop times to prevent excessive forwarding, affect data real-time performance, and reduce invalid occupancy during multiple relays.

[0100] The repeater can be configured and set as a relay for multiple multi-frequency terminals, and can also be set and configured as a relay for an independent terminal node and not shared with other terminals.

[0101] The repeater effectively improves the communication coverage of LoRaWAN and solves the problems of insufficient distance or signal blind spots.

[0102] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as: multiple units or components can be combined, or can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of the devices or units can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0103] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units; some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment.

[0104] In addition, all functional units in the embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may be separately used as a unit, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit; the above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0105] A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that: all or part of the steps of implementing the above method embodiment can be completed by hardware related to program instructions, and the aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it executes the steps of the above method embodiment; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: a mobile storage device, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and other media that can store program codes.

[0106] Alternatively, if the above-mentioned integrated unit of the present invention is implemented in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention can be essentially or partly reflected in the form of a software product that contributes to the prior art. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks or optical disks.

Claims

1. A single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater, characterized in that: The repeater includes a power input interface and a power conversion circuit, a serial port, a dip switch, a LoRa SoC chip, and a LoRa radio frequency circuit; The input end of the power input interface is used to connect to an external power supply, and the output end is connected to the input end of the power conversion circuit; the output end of the power conversion circuit is connected to the LoRa SoC chip; the dip switch is connected to the chip; the repeater is connected to the server through the gateway transparent transmission, and the repeater is also connected to the terminal device; The single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater adopts the following implementation method, including the following steps: After the repeater is powered on, it first performs CAD scanning initialization, reads configuration parameters, and determines whether it is an independent relay or a multi-frequency point relay; If it is determined to be an independent relay, then determine whether the data source is the repeater or another repeater; If the data source is the repeater, the data is marked with the repeater ID, the data count is +1, and then the data is forwarded; If the data source is another repeater, determine whether it exceeds the preset multi-hop limit; if it exceeds the multi-hop limit, filter and discard; if it does not exceed the multi-hop limit, determine whether it is a data packet marked by the relay ID; if it is a marked data packet, filter and discard; if it is determined to be an unmarked data packet, determine whether the relay has forwarded this data packet; if the repeater has forwarded this data packet, filter and discard; if it has not been forwarded, the data is marked with the relay ID, the data count +1, and then the data is forwarded; If it is determined to be a multi-frequency repeater, then determine whether the data source is the repeater or another repeater; If the data source is the repeater, the data is marked with the repeater ID, the data count is +1, and then the data is forwarded, the number of times the channel frequency is received is +1, and the CAD scanning mode is adaptively adjusted according to the data statistical algorithm and the corresponding channel frequency ratio; If the data source is from other repeaters, determine whether it exceeds the preset multi-hop limit; if it exceeds the multi-hop limit, filter and discard it; if it does not exceed the multi-hop limit, determine whether it is a data packet marked by the relay ID; if it is a marked data packet, filter and discard it; if it is determined to be an unmarked data packet, determine whether the relay has forwarded this data packet; if the repeater has forwarded this data packet, filter and discard it; if it has not been forwarded, the data is marked with the relay ID, the data count +1, and then the data is forwarded, the number of times the channel frequency is received +1, and according to the data statistical algorithm, combined with the corresponding channel frequency ratio, the CAD scanning method is adaptively adjusted.

2. The single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The MCU in the repeater adopts the LoRa SoC chip, and the external circuit includes a 32.768KHz external low-speed crystal oscillator for the microcontroller, a 32MHz external crystal oscillator for LoRa, and a reset circuit; The repeater also includes three LED indicator lights, one for indicating the working status of the LoRa SoC chip; one for indicating the current configuration status of the module, that is, whether it is an independent mode relay; and one for indicating the LoRa transceiver status; the input end of the power conversion circuit is connected to the output end of the external power supply of the power input interface, and the output end is respectively connected to the LoRa SoC chip, the LED indicator light, and the LoRa radio frequency circuit.

3. A single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: The repeater configures its own parameters by sending instructions through the local serial port or the server. The configurable parameters include: the frequencies of uplink and downlink transmission and reception, the specific number of scanned frequencies and the CAD scanning time of a single frequency, the number of multi-hops, the relay of multiple multi-frequency terminals or the relay of independent terminal nodes.

4. A single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The repeater continuously scans the CAD of n frequency points. The CAD is composed of m symbles, where m and n are both configurable (serial port or server). The duration of the preamble used by the terminal during initialization is greater than or equal to the CAD scanning time within one cycle of the relay. When the repeater scans the terminal's preamble in the qth CAD, it will enter the receiving state and the data transmission to the terminal will be completed. When the relay is finished receiving, the corresponding data will be forwarded. Similarly, the repeater receives gateway data similarly to the terminal; The repeater will count the number of times each channel frequency is received within the channel frequency counting statistical time T (configurable), and increase or decrease the CAD scanning times of the channel frequency according to the proportion of times received at different channel frequencies. The minimum number is 1, and the maximum number is that the entire CAD scanning cycle T2 (tn2-tn0) is no more than 1.5 times the default value of the repeater CAD initial state cycle (configurable); If the number of CADs of the relay at the xth frequency point appears multiple times within a CAD scanning cycle T2, it is mainly because the proportion of the number of times the xth channel frequency point is received within a certain time T increases, which makes the repeater believe that the xth channel frequency point in the area needs to send more data due to some reason (such as a large number of terminals at the xth frequency point or a large amount of data sent by the terminals at the xth frequency point), thereby occupying a longer channel time. Therefore, the repeater will intermittently increase the CAD scanning of the xth frequency point within the CAD scanning cycle according to the big data statistical algorithm; If there are 2, 3 or even more channels that need to occupy a longer channel time, the repeater will increase or decrease the CAD scan times of these channel frequencies according to the proportion of the number of receptions of these channel frequencies within the statistical time T, with the minimum number being 1 and the maximum number being that the entire CAD scan cycle T2 is no more than 1.5 times (configurable) of the default value of the CAD initial state cycle; within a certain time T, when the proportion of the number of receptions of all channel frequencies almost reaches the average, the CAD scan state will return to the initial state again; The repeater will continuously update the time T as time changes. If when time T is arrived, the reception times of all channel frequencies almost reach the average or the reception times of all channel frequencies are almost 0, the CAD scanning state of the repeater will return to the initial state to ensure that it is in the optimal reception state for all terminals at all times. The repeater adaptively adjusts the CAD scanning times to ensure that it is in the optimal reception state for all terminals at all times.

5. A single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to claim 4, characterized in that: The repeater can be set to an independent terminal node mode, in which case the CAD scan times of the repeater can be set to 0 or 1 to ensure that the repeater can serve the corresponding independent terminal node throughout its life cycle. The independent terminal node mode is divided into two modes: serving only a specified node mode and serving a certain type of channel frequency mode; In the mode of serving only a specified node, the repeater is set as the relay of node 1 in channel frequency point 1. At this time, the repeater only receives the LoRa signal of channel frequency point 1, and at the same time, it will filter the received data according to the device ID of relay node 1. Only the data of node 1 will be forwarded, and other data will be discarded; In the mode of serving a certain type of channel frequency, the repeater is only set as the repeater of channel frequency 2. At this time, within the effective communication range, all node data of channel frequency 2 can be received and forwarded by the relay. At this time, the repeater does not determine the node ID.

6. A single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the repeater is in multi-node multi-frequency mode, the CAD channel frequency scanning mode will be executed, and at the same time, the CAD frequency scanning adaptive adjustment will be performed through the data statistical algorithm within the time period T; If node A1 needs to send data frequently, relay A will frequently receive data from node A1 within time period T. Then, the proportion of channel frequency A1 is calculated according to the data statistical algorithm, and the number of channel frequency A1 in the channel frequency scanning period is adaptively increased to ensure that node A1 is better relayed; Similarly, if the channel frequencies of nodes B2, Bp, and Bq are all channel frequency 2, relay B will frequently receive data from channel frequency B2 within time period T. The proportion of channel frequency B2 is calculated based on the data statistics algorithm, and the number of times channel frequency B2 is adaptively increased within the channel frequency scanning period to ensure that the nodes corresponding to channel frequency B2 are better relayed.

7. A single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: When multiple relays are within the effective communication range, the repeater adds a relay ID to mark a packet of data after forwarding it. When receiving the marked data packet forwarded by other relays again, it will automatically filter and discard the data packet to prevent invalid forwarding and ping-pong mode between relays. If relay A and relay B are within the effective communication range, when gateway A sends data 1 to relay A, relay A will forward the corresponding data; At this time, since relay B can receive the data forwarded by relay A, relay B will also forward the data after receiving the data marked by relay A's ID, and A will also receive the data at this time; when relay A receives the data again, it will first identify the relay mark ID. If the data packet sent is a data packet already marked by relay A, it will directly filter and discard the data packet, thereby stopping this forwarding.

8. The single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to claim 7, characterized in that: The repeater can limit the number of multi-hop interactions through the settings of the local serial port or the remote server, ensure a reasonable LoRa network transmission time, and ensure the real-time performance of the LoRa network; If the one-hop limit is set, relays A1 and A2 will directly filter and discard all data forwarded by other relays without forwarding them. In the same network, only some relays can be limited to one hop. If the two-hop limit is set, the gateway can go directly to node B1 through relay B1, or go through relay B1 to relay B2, and then to node B2 and node B3. The gateway can have relay B1 to relay B4, and then to node B4 and node B5, but it is not allowed to go from relay B1 to relay B2 and then to relay B4, that is, through two-hop relays. Similarly, the network two-hop limit can be set for only some relays; In practical applications, the repeater can perform p (p=1, 2...n) hop limit, and different hop limits can be imposed on different relays in the same network, that is, some relays are limited to one hop, some relays are limited to two hops, and some relays are limited to n hops. The 1-n hop limit can be combined at will without having to follow the order.

9. The single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to claim 8, characterized in that: The repeater will filter the same packet data forwarded by other relays, reduce the LoRa network overhead, and increase the communication capacity and effectiveness of the LoRa network; After the gateway sends the data, both relay A and relay C receive the data packet. At this time, relay A and relay C will forward the data. After that, relay B receives the data forwarded by relay C, so it will forward the data. After relay B forwards the data, relay A will receive it again. Since relay A has forwarded the data packet sent from the gateway within the specified time, relay A will identify the data packet as an invalid data packet, and then filter and discard the data packet forwarded by relay B. Similarly, data initiated by nodes to relays also follows this design concept.

10. The single-module multi-channel adaptive self-frequency modulation repeater according to claim 9, characterized in that: The same data forwarded by the repeater within a certain period of time is counted and marked; After the gateway sends the data, both relay A and relay C receive the data packet. At this time, relay A will add 1 to the data packet count, and relay C will also add 1 to the data packet count. After relay C forwards the data packet, relay B receives the data forwarded by relay C, and relay B will also add 1 to the data packet count. After relay B forwards the data packet, since node A2 has already received the data packet from relay A, after node A2 receives the forwarded data from relay B again within the specified time, it can directly determine that the data packet has been received based on the relay count value, and directly filter and discard it. Similarly, data initiated by nodes to relays also follows this design concept.

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