Channel selection method and device and communication equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wireless communication, in particular to a channel selection method and device and communication equipment, and the method comprises the steps: monitoring the data packet receiving and transmitting condition of each channel group in real time, and calculating to obtain the packet delivery rate of each channel group; the channel group is obtained by compounding a plurality of adjacent channels; arranging the packet delivery rate of each channel group in a descending order, and determining the priority of each channel group; carrying out subtraction processing on the packet delivery rate of each adjacent channel group, and determining a packet delivery rate difference value between each channel group and the adjacent channel group; according to the packet delivery rate difference value between each channel group and the adjacent channel group, determining a plurality of available channel groups of which the packet delivery rate difference value exceeds a preset threshold value; and starting the plurality of available channel groups, and disabling the channel groups except the available channel groups. According to the invention, the trial and error cost caused by repeated collision with the interference signal can be reduced, and the interference channel can be rapidly detected and avoided; by monitoring the PDR indexes of the channels in real time, the channels with relatively poor performance are eliminated, so that the BLE is ensured to preferentially use the channels with relatively good performance in the communication process, and the communication quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to channel selection and optimization technology in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Mesh networks. Specifically, the present invention provides a dynamic channel selection method, device and communication equipment based on Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) sorting and interference mean analysis, aiming to improve the communication quality, data transmission success rate and overall reliability of BLE Mesh networks. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT), BLE Mesh networks are widely used in many fields such as smart homes, industrial automation, and health monitoring due to their low power consumption, low cost, and high reliability. However, in actual applications, BLE Mesh networks often face problems such as channel interference and communication instability caused by improper channel selection, which seriously affects the overall performance and reliability of the network.

[0003] Existing channel selection methods mostly rely on static channel planning or simple dynamic adjustments, and lack the ability to effectively respond to real-time interference environments. In environments with high interference or frequently changing channel conditions, traditional methods are difficult to adapt quickly, resulting in increased packet transmission failure rates and increased communication delays. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method that can monitor channel conditions in real time and dynamically select the optimal channel group based on channel availability and interference levels to improve the communication efficiency and reliability of BLE Mesh networks. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a channel selection method, device and communication equipment, which adopts a BLE Mesh network dynamic channel selection method based on PDR sorting and interference mean. The present invention monitors the PDR value and interference level of each channel group in real time, uses PDR sorting and interference mean analysis, dynamically determines the number of high-quality channel groups, and only enables these high-quality channel groups, thereby significantly improving the communication quality and reliability of the network.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a channel selection method, which is applied to a central node of a Bluetooth Mesh network, comprising:

[0006] Real-time monitoring of the data packet receiving and sending status of each channel group, and calculation of the packet delivery rate of each channel group; the channel group is obtained by combining multiple adjacent channels;

[0007] Arrange the packet delivery rates of each channel group in descending order to determine the priority of each channel group;

[0008] Performing differential processing on the packet delivery rates of each adjacent channel group to determine the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and the adjacent channel group;

[0009] According to the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and an adjacent channel group, a plurality of available channel groups whose packet delivery rate difference exceeds a preset threshold are determined;

[0010] The plurality of available channel groups are enabled, and channel groups other than the available channel groups are disabled.

[0011] In a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides a channel selection device, applied to a central node of a Bluetooth Mesh network, comprising:

[0012] Channel monitoring module: used to monitor the data packet sending and receiving status of each channel group in real time, and calculate the packet delivery rate of each channel group; the channel group is obtained by combining multiple adjacent channels;

[0013] Packet delivery rate sorting module: used to sort the packet delivery rates of each channel group in descending order and determine the priority of each channel group;

[0014] Difference calculation module: used to perform difference processing on the packet delivery rates of each adjacent channel group, and determine the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and the adjacent channel group;

[0015] A channel group selection module: used to determine a plurality of available channel groups whose packet delivery rate difference exceeds a preset threshold value according to the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and an adjacent channel group;

[0016] Channel configuration update module: Dynamically update the channel configuration of each node, only enable high-quality channel groups, disable other channels, and optimize channel resource utilization efficiency.

[0017] AFH channel map output module: used for starting the multiple available channel groups and disabling channel groups other than the available channel groups.

[0018] In a third aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides a communication device, comprising a channel selection device as described in the second aspect of the present invention.

[0019] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0020] The present invention can reduce the trial and error cost caused by repeated collisions with interference signals by comprehensively considering the channel distribution characteristics of Wi-Fi and BLE, quickly detect and avoid interference channels; and exclude channels with poor performance by real-time monitoring of channel PDR indicators, thereby ensuring that BLE gives priority to using channels with better performance during communication and improving communication quality. After the processing of the present invention, the channel map obtained by the BLE device only contains channels with relatively good channel quality, which can reduce data transmission on the interfered channel and help improve the stability and reliability of BLE communication. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is an application scenario diagram of the channel selection method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a channel selection method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of channel grouping according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a channel selection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Among them, the method, device and communication equipment are based on the same application concept. Since the principles of solving problems by the method, device and communication equipment are similar, the implementation of the method, device and communication equipment can refer to each other, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0027] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applicable to a variety of systems, especially wireless communication network systems. For example, the applicable system can be a global system of mobile communication (GSM) system, a code division multiple access (CDMA) system, a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) general packet radio service (GPRS) system, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, a LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), a world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) system, a 5G system, and a 5G NR system. These various systems include terminal equipment and network equipment.

[0028] Figure 1 is an application scenario diagram of a channel selection method provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the scenario includes at least BLE nodes and Wi-Fi interference nodes, where BLE nodes are divided into BLE common nodes and BLE central nodes. BLE nodes are fixedly deployed at known locations and are the main components of Mesh networks. They are the main objects of communication and are responsible for selecting channels for communication in Mesh networks. The main function of Wi-Fi interference nodes is to affect the channel interference level; interference nodes simulate interference conditions in actual applications by sending interference signals to help evaluate and optimize the robustness of channel selection. Wi-Fi interference nodes interact with BLE nodes, and the interference simulated by Wi-Fi interference nodes provides a challenging environment for the channel selection of BLE nodes, while the channel selection decision of BLE nodes is affected by the interference signals generated by Wi-Fi interference nodes. This interaction forms a scenario close to the real wireless communication environment, which can optimize the channel management strategy of BLE Mesh networks and improve the communication quality and reliability of networks in complex wireless environments.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, in a Bluetooth Mesh network, a BLE central node is a node with special functions. It mainly plays the role of coordinating and managing the communication of other nodes in the network. The central node is like a "command center", responsible for collecting information from various BLE ordinary nodes, and also sending instructions to other nodes to ensure the normal operation of the network and the effective transmission of data. For example, in a smart home system, the central node can be an intelligent gateway device. It connects various Bluetooth Mesh devices in the home, such as smart bulbs, smart sockets, smart door locks, etc. The central node can receive status information sent by these devices (such as the brightness of the bulb, the power of the socket, the switch status of the door lock, etc.), and can send control instructions to these devices according to the user's operation or preset rules. Therefore, it is very necessary to allow the central node to select a suitable channel for data transmission.

[0030] Based on this, Figure 2 A channel selection method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a central node of a Bluetooth Mesh network, comprising:

[0031] 101. Real-time monitoring of the data packet receiving and sending status of each channel group, and calculating the packet delivery rate of each channel group; the channel group is obtained by combining multiple adjacent channels;

[0032] In an embodiment of the present invention, the central node monitors and records information such as the number of data packets sent by each channel group, the timestamp, and the size of the data packets, as well as the number of data packets successfully received by each channel group, the receiving time, and the integrity of the received data packets; by comparing the number of received data packets with the number of sent data packets, it can be intuitively seen how many data packets are lost during the transmission process.

[0033] Among them, packet delivery rate = (number of successfully received data packets / number of sent data packets) × 100%. For example, in a certain time period, a channel group sent 1000 data packets and finally successfully received 950 data packets, then the packet delivery rate of the channel group in this time period is (950 / 1000) × 100% = 95%.

[0034] In an embodiment of the present invention, if a BLE device selects a channel with good performance for communication, the amount of communication on the interference channel or its adjacent frequency channel can be reduced, thereby improving the anti-interference performance of the system. When evaluating channel performance, the BLE central node needs to conduct statistical analysis on the data packets sent and received, which means that the nodes must complete at least one sending and receiving operation on the interference channel between each other before the interference channel can be found. The minimum channel bandwidth of Wi-Fi is 20MHz, while the channel bandwidth of BLE is only 2MHz, and the channel bandwidth of Wi-Fi is much larger than that of BLE. When Wi-Fi and BLE coexist, Wi-Fi signals will interfere with multiple BLE channels. The traditional AFH scheme evaluates the performance of a single channel. In the scenario with Wi-Fi interference, more packet loss will occur. In response to this problem, the embodiment of the present invention will evaluate the BLE channel performance in groups. If there is a channel with poor performance in a group, the channel in the group will be temporarily removed from the channel map. This can more quickly find channels that may be interfered with and reduce the data transmission of BLE on the interfered channel.

[0035] When grouping BLE channels, the channel distribution characteristics of Wi-Fi and BLE can be comprehensively considered. Usually, Wi-Fi has 13 channels at 2.4GHz, and adjacent channels are spaced 5MHz apart. In classic Bluetooth, 5 channels with a bandwidth of 1MHz can be set as a group, so that channels interfered by Wi-Fi can be quickly and accurately identified. However, BLE has 37 channels with a bandwidth of 2MHz, and 2 or 3 BLE channels can be grouped together. In addition, BLE has 3 broadcast channels at 2402, 2426, and 2480MHz, so the remaining 37 data channels are not distributed continuously.

[0036] For example, in this embodiment, channels 9, 10, 11, and 12 may be grouped into a channel group with two channels each, and the remaining channels may be grouped into a channel group with three adjacent channels each. Figure 3 shown.

[0037] Let symbol m represent the BLE data channel number, that is, m∈{0,1,…,36}, and symbol n represent the group number, that is, n∈{1,2,…,13}. Now let Φ be the set of channel groups, and the channel set Φ belonging to the nth group n It can be expressed as shown in formula (1):

[0038]

[0039] The channel grouping method of the embodiment of the present invention comprehensively considers the distribution characteristics of most data channels and their relative positional relationship with Wi-Fi channels. This grouping method can quickly and accurately identify channels affected by Wi-Fi interference, which can not only utilize more spectrum resources to a certain extent, but also facilitate unified management and monitoring, and also help reduce the impact of Wi-Fi interference.

[0040] After each classification interval, the channel identification scheme classifies the channel as "good" or "bad". Suppose the set of PDR values ​​corresponding to each BLE channel group is:

[0041] Ω={ρ1,ρ2,…,ρ 13} (2)

[0042] where ρ n is the PDR value of the nth channel group.

[0043] The embodiment of the present invention can divide 37 data channels into 13 channel groups, and evaluate the quality of the channel group by selecting the PDR of all channels in the channel group, thereby reducing the trial-and-error cost caused by repeated collisions with interference signals. For example, when there is a 20M bandwidth in the environment and a Wi-Fi signal using channel 6, if the BLE host wants to detect and avoid the interference channel, the BLE master-slave device must transmit at least 10 times on the interference channel to do so. However, using the channel grouping method of the embodiment of the present invention, in theory, 3-4 transmissions on the interference channel can detect and avoid the interference channel. Therefore, the central node can quickly detect the Wi-Fi interference channel and avoid it, reducing data transmission on the interfered channel and effectively improving the system's anti-interference ability.

[0044] 102. Arrange the packet delivery rates of each channel group in descending order to determine the priority of each channel group;

[0045] In the prior art, the adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) mechanism is a technology to solve the problem of wireless communication interference. It can dynamically allocate channel resources and maximize the utilization of spectrum resources. However, the performance of the AFH mechanism depends on parameters such as the threshold in the channel classification operation. Different devices and application scenarios require different thresholds to determine channel quality, which will produce different channel classification results.

[0046] However, in actual applications, if the packet loss rate (PER) threshold of the device is too high, channels with poor quality may be included in the available channels, causing the transmission packet loss rate to increase and leading to retransmission; if the threshold is too low, channels with good quality will be excluded, reducing the number of available channels for Bluetooth communication, causing interference and channel contention between Bluetooth devices, and reducing communication quality.

[0047] Obviously, selecting a suitable threshold is very important for optimizing the performance of the AFH mechanism. Based on the channel grouping scheme of the embodiment of the present invention, the embodiment of the present invention arranges the packet delivery rates of each channel group obtained after channel grouping in descending order, and dynamically adjusts the channel classification threshold according to the interference environment to better distinguish the interfered channels and ensure communication performance.

[0048] According to formula (3), the PDR set of each channel group is obtained, and within this set, ρ ω Sort in descending order. Therefore, the sorted PDR set can be expressed as:

[0049] Ω′={ρ α(1) ,ρ α(2) ,…,ρ α(13)} (3)

[0050] Among them, n′ is the ranking index after sorting, and the function α(n′)=n is used to express the one-to-one correspondence between the channel group number and the channel group sorting.

[0051] It should be noted that a channel group with a high packet delivery rate helps to maintain a stable transmission rate and ensure communication performance.

[0052] 103. Performing differential processing on the packet delivery rates of each adjacent channel group to determine the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and the adjacent channel group;

[0053] In the embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the PDR difference of adjacent groups after sorting is defined as Δ ω =ρ α(n) -ρ α(n+1) ,n∈{1,…,12}.

[0054] The embodiment of the present invention can intuitively show the difference in data transmission reliability between adjacent channel groups by calculating the packet delivery rate difference. By calculating the difference, it can be clearly seen whether the packet delivery rate of a channel group is increased or decreased compared with its adjacent channel group, and the magnitude of the change. This method can quickly discover which channel groups have significant performance changes, thereby providing a basis for further selecting available channel groups.

[0055] 104. Determine, according to the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and an adjacent channel group, a plurality of available channel groups whose packet delivery rate difference exceeds a preset threshold;

[0056] In the embodiment of the present invention, this difference is used to determine the number N of channels with better performance. g , as shown below:

[0057] N g =min{n|Δ ωn >Δ} (4)

[0058] Where Δ is the preset threshold. The N that meets the conditions is determined by formula (4) g , the value represents the ranking number of the channel group that first has a large performance gap, that is, the top N PDRs g The channel performance within the group is better.

[0059] The preset threshold is determined by the mean value of interference; the mean value of interference is determined by the interference between each channel group and the adjacent channel group. The expression of the mean value of interference is:

[0060]

[0061] This scheme determines the number of channel groups with better performance through this value, and takes the first N in Ω g All channels in the channel group are regarded as available channels, that is:

[0062] C g ={α(1),α(2),…,α(N g )} (6)

[0063] C g Contains the channel group with higher PDR value. g All channels included in the channel map are set as available channels, and the rest are set as unavailable channels. In this way, the channel classification threshold is indirectly adjusted according to the real-time communication status, solving the limitation problem caused by the fixed threshold of the traditional AFH solution.

[0064] 105. Enable the multiple available channel groups, and disable channel groups other than the available channel groups.

[0065] In an embodiment of the present invention, by enabling available channel groups, it is ensured that data can be transmitted on channels with good performance. The performance of each channel group (such as bandwidth, interference level, signal strength, etc.) will affect the data transmission rate and stability. Enabling only available channel groups can concentrate resources and allow data to be efficiently transmitted on these high-quality channels. Disabling unavailable channel groups can reduce the risk of data loss or erroneous transmission due to channel problems. Unavailable channel groups may have problems such as unstable signals and high interference, which will frequently cause data packets to be lost or damaged, requiring retransmission, affecting network reliability. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after starting the multiple available channel groups and disabling channel groups other than the available channel groups, it also includes: transmitting data through the multiple available channel groups that have been started; and resetting all channel groups after a data transmission cycle ends.

[0066] It should be noted that a data transmission cycle can include two stages. The first stage is to evaluate all channel groups through the transmitted data and select the available channel group. The second stage is to use the available channel group to transmit data. After completing the first stage of selecting the available channel group, the available channel group can be used to transmit data while disabling the unavailable channel group. When this data transmission cycle is over, the information of all channel groups can be reset and then enter the first stage to select the available channel group. This is repeated to reduce channel interference and improve network efficiency.

[0067] See also Figure 4 , on the central node side of the Bluetooth Mesh network, an embodiment of the present application provides a channel selection device, including:

[0068] Channel monitoring module 201: used to monitor the data packet receiving and sending status of each channel group in real time, and calculate the packet delivery rate of each channel group; the channel group is obtained by combining multiple adjacent channels;

[0069] The packet delivery rate sorting module 202 is used to sort the packet delivery rates of each channel group in descending order to determine the priority of each channel group;

[0070] Difference calculation module 203: used to perform difference processing on the packet delivery rates of each adjacent channel group, and determine the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and the adjacent channel group;

[0071] Channel group selection module 204: used to determine a plurality of available channel groups whose packet delivery rate difference exceeds a preset threshold value according to the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and an adjacent channel group;

[0072] Channel configuration update module 205: dynamically update the channel configuration of each node, only enable the high-quality channel group, disable other channels, and optimize the channel resource utilization efficiency.

[0073] The AFH channel map output module 206 is used to enable the multiple available channel groups and disable the channel groups other than the available channel groups.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present invention, a communication device is further provided. The communication device includes the channel selection device as described in the above embodiment.

[0075] The embodiment of the present invention monitors the channel PDR index in real time and excludes channels with poor performance, thereby ensuring that BLE gives priority to using channels with better performance during communication and improving communication quality. After the processing of the present invention, the channel map obtained by the BLE device only contains channels with relatively good channel quality, which can reduce data transmission on the interfered channel and help improve the stability and reliability of BLE communication.

[0076] A person skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which can include: ROM, RAM, disk or CD, etc.

[0077] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A channel selection method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a central node of a Bluetooth Mesh network, comprising: Real-time monitoring of the data packet receiving and sending status of each channel group, and calculation of the packet delivery rate of each channel group; the channel group is obtained by combining multiple adjacent channels; Arrange the packet delivery rates of each channel group in descending order to determine the priority of each channel group; Performing differential processing on the packet delivery rates of each adjacent channel group to determine the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and the adjacent channel group; According to the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and an adjacent channel group, a plurality of available channel groups whose packet delivery rate difference exceeds a preset threshold are determined; The plurality of available channel groups are enabled, and channel groups other than the available channel groups are disabled.

2. A channel selection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The channel group has 2 or 3 channels.

3. A channel selection method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The channels of each channel group are arranged in the following manner: Among them, Φ n represents the channel set of the nth channel group, and m represents the data channel sequence number.

4. A channel selection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preset threshold is determined by the mean value of interference; the mean value of interference is determined by the interference between each channel group and an adjacent channel group.

5. A channel selection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After starting the plurality of available channel groups and disabling channel groups other than the available channel groups, the method further includes: Transmit data via multiple enabled available channel groups; When a data transmission cycle is completed, all channel groups are reset.

6. A channel selection device, characterized in that: The central node used in Bluetooth Mesh network includes: Channel monitoring module: used to monitor the data packet sending and receiving status of each channel group in real time, and calculate the packet delivery rate of each channel group; the channel group is obtained by combining multiple adjacent channels; Packet delivery rate sorting module: used to sort the packet delivery rates of each channel group in descending order and determine the priority of each channel group; Difference calculation module: used to perform difference processing on the packet delivery rates of each adjacent channel group, and determine the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and the adjacent channel group; A channel group selection module: used to determine a plurality of available channel groups whose packet delivery rate difference exceeds a preset threshold value according to the packet delivery rate difference between each channel group and an adjacent channel group; Channel configuration update module: Dynamically update the channel configuration of each node, only enable high-quality channel groups, disable other channels, and optimize channel resource utilization efficiency. AFH channel map output module: used for starting the multiple available channel groups and disabling channel groups other than the available channel groups.

7. A communication device, characterized in that: It comprises a channel selection device as claimed in claim 6.

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