Many-to-many distance measurement method
Through the dual-module dual-channel parallel ranging structure and master-slave collaborative control mechanism, the problem of insufficient ranging accuracy and channel conflict in the multi-robot and multi-staff environment is solved, and a high-precision and low-latency many-to-many ranging is achieved, which improves the stability and real-timeness of the system.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510738750.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-04
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-15
AI Technical Summary
The existing UWB ranging technology has problems such as insufficient single ranging accuracy, frequent channel conflicts, and disordered multi-label response timing in the coexistence environment of multiple robots and multiple workers, making it difficult to meet the needs of high concurrent ranging.
The dual-module dual-channel parallel ranging structure is adopted, combined with the master-slave collaborative control mechanism and device ID polling and scheduling, and initial configuration and channel occupation detection are performed through the serial port protocol to achieve many-to-many ranging.
It improves the ranging accuracy and capacity in complex environments, reduces channel conflicts and response delays, and improves the security protection capabilities and stability of the human-computer collaboration system.
Smart Images
Figure CN120491032A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultra-wideband ranging, and in particular to a many-to-many ranging method. Background Art
[0002] Currently, in mixed-use human-machine environments such as automated factories and smart warehouses, high-precision UWB-based ranging technology has been widely used in scenarios such as collision avoidance, regional awareness, and safety linkage. However, existing UWB ranging solutions generally use a single-module, single-channel point-to-point ranging approach. This suffers from limited capacity, frequent channel conflicts, insufficient single-shot ranging accuracy, and chaotic multi-tag response timing. These issues make it difficult to meet the high-concurrency ranging requirements of multiple robots and multiple workers in the dynamic coexistence of multiple robots. For example, in typical automated warehousing operations, where multiple mobile robots and multiple workers operate simultaneously, traditional single-channel systems are unable to effectively schedule ranging requests, easily leading to communication congestion and ranging response failures. Furthermore, the reliance on averaging multiple ranging measurements to improve accuracy also severely impacts system real-time performance. Therefore, a technical solution is urgently needed that can achieve many-to-many, low-latency, and high-precision ranging even in the face of limited channel resources and a dense number of devices, thereby improving the real-time and stability of human-machine collaborative operations. Summary of the Invention
[0003] In response to the above-mentioned technical deficiencies, the purpose of the present invention is to propose a many-to-many ranging method, which aims to solve the technical problems in the prior art where single ranging accuracy is poor and multiple ranging measurements are required to improve accuracy, especially in the case of limited capacity and mutual interference in the same environment.
[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: The present invention provides a multi-to-multi ranging method,
[0005] The many-to-many ranging method includes:
[0006] Step S10: pre-set the staff's work clothes end and the robot end; wherein, the staff's work clothes end is equipped with a first ranging module Ctag1 and a second ranging module Ctag2, which are bound to the first radio frequency channel CH1 and the second radio frequency channel CH2 respectively; the robot end is equipped with a third ranging module AtagM and a fourth ranging module AtagS, which are bound to CH1 and CH2 respectively;
[0007] Step S20: Initialize and configure Ctag1, Ctag2, AtagM, and AtagS using the serial port protocol;
[0008] Step S30: After completing the initialization configuration, AtagM and AtagS respectively perform channel occupancy detection on CH1 and CH2 to which they are bound. When both channels are idle and the device ID fed back in the current polling round is equal to the local ID, a ranging control message RCM is first sent to Ctag1 and Ctag2, followed by a ranging initiation message RIM.
[0009] Step S40: Ctag1 and Ctag2 receive the ranging initiation message RIM of the corresponding channel, and send a ranging reply message RRM to the corresponding channel according to the preset ID sorting rule;
[0010] Step S50: AtagM and AtagS respectively receive the corresponding ranging reply message RRM, and calculate the signal flight time based on the RIM sending time and the RRM receiving time, and obtain the many-to-many ranging result based on the signal flight time analysis; after AtagM determines the data synchronization and data validity of the many-to-many ranging result, it outputs the many-to-many ranging result to the host computer.
[0011] Preferably, in step S10, the worker's work clothes end and the robot end are connected to a preset wireless carrier ranging device through a serial port, and the wireless carrier ranging device is powered.
[0012] Preferably, in step S20, the step of initializing the configuration of Ctag1, Ctag2, AtagM and AtagS using the serial port protocol specifically includes: configuring the first ranging module Ctag1 and the second ranging module Ctag2 as personnel tags through the serial port protocol, and sending a wireless carrier ranging device startup instruction; configuring the third ranging module AtagM and the fourth ranging module AtagS as robot tags through the serial port protocol, and configuring AtagM as the master role and AtagS as the collaborative role; and establishing a master-slave communication connection through the serial port to complete the initialization configuration.
[0013] Preferably, in step S40, the preset ID sorting rule includes sending ranging reply messages RRM in ascending order of device IDs.
[0014] Preferably, in step S40, after Ctag1 and Ctag2 receive the ranging initiation message RIM of the corresponding channel, the step of sending a ranging reply message RRM to the corresponding channel according to the preset ID sorting rule also includes: when there is a Ctag1 or Ctag2 that is not recorded in the preset ID sorting rule, a time slot is randomly selected in the preset unrecorded ranging module time table to send the ranging reply message RRM.
[0015] Preferably, in step S50, the step of obtaining a many-to-many ranging result based on the signal flight time analysis specifically includes: converting the spatial distances D1 and D2 of the two channels corresponding to the flight time according to the signal flight time, and fusing the spatial distances D1 and D2 from the two channels to obtain the many-to-many ranging result.
[0016] Preferably, in step S50, the many-to-many ranging result includes ranging device pair identification information, flight time data, ranging value, ranging channel information and ranging status information.
[0017] The present invention also provides a many-to-many ranging system comprising:
[0018] The device setting module is used to pre-set the staff clothing end and the robot end; wherein, the staff clothing end is equipped with a first ranging module Ctag1 and a second ranging module Ctag2, which are bound to the first radio frequency channel CH1 and the second radio frequency channel CH2 respectively; the robot end is equipped with a third ranging module AtagM and a fourth ranging module AtagS, which are bound to CH1 and CH2 respectively;
[0019] Initialization configuration module, used for initialization configuration of Ctag1, Ctag2, AtagM and AtagS using serial port protocol;
[0020] The channel detection and ranging initiation module is used to perform channel occupancy detection on the bound CH1 and CH2 through AtagM and AtagS respectively after completing the initialization configuration. When both channels are idle and the device ID fed back in the current polling round is equal to the local ID, it first sends a ranging control message RCM to Ctag1 and Ctag2, and then sends a ranging initiation message RIM;
[0021] Response scheduling module, used for Ctag1 and Ctag2 to receive the ranging initiation message RIM of the corresponding channel, and send the ranging reply message RRM to the corresponding channel according to the preset ID sorting rule;
[0022] The ranging calculation and output module is used for AtagM and AtagS to receive the corresponding ranging reply messages RRM respectively, calculate the signal flight time based on the RIM sending time and RRM receiving time, and obtain the many-to-many ranging results based on the signal flight time analysis; after AtagM judges the data synchronization and data validity of the many-to-many ranging results, it outputs the many-to-many ranging results to the host computer.
[0023] The present invention also provides a computer program product, comprising a many-to-many ranging program, wherein the many-to-many ranging program implements the many-to-many ranging method when executed by a processor.
[0024] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by introducing a dual-module dual-channel ranging structure and combining it with a master-slave module collaborative control mechanism, the present invention realizes multi-to-multi UWB ranging in a multi-tag high-density environment, significantly improving the capacity and ranging concurrency capability, and reducing channel conflicts and response delays;
[0025] The present invention achieves low-latency, high-real-time, and high-precision ranging output by setting polling sorting rules and channel occupancy detection mechanisms based on device IDs, thereby improving the safety protection capabilities and stability in complex human-machine collaboration scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.
[0027] Figure 1 FIG4 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a many-to-many ranging method according to the present invention.
[0028] Figure 2 The figure is a schematic diagram of a device for a many-to-many ranging method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 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 making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0030] Example 1: Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a many-to-many ranging method according to the present invention, and provides a first embodiment of a many-to-many ranging method according to the present invention.
[0031] In a first embodiment, the many-to-many ranging method includes:
[0032] Step S10: pre-setting the staff's work clothes end and the robot end; wherein the staff's work clothes end is equipped with a first ranging module and a second ranging module, which are respectively bound to the first radio frequency channel and the second radio frequency channel; the robot end is equipped with a third ranging module and a fourth ranging module, which are respectively bound to the first radio frequency channel and the second radio frequency channel;
[0033] It should be noted that in step S10, the worker's uniform and the robot are connected to a preset wireless carrier ranging device via a serial port and powered. The first and second RF channels are UWB RF channels of different frequencies and can be configured and bound based on the number of devices and channel planning rules to avoid interference or communication overlap between the first and second ranging modules, and between the third and fourth ranging modules.
[0034] Step S20: Initializing and configuring the first ranging module, the second ranging module, the third ranging module, and the fourth ranging module using the serial port protocol;
[0035] It should be noted that in step S20, the step of initializing the configuration of the first ranging module, the second ranging module, the third ranging module and the fourth ranging module using the serial port protocol specifically includes: configuring the first ranging module and the second ranging module as personnel tags through the serial port protocol, and sending a wireless carrier ranging device startup instruction; configuring the third ranging module and the fourth ranging module as robot tags through the serial port protocol, and configuring the third ranging module as the master role, and configuring the fourth ranging module as the collaborative role; and establishing a master-slave communication connection through the serial port to complete the initialization configuration.
[0036] It is understandable that the above initialization process can be completed automatically when the robot or staff equipment host computer is started, or it can be periodically checked through preset configuration commands to ensure that the configuration status of all ranging modules is consistent, thereby ensuring stable ranging preconditions in a multi-device collaborative environment.
[0037] It should be understood that the role division between the third ranging module of the master module and the fourth ranging module of the slave module not only limits their control responsibilities in the communication process, but also determines their priority relationship and output authority in the subsequent ranging message interaction. The master module has the control right to start ranging and the authority to output the final ranging result, while the slave module only participates in ranging as an auxiliary and returns intermediate status and data to the master module.
[0038] Step S30: After completing the initialization configuration, the third and fourth ranging modules respectively perform channel occupancy detection on the first and second radio frequency channels to which they are bound. When both channels are idle and the device ID fed back in the current polling round is equal to the local device ID, a ranging control message is first sent to the first and second ranging modules, followed by a ranging start message.
[0039] It should be noted that the third ranging module and the fourth ranging module respectively monitor the first RF channel and the second RF channel to which they are bound, and determine whether the channel is idle by detecting whether there is a ranging control message / ranging start message frame broadcast by an external device or continuous carrier interference in the current period; if the detection results are all idle and the current device ID is in the waiting position of the polling scheduling queue, then this round of ranging process is started, and Atag-M controls the priority of sending the ranging control message to the first ranging module and then sends the ranging start message. Atag-S synchronously sends the corresponding ranging control message and ranging start message to the second ranging module on the second RF channel to ensure that the two channels synchronously activate the ranging interaction.
[0040] It can be understood that the ranging control message is used to notify the Ctag end to prepare to enter the ranging response state, and the ranging start message is used to initiate the formal ranging timing logic. The two together constitute the control signal for the ranging initiation phase. The frame structure carries the device ID, channel identifier, and timestamp information to ensure the uniqueness and timing accuracy of the response. The device ID polling mechanism is a distributed ranging scheduling strategy. Its principle is to assign a fixed ID to each pair of Atags, and then obtain the right to initiate ranging in ascending order, thereby avoiding channel conflicts caused by multiple robots requesting ranging simultaneously in the same cycle. This mechanism can adapt to the dynamic addition and deletion of devices and has good scalability and stability.
[0041] Step S40: The first ranging module and the second ranging module receive the ranging start message of the corresponding channel and send a ranging reply message to the corresponding channel according to a preset ID sorting rule;
[0042] It should be noted that in step S40, after the first ranging module and the second ranging module receive the ranging start message of the corresponding channel, the step of sending a ranging reply message to the corresponding channel according to the preset ID sorting rule also includes: when there is a first ranging module or a second ranging module that is not recorded in the preset ID sorting rule, a time slot is randomly selected in the preset unrecorded ranging module timetable to send the ranging reply message.
[0043] As you can understand, the ID sorting rule controls the response order of multiple Ctag devices on the same channel. After receiving a ranging start message, they send ranging reply messages in ascending order of priority, preventing frame overlap or channel conflicts caused by multiple devices responding simultaneously. This sorting mechanism supports both static configuration and dynamic adjustment, and can be synchronized periodically via broadcasts.
[0044] It should be understood that the random response mechanism for unregistered devices ensures a certain degree of fault tolerance for dynamically changing terminal access, improving ranging stability and scalability in high-concurrency, frequently changing equipment industrial environments. This mechanism, through limited response time windows and conflict detection, ensures that the response of newly connected devices does not affect the normal communication process of already scheduled devices.
[0045] Step S50: The third ranging module and the fourth ranging module respectively receive the corresponding ranging reply messages, calculate the signal flight time based on the sending time of the ranging start message and the receiving time of the ranging reply message, and obtain the many-to-many ranging result based on the signal flight time analysis; after the third ranging module determines the data synchronization and data validity of the many-to-many ranging result, it outputs the many-to-many ranging result to the host computer.
[0046] It should be noted that in step S50, the step of analyzing the signal flight time to obtain a many-to-many ranging result specifically includes converting the spatial distances D1 and D2 of the two channels corresponding to the flight time based on the signal flight time, and fusing the spatial distances D1 and D2 from the two channels to obtain the many-to-many ranging result. The many-to-many ranging result includes ranging device pair identification information, flight time data, ranging value, ranging channel information, and ranging status information.
[0047] It is understandable that the selection of distance fusion method can be flexibly set according to the actual deployment environment. For example, in the presence of obvious interference or non-line-of-sight environment, channel results with higher ranging waveform integrity can be given priority or assigned higher weights to improve the stability and accuracy of the final ranging results.
[0048] It should be understood that Atag-M, as the main module, is not only responsible for obtaining the ranging results of the local channel, but also needs to receive the ranging data and status information from the slave module Atag-S, and perform synchronization comparison and validity verification on the multi-channel ranging results, determine whether the ranging time of the two channels is in the same ranging cycle and whether the results are within the allowable error range, and decide whether to output the ranging results of this round to the host computer based on this, so as to ensure the ranging reliability and data consistency in a multi-tag high-concurrency environment.
[0049] Embodiment 2: In addition, the present invention provides a multi-to-multi ranging system that employs a multi-to-multi ranging method in the above embodiment to solve the technical problem of multi-to-multi ranging. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the multi-to-multi ranging system provided by the present invention are the same as those of the multi-to-multi ranging method provided by the above embodiment. Other technical features of the multi-to-multi ranging system are the same as those disclosed in the above embodiment and are not further described here.
[0050] Example 3: The present invention provides a multi-to-multi distance measuring device, please refer to Figure 2 A multi-to-multi ranging device includes: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform a multi-to-multi ranging method in the first embodiment described above. A multi-to-multi ranging device in an embodiment of the present invention may include, but is not limited to, mobile terminals such as mobile phones, laptop computers, digital broadcast receivers, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), PADs (Portable Application Descriptions), PMPs (Portable Media Players), in-vehicle terminals (e.g., in-vehicle navigation terminals), and fixed terminals such as digital TVs and desktop computers. A multi-to-multi ranging device is merely an example and should not limit the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention. A multi-to-multi ranging device may include a processing device 1001 (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, etc.), which can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or a program loaded from a storage device 1003 into a random access memory (RAM) 1004. RAM 1004 also stores various programs and data required for the operation of a multi-to-multi ranging device. Processing device 1001, ROM 1002, and RAM 1004 are interconnected via bus 1005. An input / output (I / O) interface 1006 is also connected to the bus. Typically, the following systems may be connected to I / O interface 1006: input device 1007, including, for example, a touch screen, touchpad, keyboard, mouse, image sensor, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, etc.; output device 1008, including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), speaker, vibrator, etc.; storage device 1003, including, for example, a magnetic tape, hard disk, etc.; and communication device 1009. Communication device 1009 allows the multi-to-multi ranging device to communicate with other devices wirelessly or wired to exchange data. Although the figure shows a multi-to-multi ranging device with various systems, it should be understood that implementation or presence of all the illustrated systems is not required. More or fewer systems may alternatively be implemented or present.
[0051] Example 4: The present invention also provides a computer program product, including a computer program. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of the many-to-many ranging method described above. The computer program product provided by the present invention can solve the technical problem of many-to-many ranging. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the computer program product provided by the present invention are the same as those of the many-to-many ranging method provided in the above embodiment, and are not further elaborated here.
[0052] In particular, according to the embodiments disclosed in the present invention, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising program code for executing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via a communication device, or installed from a storage device 1003, or installed from a ROM 1002. When the computer program is executed by the processing device 1001, the above-mentioned functions defined in the method of the embodiment disclosed in the present invention are performed.
[0053] It should be understood that the various parts disclosed in the present invention can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.
[0054] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the present invention is intended to include such changes and modifications.
Claims
1. A many-to-many ranging method, characterized in that the method include: Step S10: pre-setting the staff's work clothes end and the robot end; wherein the staff's work clothes end is equipped with a first ranging module and a second ranging module, which are respectively bound to the first radio frequency channel and the second radio frequency channel; the robot end is equipped with a third ranging module and a fourth ranging module, which are respectively bound to the first radio frequency channel and the second radio frequency channel; Step S20: Initializing and configuring the first ranging module, the second ranging module, the third ranging module, and the fourth ranging module using the serial port protocol; Step S30: After completing the initialization configuration, the third and fourth ranging modules respectively perform channel occupancy detection on the first and second radio frequency channels to which they are bound. When both channels are idle and the device ID fed back in the current polling round is equal to the local device ID, a ranging control message is first sent to the first and second ranging modules, followed by a ranging start message. Step S40: The first ranging module and the second ranging module receive the ranging start message of the corresponding channel and send a ranging reply message to the corresponding channel according to a preset ID sorting rule; Step S50: The third ranging module and the fourth ranging module respectively receive the corresponding ranging reply messages, calculate the signal flight time based on the sending time of the ranging start message and the receiving time of the ranging reply message, and obtain the many-to-many ranging result based on the signal flight time analysis; after the third ranging module determines the data synchronization and data validity of the many-to-many ranging result, it outputs the many-to-many ranging result to the host computer.
2. The many-to-many ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: In step S10, the worker's work clothes end and the robot end are connected to a preset wireless carrier ranging device through a serial port, and the wireless carrier ranging device is powered.
3. The many-to-many ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: In step S20, the steps of initializing and configuring the first ranging module, the second ranging module, the third ranging module, and the fourth ranging module using the serial port protocol specifically include: configuring the first ranging module and the second ranging module as personnel tags through the serial port protocol, and sending a wireless carrier ranging device startup instruction; configuring the third ranging module and the fourth ranging module as robot tags through the serial port protocol, and configuring the third ranging module as the master role and the fourth ranging module as the collaborative role; and establishing a master-slave communication connection through the serial port to complete the initialization configuration.
4. The many-to-many ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: In step S40, the preset ID sorting rule includes sending the ranging reply message in ascending order of the device ID.
5. The many-to-many ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: In step S40, after the first ranging module and the second ranging module receive the ranging start message of the corresponding channel, the step of sending a ranging reply message to the corresponding channel according to the preset ID sorting rule also includes: when there is a first ranging module or a second ranging module that is not recorded in the preset ID sorting rule, a time slot is randomly selected in the preset unrecorded ranging module timetable to send the ranging reply message.
6. The many-to-many ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: In step S50, the step of obtaining a many-to-many ranging result based on the signal flight time analysis specifically includes: converting the spatial distances D1 and D2 of the two channels corresponding to the flight time according to the signal flight time, and fusing the spatial distances D1 and D2 from the two channels to obtain the many-to-many ranging result.
7. The many-to-many ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: In step S50, the many-to-many ranging result includes ranging device pair identification information, flight time data, ranging value, ranging channel information and ranging status information.
8. A many-to-many ranging system, applied to a many-to-many ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The many-to-many ranging system includes: The device setting module is used to pre-set the staff clothing end and the robot end; wherein the staff clothing end is equipped with a first ranging module and a second ranging module, which are respectively bound to the first radio frequency channel and the second radio frequency channel; the robot end is equipped with a third ranging module and a fourth ranging module, which are respectively bound to the first radio frequency channel and the second radio frequency channel; An initialization configuration module, configured to perform initialization configuration on the first ranging module, the second ranging module, the third ranging module, and the fourth ranging module using a serial port protocol; The channel detection and ranging initiation module is used to perform channel occupancy detection on the first and second radio frequency channels to which they are bound, respectively, through the third and fourth ranging modules after completing the initialization configuration. When both channels are idle and the device ID fed back in the current polling round is equal to the local ID, a ranging control message is first sent to the first and second ranging modules, followed by a ranging start message; A response scheduling module is used for the first ranging module and the second ranging module to receive the ranging start message of the corresponding channel and send the ranging reply message to the corresponding channel according to the preset ID sorting rule; The ranging calculation and output module is used for the third and fourth ranging modules to receive the corresponding ranging reply messages respectively, calculate the signal flight time based on the sending time of the ranging start message and the receiving time of the ranging reply message, and obtain the many-to-many ranging results based on the signal flight time analysis; after the third ranging module determines the data synchronization and data validity of the many-to-many ranging results, it outputs the many-to-many ranging results to the host computer.
9. A many-to-many ranging device, characterized in that: The many-to-many ranging device includes: a memory, a processor, and a many-to-many ranging program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the many-to-many ranging program is executed by the processor, a many-to-many ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.
10. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes a many-to-many ranging program, and when the many-to-many ranging program is executed by a processor, the many-to-many ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.