Remote controller and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a remote controller and a control method, and belongs to the field of remote control equipment. According to the remote controller, at least two antennas are arranged in a remote controller body, point to different directions and are used for receiving and transmitting signals; the switch unit is respectively connected with the at least two antennas and is used for cutting a working antenna; the transmit-receive unit is connected with the switch unit and is used for demodulating and modulating transmit-receive signals. The control unit is connected with the transceiving unit and the switch unit and used for controlling according to the transceiving signals. According to the remote controller, the optimal wireless communication frequency is automatically matched, the optimal frequency point is selected, and the higher signal-to-noise ratio, the farther communication distance and the better wireless communication effect are achieved; by automatically selecting and switching the radio frequency antennas with different spatial directivity, the matched antennas are switched in real time according to the conditions that the direction of a driver holding a remote controller is changed, the underground environment is shielded and the like, and wireless communication with higher signal strength can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of remote control equipment, and in particular to a remote controller and a control method. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous advancement of coal mining technology, shearer remote controls, as crucial control equipment in the mining process, have become increasingly important. Their performance and reliability directly impact the safety and efficiency of mining operations. Currently, shearer remote controls primarily utilize wireless radio frequency technology to achieve remote control. These remote controls transmit radio wave signals to communicate with the shearer's receiver module, enabling remote control of the shearer.

[0003] There are still some technical problems in the actual application of existing coal mining machine remote controls. First, traditional remote controls use fixed radio frequency parameters (such as frequency, modulation mode, etc.), and their performance varies greatly in different working faces. In particular, the radio frequency performance loss is large in some coal mining working faces, affecting the reliability of control. Secondly, traditional remote controls usually use a fixed antenna design, and the main energy of the signal is concentrated and transmitted in a fixed direction, resulting in energy waste or unstable signal transmission. In addition, the coal mining working face environment is complex, and the direction of the coal mining machine driver's handheld remote control is constantly changing. The transmission environment between the remote control and the coal mining machine remote control receiving module is also constantly changing, making it impossible to ensure that the main energy of the remote control signal is effectively transmitted to the remote control receiving module. Finally, at certain moments, due to the obstruction of the metal bracket or the change of the direction of the remote control, signal failure may occur, and even cause failures such as shutdown, posing a hidden danger to production safety.

[0004] While existing multi-mode remote controls and multi-communication module remote controls can adapt to varying operating environments to a certain extent, they are primarily designed for consumer devices like home appliances and fail to account for the unique environmental requirements of mine working surfaces. Passive remote controls based on resonant circuits, while simple in structure, have limited functionality and are unable to meet the complex control requirements of coal mining machinery. Existing remote control transmitters utilize a dual-signal transmission method, but this fails to address signal directionality. Multi-function remote controls, while capable of switching operating modes, are not optimized for signal transmission stability in complex environments.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a coal mining machine remote control that can adapt to the complex environment of the mine working face, has a multi-antenna design, and can automatically select the optimal communication frequency, so as to improve the signal transmission stability and reliability of the remote control in the mine working face environment and ensure the safe and efficient coal mining operations. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the problem that the existing remote control has poor signal transmission stability in the mine working face environment, a remote control and control method are provided to improve the signal transmission stability and reliability of the remote control in the mine working face environment, thereby ensuring the safe and efficient coal mining operation.

[0007] A remote controller, comprising:

[0008] At least two antennas are disposed inside the remote control body, the at least two antennas pointing in different directions for transmitting and receiving signals;

[0009] a switch unit, connected to the at least two antennas respectively, for tangentially operating the antennas;

[0010] a transceiver unit, connected to the switch unit, and configured to demodulate and modulate the transceiver signal;

[0011] A control unit is connected to the transceiver unit and the switch unit respectively, and is used to control the switch unit to work tangentially according to the transceiver signal.

[0012] Optionally, the at least two antennas use four antennas, and the four antennas point in different directions respectively, wherein the radiation directions of two of the antennas are parallel to the cross-section of the remote control, and the radiation directions of two of the antennas are parallel to the longitudinal section of the remote control.

[0013] Optionally, the antenna is a directional antenna or a high-gain omnidirectional antenna.

[0014] The present invention also provides a remote control method, which uses the above remote control and includes:

[0015] Send detection instructions to the remote control receiver;

[0016] Detecting the signal strength of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving terminal in the mine working face environment within a preset frequency band to determine the target frequency;

[0017] Communication is established with the remote control receiving terminal based on the target frequency.

[0018] Optionally, before the step of sending the detection instruction to the remote control receiving terminal, the method further includes:

[0019] Identifying whether the signal strength sent by the remote control receiving terminal meets a preset condition;

[0020] If the signal strength does not meet the preset condition, a detection instruction is sent to the remote control receiving end.

[0021] Optionally, the preset condition is that the signal strength sent by the remote control receiving end is lower than -75dBm.

[0022] Optionally, detecting signal strengths of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving terminal in a mine working face environment within a preset frequency band to determine a target frequency includes:

[0023] Based on a preset period, switching the working antenna in the remote controller to communicate with the remote control receiving end at a preset frequency;

[0024] The signal strengths of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving end in the mine working face environment are detected to determine a preset frequency with the highest signal strength, and the preset frequency is used as the target frequency.

[0025] Optionally, the preset period is 100ms.

[0026] Optionally, switching the working antenna in the remote controller to communicate with the remote control receiving end at a preset frequency based on a preset period includes:

[0027] The control unit in the remote controller controls the switch unit to tangentially operate the antenna based on the preset period to communicate with the remote control receiving end.

[0028] Beneficial effects of the above technical solution:

[0029] The remote control of this application automatically matches the optimal wireless communication frequency and selects the optimal frequency point to achieve a higher signal-to-noise ratio, a longer communication distance, and better wireless communication effects; by automatically selecting and switching RF antennas with different spatial directivities, it switches the matching antenna in real time according to situations such as changes in the direction of the driver's handheld remote control and obstructions in the underground environment, thereby achieving wireless communication with higher signal strength; expanding the communication distance and reducing the probability of coal mining machine shutdown failures caused by remote control signal failure; under the same signal transmission environment and RF parameters, achieving wireless communication with longer distances and higher signal strengths, and the remote control function has high stability and better performance; when the optimal RF antenna selection is started, the two-way real-time communication between the coal mining machine and the remote control will not be interrupted, and the remote control can still normally control the coal mining machine for production work, ensuring the continuity and safety of production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 A module of an embodiment of the remote control described in this application;

[0031] Figure 2 A circuit connection diagram of an embodiment of the remote control described in this application;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a method flow chart of an embodiment of the remote control method described in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The advantages of the present invention are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0034] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0035] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0036] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining."

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the numerical labels before the steps do not identify the order in which the steps are executed, but are only used to facilitate the description of the present invention and to distinguish each step, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation of the present invention.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] This embodiment provides a remote controller, see Figure 1-Figure 2 The system shown includes at least two antennas 1 , a switch unit 3 , a transceiver unit 4 and a control unit 2 .

[0040] At least two antennas 1 are installed inside the remote control body, pointing in different directions for transmitting and receiving signals. The remote control body can be constructed of a plastic housing with a circuit board mounted inside. The at least two antennas are secured to the circuit board. The antennas can be either printed circuit board antennas or metal antennas. The antenna size is determined by the operating frequency. For example, an antenna operating in the 2.4 GHz band is approximately 31 mm long.

[0041] Switch unit 3 is connected to at least two antennas 1 and is used to switch the active antenna. Switch unit 3 can use a radio frequency switch chip, such as the SKY13350-385LF, which features low insertion loss and high isolation, making it suitable for antenna switching. Switch unit 3 is connected to the antenna via a microstrip line with a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms to match the impedance of the antenna and radio frequency circuit.

[0042] Transceiver unit 4 is connected to switch unit 3 and is used to demodulate and modulate transmit and receive signals. Transceiver unit 4 can utilize a radio frequency transceiver chip, such as the CC2500, which operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and supports multiple modulation schemes, such as FSK and GFSK. Transceiver unit 4 is connected to switch unit 3 via a microstrip line with a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms. Transceiver unit 4 also includes a matching circuit, a filtering circuit, and an amplifier circuit. The matching circuit is used for impedance matching, the filtering circuit is used to filter out interference signals, and the amplifier circuit is used to amplify the received or transmitted signals.

[0043] The frequency band of the transceiver unit 4 can be between 430MHz and 440MHz, which has high signal penetration and low attenuation. The signal modulation method is FSK-2, the frequency deviation is 20KHz, and the communication data rate is 10kbps. It should be noted that the above parameter selection is only one possibility and is not limited to this.

[0044] When the remote control communicates with the remote control receiver, the communication method can be a protocol frame. The protocol frame includes a preamble bit (configured as 6 bytes), a synchronization word (configured as 4 bytes), an optional length field (Length Field) and an address field (Address Field) that are not used, and a data field (Data Field) containing specific data with a fixed length of 16 bytes. The CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) uses 16 bits.

[0045] The control unit 2 is connected to the transceiver unit 4 and the switch unit 3, respectively, and is configured to control the switch unit 3 to operate the antenna in a tangential manner based on the transceiver signals. The control unit 2 can utilize a microcontroller, such as an STM32F103 microcontroller, which has a rich set of peripheral interfaces and high processing power. The control unit 2 is connected to the transceiver unit 4 via an SPI interface and controls the switching of the switch unit 3 via a GPIO interface. The control unit 2 also includes a power management circuit, a key interface circuit, and a display interface circuit. The power management circuit provides a stable power supply to each module, the key interface circuit receives user key input, and the display interface circuit drives the display screen to display information.

[0046] In this embodiment, at least two antennas 1 utilize four antennas, each pointing in a different direction. The radiation directions of two antennas are parallel to the cross-section of the remote control, and the radiation directions of two antennas are parallel to the longitudinal section of the remote control. This arrangement covers the entire space surrounding the remote control, ensuring that at least one antenna can establish a good communication link with the remote control receiver regardless of the placement of the remote control. The four antennas can be printed circuit board antennas, arranged at the four edges of the circuit board. The dimensions of each antenna are determined by the operating frequency. For example, an antenna operating in the 2.4 GHz band has a length of approximately 31 mm and a width of approximately 3 mm. The distance between the four antennas should be greater than half a wavelength to reduce mutual coupling between the antennas. In the 2.4 GHz band, half a wavelength is approximately 62.5 mm.

[0047] Antennas should be directional or high-gain omnidirectional. Directional antennas can include Yagi antennas, log-periodic antennas, or patch antennas. These antennas have high gain and narrow beamwidth, making them suitable for long-distance communication in a specific direction. High-gain omnidirectional antennas can include coplanar waveguide antennas and dipole array antennas. These antennas have high gain and wide beamwidth, making them suitable for communication in multiple directions.

[0048] Directional antennas typically have a gain of 5dBi or greater, and a beamwidth of less than 60 degrees. High-gain omnidirectional antennas typically have a gain of 3dBi or greater, and a beamwidth of 360 degrees. In this embodiment, the appropriate antenna type can be selected based on the actual application scenario. For example, in a mine working environment, where space is limited, a high-gain omnidirectional antenna can be selected to provide wider coverage.

[0049] The antenna in this embodiment can be an 8DBI high-gain T-shaped flexible PCB antenna from Kexin. PCB antennas offer high gain and strong directivity. The antenna's energy radiation pattern deviates from a sphere, making it easier to focus energy in a specific direction. The antenna measures 50×16mm, has an adhesive backing, and is less than 0.5mm thick. In this embodiment, four antennas are installed on the front, bottom, left, and right sides of the remote control. The side without the antenna connector is secured to the mating surface inside the remote control using adhesive backing, and double-fixed with single-component room-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber. In this embodiment, due to space limitations, an 8DBI PCB antenna is used. However, if space is available, a larger number of more directional rubber antennas or even custom directional antennas can be used to further enhance the energy concentration effect in a specific direction, allowing higher-energy signals to be received by the coal mining machine remote control receiver.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] See Figure 3This embodiment provides a remote control method, which uses the remote control described in Example 1 and includes:

[0052] S1. Send a detection command to the remote control receiver;

[0053] S2. Detect the signal strength of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiver in the mine working face environment within the preset frequency band to determine the target frequency;

[0054] S3. Establish communication with the remote control receiver based on the target frequency.

[0055] The process of sending a detection instruction to the remote control receiving end is as follows: the control unit 2 of the remote control generates a detection instruction, which includes the identification information of the remote control and the detection request information; the control unit 2 sends the detection instruction to the transceiver unit 4; the transceiver unit 4 modulates the detection instruction to generate a radio frequency signal; the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the currently working antenna through the switch unit 3; the antenna transmits the radio frequency signal, which is received by the remote control receiving end.

[0056] The process of detecting the signal strength of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving end in the mine working face environment within a preset frequency band and determining the target frequency is as follows: after the remote control receiving end receives the detection instruction, it sends signals of different frequencies within the preset frequency band; the remote control receives these signals through the antenna; the received signals are transmitted to the transceiver unit 4 through the switch unit 3; the transceiver unit 4 demodulates the signal and extracts the signal strength information; the control unit 2 analyzes the signal strength of different frequencies and determines the frequency with the highest signal strength as the target frequency.

[0057] The preset frequency band can be the 2.4 GHz band, which is a free-to-use Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band. Within the 2.4 GHz band, you can select multiple frequencies for testing, such as 2.405 GHz, 2.410 GHz, and 2.415 GHz, with a frequency interval of 5 MHz. For each frequency, the remote control measures the received signal strength in dBm.

[0058] The process of establishing communication with the remote control receiving end based on the target frequency is as follows: the control unit 2 of the remote control sets the target frequency to the operating frequency; the control unit 2 generates a communication request instruction, which includes the identification information of the remote control and the communication request information; the control unit 2 sends the communication request instruction to the transceiver unit 4; the transceiver unit 4 modulates the communication request instruction to generate a radio frequency signal; the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the currently working antenna through the switch unit 3; the antenna transmits the radio frequency signal, which is received by the remote control receiving end; after receiving the communication request instruction, the remote control receiving end replies with a confirmation message; after receiving the confirmation message, the remote control establishes a communication link with the remote control receiving end.

[0059] Before the step of sending a detection instruction to the remote control receiving terminal, it also includes identifying whether the signal strength sent by the remote control receiving terminal meets the preset conditions; if the signal strength does not meet the preset conditions, sending a detection instruction to the remote control receiving terminal.

[0060] The process of identifying whether the signal strength sent by the remote control receiving end meets the preset conditions is as follows: the remote control receives the signal sent by the remote control receiving end through the antenna; the received signal is transmitted to the transceiver unit 4 through the switch unit 3; the transceiver unit 4 demodulates the signal and extracts the signal strength information; the control unit 2 compares the signal strength with the preset conditions and determines whether the signal strength meets the preset conditions.

[0061] The default condition is that the signal strength from the remote control receiver is less than -75dBm. A signal strength below -75dBm indicates poor communication quality and requires reselecting the frequency or antenna to improve communication quality. Signal strength is measured in dBm, which is the logarithm of power. -75dBm is equivalent to 3.16×10^-11 watts.

[0062] Detect the signal strength of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving end in the mine working face environment within the preset frequency band and determine the target frequency, including switching the working antenna in the remote control to communicate with the remote control receiving end at the preset frequency based on the preset period; detect the signal strength of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving end in the mine working face environment to determine the preset frequency with the highest signal strength, and use the preset frequency as the target frequency.

[0063] Based on a preset period, the process of switching the working antenna in the remote control to communicate with the remote control receiving end at a preset frequency is as follows: the control unit 2 generates a switching signal according to the preset period; the switching signal controls the switch unit 3 to switch the working antenna; the switched working antenna communicates with the remote control receiving end at the preset frequency.

[0064] The default cycle is 100ms. This means the remote controller switches the active antenna every 100ms, allowing the communication effectiveness of all antennas to be tested in a short period of time. This 100ms cycle ensures sufficient testing without causing prolonged communication interruptions.

[0065] Based on a preset period, the working antenna in the remote control is switched to communicate with the remote control receiving end at a preset frequency, including the control unit 2 in the remote control controlling the switch unit 3 to switch the working antenna based on the preset period to communicate with the remote control receiving end.

[0066] The control unit 2 in the remote control controls the switch unit 3 to switch the working antenna based on a preset period, and the process of communicating with the remote control receiving end is as follows: a timer is set inside the control unit 2, and the period of the timer is a preset period; when the timer reaches the preset period, the control unit 2 generates a switching signal; the switching signal is transmitted to the switch unit 3 through the GPIO interface; the switch unit 3 switches the working antenna according to the switching signal; the switched working antenna establishes a communication link with the remote control receiving end.

[0067] In a mine working environment, due to the narrow space and numerous obstacles, wireless signals are easily affected by reflection, scattering, and diffraction, resulting in unstable signal strength. By switching the working antenna, the antenna with the optimal signal transmission path can be selected, improving communication quality and reliability. Furthermore, by measuring the signal strength at different frequencies, the frequency with the least interference can be selected as the operating frequency, further improving communication quality.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A remote controller, characterized in that: include: At least two antennas are disposed inside the remote control body, the at least two antennas pointing in different directions for transmitting and receiving signals; a switch unit, connected to the at least two antennas respectively, for tangentially operating the antennas; a transceiver unit, connected to the switch unit, and configured to demodulate and modulate the transceiver signal; A control unit is connected to the transceiver unit and the switch unit respectively, and is used to control the switch unit to work tangentially according to the transceiver signal.

2. The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein: The at least two antennas are four antennas, and the four antennas point in different directions respectively, wherein the radiation directions of two of the antennas are parallel to the cross section of the remote control, and the radiation directions of two of the antennas are parallel to the longitudinal section of the remote control.

3. The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna is a directional antenna or a high-gain omnidirectional antenna.

4. A remote control method, using the remote control according to claims 1-3, characterized in that: include: Send detection instructions to the remote control receiver; Detecting the signal strength of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving terminal in the mine working face environment within a preset frequency band to determine the target frequency; Communication is established with the remote control receiving terminal based on the target frequency.

5. The remote control method according to claim 4, wherein: Before the step of sending the detection instruction to the remote control receiving terminal, the method further includes: Identifying whether the signal strength sent by the remote control receiving terminal meets a preset condition; If the signal strength does not meet the preset condition, a detection instruction is sent to the remote control receiving end.

6. The remote controller control method according to claim 5, wherein: The preset condition is that the signal strength sent by the remote control receiving end is lower than -75dBm.

7. The remote control method according to claim 4, wherein: The detecting, within a preset frequency band, signal strengths of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving terminal in a mine working face environment to determine a target frequency includes: Based on a preset period, switching the working antenna in the remote controller to communicate with the remote control receiving end at a preset frequency; The signal strengths of different frequencies sent by the remote control receiving end in the mine working face environment are detected to determine a preset frequency with the highest signal strength, and the preset frequency is used as the target frequency.

8. The remote controller control method according to claim 7, wherein: The preset period is 100ms.

9. The remote controller control method according to claim 7, wherein: The step of switching the working antenna in the remote controller to communicate with the remote control receiving terminal at a preset frequency based on a preset period includes: The control unit in the remote controller controls the switch unit to tangentially operate the antenna based on the preset period to communicate with the remote control receiving end.

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