UWB range finding method, device and system

Abstract

A UWB range finding method, device and system, the UWB range finding method comprising: in a range finding round, receiving a range finding end information frame by a UWB device in a range finding report time slot for receiving the range finding end information frame; when it is confirmed that the distance measurement ending information frame is received, the UWB device forwards the distance measurement ending information frame after the distance measurement report time slot; and when it is confirmed that the ranging end information frame is not received, the UWB device receives the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This article relates to, but is not limited to, the field of UWB ranging technology, and in particular to a UWB ranging method, device, and system. Background Art

[0002] As living standards improve, people's demand for precise positioning increases, prompting the emergence of Ultra WideBand (UWB). UWB can achieve positioning accuracy of less than 10cm, far superior to positioning solutions such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Bluetooth. Accurate positioning achieved through UWB enables the development of many practical features, including the Digital Key (DK) based on UWB ranging.

[0003] However, in UWB ranging, due to the lack of an ACK (Acknowledgement) mechanism, if one party (assuming the initiator) sends a data packet to the other party (assuming the responder) and the receiver (Responder) does not receive it, the sender (Initiator) is unaware of the packet and will not retransmit it, causing the ranging measurement to fail. More seriously, some packets carry information indicating the next scheduling. If the receiver fails to receive this information, the next ranging measurement may also fail. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following is a summary of the subject matter described in detail herein. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0005] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a UWB ranging method, comprising: in a ranging report time slot for receiving a ranging end information frame in a ranging round, a UWB device receives the ranging end information frame; when confirming receipt of the ranging end information frame, the UWB device forwards the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot; when confirming that the ranging end information frame has not been received, the UWB device receives the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot.

[0006] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a UWB device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a UWB ranging program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the UWB ranging program is executed by the processor, the steps of the UWB ranging method described in any embodiment of the present disclosure are implemented.

[0007] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a UWB ranging system, comprising a first UWB device and a second UWB device, wherein the first UWB device is the UWB device as described in any embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein in one ranging round, multiple first UWB devices respectively measure the distance between themselves and the second UWB device.

[0008] The UWB ranging method, device, and system of the disclosed embodiments can improve the ranging reliability of the entire system by forwarding the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot when the UWB device confirms receipt of the ranging end information frame; and receiving the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot when the UWB device confirms that it has not received the ranging end information frame. Because the UWB device (i.e., Responder) is generally installed on the vehicle side and powered by the vehicle side, the additional transmission and reception of the UWB device will not affect the power consumption of the key side or the mobile phone side. In other words, the disclosed solution can improve the ranging reliability of the system with almost no increase in system power consumption.

[0009] Other features and advantages of the present application will be described in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or will be understood by practicing the present application. Other advantages of the present application can be realized and obtained by the solutions described in the description and the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The accompanying drawings are used to provide an understanding of the technical solution of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present disclosure, they are used to explain the technical solution of the present disclosure and do not constitute a limitation to the technical solution of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1A The figure is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging process in related technology.

[0012] Figure 1B The figure is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging process in adaptive hopping mode.

[0013] Figure 1C The figure is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging process in non-hopping mode.

[0014] Figure 1D The figure is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging process in continuous hopping mode.

[0015] Figure 2 The figure is a schematic structural diagram of a UWB ranging system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3A A schematic diagram of a UWB ranging process provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3BA schematic diagram of another UWB ranging process provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 4 A flowchart of a UWB ranging method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided.

[0019] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a wired connection method between responders provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of a process for synchronizing ranging end information frames between responders provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of another process of synchronizing ranging end information frames between responders provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 6C A schematic diagram of a process for synchronizing ranging end information frames between responders provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 7 The figure is a schematic structural diagram of a UWB device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] This application describes multiple embodiments, but this description is exemplary rather than restrictive, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there may be more embodiments and implementations within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Although many possible feature combinations are shown in the drawings and discussed in the detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are also possible. Unless specifically limited, any feature or element of any embodiment may be used in combination with any other feature or element in any other embodiment, or may replace any other feature or element in any other embodiment.

[0025] This application includes and contemplates combinations of features and elements known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiments, features, and elements disclosed in this application may also be combined with any conventional features or elements to form a unique inventive solution defined by the claims. Any features or elements of any embodiment may also be combined with features or elements from other inventive solutions to form another unique inventive solution defined by the claims. Therefore, it should be understood that any feature shown and / or discussed in this application may be implemented individually or in any appropriate combination. Therefore, except for the limitations made according to the appended claims and their equivalents, the embodiments are not subject to other limitations. In addition, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of protection of the appended claims.

[0026] In addition, when describing representative embodiments, the specification may have presented the method and / or process as a specific sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the specific order of the steps described herein, the method or process should not be limited to the steps in the specific order described. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other orders of steps are also possible. Therefore, the specific order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be interpreted as a limitation to the claims. In addition, the claims for the method and / or process should not be limited to performing their steps in the order written, and those skilled in the art can readily understand that these orders can be changed and still remain within the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure should have the ordinary meaning understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in the embodiments of the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. The words "include" or "comprising" and similar words mean that the elements or objects preceding the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0028] Taking the electronic devices and cars that perform UWB ranging as an example, UWB ranging involves two types of roles: Initiator and Responder. Among them, the Initiator is an electronic device with a digital key function, such as a mobile phone or car key, which plays the role of a UWB ranging initiator. The Responder is the anchor point on the vehicle side. In order to achieve the positioning of the Initiator, there are generally multiple anchor points on the vehicle side, and they are fixed on the vehicle body to cooperate with the Initiator for positioning. Among them, the Responder can be called the first UWB device, and the Initiator can be called the second UWB device. Unless otherwise specified in this application, the UWB device refers to the first UWB device.

[0029] Each pair of UWB ranging parties (Initiator and Responder) maintains ranging interaction through a session. The Initiator presets multiple time periods consisting of ranging blocks for each Responder. Each ranging block contains multiple ranging rounds. The Initiator and each Responder complete ranging interaction within a ranging round in each ranging block. In a ranging round, each pair of UWB ranging parties completes ranging interaction with each other in sequence. In some examples, there is an idle period between adjacent ranging rounds to prevent communication conflicts. After ranging interactions in multiple ranging blocks, the Initiator knows its own position relative to multiple Responders.

[0030] In order to improve the ranging efficiency, the process of a ranging round can be as follows: Figure 1A As shown in , the Initiator first broadcasts a ranging synchronization frame in the ranging synchronization time slot Pre-Poll and a ranging start frame to all Responders in the ranging start time slot Poll (this disclosure uses three Responders: Responder0 to Responder2 as an example; in other examples, the number of Responders can be set as needed). Then, in multiple ranging response time slots R0 to R2, the Initiator sequentially receives ranging response frames from Responder 0, Responder 1, and Responder 2. The Initiator then broadcasts a ranging end frame in the ranging end slot Fian1 and a ranging end information frame in the ranging report time slot Fian1_Data to all Responders, thus ending the ranging round. Where n is between 0 and Y-1, and Y represents the number of Responders. Each UWB ranging pair in a ranging round obtains the time slot (Sloti) in which to perform a ranging response based on the ranging-related information carried in the ranging synchronization frame. Where i represents the time slot number.

[0031] As can be seen above, each ranging round contains multiple time slots. Each UWB ranging pair sends and receives various data frames in the specified time slots according to the transmission sequence. The data frames sent in each time slot are described as follows:

[0032] Pre-Poll Ranging Synchronization Slot: The Initiator sends the configuration information for this round of ranging to each Responder via a ranging synchronization frame. Each Responder receives the ranging synchronization frame simultaneously in the same time and frequency domains. The ranging synchronization frame includes the following configuration parameters: UWB session ID (UWBSessionID), STS index (PollSTSIndex) for the subsequent ranging start frame, ranging block index (RangingBlock), hop flag (HopFlag), and ranging round index (RoundIndex).

[0033] Ranging start timeslot Poll: The Initiator sends the ranging start frame to each Responder, so that the Initiator records the sending timestamp and each Responder records the receiving timestamp.

[0034] Ranging response time slots R0-R2: Each Responder sends a ranging response frame to the Initiator in turn. Each Responder records the sending timestamp of its own response frame, and the Initiator records the receiving timestamp of each response frame in turn.

[0035] Ranging End Slot: The Initiator sends a ranging end frame to each Responder, which receives it simultaneously. The ranging end frame marks the end of a ranging round.

[0036] Ranging report time slot Final_Data: The Initiator sends the ranging results of each Responder and the next ranging time information to each Responder through the ranging end information frame, and each Responder receives it simultaneously. The ranging end information frame includes the following configuration parameters: UWB session ID (UWBSessionID), ranging block index (RangingBlock), hop flag (HopFlag), ranging round index (RoundIndex), STS index of the previous ranging end frame (Final STSIndex), time difference between the transmission time of the Initiator's ranging start frame and the ranging end frame (Ranging TimestampFINAL TX), the number of timestamps to follow in this message (Number Ranging Responders), responder index (Responder Index), the time difference between the initiator's receiving the ranging response frame and the ranging start frame of the responder (Ranging Timestamp Responder), the value range of 1.5cm-3.6m at different confidence levels (RangingTimestamp Uncertainty Responder), and the status of the response frame from the responder (Ranging StatusResponder).

[0037] According to different ranging modes, the ranging end information frame includes a flag indicating how the ranging rounds occupied in subsequent ranging blocks change, for example:

[0038] No hopping: The position of the ranging round for ranging in the current ranging block is the same as the position of the ranging round for ranging in the previous ranging block, that is, remains unchanged.

[0039] Continuous hopping: The position of the ranging rounds used for ranging in each ranging block may change. This is calculated according to the formula in the protocol specification. This formula can ensure that the ranging round positions calculated for the same ranging block remain consistent between the two UWB ranging parties.

[0040] Adaptive hopping: The Initiator dynamically determines whether a ranging round needs to be changed based on environmental conditions. If the Initiator determines that the current ranging round is superior, it will select that round for the next ranging round (i.e., Hop_Flag = 0). Otherwise, the Initiator sets the Hop_Flag to 1 in the ranging end information frame, instructing the Responder to determine the ranging round position for the next ranging block according to the formula specified in the protocol specification.

[0041] Among them, in the last interaction of the ranging round, the Initiator sends the ranging results and related information of the next ranging round to each Responder in the ranging end information frame. Each UWB ranging round has only one Initiator, but there may be multiple Responders. Since UWB does not have an ACK mechanism, the Initiator does not know whether all Responders have received the ranging end information frame; in addition, since the ranging end information frame carries the result information of the current ranging round and the time information of the next ranging round, if some of the Responders fail to receive it, the result of the current ranging round will be invalid, and it may also cause the next round of ranging to fail, which has a great impact on ranging. The following is Figures 1B to 1D The three different modes are described below.

[0042] like Figure 1B As shown in the figure, in adaptive hopping mode, if the Responder does not receive the ranging end information frame, ranging in the current ranging block fails. In addition, in the ranging process of the next ranging block, the Responder will perform ranging according to the position calculated by the formula specified in the protocol specification. However, assuming that the Initiator determines that the ranging environment is relatively ideal based on the results of the previous interactions, the Initiator will set the Hop_flag to 0 in the ranging end information frame, which means that the Initiator performs ranging at the same ranging round position in the next ranging block. As a result, in the next ranging block, the Initiator and Responder will likely stagger their transmissions and receptions, resulting in ranging failure in the next ranging block (unless the ranging round calculated according to the formula happens to be the same as the ranging round in the previous ranging block, but this probability is extremely low).

[0043] It should be noted that in the existing solution, if the Responder fails to successfully receive the ranging end information frame, it will not cause all subsequent ranging interactions to fail, and it will be automatically corrected. That is, in the adaptive hopping mode, if the Responder does not receive the last ranging end information frame, it may cause ranging failures in two ranging rounds ( Figure 1B Ranging Block N and Ranging Block N+1 in .

[0044] like Figure 1C As shown, in the non-hopping mode, since the ranging round position for ranging in each ranging block is fixed, the failure to receive the ranging end information frame during the ranging process of the previous ranging block will not affect the ranging of the next ranging block, but will reduce the ranging efficiency.

[0045] like Figure 1DAs shown in FIG, in the continuous hopping mode, in a ranging round, if the Responder fails to successfully receive the ranging end information frame, it will only affect the ranging of the current ranging block, but will not affect the ranging of the next ranging block.

[0046] In summary, in the current ranging scheme, if the first few ranging interactions in a ranging block are normal, but the Responder receives only the final ranging completion information frame abnormally, the Responder will fail ranging in that ranging block. In the adaptive hopping mode, two ranging opportunities (the current ranging block and the next ranging block) may be lost. In the non-hopping and continuous hopping modes, the ranging results in the current ranging block are lost.

[0047] Therefore, the present application provides a solution to improve the UWB ranging success rate by increasing the possibility that each Responder successfully receives the ranging end information frame, thereby improving the ranging reliability of the system.

[0048] In addition, the solution described in this application does not increase the power consumption of the electronic device side when expanding from the positioning scenario of cars and electronic devices to other applicable scenarios, such as the application scenario of mobile phones and automatic gates.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a UWB ranging system, including a first UWB device and a second UWB device, wherein in one ranging round, a plurality of first UWB devices respectively measure the distance between themselves and the second UWB device.

[0050] In some exemplary embodiments, the first UWB device may be a responder, however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The following example takes the first UWB device as a responder.

[0051] In some exemplary embodiments, the second UWB device may be an initiator, however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The following example uses the second UWB device as an initiator.

[0052] In some exemplary embodiments, Figures 3A to 3B As shown, in one ranging round, a ranging process is performed between multiple responders and one initiator. Specifically, the ranging process in one ranging round includes:

[0053] Ranging synchronization slot Pre-Poll: The Initiator sends the configuration information of this round of ranging to each Responder through the ranging synchronization frame. Each Responder receives the ranging synchronization frame simultaneously in the same time domain and frequency domain.

[0054] Ranging start timeslot Poll: The Initiator sends the ranging start frame to each Responder, so that the Initiator records the sending timestamp and each Responder records the receiving timestamp.

[0055] Ranging response time slots R0-R2: Each Responder sends a ranging response frame to the Initiator in turn. Each Responder records the sending timestamp of its own response frame, and the Initiator records the receiving timestamp of each response frame in turn.

[0056] Ranging End Slot: The Initiator sends a ranging end frame to each Responder, which receives it simultaneously. The ranging end frame marks the end of a ranging round.

[0057] Ranging report slot Final_Data: The Initiator sends each Responder the ranging results of the current round and the time of the next ranging measurement to each Responder through a Ranging End information frame, which each Responder receives simultaneously. Assume that among Responder0 through Responder2, only Responder1 successfully receives the Ranging End information frame, while Responder0 and Responder2 do not.

[0058] Forwarding time slots R0'-R2': The Responder that confirms that it has received the ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame in the forwarding time slot; the Responder that confirms that it has not received the ranging end information frame receives the ranging end information frame in the forwarding time slot.

[0059] In some exemplary embodiments, a Responder that confirms receipt of the ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame in a plurality of forwarding time slots in a time-sharing manner.

[0060] like Figure 3A As shown in the figure, for Responder0, since it has not received the ranging end information frame, Responder0 will neither send nor receive the ranging end information frame in the forwarding time slot R0'. In the forwarding time slot R1', Responder0 will try to receive the ranging end information frame. If it is successfully received, this round of ranging ends and no further reception will be done. If the reception fails, it will try again in the forwarding time slot R2', and the cycle will repeat until all attempts are exhausted.

[0061] For Resonder1, since it has received the ranging end information frame, it no longer needs to receive the ranging end information frame, but needs to send the ranging end information frame. Resonder1 will send the ranging end information frame in the forwarding time slot R1' and remain silent in other forwarding time slots.

[0062] For Responder2, since it has not received the ranging end information frame, it will try to receive the ranging end information frame in other forwarding time slots except the forwarding time slot R2'. Once it is successfully received, it will stop subsequent reception; otherwise, it will continue until all attempts are exhausted.

[0063] In some other exemplary embodiments, a Responder that confirms receipt of the ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame multiple times in multiple forwarding time slots.

[0064] like Figure 3B As shown, for Responder0, since it has not received the ranging end information frame, it will try to receive the ranging end information frame starting from the forwarding time slot R0'. If it is successfully received, it will stop receiving; otherwise, it will keep receiving until all attempts are used up (that is, all forwarding time slots are used up).

[0065] For Responder 1, since it has received the ranging end information frame, it will continue to send the ranging end information frame starting from the forwarding time slot R0' until all sending opportunities are used up (that is, all forwarding time slots are used up).

[0066] For Responder2, since it has not received the ranging end information frame, it will try to receive the ranging end information frame starting from the forwarding time slot R0'. If it is successfully received, it will stop receiving; otherwise, it will keep receiving until all attempts are exhausted.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the Responder may forward the ranging end information frame by wireless communication, or may forward the ranging end information frame by a wired link.

[0068] In some exemplary embodiments, the wireless communication method includes any one of the following: Bluetooth transmission, UWB transmission, or UWB narrowband transmission.

[0069] In some exemplary embodiments, in at least one forwarding time slot after the ranging report time slot, the responder forwards the ranging end information frame using wireless communication.

[0070] In some exemplary embodiments, the number of forwarding time slots does not exceed the number of Responder devices.

[0071] In some exemplary embodiments, the signal transmission power used by the Responder to forward the ranging end information frame is less than the signal transmission power used by the Responder to send the ranging response frame in the ranging round.

[0072] In some exemplary embodiments, the Responder directly forwards the ranging end information frame through a wired link; or multiple Responders are connected to the controller through data lines, and the Responders forward the ranging end information frame through the controller.

[0073] like Figure 4 As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a UWB ranging method, including:

[0074] Step 401: In a ranging report time slot for receiving a ranging end information frame in a ranging round, a UWB device receives a ranging end information frame.

[0075] Step 402: When receiving the ranging end information frame, the UWB device forwards the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot.

[0076] Step 403: When it is confirmed that the ranging end information frame has not been received, the UWB device receives the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the UWB device is the first UWB device described above. The UWB device may be a responder, but the present disclosure does not limit this. The following example uses the UWB device as the responder.

[0078] In some exemplary embodiments, in the ranging report time slot, the ranging end information frame received by the UWB device is a ranging end information frame received from a second UWB device.

[0079] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the second UWB device may be an initiator, however, this disclosure is not limited to this. The following example uses the second UWB device as the initiator. In a ranging round, one or more UWB devices perform ranging interactions with the second UWB device to locate the second UWB device.

[0080] In the disclosed embodiment, the UWB device receives a ranging end information frame from the second UWB device and forwards the ranging end information frame to other UWB devices to improve the success rate of each UWB device receiving the ranging end information frame, thereby improving the ranging success rate of the next ranging block.

[0081] In some exemplary embodiments, after the ranging report time slot, the ranging end information frame received by the UWB device is a ranging end information frame received from another UWB device.

[0082] Optionally, in other examples, after the above-mentioned ranging report time slot, when the UWB device receives a ranging end information frame from another UWB device, the UWB device may also forward the ranging end information frame in one or more forwarding time slots.

[0083] In some exemplary embodiments, the forwarded ranging end information frame is symmetrically encrypted.

[0084] When forwarding the ranging end information frame, the UWB device uses a symmetric key to encrypt the ranging end information frame. Other UWB devices that receive the ranging end information frame can then decrypt it using the symmetric key. Symmetric key encryption, also known as dedicated key encryption or shared key encryption, means that both the sender and receiver must use the same key to encrypt and decrypt plaintext. In the disclosed embodiment, the symmetric key can be generated based on the following configuration parameters: the UWB session ID and the STS index value.

[0085] In some exemplary embodiments, the ranging end information frame includes: ranging time differences corresponding to multiple UWB devices, wherein a single ranging time difference is the time difference between the second UWB device sending the ranging start frame and the second UWB device receiving the ranging response frame of the UWB device.

[0086] UWB ranging uses the Time of Flight (TOF) method as a ranging algorithm. Each UWB device obtains its corresponding ranging time difference from the ranging end information frame. The distance between each UWB device and the second UWB device can be calculated based on the UWB electromagnetic wave propagation speed and the ranging time difference.

[0087] In some exemplary embodiments, the signal transmission power used by the UWB device to forward the ranging end information frame is less than the signal transmission power used by the UWB device to send the ranging response frame in the ranging round. By reducing the signal transmission power used to forward the ranging end information frame, power consumption can be reduced and signal interference can be reduced.

[0088] In some exemplary embodiments, there are multiple UWB devices. When receiving the ranging end information frame, the multiple UWB devices forward the ranging end information frame in multiple forwarding time slots after the ranging report time slot.

[0089] In the disclosed embodiment, after receiving a ranging end information frame in a certain forwarding time slot, the UWB device may turn off the receiver and no longer receive ranging reception information frames forwarded by other UWB devices.

[0090] In some exemplary embodiments, in at least one forwarding time slot after the ranging report time slot, the UWB device forwards the ranging end information frame using wireless communication.

[0091] In some exemplary embodiments, each ranging round includes Y forwarding time slots, where Y is the number of responders, and each UWB device corresponds to one forwarding time slot. The UWB device that receives the ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame via wireless communication in its corresponding forwarding time slot.

[0092] Exemplarily, the wireless communication method includes any one of the following: Bluetooth transmission, UWB transmission, or UWB narrowband transmission.

[0093] In some exemplary embodiments, the method further includes: the UWB device that has not received the ranging end information frame receives the forwarded ranging end information frame in a receiving time slot.

[0094] In this embodiment, the receiving time slot may be a time slot among the Y forwarding time slots except the forwarding time slot corresponding to the receiving time slot.

[0095] In some exemplary embodiments, the Y forwarding time slots are located after the ranging report time slot, and the transmission order of the UWB devices corresponding to the Y forwarding time slots is the same as the transmission order of the UWB devices corresponding to the Y ranging response frames.

[0096] In the related technical solution, in a ranging round, the lower limit of the number of time slots is Slotmin=4+Y, where Y is the number of Responders. Figure 1A Taking 3 Responders as an example, there are at least 7 slots in a distance measuring wheel.

[0097] In the present disclosure, the lower limit of the number of time slots in a ranging round is Slotmin = 4 + Y + Y, where Y is the number of Responders and Y is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. It can be seen that in the present disclosure, the lower limit of the number of time slots in a ranging round is Y more than in the original solution, and the order of the additional Y time slots corresponds one-to-one with the order in which the Responders previously sent ranging response frames. If Responder X successfully receives a ranging end information frame in the ranging report time slot, it transmits a ranging end information frame in the forwarding time slot Rx'. If Responder X fails to successfully receive a ranging end information frame in the ranging report time slot, it attempts to receive a ranging end information frame in a forwarding time slot other than the forwarding time slot Rx'.

[0098] Assume that a ranging round ends. After the Initiator sends the ranging end information frame, Responder0 and Responder2 fail to receive the ranging end information frame, but Responder1 receives the ranging end information frame successfully. Figure 3A As shown, the specific implementation of the UWB ranging process of the embodiment of the present disclosure is as follows:

[0099] For Responder0, since it has not received the ranging end information frame, it will neither send nor receive the ranging end information frame in the corresponding forwarding time slot R0' (i.e., it remains silent); in forwarding time slot R1', Responder0 will try to receive the ranging end information frame. If it is received successfully, this round of ranging ends and no further reception will be done; if the reception fails, it will try again in forwarding time slot R2', and the cycle will repeat until all attempts are exhausted.

[0100] For Resonder1, since it has received the ranging end information frame, it no longer needs to receive the ranging end information frame, but needs to send the ranging end information frame. It will send the ranging end information frame in its corresponding forwarding time slot R1', and other forwarding time slots will remain silent.

[0101] For Responder2, it has not received the ranging end information frame. It will try to receive the ranging end information frame in other forwarding time slots except for its corresponding forwarding time slot R2'. Once it successfully receives the frame, it stops subsequent reception; otherwise, it will continue until all attempts are exhausted.

[0102] In other exemplary embodiments, a UWB device that receives the ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame to other UWB devices multiple times in multiple forwarding time slots.

[0103] Exemplarily, each ranging round includes M forwarding time slots, where M is a natural number greater than or equal to 1. The responder that receives the ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame via wireless communication in each of the M forwarding time slots.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, M may be equal to Y or may not be equal to Y, and the present disclosure does not impose any limitation on this.

[0105] like Figure 3BAs shown in the figure, for a Responder that successfully receives the ranging end information frame, it may also try to send the ranging end information frame in all forwarding time slots; for a Responder that fails to successfully receive the ranging end information frame, it tries to receive the ranging end information frame in all possible forwarding time slots. If it is successfully received, it stops receiving, otherwise it stops until all opportunities are used up.

[0106] Taking Y=3 and M=3 as an example, the specific implementation is as follows:

[0107] For Responder0, since it has not received the ranging end information frame, it will try to receive the ranging end information frame starting from the forwarding time slot R0'. If it is successfully received, it will stop receiving; otherwise, it will keep receiving until all opportunities are used up.

[0108] For Responder 1, since it has received the ranging end information frame, it will continue to send the ranging end information frame starting from the forwarding time slot R0' until all opportunities are used up.

[0109] For Responder2, since it has not received the ranging end information frame, it will try to receive the ranging end information frame starting from the forwarding time slot R0'. If it is successfully received, it will stop receiving; otherwise, it will keep receiving until all opportunities are used up.

[0110] In some other exemplary embodiments, the UWB device that receives the ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame via a wired link.

[0111] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, multiple responders may be connected via a wired link, and a responder that receives a ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame to other responders via the wired link.

[0112] Considering that in the digital key solution, the Responder is installed on the vehicle side, and there are usually multiple Responders; each sub-UWB module is connected to the main UWB module through a wired method; generally speaking, each sub-UWB module and the main UWB module are also connected to non-UWB modules (such as BLE modules); it is not ruled out that each sub-UWB module is connected through a wired method, such as Figure 5 As shown, assuming Figure 5 In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) module is a low-power device that supports the Bluetooth protocol.

[0113] The Initiator sends the ranging end information frame in a broadcast mode, and each Responder (i.e. Figure 5 Each UWB module in the system will try to receive it; as long as one Responder successfully receives the ranging end information frame and then transmits it to the Responders that have not received the ranging end information frame via wired mode, the system's anti-interference ability can be improved, thereby improving the overall ranging success rate.

[0114] like Figure 6A As shown in FIG, taking the receiver having 3 Responders as an example, assuming that during ranging block N, only one Responder receives the last ranging end information frame, the Responder transmits the ranging end information frame to other Responders via a wired manner.

[0115] If the ranging end information frame is not received, synchronization of the ranging end information frame within each Responder ensures that each Responder successfully performs ranging in the current ranging block. In adaptive hopping mode, since synchronization of the ranging end information frame also obtains the scheduling information for the next ranging block, it also ensures that the scheduling of the Responder and Initiator in the next ranging block is aligned, which also increases the possibility of ranging success in the next ranging block. There are multiple ways to synchronize the ranging end information frame within Responders via wired communication, which are detailed below.

[0116] In some exemplary embodiments, the UWB device directly forwards the ranging end information frame via a wired link.

[0117] Exemplarily, multiple UWB devices are connected in pairs via wired links. A UWB device that receives a ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame to an adjacent UWB device via the wired link between the UWB device and the adjacent UWB device.

[0118] In this embodiment, there is no concept of a master module between multiple Responder nodes. The Responder nodes are parallel and connected by wires. A Responder node that receives a ranging end information frame directly sends it to a Responder node that has not received the ranging end information frame, or a Responder node that has not received the ranging end information frame requests a Responder node that has received the ranging end information frame to send a ranging end information frame.

[0119] In some exemplary embodiments, a plurality of UWB devices are connected to a controller via data lines, and the UWB devices forward ranging end information frames via the controller.

[0120] In some exemplary embodiments, the controller may be a master UWB device. For example, the plurality of UWB devices may include a master UWB device and one or more sub-UWB devices, each of which is connected to the master UWB device via a wired link. A sub-UWB device that receives a ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame to the master UWB device via the wired link. The master UWB device then forwards the ranging end information frame to sub-UWB devices that have not received the ranging end information frame via the wired link.

[0121] like Figure 6B As shown in FIG, when the sub-responders are not connected but only connected to the overall responder, the sub-responder that receives the ranging end information frame can send the ranging end information frame to the overall responder, which can forward it; or the sub-responder that does not receive the ranging end information frame can request the overall responder to forward the ranging end information frame. Figure 6B This describes the situation where the total responder actively forwards the ranging end information frame.

[0122] In some exemplary embodiments, the controller may be a non-UWB device. For example, multiple UWB devices are connected to a non-UWB device via a wired link. A UWB device that receives a ranging end information frame forwards the ranging end information frame to the non-UWB device via the wired link. The non-UWB device then forwards the ranging end information frame to a UWB device that has not received the ranging end information frame via the wired link.

[0123] like Figure 6C As shown in the figure, when the child Responders are not connected but are connected to the non-UWB module, the Responder that receives the ranging end information frame can also send the ranging end information frame to the non-UWB module, and the non-UWB module forwards it; or each Responder that has not received the ranging end information frame can request the non-UWB module to forward the ranging end information frame. Figure 6C This section describes the situation where a non-UWB module actively forwards a ranging end information frame.

[0124] The aforementioned synchronization of the ranging end information frame is performed between each Responder via wireless or wired means. In addition, since the ranging synchronization frame also carries key information about ranging, the content in the ranging synchronization frame is consistent for all Responders. That is, the Responder that successfully receives the ranging synchronization frame can forward the ranging synchronization frame to the Responder that has not received the ranging synchronization frame via wired means.

[0125] In some other exemplary embodiments, the UWB ranging method includes: each UWB device that receives the ranging synchronization frame forwards the ranging synchronization frame to other UWB devices via a wired link.

[0126] In this embodiment, when the responder receives the ranging synchronization frame sent by the initiator, it forwards the ranging synchronization frame in a wired manner.

[0127] The preceding discussion focused on the example of the ranging end information frame, explaining how it achieves synchronization through wired communication, thereby improving the ranging success rate of the entire ranging block. However, in the ranging process, the ranging synchronization frame is also initiated by the Initiator and received simultaneously by all Responders. Its content is consistent for all Responders. In other words, if a Responder fails to receive the ranging synchronization frame, it can also use wired synchronization to ensure that all Responder nodes in the wired network receive the ranging synchronization frame. The synchronization method for the ranging synchronization frame can also be similar to the synchronization method for the ranging end information frame.

[0128] In a wireless communication system without an ACK mechanism and with multiple receivers, if one receiver receives a critical information packet but the others do not, internal synchronization between the receivers can be used to ensure that all receivers receive the packet as long as one of them receives it, thereby improving the ranging success rate of the entire system.

[0129] The UWB ranging method proposed in this disclosure can avoid the problem of ranging failure caused by failure of one or more nodes to receive key packets through the synchronization of key packets (ranging synchronization frame, ranging end information frame) by the UWB device, thereby improving the ranging reliability of the entire UWB ranging system.

[0130] Based on the above embodiments, the present disclosure also provides a UWB device, whose principle block diagram can be shown as follows: Figure 7 As shown. The above-mentioned UWB device includes a processor, a memory, and a network interface connected via a system bus. The processor of the UWB device is used to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the UWB device includes a non-volatile storage medium and an internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system and a UWB ranging program. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and the UWB ranging program in the non-volatile storage medium. The network interface of the UWB device is used to communicate with an external terminal via a network connection. When the UWB ranging program is executed by the processor, the steps of any of the above-mentioned UWB ranging methods are implemented.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 7The principle block diagram shown in the figure is only a block diagram of a partial structure related to the scheme of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the UWB device to which the scheme of the present disclosure is applied. The specific UWB device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different component arrangement.

[0132] In one embodiment, a UWB device is provided. The UWB device includes a memory, a processor, and a UWB ranging program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When executed by the processor, the UWB ranging program performs the following operating instructions: in a ranging report time slot for receiving a ranging end information frame in a ranging round, the UWB device receives the ranging end information frame; when confirming receipt of the ranging end information frame, the UWB device forwards the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot; when confirming not receiving the ranging end information frame, the UWB device receives the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot.

[0133] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer-readable storage medium, on which a UWB ranging program is stored. When the UWB ranging program is executed by a processor, the steps of any one of the UWB ranging methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure are implemented.

[0134] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules is used as an example for illustration. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be distributed and completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the above-mentioned device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiment can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units. In addition, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for the convenience of distinguishing each other, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above-mentioned system can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0135] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0136] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0137] In the embodiments provided in this disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus / terminal device and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus / terminal device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the modules or units described above is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented.

[0138] If the above-mentioned integrated module / unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present disclosure implements all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method, and can also be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The above-mentioned computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program, when executed by the processor, can implement the steps of the above-mentioned various method embodiments. Among them, the above-mentioned computer program includes computer program code, and the above-mentioned computer program code can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form, etc. The above-mentioned computer-readable medium may include: any entity or device capable of carrying the above-mentioned computer program code, recording medium, U disk, mobile hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), electric carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium, etc. It should be noted that the content contained in the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction.

[0139] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure 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 from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A UWB ranging method, characterized in that: include: In a ranging report time slot for receiving a ranging end information frame in a ranging round, the UWB device receives the ranging end information frame; When receiving the ranging end information frame, the UWB device forwards the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot; When confirming that the ranging end information frame is not received, the UWB device receives the ranging end information frame after the ranging report time slot.

2. The UWB ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: The forwarded ranging end information frame is symmetrically encrypted.

3. The UWB ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: The ranging end information frame includes: ranging time differences corresponding to the multiple UWB devices respectively; wherein a single ranging time difference is the time difference between the second UWB device sending a ranging start frame and the second UWB device receiving a ranging response frame from the UWB device. In one ranging round, the multiple UWB devices respectively perform ranging interactions with the second UWB device to locate the second UWB device.

4. The UWB ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: When receiving the ranging end information frame, the UWB device forwards the ranging end information frame in a time-sharing manner in a plurality of forwarding time slots after the ranging report time slot.

5. The UWB ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: In at least one forwarding time slot after the ranging report time slot, the UWB device forwards the ranging end information frame using a wireless communication manner.

6. The UWB ranging method according to claim 5, wherein: The wireless communication method includes any one of the following: Bluetooth transmission, UWB transmission, or UWB narrowband transmission.

7. The UWB ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: The signal transmission power used by the UWB device to forward the ranging end information frame is less than the signal transmission power used by the UWB device to send the ranging response frame in the ranging round.

8. The UWB ranging method according to claim 1, wherein: The UWB device forwards the ranging end information frame via a wired link.

9. The UWB ranging method according to claim 8, wherein: The UWB device directly forwards the ranging end information frame via a wired link; or The plurality of UWB devices are connected to a controller via a data line, and the UWB devices forward the ranging end information frame via the controller.

10. A UWB device, characterized in that: The UWB device includes a memory, a processor, and a UWB ranging program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the UWB ranging program is executed by the processor, the steps of the UWB ranging method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 are implemented.

11. A UWB ranging system, characterized in that: The system comprises a first UWB device, wherein the first UWB device is the UWB device according to claim 10, and further comprises a second UWB device; wherein, in one ranging round, a plurality of the first UWB devices respectively measure the distance between themselves and the second UWB device.

12. The UWB ranging system according to claim 11, wherein: The second UWB device is set on an electronic device to have a digital key function, and multiple first UWB devices are arranged on a vehicle.

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