Multi-redundancy cluster networking method and system based on Wi-Fi Halow

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wireless communication, in particular to a multi-redundancy cluster networking method and system based on Wi-Fi Halow. Aiming at the problem that the existing Wi-Fi Halow link is easy to fail to cause communication interruption of the unmanned aerial vehicle in an interference environment, a standby wireless serial port link (such as an NRF24L01 chip scheme) is added, when the Wi-Fi Halow link is unavailable, the Wi-Fi Halow link is automatically switched to the standby link, and high-bandwidth equipment (such as image transmission) is dynamically closed to preferentially guarantee the reliability of a data transmission link and a remote control link. The system supports a cluster networking mode (one machine with multiple controllers and one remote controller with multiple machines), is suitable for the fields of unmanned aerial vehicles, model airplanes, robots and the like, and has the advantages of low cost, low power consumption and high reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of wireless communication technology, specifically relating to a multi-redundant cluster networking method and system based on Wi-Fi Halow, which is particularly suitable for the control and data transmission of devices such as drones, model aircraft, and robots that require high-reliability communication. Background Technology

[0002] Wi-Fi Halow (based on the IEEE 802.11ah protocol) is widely used in the Internet of Things and wireless communication due to its long range and low power consumption. However, existing technologies have shortcomings in fields such as drones, model aircraft, and robots that require high-reliability communication: existing Wi-Fi Halow technology does not specifically address the issue of safe backhaul for drones under interference when networking. Once the Wi-Fi Halow signal is disconnected, the reconnection time varies depending on the device and environment, typically taking 3 seconds to 3.5 minutes, making it unsuitable for scenarios requiring high-reliability communication; CN119653348A (A method and system for emergency networking of dual-frequency links for low-altitude drone swarms) specification

[0048] states "840MHz band: wide coverage, but easily interfered with by other wireless devices," and specification

[0049] states "2.4GHz band: fast transmission speed, strong anti-interference capability, but smaller coverage." It adopts a high- and low-frequency Wi-Fi separation architecture but does not use a long-distance, low-latency wireless serial port as a backup. Since the theoretical transmission distance of 2.4GHz Wi-Fi is shorter, while the theoretical transmission distance of Wi-Fi Halow is longer, the Wi-Fi Halow signal is less reliable. When Halow is interfered with, 2.4GHz band Wi-Fi cannot reliably transmit drone data. CN120529343A (Monitoring equipment, system and method based on Wi-Fi Halow and LTE redundancy mechanism) discloses a redundancy scheme for Wi-Fi Halow and LTE, but LTE backup links are costly, power-consuming, and have high latency, making them unsuitable for resource-constrained drones. Therefore, existing technologies cannot achieve reliable redundancy switching and bandwidth optimization of Wi-Fi Halow links at low cost and low latency, and an improved solution is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-redundant cluster networking method and system based on Wi-Fi Halow, which solves the communication interruption problem caused by the unavailability of Wi-Fi Halow links in interference environments. It achieves seamless switching and dynamic bandwidth management through backup wireless serial ports, ensuring the safe backhaul control and return of devices such as drones.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following solution:

[0005] Establish a primary Wi-Fi Halow communication link and a backup wireless serial port link between the air and ground ends;

[0006] Real-time monitoring of the availability of the Wi-Fi Halow main link, triggering switching based on signal parameters (such as RSSI value or data packet loss rate);

[0007] When the Wi-Fi Halow primary link is unavailable, it automatically switches to the backup wireless serial port link and dynamically shuts down high-bandwidth devices (such as image transmission) to prioritize data transmission and remote control link communication.

[0008] It supports cluster networking mode, including one machine with multiple controllers and one remote control with multiple machines. Devices are authenticated and communicated with each other through a unique identifier.

[0009] Optionally, on the existing Wi-Fi Halow system's support for cluster networking mode, a backup link of the wireless serial port can be used to assist in identifying unique identifiers between devices, leveraging the low latency advantage of the wireless serial port to enable faster identification between devices.

[0010] The system includes air-end equipment (integrating Wi-Fi Halow module, wireless serial port module and control unit) and ground-end equipment (corresponding configuration).

[0011] The beneficial effects of this invention are: high reliability, dynamic bandwidth management ensures priority transmission of critical data (such as remote control commands); low cost, the wireless serial port backup link (such as NRF24L01) is more economical than the LTE solution; low latency, the wireless serial port backup link latency is less than 2 milliseconds, the switching is rapid, and the latency is significantly lower than the LTE solution, making it more reliable as a backup solution in emergency situations such as interference; flexibility, the cluster networking mode supports multi-scenario expansion; the backup auxiliary identification between devices can be achieved through the wireless serial port, which is faster than device identification in a pure Wi-Fi Halow system. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The following accompanying drawings, in conjunction with specific embodiments, further explain the present invention, but should not be construed as limiting the invention. The chip model shown in the drawings is one example from the embodiments:

[0013] Figure 1 This is a system architecture diagram of the present invention, showing the redundant connection between the sky end and the ground end through Wi-Fi Halow link and wireless serial port link;

[0014] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the switching process from a Wi-Fi Halow link to a wireless serial link, showing the steps of monitoring, judgment, switching, and bandwidth management;

[0015] Figure 3This is a diagram illustrating a cluster network, describing a network topology with one machine and multiple controllers, and one remote control and multiple machines. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples; these embodiments are intended to be illustrative and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0017] The hardware components include air-based devices (such as drones and robots) and ground-based devices (such as controllers and base stations). The hardware configuration is based on the Wi-Fi Halow communication protocol and a redundant design with backup wireless serial ports, as detailed below:

[0018] The processor units, both for the aerial and ground ends, utilize ARM Cortex-A based processor chips, such as the Rockchip RK3588. This chip supports multi-channel image acquisition, with up to four MIPI CSI interface cameras for capturing and encoding high-definition video streams (e.g., 1080p or 4K resolution). The processor is responsible for image data compression (using H.264 or H.265 algorithms), communication protocol processing, and redundancy switching control. It should be noted that the processor is not limited to the RK3588; any equivalent architecture chip (such as other ARM Cortex-A series processors or x86 / RISC-V architectures) can achieve the same functionality.

[0019] The Wi-Fi Halow communication module uses a chip that supports the IEEE 802.11ah protocol, such as the newracom NRC7394, operating in the Sub-1GHz band (e.g., 900MHz), providing long-distance communication (coverage up to 1000 meters) and low power consumption. The Wi-Fi Halow module connects to the processor via an Ethernet interface (e.g., RJ45 or a PHY chip) to transmit compressed image data, data transmission, and remote control signals. The communication module is not limited to the NRC7394; any component conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah standard (such as other Wi-Fi Halow compatible modules) can be used.

[0020] The backup wireless serial port module employs a low-power, short-range wireless communication chip with a radio frequency amplifier (PA). In this embodiment, the wireless communication chip used is the NRF24L01, operating in the 2.4GHz band with a maximum air rate of 2Mbps and a transmission distance of 5000m. It supports low-latency, low-rate data transmission (such as data transmission and remote control commands, with a transmission latency of less than 2ms and a bandwidth requirement of ≤1000Kbps). This module is integrated with the processor via an SPI interface. This wireless serial port module can be used for device identification assistance, enabling faster networking between devices and immediate switching to this wireless serial port link when the Wi-Fi Halow link is unavailable. The backup module is not limited to the NRF24L01 and can be extended to other long-range wireless devices (such as LoRa, ZigBee, or dedicated RF chips).

[0021] Image sensors and sensing devices include multiple cameras (such as visible light or infrared cameras) integrated at the sky end, with each camera connected to the processor via a MIPI CSI interface to capture environmental images; other sensors include a GPS module (for positioning) and an IMU module (for attitude perception), which are connected to the processor via I2C or UART interfaces; the ground end includes a control terminal (such as a remote controller or mobile device) that provides a user interface for sending remote control commands.

[0022] Power Management: The device is powered by a lithium battery and supports dynamic power consumption control; when the Wi-Fi Halow link is normal, the backup wireless serial port module is in a low-power sleep mode; it wakes up quickly during switching to optimize energy consumption; the power module can support battery or external power supply.

[0023] Network Expansion: Optional addition of Wi-Fi Halow repeater routers or Mesh nodes can extend coverage or support multi-hop networking; the above hardware configuration is only one feasible implementation; the present invention is not limited to a specific chip model or interface; for example, the processor can be replaced with other embedded architecture chips, and the communication module connection method can be extended to SDIO or CAN bus.

[0024] The software component includes embedded firmware, communication protocols, and switching algorithms to achieve redundancy management, bandwidth optimization, and cluster networking. The specific implementation is based on C / C++ or Python and runs on a Linux or RTOS environment, but this invention is not limited to a specific programming language or framework, as detailed below:

[0025] The monitoring algorithm monitors the signal parameters of the Wi-Fi Halow link in real time. The triggering conditions are that the signal strength RSSI value is lower than the preset threshold (-90dBm in this implementation) or the data packet loss rate exceeds the preset ratio (10% in this implementation). The control unit (software running on the processor) continuously collects the Wi-Fi Halow link status and calculates the moving average RSSI and packet loss rate. The monitoring is implemented through hardware interrupt or polling, and the sampling frequency is ≥100Hz to ensure real-time performance.

[0026] The switching process involves the system automatically entering switching preparation if the triggering conditions are met. This includes shutting down high-bandwidth devices (e.g., stopping image transmission services), activating the backup wireless serial port link, and establishing data transmission and remote control communication. The switching time target is <20ms. The system switches directly by taking over the data stream (data transmission link and control signal) through the wireless serial port. The software achieves fast switching through the abstract protocol layer and the abstract device layer.

[0027] The recovery mechanism involves the monitoring algorithm detecting that the Wi-Fi Halow link has recovered (e.g., the moving average RSSI is > -80dBm and the packet loss rate is <5%), and then implementing a switchback to the main link. This involves taking over the data stream through the Wi-Fi Halow link and restarting image transmission.

[0028] For bandwidth requirements, image transmission uses compression encoding (such as H.264), and each camera stream requires approximately 2Mbps of bandwidth (for 720p streams); the data transmission and remote control links together require approximately 500Kbps; when Wi-Fi Halow is unavailable, the system dynamically adjusts bandwidth allocation: image transmission is turned off, and only the data transmission and remote control links are maintained;

[0029] Priority scheduling uses priority queues to ensure remote control command (high priority) latency <5ms and data transmission latency <10ms; bandwidth management is not limited to specific values ​​and can adapt to variable needs (such as through adaptive bitrate adjustment).

[0030] The networking mode supports one machine with multiple controllers (such as multiple ground terminals controlling the same air terminal device) and one remote controller with multiple machines (such as a single controller managing multiple air terminal devices); devices are authenticated and routed through unique identifiers (such as MAC addresses or custom IDs);

[0031] Dynamic management uses heartbeat packets (sending interval ≤ 1s) to maintain the connection, and implements topology discovery and fault recovery based on state machine; for example, when the main controller signal is weak, the system automatically switches to the backup controller, with a switching time of <20ms; the networking protocol can be based on a standard stack (such as TCP / IP) or a proprietary stack, supporting star or mesh topologies;

[0032] Security mechanisms include encryption of the communication link (such as AES-128 for wireless serial ports and WPA3 for Wi-FiHalow) to ensure data integrity, confidentiality, and tamper resistance.

[0033] Specific performance parameters: Wi-Fi Halow link up to 1000m (depending on environmental conditions), wireless serial link up to 5000m (NRF24L01+PA mode); Wi-Fi Halow link image transmission latency <100ms (including image compression and decompression time), Wi-Fi Halow link remote control link latency <10ms; latency for switching to backup wireless serial port module <20ms, backup wireless serial port module transmission latency less than 2ms; Wi-Fi Halow link connection capacity supports up to 8191 nodes (Wi-Fi Halow protocol limit), which can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario; software implementation is not limited to specific algorithms or code, and those skilled in the art can use equivalent methods, such as replacing the trigger condition with signal-to-noise ratio or adjusting the networking protocol.

[0034] The following implementation scenarios are based on the above hardware and software configurations, but the parameters and scenarios can be adjusted to demonstrate the application of the present invention and are not limited in scope:

[0035] In a scenario where a drone enters a high-interference area (such as an urban environment) during flight, with a transmission distance of 1000m, and the Wi-Fi Halow link fails, the system switches to a backup wireless serial port to achieve a safe return. The drone's aerial end uses an RK3588 processor to collect data from four MIPI CSI cameras (total bandwidth 8Mbps) and transmits it via an NRC7394 Wi-Fi Halow module. Data transmission (GPS and battery status) and remote control commands share a 500Kbps bandwidth. When the Wi-Fi Halow link RSSI drops to -95dBm and the packet loss rate reaches 15%, the system automatically shuts down image transmission, activates the NRF24L01 wireless serial port module, and switches the data transmission and remote control links to the backup channel. The switching latency is less than 20ms. The drone continues to receive return commands and successfully returns to its starting point.

[0036] In a multi-controller collaborative robot application scenario, a single robot with multiple controllers operates from multiple operators using handheld devices to control a ground robot over a distance of 500m. The robot's aerial terminal uses an RK3588 processor to transmit one high-definition image stream (2Mbps). Data transmission (sensor data) and remote control links share a 500Kbps connection via Wi-Fi Halow. When the main controller signal is weak (RSSI < -90dBm), the system automatically switches to the backup controller with a switching time of <20ms. A backup wireless serial port module (NRF24L01) ensures the transmission of critical commands during the switching process.

[0037] In this drone swarm monitoring application scenario, a single controller manages multiple drones for area monitoring, with up to 10 drones connected simultaneously at a distance of 800m. Each drone is equipped with identical hardware at the air end, transmitting two image streams (total bandwidth 4Mbps). Data transmission and remote control links are integrated, using Wi-Fi Halow networking. When a drone's Wi-Fi Halow link is interfered with, the system dynamically shuts down its image transmission and switches to a wireless serial link to ensure overall swarm communication. The networking protocol uses unique identifiers to manage devices and supports dynamic joining / leaving.

[0038] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention. Any implementation based on the features described in the claims (such as backup wireless serial ports, dynamic bandwidth management, and cluster networking), regardless of the specific components or parameters used, falls within the protection scope of the present invention. Parameters and scenarios, bandwidth, latency, and other parameters can be adjusted with technological development, and the application fields are not limited to model aircraft, drones, and robots.

Claims

1. A multi-redundant cluster networking method based on Wi-Fi Halow, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Establish a primary Wi-Fi Halow communication link and a backup wireless serial port link between the air and ground ends; monitor the availability of the primary Wi-Fi Halow communication link in real time; when the primary Wi-Fi Halow communication link is unavailable, automatically switch to the backup wireless serial port link and dynamically shut down high-bandwidth devices to prioritize the communication of data transmission and remote control links. It supports cluster networking mode, enabling communication and interaction between one machine and multiple controllers and / or one remote control and multiple machines.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The backup wireless serial port link uses a low-power short-range wireless communication module, including but not limited to NRF24L01, LoRa or ZigBee chips.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The triggering conditions for the Wi-Fi Halow main communication link to become unavailable include signal strength below a preset threshold, data packet loss rate exceeding a preset ratio, or interference detection results.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dynamic shutdown of high-bandwidth devices includes shutting down image transmission devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the cluster networking mode, devices are authenticated and communicated through unique identifiers.

6. A system for implementing the method of any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, include: The aerial device integrates a Wi-Fi Halow module, a wireless serial port module, and a control unit; The ground-based equipment includes a Wi-Fi Halow base station, a wireless serial port receiver, and a control terminal; wherein the control unit is configured to perform link monitoring, switching, and bandwidth management operations.

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