Over-distance early-warning communication method and over-distance early-warning children interphone

Abstract

The invention discloses an over-distance early-warning communication method and an over-distance early-warning children interphone, and aims to solve the problem that an existing children interphone lacks effective and active distance monitoring. The method is used for pairing a host computer and a slave computer, and mainly comprises the following steps of: pairing: enabling the host computer and the slave computer to establish a private link by using the same communication parameter; a periodic handshake step: controlling the slave machine to transmit a handshake signal at low power according to a preset period; a monitoring and early warning step: monitoring a handshake signal by the control host, and triggering an alarm if no signal is received in a preset time window; and a talkback communication step: in response to the talkback trigger, controlling a transmitter to transmit a talkback signal at high power. According to the invention, the link state is monitored through the periodic low-power handshake signal, active early warning is carried out before the child is about to exceed the reliable talkback distance, a positioning module does not need to be additionally arranged, the system has the advantages of low cost, low power consumption, high reliability and no influence of external signals, and the monitoring safety of outdoor activities of the child is effectively improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communication devices, in particular to a distance-exceeding early warning communication method and a distance-exceeding early warning child intercom. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, the child intercoms on the market mainly provide basic voice intercom functions. However, when children are playing outdoors, they are easy to move away from the line of sight of parents due to chasing and playing. Once the intercom distance is exceeded, the communication is interrupted. At this time, the parents cannot actively and timely know that the children have left the safe distance, and there is a monitoring blind area. The existing intercoms lack an effective active distance monitoring mechanism, and the parents cannot know whether the children are within the safe distance range in time, which poses a safety hazard. Although some products introduce a function of monitoring distance based on GPS positioning, the cost is high, the power consumption is large, and the positioning accuracy will decrease in areas with poor signals, and the use scenarios are limited. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a special child intercom that can provide distance-exceeding early warning within an effective intercom distance in real time and reliably at low cost and low power consumption. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application provides a distance-exceeding early warning communication method and a distance-exceeding early warning child intercom to solve the above technical problems. The purpose of the present application is achieved by the following technical solutions: The present application provides a distance-exceeding early warning communication method applied to communication devices used in pairs. The method comprises the following steps: A pairing step, in a paired state, the master and the slave use the same communication parameters to establish a communication link; A periodic handshaking step, the slave is controlled to automatically transmit a handshaking signal at a first transmission power at a preset transmission period; A listening and early warning step, the master is controlled to listen to the handshaking signal; if no handshaking signal from the slave is received within a preset listening time window, the master is triggered to alarm; An intercom communication step, in response to an intercom trigger signal, the master or the slave of the trigger party is controlled to transmit an intercom signal at a second transmission power higher than the first transmission power.

[0004] Preferably, the pairing step comprises receiving a mode selection signal by a mode setting module to set the communication device as a master or a slave; the mode setting module is a hardware switch or a software configuration.

[0005] Preferably, the monitoring and warning step comprises starting a timer in the master; resetting and restarting the timer upon each successful reception and parsing of the handshake signal from the slave; determining the out-of-range state and triggering the alarm if the timer exceeds the preset monitoring time window and no new handshake signal is received during the process; wherein the preset monitoring time window has a duration no less than the preset transmission period of the handshake signal.

[0006] Preferably, the duration T of the preset monitoring time window and the preset transmission period t satisfy: T = 1.2t-1.5t.

[0007] Preferably, the method further comprises a bidirectional verification step, which controls the master to transmit a response signal upon receiving the handshake signal from the slave; and triggers the slave to alarm if the slave does not receive the response signal from the master within a predetermined time.

[0008] Preferably, the communication parameters comprise a set of working frequencies and sub-audible codes randomly generated in a specified frequency band, to establish a private communication link between the master and the slave.

[0009] Preferably, the first transmission power and the second transmission power are switched by a microcontroller unit controlling a radio frequency module, which comprises a radio frequency chip and a radio frequency front-end circuit; the power switching step comprises: the microcontroller unit sending a control command containing a target transmission power level to the radio frequency chip; and the radio frequency chip responding to the control command to control the output power of the radio frequency front-end circuit to switch between the first transmission power and the second transmission power.

[0010] Preferably, the method further comprises a state indication step, which controls an indication module to indicate at least one of the power state, the pairing state and the intercom state of the device in different display states.

[0011] Preferably, the alarm triggering mode comprises at least one of sound alarm, vibration alarm and light alarm.

[0012] Preferably, the communication device is set as the master or the slave by a hardware switch or software configuration after being powered on.

[0013] The scheme also provides a distance early warning child intercom, comprising a master and a slave used in pairs, both the master and the slave comprising a casing and a distance early warning communication system, the distance early warning communication system comprising a microcontroller unit, and a radio frequency module, an alarm module, and an intercom triggering module electrically connected with the microcontroller unit; the radio frequency modules of the master and the slave are configured to communicate using the same communication parameters in a paired state; the microcontroller unit of the slave is configured to control the radio frequency module thereof to automatically transmit a handshake signal at a first transmission power at a preset transmission period; the microcontroller unit of the master is configured to trigger the alarm module thereof to alarm when no handshake signal from the slave is received within a preset listening time window; when the intercom triggering module is triggered, the microcontroller unit controls the radio frequency module thereof to transmit an intercom signal at a second transmission power, and the first transmission power is lower than the second transmission power.

[0014] Preferably, the distance early warning communication system further comprises a mode setting module electrically connected with the microcontroller unit, the mode setting module being configured to output a mode selection signal to the microcontroller unit, so that the microcontroller unit configures the master as a master or a slave.

[0015] Preferably, the mode setting module is a mechanical switch having a first position corresponding to a master mode and a second position corresponding to a slave mode.

[0016] Preferably, the microcontroller unit is configured with a timer; the microcontroller unit of the master is configured to reset and restart the timer immediately after successfully receiving and analyzing a handshake signal from a paired slave each time; if the timer value exceeds a preset listening time window and no new handshake signal is received in the process, the alarm module of the master is triggered to alarm; the preset listening time window has a length not less than the preset transmission period of the handshake signal.

[0017] Preferably, the preset listening time window has a length of T, the preset transmission period of the handshake signal has a length of t, and T = 1.2t - 1.5t.

[0018] Preferably, the intercom triggering module comprises an intercom button, a microphone, a speaker, an audio input circuit, and an audio output circuit; the microphone is electrically connected with the microcontroller unit through the audio input circuit; the speaker is electrically connected with the microcontroller unit through the audio output circuit; the intercom button is electrically connected with the microcontroller unit; and the microcontroller unit is configured to perform an intercom operation in response to the triggering of the intercom button.

[0019] As preferred, the radio frequency module comprises a radio frequency chip, a radio frequency front-end circuit and an antenna; the radio frequency chip is in communication connection with the microcontroller unit; the radio frequency front-end circuit is connected between the radio frequency chip and the antenna; the microcontroller unit is configured to send a control command to the radio frequency chip to instruct a target transmission power level; the radio frequency chip is configured to control the output power of the radio frequency front-end circuit in response to the control command, so that the radio frequency module switches between different power states including at least a first transmission power and a second transmission power.

[0020] As preferred, the communication parameter is a set of working frequencies and sub-audio codes randomly generated by the radio frequency module within a specified frequency band to establish a private communication link between the master and the slave, and to realize the pairing of the master and the slave, and the encoding and decoding of the sub-audio codes are completed by the radio frequency chip.

[0021] As preferred, the alarm module is in electrical connection with the microcontroller unit, and the alarm module comprises at least one of a sound alarm, a vibration alarm and a light alarm.

[0022] As preferred, the over-distance early warning communication system further comprises an indication module in electrical connection with the microcontroller unit; the microcontroller unit is configured to control the indication module to display at least one of a power state, a pairing state and a talkback state of the intercom in different display states.

[0023] As preferred, the microcontroller unit of the master is further configured to control its radio frequency module to transmit a response signal after receiving a handshake signal from the slave; the microcontroller unit of the slave is configured to trigger its alarm module to alarm if the response signal is not received within a predetermined time.

[0024] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following technical advantages: By monitoring the link status through periodic low-power handshake signals, once the slave device exceeds a preset safe distance (i.e., a distance the handshake signal cannot reach), the master device can immediately and proactively issue an early warning to alert the supervisor, thus achieving a shift from passive detection to proactive early warning; the transmission power of the handshake signal is lower than that of the walkie-talkie signal, making the reliable communication distance of the handshake signal less than the maximum communication distance of the walkie-talkie signal, thereby achieving accurate over-range early warning; this solution achieves distance monitoring entirely based on the walkie-talkie's own radio frequency communication module, eliminating the need for additional positioning modules, and the hardware cost is comparable to that of a regular walkie-talkie. It features low cost and low power consumption; the distance monitoring function relies on a local private wireless link and does not depend on any external network signal, so it can work stably in any outdoor environment without worrying about signal blind spots, and has a wide range of application scenarios; the mode setting module allows for flexible configuration of master and slave units, with strong hardware versatility. Combined with multi-mode indicator and alarm modules, users can clearly understand the current status of the device, improving the ease of use and user experience; it adopts a graded power control strategy, using low power to meet basic link detection and save power during early warning, and automatically switching to high power during intercom to ensure the clarity and effective distance of voice communication, achieving the best balance between power consumption and performance. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Fig. 1 This is a schematic diagram of a walkie-talkie structure; Fig. 2 This is a framework diagram of an over-the-horizon early warning communication system. Fig. 3 Here is a flowchart of the over-range early warning communication method; The diagram shows the following components: Microcontroller unit 10; RF module 20; RF chip 21; RF front-end circuit 22; Antenna 23; Intercom trigger module 30; Intercom button 31; Microphone 32; Speaker 33; Alarm module 40; Buzzer 41; Mode setting module 50; Mode switch 51; Indicator module 60; Red light 61; Green light 62; Power module 70; Battery 71; Power button 72; Housing 80. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings: Example 1, Reference Figs. 1-2 This embodiment discloses a long-range early warning children's walkie-talkie, including a master unit and a slave unit for paired use. The master unit and the slave unit have the same hardware structure, both including a housing 80 and a built-in long-range early warning communication system.

[0027] The over-distance early warning communication system comprises a microcontroller unit 10, a radio frequency module 20, an alarm module 40, an intercom trigger module 30, a mode setting module 50, an indication module 60 and a power module 70 electrically connected with the microcontroller unit 10.

[0028] The radio frequency module 20 comprises a radio frequency chip 21, a radio frequency front-end circuit 22 and an antenna 23, the radio frequency chip 21 is connected with the microcontroller unit 10 through a communication interface, the microcontroller unit 10 is configured to output a power control signal to the radio frequency front-end circuit 22 through the radio frequency chip 21, and the switching of the radio frequency module 20 between the first transmission power and the second transmission power is realized by adjusting the bias voltage or gain of a power amplifier in the radio frequency front-end circuit 22.

[0029] The alarm module 40 is electrically connected with a port of the microcontroller unit 10, and in the embodiment, the alarm module 40 comprises a buzzer 41. The microcontroller unit 10 drives the buzzer 41 to emit an alarm sound by outputting a high or low level or a PWM wave.

[0030] The over-distance early warning communication system further comprises a mode setting module 50 electrically connected with a general input and output port of the microcontroller unit 10, the mode setting module 50 is used for generating a mode configuration signal and reading the signal by the microcontroller unit 10, and the microcontroller unit 10 configures the running logic of the local machine as a master mode or a slave mode according to the value of the signal, such as a high level or a low level.

[0031] Specifically, the mode setting module 50 can be a mode switch 51, and in the embodiment, the mode switch 51 is a sliding switch located on the top wall of a machine shell 80. The mode switch 51 has a first position and a second position, the microcontroller unit 10 judges the switch state by detecting whether the level of the IO port is high or low, when a user dials the switch to the first position, a first level signal is generated by the circuit, and the microcontroller unit 10 sets the local machine as a master; when the user dials the switch to the second position, a second level signal is generated by the circuit, and the microcontroller unit 10 sets the local machine as a slave.

[0032] The microcontroller unit 10 is configured with a timer; the microcontroller unit 10 of the host is configured to reset and restart the timer immediately after each successful reception and parsing of the handshake signal from the paired slave; if the timer value exceeds the preset listening time window, and no new handshake signal is received in the process, the local alarm module 40 is triggered to alarm; the preset listening time window is not less than the preset transmission period of the handshake signal. The preset listening time window is T, the preset transmission period of the handshake signal is t, and T = 1.2t-1.5t, and in the embodiment, the preset transmission period of the handshake signal is 15 seconds, and the preset listening time window is 20 seconds.

[0033] The intercom trigger module 30 includes an intercom button 31, a microphone 32, a speaker 33, an audio preamplifier circuit, and an audio power amplifier circuit. The intercom button 31 is provided on the side wall of the housing 80, the microphone 32 is electrically connected to the analog-to-digital conversion port of the microcontroller unit 10 through the audio input circuit, for collecting and inputting user voice; the speaker 33 is electrically connected to the digital-to-analog conversion port of the microcontroller unit 10 through the audio output circuit, for playing the received voice; the intercom button 31 is electrically connected to the input port of the microcontroller unit 10, and is configured to generate a trigger signal when operated, and the microcontroller unit 10 responds to the trigger signal to control the device to enter the intercom mode.

[0034] The indication module 60 includes a red light 61 and a green light 62 arranged side by side, and the microcontroller unit 10 is configured to control the indication module 60 to display at least one of the power state, the pairing state and the intercom state of the intercom. In the embodiment, the microcontroller unit 10 controls the red light 61 and the green light 62 to realize the following indication logic: when the power key 72 is pressed, the red light 61 is always on when the system is powered on, indicating that the device has been started but is not working normally; during the pairing process, the green light 62 flashes quickly, indicating that the device is trying to establish a connection, and after successful pairing, the green light 62 is always on for a few seconds and then turns to the red light 61, indicating that the private communication link has been established and the system enters the monitoring standby state; during the intercom process, when the intercom button 31 of either party is pressed, the green light 62 of the local device is always on, and returns to the original state after being released. The power module 70 includes a power key 72 and a battery 71, the battery 71 supplies power to the microcontroller unit 10 and each module, the battery 71 is assembled inside the housing 80, and the power key 72 is provided on the side wall of the housing 80.

[0035] The radio frequency module 20 of the host and the slave is configured to communicate using the same communication parameters in the paired state; the microcontroller unit 10 of the slave is configured to periodically control the radio frequency module 20 to transmit a handshake signal containing the identity of the slave at a first transmission power; the microcontroller unit 10 of the host is configured to listen to and parse the signal from the radio frequency module 20; if the handshake signal containing the identity of the paired slave is not successfully parsed within a preset listening time window, the alarm module 40 of the host is triggered to alarm; the intercom trigger module 30 is configured to send an intercom request to the microcontroller unit 10 when triggered; the microcontroller unit 10 is further configured to control the radio frequency module 20 to perform bidirectional voice communication at a second transmission power in response to the intercom request; wherein the first transmission power is lower than the second transmission power, so that the reliable communication distance of the handshake signal is less than the limit communication distance of the intercom signal. As an optimization scheme, a bidirectional listening mechanism can also be used, and the microcontroller unit 10 of the host is further configured to control the radio frequency module 20 to transmit a response signal after receiving the handshake signal from the slave; the microcontroller unit 10 of the slave is configured to trigger the alarm module 40 to alarm if the response signal is not received within a predetermined time.

[0036] The out-of-range early warning intercom for children described in the embodiment realizes the transition from passive discovery to active early warning through periodic low-power handshake signals to monitor the link state; precise out-of-range early warning is achieved by setting the handshake signal power lower than the intercom signal power; it is completely realized based on the radio frequency module 20 of the intercom itself, with low hardware cost; the power consumption is extremely low during standby, with long battery life; and it does not depend on external networks and can work stably in outdoor signal-free areas, with a wide range of use scenarios.

[0037] Embodiment 2, see Figs. 1-3 The embodiment discloses an out-of-range early warning communication method applied to a host and a slave used in pairs. The method comprises the following steps: The device mode setting and pairing process are set to the host and the slave through the slide mode switch 51 respectively, and after being turned on, the two enter the pairing mode. In the embodiment, the radio frequency module 20 of the host and the slave is configured to determine a set of same working frequency and sub-audio code in a specified frequency band, such as 430MHz-440MHz, through an automatic negotiation mechanism, so as to establish a private communication link between the host and the slave and realize the pairing of the host and the slave; the red light 61 is always on when the system is powered on, indicating that the device has been turned on but is not working normally; during the pairing process, the green light 62 flashes rapidly, indicating that the device is trying to establish a connection; after the pairing is successful, the green light 62 is always on for a few seconds and then turns to the red light 61, indicating that the private communication link has been established and the system enters the monitoring standby state.

[0038] The out-of-range early warning process, after successful pairing, the system enters the out-of-range early warning monitoring state, the slave microcontroller unit 10 controls the radio frequency module 20, and a short handshake signal is automatically transmitted at a low first transmission power, for example, 10 mW, and a preset transmission period of 15 seconds. The handshake signal contains the unique identity identifier of the slave. The microcontroller unit 10 on the host side is configured with a timer and continuously listens. Whenever the host successfully receives and correctly parses the handshake signal from the paired slave, the timer is immediately reset and the timing is restarted. The preset listening time window T of the host is set to be slightly larger than the transmission period t of the handshake signal, which is 20 seconds in this embodiment. If the timer value exceeds 20 seconds, the host fails to receive the valid handshake signal, and the microcontroller unit 10 determines that the slave has exceeded the safe distance, and immediately triggers the buzzer 41 of the local alarm module 40 to alarm.

[0039] As an optimization scheme, the method further includes a bidirectional verification step: controlling the host to transmit a reply signal after receiving the handshake signal from the slave; and triggering the alarm of the slave if the slave does not receive the reply signal from the host within a predetermined time. Not only the host will alarm when it cannot receive the signal, but also the slave will alarm when it cannot receive the reply signal from the host. This design can cover more unexpected scenarios, for example, when the host suddenly loses power or fails, the slave at the child end will also sound an alarm, reminding the child and the surrounding personnel to pay attention, forming a more comprehensive safety loop.

[0040] The intercom communication process, at any time, as long as the host and the slave are within the communication range, and any party presses the intercom key 31 of the local machine, the local green light 62 is always on, and the microcontroller unit 10 of the local machine sends a command to the radio frequency chip 21 to switch the output power of the radio frequency front-end circuit 22 to the second transmission power. Then, the audio input circuit is started to collect the voice signal of the microphone 32, and the high-power radio frequency signal is transmitted. After the other intercom receiver receives the high-power intercom signal, the microcontroller unit 10 of the other intercom receiver drives the loudspeaker 33 to play the voice through the audio output circuit. After the call is over, the intercom key is released, the green light 62 is off, the microcontroller unit 10 controls the radio frequency module 20 to switch back to the low-power state of the first transmission power, and the periodic handshake process is restored.

[0041] It should be understood that, in this application, unless otherwise stated, 'connection' or 'electrical connection' includes, but is not limited to, direct electrical communication achieved by wire, printed circuit board trace, conductive paste, etc., and also includes coupling connection achieved by capacitors, inductors, etc.

[0042] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the essential scope of the present application should be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A long-range early warning communication method, applied to paired communication devices, characterized in that, The method includes: In the pairing process, the host and slave establish a communication link using the same communication parameters while in the paired state. The periodic handshake step controls the slave device to automatically transmit a handshake signal at a first transmission power according to a preset transmission cycle; The monitoring and early warning process involves controlling the host to monitor the handshake signal; if no handshake signal is received from the slave device within a preset monitoring time window, an alarm is triggered on the host. In the intercom communication step, in response to the intercom trigger signal, the host or slave device of the triggering party is controlled to transmit an intercom signal at a second transmission power higher than the first transmission power.

2. The long-range early warning communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pairing step includes receiving a mode selection signal through a mode setting module to set the communication device as a master or slave; the mode setting module is a hardware switch or a software configuration.

3. The long-range early warning communication method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The monitoring and early warning steps include starting a timer in the host; after each successful reception and parsing of a handshake signal from the slave, immediately resetting the timer and restarting the timing; if the timer's timing value exceeds the preset monitoring time window, and no new handshake signal is received during this process, it is determined to be an out-of-range state and an alarm is triggered; wherein, the duration of the preset monitoring time window is not less than the preset transmission period of the handshake signal.

4. The long-range early warning communication method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The duration T of the preset listening time window and the preset transmission period t satisfy: T = 1.2t - 1.5t.

5. The long-range early warning communication method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes a two-way verification step, in which the host transmits a response signal after receiving a handshake signal from the slave; if the slave does not receive a response signal from the host within a predetermined time, an alarm is triggered on the slave.

6. A long-range early warning communication method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The switching between the first transmit power and the second transmit power is achieved by a microcontroller unit controlling the radio frequency module, which includes a radio frequency chip and a radio frequency front-end circuit. The power switching steps include: the microcontroller unit sending a control command containing a target transmit power level to the radio frequency chip; the radio frequency chip responding to the control command controlling the output power of the radio frequency front-end circuit to switch between the first transmit power and the second transmit power.

7. A long-range early warning children's walkie-talkie, characterized in that, The system includes a paired master and slave unit, each comprising a casing and an over-range early warning communication system. The over-range early warning communication system includes a microcontroller unit and an RF module, an alarm module, and an intercom trigger module electrically connected to the microcontroller unit. The RF modules of the master and slave units are configured to communicate using the same communication parameters in paired mode. The microcontroller unit of the slave unit is configured to control its RF module to automatically transmit a handshake signal at a first transmission power according to a preset transmission cycle. The microcontroller unit of the master unit is configured to trigger its own alarm module when it does not receive a handshake signal from the slave unit within a preset listening time window. When the intercom trigger module is triggered, the microcontroller unit controls its own RF module to transmit an intercom signal at a second transmission power, where the first transmission power is lower than the second transmission power.

8. The long-range early warning children's walkie-talkie according to claim 7, characterized in that, The over-range early warning communication system also includes a mode setting module, which is electrically connected to the microcontroller unit. The mode setting module is configured to output a mode selection signal to the microcontroller unit so that the microcontroller unit can configure itself as a master or slave.

9. A long-range early warning children's walkie-talkie according to claim 8, characterized in that, The microcontroller unit is equipped with a timer; the microcontroller unit of the host is configured to: immediately reset the timer and restart the timing after each successful reception and parsing of the handshake signal from the paired slave; if the timing value of the timer exceeds a preset listening time window and no new handshake signal is received during this process, the local alarm module is triggered to alarm; the duration of the preset listening time window is not less than the preset transmission period of the handshake signal.

10. A long-range early warning children's walkie-talkie according to any one of claims 6-7, characterized in that, The radio frequency module includes a radio frequency chip, a radio frequency front-end circuit, and an antenna; the radio frequency chip is communicatively connected to the microcontroller unit; the radio frequency front-end circuit is connected between the radio frequency chip and the antenna; the microcontroller unit is configured to send a control command to the radio frequency chip to indicate a target transmit power level; the radio frequency chip is configured to control the output power of the radio frequency front-end circuit in response to the control command, such that the radio frequency module switches between different power states, including at least a first transmit power and a second transmit power.

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