Ranging method and device, electronic equipment, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention relates to a distance measurement method and device, electronic equipment, a storage medium and a program product. The distance measurement method comprises the following steps: in response to a distance measurement instruction, controlling at least two distance measurement signals to be transmitted between a first device and each of at least one second device; determining a measurement distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the at least two ranging signals; under the condition that the measurement distance is within a preset distance range, sending a conference participation invitation instruction to the second equipment corresponding to the measurement distance within the preset distance range; wherein the conference participation invitation instruction is used for indicating the second equipment and the first equipment to enter the same communication conference. According to the distance measuring method, the appropriate second equipment and the appropriate first equipment can be automatically, flexibly and accurately connected in the communication conference of the same conference room.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of audio network conferencing, and more particularly to a ranging method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] With the needs of life, work, and study, communication conferencing has become an important way of information exchange and synchronization. Currently, communication conferencing in offline meeting rooms relies on extended hardware equipment to meet meeting needs. For example, through distributed wireless microphones or traditional conferencing tools, multiple individual microphones need to be set up in the meeting room, which undoubtedly increases product investment costs and flexibility.

[0003] To address this, a software solution using multi-microphone networking and cascading can be employed for communication conferencing. In this type of multi-microphone networking conferencing, each user carries an electronic device and uses it as a microphone, thus achieving multi-microphone networking and cascading. However, in this solution, each user carrying an electronic device needs to manually confirm joining or leaving the meeting, a cumbersome process that results in poor flexibility and automation, and a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this disclosure provides a ranging method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium, and program product. The ranging method of this disclosure allows for the automatic, flexible, and accurate connection of a suitable second device to a first device in a communication conference within the same conference room.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a ranging method is provided, comprising:

[0006] In response to a ranging command, control the transmission of at least two ranging signals between a first device and at least one second device;

[0007] Based on the at least two ranging signals, the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined;

[0008] If the measured distance is within a preset distance range, a meeting invitation instruction is sent to the second device corresponding to the measured distance within the preset distance range;

[0009] The meeting invitation instruction is used to instruct the second device and the first device to enter the same communication conference.

[0010] In some embodiments, determining the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the at least two ranging signals includes:

[0011] Based on the first ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices, a first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined;

[0012] A second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices; wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are ranging signals of different types;

[0013] The measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first ranging signal includes a Bluetooth signal;

[0015] Determining the first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices includes:

[0016] Receive first signal strength data determined by each of the second devices based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device, and determine the first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first signal strength data;

[0017] or,

[0018] Receive the first preset distance determined by each of the second devices based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device;

[0019] or,

[0020] The system receives the Bluetooth signal sent by each of the second devices, determines second signal strength data based on the received Bluetooth signal, and determines the first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the second signal strength data.

[0021] In some embodiments, the second ranging signal includes an ultrasonic signal;

[0022] The step of determining the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices includes:

[0023] Obtain the device latency between the first device and each of the second devices;

[0024] A second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the ultrasonic signals transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices and the device time delay.

[0025] In some embodiments, determining the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices and the device delay includes:

[0026] Receive the reception timestamp of the ultrasonic signal determined by each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device, and determine the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the transmission timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, the reception timestamp, and the device delay.

[0027] or,

[0028] Receive the second estimated distance determined by each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device and the device delay;

[0029] or,

[0030] The system receives the ultrasonic signal sent by the second device and the timestamp of the ultrasonic signal transmission, and determines the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the timestamp of the transmission, the timestamp of the ultrasonic signal reception, and the device delay.

[0031] In some embodiments, obtaining the device latency between the first device and each of the second devices includes:

[0032] In response to a clock synchronization command, control the transmission of clock signals and acknowledgment signals returned in response to the clock signals between the first device and each of the second devices;

[0033] Based on the timestamps of the clock signal being sent and received, and the timestamps of the acknowledgment signal being sent and received, the device delay between the first device and each of the second devices is determined.

[0034] In some embodiments, determining the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance includes:

[0035] Determine the first preset weight and the second preset weight;

[0036] Based on the calculation result between the first preset weight and the first estimated distance, and the calculation result between the second preset weight and the second estimated distance, the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined.

[0037] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the transmission of at least two ranging signals between a first device and at least one second device in response to a ranging command includes:

[0038] In response to the ranging command, the at least two ranging signals are sent to each of the at least one of the second devices;

[0039] or,

[0040] In response to the ranging command, control at least one of the second devices to send the at least two ranging signals and receive the at least two ranging signals.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0042] Receive the ranging command issued by the user to the first device; or,

[0043] Receive the ranging command issued by a third device that has a communication connection with the first device.

[0044] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a ranging device is provided, comprising:

[0045] The control module is configured to control the transmission of at least two ranging signals between a first device and at least one second device in response to a ranging command;

[0046] A ranging module is configured to determine the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the at least two ranging signals.

[0047] The sending module is configured to send a meeting invitation instruction to the second device corresponding to the measured distance within the preset distance range when the measured distance is within the preset distance range; wherein the meeting invitation instruction is used to instruct the second device and the first device to enter the same communication conference.

[0048] In some embodiments, the ranging module is further configured to determine a first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on a first ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices; and to determine a second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on a second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices; wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are ranging signals of different types; and to determine the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance.

[0049] In some embodiments, the first ranging signal includes a Bluetooth signal; the ranging module is further configured to receive first signal strength data determined by each of the second devices based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device, and to determine the first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first signal strength data; or, to receive the first preset distance determined by each of the second devices based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device; or, to receive the Bluetooth signal sent by each of the second devices, and to determine second signal strength data based on the received Bluetooth signal, and to determine the first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the second signal strength data.

[0050] In some embodiments, the second ranging signal includes an ultrasonic signal; the ranging module is further configured to acquire the device delay between the first device and each of the second devices; and to determine a second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices and the device delay.

[0051] In some embodiments, the ranging module is further configured to receive a reception timestamp of the ultrasonic signal determined by each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device, and determine the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the transmission timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, the reception timestamp, and the device delay; or, receive the second estimated distance determined by each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device and the device delay; or, receive the ultrasonic signal sent by the second device and the transmission timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, and determine the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the transmission timestamp, the reception timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, and the device delay.

[0052] In some embodiments, the ranging module is further configured to, in response to a clock synchronization command, control the transmission of a clock signal and an acknowledgment signal returned in response to the clock signal between the first device and each of the second devices; and determine the device delay between the first device and each of the second devices based on the timestamps of the clock signal being sent and received, and the timestamps of the acknowledgment signal being sent and received.

[0053] In some embodiments, the ranging module is further configured to determine a first preset weight and a second preset weight; and to determine the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the calculation result between the first preset weight and the first estimated distance, and the calculation result between the second preset weight and the second estimated distance.

[0054] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to, in response to the ranging command, send the at least two ranging signals to each of the at least one of the second devices; or, in response to the ranging command, control each of the at least one of the second devices to send the at least two ranging signals and receive the at least two ranging signals.

[0055] In some embodiments, the ranging device further includes: a receiving module configured to receive the ranging command issued by a user to the first device; or, to receive the ranging command issued by a third device having a communication connection with the first device.

[0056] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including a processor; a memory for storing computer programs or instructions; wherein the processor executes the computer programs or instructions to implement the steps of the method proposed in the embodiments of the first aspect described above.

[0057] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the storage medium storing a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method proposed in the embodiments of the first aspect. According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method proposed in the embodiments of the first aspect.

[0058] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects:

[0059] In the ranging method proposed in this embodiment, the first device can respond to a ranging command and transmit at least two ranging signals between the first device and at least one second device. The measured distance between the first device and each second device is determined based on the at least two ranging signals. This allows second devices whose measured distance is within a preset distance range to be identified as participating devices, enabling the automatic, flexible, and accurate connection of suitable second devices and first devices to the same conference room for communication conferences, thus improving the conference experience for device owners. In addition, this embodiment uses at least two ranging signals to measure the distance between devices, which improves the ranging accuracy compared to single-signal ranging. This allows the first device in this embodiment to join the same communication conference with suitable second devices, thereby achieving more accurate and effective multi-microphone networking cascading.

[0060] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0061] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0062] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0063] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario of a multi-microphone networked cascaded conference according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0064] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the architecture of a multi-device networking system in a related art according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0065] Figure 4 This is an architecture diagram illustrating a multimedia networking service between a master device and multiple slave devices according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0066] Figure 5 This is a timing diagram illustrating a method for determining device delay according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0067] Figure 6 This is a timing diagram illustrating Bluetooth signal ranging according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0068] Figure 7 This is a timing diagram illustrating ultrasonic signal ranging according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0069] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of a ranging device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0070] Figure 9 This is a structural block diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0071] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0072] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to an exemplary embodiment; wherein, Figure 1 The distance measurement method shown is specifically applied in the first device and is implemented by the following steps:

[0073] Step 101: In response to the ranging command, control the transmission of at least two ranging signals between the first device and at least one of the second devices;

[0074] Step 102: Determine the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on at least two ranging signals;

[0075] Step 103: If the measured distance is within the preset distance range, send a meeting invitation instruction to the second device corresponding to the measured distance within the preset distance range;

[0076] The meeting invitation instruction is used to instruct the second device to join the same communication conference as the first device.

[0077] The ranging method proposed in this embodiment is applied to a multi-microphone network cascaded conference scenario and is implemented by a first device. Here, the first device is a device located in a designated conference room and joins the communication conference in the conference room. The first device has a microphone that can collect the voice of the holder of the first device. The first device determines whether each second device is in the same conference room as the first device by measuring the distance between the first device and each second device that is in the same environment and has a communication connection with the first device. Thus, it automatically and seamlessly invites each second device to join the same communication conference with the first device.

[0078] It should be noted that both the second device and the first device are mobile terminals held by users, such as mobile phones, tablets, personal computers, smartwatches, etc., and this disclosure does not impose any restrictions on them; the second device also has a microphone, which can collect the voice of the device holder; thus, after the first device invites at least one second device to join the same communication conference, it can form a network and cascade with these invited second devices to realize online communication conference.

[0079] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a multi-microphone networked cascaded conference scenario according to an exemplary embodiment. Electronic devices 1 to 3 are participating devices located in the same conference room. One of electronic devices 1 to 3 is the first device in this application, and the other two are second devices invited by the first device to participate. In this scenario, because each device is individually owned by a user, phenomena such as feedback and echo may affect the conference effect. Therefore, this embodiment can select one electronic device from the participating electronic devices as a central device at the same time. Figure 2 Electronic device 1 is used in the conference room. Here, the various electronic devices discover each other and establish communication connections through CAN bus or Bluetooth link, thereby establishing a multimedia network service between the devices. In this way, electronic devices 2 and 3 can separately collect the voices of users 2 and 3, and transmit them to the central device, i.e., electronic device 1, through the multimedia network service via uplink signals. Then, electronic device 1 collects the voice of user 1, mixes it with the audio signals transmitted by other devices, and uploads them together to the cloud of the conference application. After the cloud synchronizes the audio, it transmits it to remote devices and various electronic devices in the conference room via downlink signals.

[0080] Thus, by setting each electronic device in the conference to collect sound independently and designating a central device as the audio signal aggregation and relay device, the effect of multi-device collaboration is achieved. The selection of the central device can be automatically chosen by the cloud server, or the first device can be directly designated as the central device; this disclosure does not limit this approach.

[0081] In step 101 of this embodiment, when the first device is present in the conference room, the first device can respond to a ranging command and initiate ranging to each of the second devices that are in the same environment and have a communication connection with it. The subsequent ranging results are then used to determine which second devices need to be invited to the meeting. It should be noted that being in the same environment indicates that the first device and each of the second devices are within the coverage area of ​​the same local area network, or that the second devices are within the coverage area of ​​the first device's Bluetooth broadcast. The communication connection between the first device and each of the second devices indicates that they are connected to the same local area network, such as through a CAN bus to achieve a WiFi connection; or, the first device and each of the second devices have a Bluetooth connection.

[0082] Here, the ranging command can be generated by the user holding the first device, by the conference cloud server, or by a specified number of users holding the second devices jointly proposing it; this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this. Thus, when the first device and each of the second devices have a communication connection, in response to the ranging command, the first device controls the transmission of at least two ranging signals between the first device and the second devices.

[0083] In some examples, at least two ranging signals are at least two different types of ranging signals; for example, at least two ranging signals are an ultrasonic signal, a Bluetooth signal, and an ultra-wideband signal.

[0084] In other examples, at least two ranging signals are ranging signals of the same type but in different frequency bands; for example, at least two ranging signals are Bluetooth signals, and at least one Bluetooth signal is a wireless signal operating in the 2.4 GHz band and at least one Bluetooth signal is a wireless signal operating in the 5 GHz band.

[0085] In step 102, the actual measured distance between the first device and each second device can be determined by at least two ranging signals transmitted between the first device and each second device, respectively, according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0086] Following the example above, when at least two ranging signals are of different types, embodiments of this disclosure can obtain an estimated distance for the corresponding ranging method based on different types of ranging signals, and then perform comprehensive analysis and calculation on each estimated distance to obtain the measured distance.

[0087] In this embodiment, linear fitting can be performed on each estimated distance to obtain the test distance. This embodiment can also set distance ranges for estimated distances obtained by different types of ranging signals using different ranging methods, and establish a mapping relationship between the distance ranges corresponding to each type of ranging signal and the target distance. In the actual ranging process, after determining each estimated distance, the target distance is found using the distance range to which the estimated distances corresponding to each type of ranging signal belong, and the above mapping relationship, and the found target distance is used as the measured distance.

[0088] Following another example above, when at least two ranging signals are of the same type but different frequency bands, the estimated distance can be obtained by comprehensively analyzing the at least two ranging signals transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices. For example, if the at least two ranging signals are Bluetooth signals operating in the 2.4G and 5G frequency bands respectively, this embodiment of the disclosure obtains the signal strengths of the at least two Bluetooth signals received by the receiving device (first device or second device), performs a weighted average processing on the at least two signal strengths to obtain the target signal strength, and uses the target signal strength to obtain the measured distance. Here, this embodiment of the disclosure can adjust the weight of each signal strength in the weighted average processing of the at least two signal strengths according to the needs of the meeting scenario. For example, in a large meeting scenario, the weight of the signal strength corresponding to the 5G frequency band Bluetooth signal can be increased.

[0089] In step 103, after obtaining the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices, this embodiment of the disclosure can determine the second devices whose measured distance is within a preset distance range as devices located in the same conference room as the first device. Here, the preset distance range can be determined based on the location of the first device, or it can be preset.

[0090] In this way, the first device sends a meeting invitation command to the second device, whose distance is within a preset range, instructing the second device to join the same communication conference as the first device. This eliminates the need for the second device to manually confirm joining or leaving the conference, improving the flexibility and automation of the multi-microphone networking cascade solution and enhancing the user experience.

[0091] It should be noted that the distance measurement command in step 101 can be a periodic command, that is, the first device needs to perform a distance detection with the second device at fixed time intervals to detect whether any device has left the conference room, so as to adjust the participating devices in the communication conference in a timely manner.

[0092] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first device can also determine whether the second devices are too close by determining the measurement distance between them. Because if the devices are too close, the devices may collect the voices of surrounding users and cause echoes. Thus, the first device can send a position adjustment command to the second devices that are too close, so that the users holding the second devices can adjust their positions.

[0093] In the ranging method proposed in this embodiment, the first device can respond to a ranging command and transmit at least two ranging signals between the first device and at least one second device. The measured distance between the first device and each second device is determined based on the at least two ranging signals. This allows second devices whose measured distance is within a preset distance range to be identified as participating devices, enabling the automatic, flexible, and accurate connection of suitable second devices and first devices to the same conference room for communication conferences, thus improving the conference experience for device owners. In addition, this embodiment uses at least two ranging signals to measure the distance between devices, which improves the ranging accuracy compared to single-signal ranging. This allows the first device in this embodiment to join the same communication conference with suitable second devices, thereby achieving more accurate and effective multi-microphone networking cascading.

[0094] In some embodiments, the above-described response to a ranging command to control the transmission of at least two ranging signals between a first device and at least one of the second devices includes:

[0095] In response to a ranging command, at least two ranging signals are sent to each of at least one of the second devices;

[0096] or,

[0097] In response to a ranging command, control at least one of the second devices to send at least two ranging signals and receive at least two ranging signals.

[0098] In one example of this disclosure, the first device responds to a ranging command by actively sending at least two ranging signals to each of the second devices; wherein the first device may send at least two ranging signals to the second devices at the same time, or may send the at least two ranging signals at different times.

[0099] In another example of this disclosure, the first device, in response to a ranging command, sends a trigger command to each of the second devices, such that each second device sends at least two ranging commands to the first device in response to the trigger command. In this example, the first device may send a single trigger command at the same time, causing the second devices to simultaneously send at least two ranging signals to the first device upon receiving the trigger command, or it may send the at least two ranging signals at different times. Alternatively, the first device may send two trigger commands at different times, causing the second devices to receive and respond to the trigger commands at different times to return at least two ranging signals.

[0100] The embodiments disclosed herein can improve the flexibility of ranging by flexibly controlling at least the sender and receiver of the ranging signal.

[0101] In some embodiments, determining the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on at least two ranging signals includes:

[0102] Based on the first ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices, a first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined;

[0103] A second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices; wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are ranging signals of different types;

[0104] The measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance.

[0105] In this embodiment of the disclosure, both the first device and the second device may have different types of signal transmitting modules (signal receiving modules) for transmitting (receiving) the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal.

[0106] In one example, both the first and second devices have Bluetooth antennas, allowing the first device to send Bluetooth signals to the second device and the second device to receive the Bluetooth signals sent by the first device. In another example, both the first and second devices have WiFi antennas, allowing the second device to send WiFi signals to the first device and the first device to receive the WiFi signals sent by the second device. In yet another example, the first device has an ultrasonic transmitter and the second device has an ultrasonic sensor, allowing the first device to send ultrasonic signals and the second device to receive ultrasonic signals through its ultrasonic sensor. Of course, the first and second devices can also have ultra-wideband antennas, laser transmitters, and sensors, etc., and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0107] It should be noted that the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are two different signals in the above example. For example, they can be a combination of WiFi signal and Bluetooth signal, or a combination of ultra-wideband signal and ultrasonic signal, or a combination of ultrasonic signal and Bluetooth signal. This disclosure does not limit these.

[0108] After sending and receiving two different types of first ranging signals and second ranging signals, embodiments of this disclosure can determine a first estimated distance based on the parameters of the first ranging signal; and determine a second estimated distance based on the parameters of the second ranging signal. When the ranging signal is a Bluetooth signal, an ultrasonic signal, or a laser signal, the parameter can be the signal strength; when the ranging signal is an ultrasonic signal, a WiFi signal, or an ultra-wideband signal, the parameter can be the transmission timestamp and the reception timestamp of the signal.

[0109] Thus, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, after determining the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance, the actual measured distance can be obtained; for example, the measured distance can be obtained by using a linear fitting method, or by obtaining the measured distance according to the above mapping relationship.

[0110] This embodiment of the disclosure uses two different types of ranging signals to determine the measurement distance between the first device and each second device. Compared with using only one ranging signal for ranging, the ranging method is more comprehensive and the ranging results are more accurate and effective.

[0111] In some embodiments, the first ranging signal includes a Bluetooth signal;

[0112] The above-mentioned determination of the first estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the first ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each second device includes:

[0113] Receive first signal strength data determined by each second device based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device, and determine a first estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the first signal strength data;

[0114] or,

[0115] Receive a first preset distance determined by each second device based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device;

[0116] or,

[0117] The system receives Bluetooth signals sent by each second device, determines second signal strength data based on the received Bluetooth signals, and determines a first estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the second signal strength data.

[0118] Here, the first ranging signal is a Bluetooth signal. In one example of this disclosure, the method for determining the first estimated distance based on the Bluetooth signal can be as follows: the signal transmitting device can use a Bluetooth antenna to send a Bluetooth signal to the signal receiving device, and transmit the initial signal strength of the Bluetooth signal to the signal receiving device through a multimedia networking service; in this way, the signal receiving device can obtain the signal attenuation level (i.e., the first signal strength data or the second signal strength data) based on the received signal strength of the Bluetooth signal; thus, this embodiment of the disclosure can obtain the first estimated distance based on the signal attenuation level by pre-setting the relationship between the signal attenuation level and the estimated distance.

[0119] In another example of this disclosure, the method for determining the first estimated distance based on the Bluetooth signal can also be: the signal transmitting device can use a Bluetooth antenna to send a Bluetooth signal to the signal receiving device, and the signal receiving device determines the received signal strength of the received Bluetooth signal (i.e., the first signal strength data or the second signal strength data); thus, this embodiment of the disclosure can convert the received signal strength into the first estimated distance through a preset propagation model. Here, the above-mentioned preset propagation model can be implemented by the following formula (1):

[0120] d=10*(S-RSSI) / 10 (1)

[0121] Where d is the first estimated distance, S is the RSSI reference value at a distance of 1 meter, n is the environmental propagation factor (which can be between 2 and 4 and can be adjusted in real time according to the surrounding environment), and RSSI is the received signal strength.

[0122] It should be noted that the Bluetooth signal can be sent from the first device to the second device, or vice versa. When the first device acts as the Bluetooth signal transmitter, the second device can collect the first signal strength data of the Bluetooth signal (such as received signal strength or signal attenuation). In this case, the second device can obtain a first estimated distance based on the first signal strength data and transmit the estimated distance back to the first device. Alternatively, the second device can transmit the first signal strength data back to the first device, and the first device can calculate the first estimated distance. When the first device acts as the Bluetooth signal receiver, it can collect the second signal strength data of the received Bluetooth signal and calculate the first estimated distance. Of course, if the first device faces computational challenges, it can also transmit the second signal strength data back to the second device, which will then calculate the first estimated distance and return it to the first device.

[0123] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, multiple Bluetooth signals can be continuously transmitted between the first device and the second device to determine multiple corresponding estimated distances in sequence, and the first estimated distance can be obtained based on the average value of the multiple estimated distances.

[0124] This disclosure improves the flexibility of Bluetooth ranging by setting multiple methods to determine the first estimated distance based on Bluetooth signals; and because Bluetooth signals have the characteristic of a sharp drop in signal strength after passing through walls, Bluetooth signal ranging can better determine the second device located in the same conference room as the first device.

[0125] In some embodiments, the second ranging signal includes an ultrasonic signal;

[0126] The above-mentioned determination of the second estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each second device includes:

[0127] Obtain the device latency between the first device and each of the second devices;

[0128] Based on the ultrasonic signals transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices and the device delay, a second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined.

[0129] Here, the second ranging signal is an ultrasonic signal. This embodiment of the present disclosure can use the transmission timestamp, reception timestamp, and signal transmission rate of the ultrasonic signal to calculate the physical distance between two electronic devices. However, if there are problems such as local clock asynchrony between the first and second devices, or network interference affecting signal transmission, the accuracy of the second estimated distance obtained from the ultrasonic signal will be affected. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure first obtains the device delay between the first device and each second device, and determines the second estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the device delay and the ultrasonic signal.

[0130] In some embodiments, obtaining the device latency between the first device and each of the second devices includes:

[0131] In response to a clock synchronization command, control the transmission of clock signals between the first device and each of the second devices, as well as the response signals returned in response to the clock signals;

[0132] The device delay between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the timestamps of the clock signal transmission and reception, as well as the timestamps of the acknowledgment signal transmission and reception.

[0133] Here, after the first device establishes a multimedia networking service with multiple second devices, the first device will respond to the clock synchronization command and transmit clock signals and response signals with the second devices based on the multimedia networking service, thereby determining the device delay between the first device and the second devices.

[0134] It should be noted that the clock synchronization command can be initiated by the user, generated by the first device based on the multimedia networking service, or initiated by other devices; this embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this. Specifically, the first device will only respond to the ranging command and initiate ranging with each of the second devices after the first device and each of the second devices have completed clock synchronization.

[0135] In this embodiment, the first device, in response to a clock synchronization command, can actively send a clock signal to each of the second devices and record the sending timestamp t1 of the clock signal; the second device receives the clock signal and records the receiving timestamp t2 of the clock signal; the second device responds to the clock signal by sending an acknowledgment signal to the first device and records the sending timestamp t3 of the acknowledgment signal; the first device receives the acknowledgment signal and records the receiving timestamp t4 of the acknowledgment signal; thus, the inter-device delay between the first device and a second device can be determined by the following formula (2):

[0136] delay=((t4-t1))-((t3-t2)) / 2 (2)

[0137] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first device and each second device can continuously send clock signals and receive response signals multiple times. Multiple delays are obtained through the above formula (2), and then data processing (such as calculating the average value or linear fitting) is performed on the multiple delays to obtain the final device delay.

[0138] Thus, by determining the device delay between the first device and each of the second devices, clock alignment between the devices can be achieved, thereby improving the accuracy of obtaining the second estimated distance based on the ultrasonic signal.

[0139] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the accuracy of ranging based on the received signal strength of Bluetooth signals is affected by environmental interference. Therefore, using only Bluetooth signals for ranging will affect the ranging accuracy. Thus, this embodiment of the disclosure also uses ultrasonic signals to determine a second estimated distance, so that a more accurate measurement distance can be obtained by using the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance.

[0140] In some embodiments, determining the second estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the ultrasonic signals transmitted between the first device and each second device and the device delay includes:

[0141] Receive the receiving timestamp of the ultrasonic signal determined by each second device based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device, and determine the second estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the sending timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, the receiving timestamp, and the device delay.

[0142] or,

[0143] Receive a second estimated distance determined by each second device based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device and the device delay;

[0144] or,

[0145] The system receives the ultrasonic signal sent by the second device and the timestamp of the ultrasonic signal transmission, and determines the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the transmission timestamp, the reception timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, and the device delay.

[0146] Here, since the ultrasonic signal can be sent from the first device to the second device, or vice versa, when the first device acts as the signal transmitter of the ultrasonic signal, it can use multimedia networking services to synchronize the transmission timestamp of the ultrasonic signal to the second device, or record and store it on the first device. In this way, the second device can record the reception timestamp of the received ultrasonic signal and send the reception timestamp to the first device, so that the first device can combine the transmission timestamp, reception timestamp, and device delay of the ultrasonic signal to calculate the second estimated distance. Alternatively, the first device can also synchronize the device delay to the second device, so that the second device can combine the transmission timestamp, reception timestamp, and device delay of the ultrasonic signal to calculate the second estimated distance and send the second estimated distance to the first device.

[0147] When the second device acts as a signal transmitting device for ultrasonic signals, the first device receives the ultrasonic signals transmitted by the second device and the transmission timestamps of the ultrasonic signals transmitted by the second device through the multimedia networking service, and records the reception timestamps of the received ultrasonic signals; then the first device combines the transmission timestamps, reception timestamps and device delays of the ultrasonic signals to calculate the second estimated distance.

[0148] Here, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the method for calculating the second estimated distance based on the transmission timestamp, reception timestamp, and device delay of the ultrasonic signal can be: using the product of the difference between the reception timestamp and the transmission timestamp and the device delay and the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave to obtain the second estimated distance.

[0149] The embodiments of this disclosure provide multiple methods for determining the second estimated distance based on ultrasonic signals, thereby improving the flexibility of ultrasonic ranging.

[0150] In some embodiments, determining the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance includes:

[0151] Determine the first preset weight and the second preset weight;

[0152] Based on the calculation results between the first preset weight and the first estimated distance, and the calculation results between the second preset weight and the second estimated distance, the measurement distance between the first device and each second device is determined.

[0153] Here, the first preset weight is related to the first ranging signal and is used to indicate the degree of influence of the first estimated distance obtained through the first ranging signal on the actual determined measuring distance; the second preset weight is related to the second ranging signal and is used to indicate the degree of influence of the second estimated distance obtained through the second ranging signal on the actual determined measuring distance.

[0154] It should be noted that because the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are two different types of signals, and the calculation methods for determining the estimated distance are also different, the errors between the calculation results and the actual distance between the devices are also different. Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure can pre-set a first preset weight and a second preset weight according to the types of the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal, thereby improving the accuracy of the final determination of the measured distance. Here, in practical applications, the first preset weight and the second preset weight can also be dynamically updated according to the actual distance measurement accuracy.

[0155] As can be seen from the above examples of this disclosure, the first ranging signal can be a Bluetooth signal and the second ranging signal can be an ultrasonic signal; of course, the first ranging signal can be a Bluetooth signal and the second ranging signal can be a WiFi signal; since the first estimated distance obtained solely through a Bluetooth signal may have the risk of low ranging accuracy, the embodiments of this disclosure can set the first preset weight to be less than the second preset weight, thereby combining the estimated distances obtained from two different ranging signals to determine a more accurate measurement distance.

[0156] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first preset weight and the second preset weight can both be values ​​between 0 and 1; and the sum of the first preset weight and the second preset weight is 1; thus, the calculation result of the first preset weight and the first estimated distance can be a product result; the calculation result of the second preset weight and the second estimated distance is also a product result; in this embodiment of the disclosure, the two product results are added together to obtain the measurement distance between the first device and the second device.

[0157] It should be noted that, in the case where three or more different types of ranging signals are used to determine the measurement distance in the embodiments of this disclosure, a weight corresponding to each type of ranging signal can be set, so as to use the calculation result of each weight and the estimated distance obtained based on different types of ranging signals to obtain the final measurement distance.

[0158] This embodiment of the disclosure uses a first preset weight and a second preset weight to calculate and process the estimated distances obtained from the two ranging methods, which can yield a more reasonable and accurate measurement distance, further helping the first device to determine the participating devices in the communication conference.

[0159] In some embodiments, the ranging method proposed in this disclosure further includes:

[0160] Receive ranging commands from the user for the first device; or,

[0161] Receive ranging commands from a third device that has a communication connection with the first device.

[0162] In one of the examples above, when a designated user enters the conference room where a communication conference is about to begin, the user can designate their electronic device as the master device, i.e., the first device. The user then issues a ranging command to this device, causing it to initiate clock synchronization and ranging functions with nearby second devices.

[0163] The designated user can be the initiator of the communication conference, or an assistant to the communication conference, etc. The designated user can issue ranging commands to the first device by issuing voice commands or gesture commands, or by selecting the ranging function control on the conferencing tool of the first device. It should be noted that the type of first device proposed in this embodiment is typically a personal computer or tablet computer.

[0164] In another example above, the determination of the first device and its activation of the clock synchronization and ranging functions can also be controlled by a third device; wherein, the third device can send the ranging command to an electronic device in the conference room according to the system program or user specifications.

[0165] Here, the third device can be any electronic device present in the conference room; it can also be a remote device that enters the same communication conference as the first device; or it can be a cloud server that controls the aggregation and synchronization of the audio signals of the communication conference, etc. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0166] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first device can be selected by a user or a third device, and the first device can be controlled to perform ranging processing on other second devices that need to connect to the same communication conference, thereby improving the flexibility of ranging processing and automatic participation processing of control devices.

[0167] In other embodiments of this disclosure, the third device can also receive signals, timestamps, signal strength data, etc. transmitted between the first device and the second device, and use them to calculate the first estimated distance, the second estimated distance, and obtain the measured distance. In this way, using an external electronic device to perform distance calculation can alleviate the computational pressure on the first device and the second device and improve the performance of the first device and the second device.

[0168] For multi-device communication conferences, see [link / reference] Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the architecture of a multi-device networking system in a related art, according to an exemplary embodiment. In this system, multiple electronic devices can be compatible with different systems, such as Android, Linux, or Windows. The multimedia networking system uses a distributed audio abstraction layer to manage devices, route audio streams, and implement networking protocols for multiple electronic devices. This system relies on the Tianqin bus and establishes connections between multiple devices through hardware device reporting, device discovery, and message and audio data stream transmission. This approach relies on setting up separate hardware devices for sound reception and audio data stream transmission within the system, resulting in high cost and poor flexibility.

[0169] Thus, embodiments of this disclosure propose as follows: Figure 2 The multi-microphone networking cascading scheme shown utilizes each electronic device as a microphone for sound reception and processing, and selects a central device as a relay station for audio data streams, thereby reducing the need for separately configured hardware devices, improving the practicality of multi-microphone networking conferences, reducing costs, and enhancing the conference experience.

[0170] In multi-microphone network conferencing scenarios, users of each electronic device need to manually confirm joining or leaving the meeting, which is cumbersome and results in poor flexibility, automation, and user experience for multi-microphone network cascading solutions. Therefore, this embodiment selects a first device (master device) in the conference room and uses ranging methods to obtain the measured distance between the master device and each second device (slave device). When the measured distance is within a preset distance range, it is determined that the corresponding slave device is located in the same conference room as the master device, and the corresponding slave device is invited to participate in the meeting. In this way, people in the same conference room can be accurately, seamlessly, and automatically brought into the same communication conference.

[0171] It should be noted that, due to the low accuracy of a single ranging method, this embodiment transmits both Bluetooth and ultrasonic ranging signals between the master and slave devices, and obtains the final measured distance based on both Bluetooth and ultrasonic ranging methods. This improves the effective bandwidth and the accuracy of ranging, thereby providing users with a better experience and better serving multi-microphone networked conferences.

[0172] In this disclosure embodiment, see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is an exemplary embodiment illustrating an architecture diagram for multimedia networking services between a master device and multiple slave devices. The master device and multiple slave devices first establish a communication connection via a CAN bus or a Bluetooth link to form a multimedia networking service between the master device and each slave device. Through the multimedia networking service, the master device can perform clock synchronization processing with the slave devices and transmit audio and video streams and command streams.

[0173] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a timing diagram illustrating a method for determining device delay according to an exemplary embodiment; in Figure 5 In this process, the master device sends a clock signal (Bluetooth, WiFi, or ultra-wideband signal, etc.) with a local transmission timestamp t1 to the slave device. The slave device receives the clock signal and records the reception timestamp t2 of receiving the clock signal. Then, in response to the clock signal, the master device returns an acknowledgment signal with a local transmission timestamp t3 to the second device. The first device receives the acknowledgment signal and records the reception timestamp t4 of receiving the acknowledgment signal. The first device delay (1) between the first device and the second device is determined by the above formula (2): In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the first device and each second device can continuously send clock signals and receive acknowledgment signals multiple times. The subsequent delays (2)...delay(n) are obtained by the above formula (2). Then, data processing (such as calculating the average value or linear fitting) is performed on the n delays to obtain the final device delay, thus realizing clock alignment between the first device and each second device.

[0174] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a timing diagram illustrating Bluetooth signal ranging according to an exemplary embodiment; wherein, the master device sends a Bluetooth signal to the slave device through a multimedia networking service, and the slave device determines a first estimated distance based on the received signal strength of the Bluetooth signal, a preset propagation model, and formula (1), and sends the first estimated distance to the master device; see also Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a timing diagram illustrating ultrasonic signal ranging according to an exemplary embodiment; wherein, the master device sends the transmission timestamp T0 of the ultrasonic signal to the slave device based on the multimedia networking service, and directly sends the ultrasonic signal to the second device; the slave device records the reception timestamp T1 of the received ultrasonic signal, and obtains a second estimated distance based on the difference between T1 and T0, the device delay, and the ultrasonic signal transmission rate, and sends the second estimated distance to the master device.

[0175] Based on this, the master device uses a weighted average of the first and second estimated distances to obtain the measured distance. This embodiment of the disclosure obtains the test distance between the master device and each slave device through both Bluetooth and ultrasonic ranging. It fully utilizes the characteristic of ultrasonic and Bluetooth signals dropping sharply after penetrating walls to determine the location of devices (i.e., microphones) in the same conference room. This solves the problem of inaccurate single Bluetooth ranging methods and the cumbersome process of manually adding network hotspots, and better enables multi-device collaboration, improving the effectiveness and practicality of multi-microphone network conferences.

[0176] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of a ranging device according to an exemplary embodiment; the ranging device 800 in this embodiment includes:

[0177] Control module 801 is configured to control the transmission of at least two ranging signals between a first device and at least one second device in response to a ranging command.

[0178] The ranging module 802 is configured to determine the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on at least two ranging signals.

[0179] The sending module 803 is configured to send a meeting invitation instruction to the second device corresponding to the measurement distance within the preset distance range when the measurement distance is within the preset distance range; wherein, the meeting invitation instruction is used to instruct the second device and the first device to enter the same communication conference.

[0180] In some embodiments, the ranging module 802 is further configured to determine a first estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on a first ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each second device; and to determine a second estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on a second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each second device; wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are ranging signals of different types; and to determine a measured distance between the first device and each second device based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance.

[0181] In some embodiments, the first ranging signal includes a Bluetooth signal; the ranging module 802 is further configured to receive first signal strength data determined by each second device based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device, and determine a first estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the first signal strength data; or, receive a first preset distance determined by each second device based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device; or, receive the Bluetooth signal sent by each second device, determine second signal strength data based on the received Bluetooth signal, and determine the first estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the second signal strength data.

[0182] In some embodiments, the second ranging signal includes an ultrasonic signal; the ranging module 802 is further configured to acquire the device delay between the first device and each of the second devices; and to determine a second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices and the device delay.

[0183] In some embodiments, the ranging module 802 is further configured to receive a reception timestamp of the ultrasonic signal determined by each second device based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device, and determine a second estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the transmission timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, the reception timestamp, and the device delay; or, receive a second estimated distance determined by each second device based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device and the device delay; or, receive the ultrasonic signal sent by the second device and the transmission timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, and determine a second estimated distance between the first device and each second device based on the transmission timestamp, the reception timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, and the device delay.

[0184] In some embodiments, the ranging module 802 is further configured to, in response to a clock synchronization command, control the transmission of a clock signal and an acknowledgment signal in response to the clock signal; and determine the device delay between the first device and each second device based on the timestamps of the clock signal being sent and received, and the timestamps of the acknowledgment signal being sent and received.

[0185] In some embodiments, the ranging module 802 is further configured to determine a first preset weight and a second preset weight; and to determine the measurement distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the calculation result between the first preset weight and the first estimated distance, and the calculation result between the second preset weight and the second estimated distance.

[0186] In some embodiments, the control module 801 is further configured to send at least two ranging signals to each of the at least one second device in response to a ranging command; or, in response to a ranging command, to control each of the at least one second device to send at least two ranging signals and receive at least two ranging signals.

[0187] In some embodiments, the ranging device 800 further includes: a receiving module (not shown), configured to receive a ranging command issued by a user to the first device; or, to receive a ranging command issued by a third device having a communication connection with the first device.

[0188] Regarding the ranging device in the above embodiments, the specific way in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments of the relevant ranging method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0189] Figure 9 This is a structural block diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the electronic device 900 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcasting terminal, messaging device, game console, tablet device, or personal digital assistant, etc. Here, the electronic device may be the first device proposed in the above embodiments of this disclosure.

[0190] Reference Figure 9 The electronic device 900 may include one or more of the following components: processing component 902, memory 904, power supply component 906, multimedia component 908, audio component 910, input / output interface 912, sensor component 914, and communication component 916.

[0191] Processing component 902 typically controls the overall operation of electronic device 900, such as operations associated with at least one of display, telephone call, data communication, camera operation, and recording operation. Processing component 902 may include one or more processors 920 to execute instructions to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described above. Furthermore, processing component 902 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between processing component 902 and other components. For example, processing component 902 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 908 and processing component 902.

[0192] Memory 904 is configured to store various types of data to support operation on electronic device 900. Examples of such data include at least one of the following: instructions for any application or method operating on electronic device 900, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, and videos. Memory 904 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0193] Power supply component 906 provides power to various components of electronic device 900. Power supply component 906 may include at least one of the following: a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to electronic device 900.

[0194] Multimedia component 908 includes a screen that provides an output interface between electronic device 900 and user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and a Touch Panel (TP). If the screen includes a Touch Panel, the screen may be implemented as a touchscreen to receive input signals from the user. The Touch Panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the Touch Panel. The touch sensors may sense not only the boundaries of touch or swipe actions but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operation. In some embodiments, multimedia component 908 includes a front-facing camera and / or a rear-facing camera. When electronic device 900 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or video mode, the front-facing camera and / or rear-facing camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front-facing camera and rear-facing camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0195] Audio component 910 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, audio component 910 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when electronic device 900 is in an operating mode, such as call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in memory 904 or transmitted via communication component 916. In some embodiments, audio component 910 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0196] Input / output interface 912 provides an interface between processing component 902 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, and buttons. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, home buttons, volume buttons, start buttons, and lock buttons.

[0197] Sensor assembly 914 includes one or more sensors for providing state assessments of various aspects of electronic device 900. For example, sensor assembly 914 may detect the on / off state of electronic device 900, the relative positioning of components such as the display and keypad of electronic device 900, changes in position of electronic device 900 or one of its components, the presence or absence of user contact with electronic device 900, orientation or acceleration / deceleration of electronic device 900, and temperature changes of electronic device 900. Sensor assembly 914 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. Sensor assembly 914 may also include an optical sensor, such as a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) or charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, sensor assembly 914 may also include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.

[0198] Communication component 916 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between electronic device 900 and other devices. Electronic device 900 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G, or combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 916 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 916 also includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wide Band (UWB), Bluetooth (BT), and other technologies.

[0199] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 900 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components.

[0200] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 904 including executable instructions or a computer program, which can be executed by a processor 920 of an electronic device 900 to perform the above-described method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0201] A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein instructions in the storage medium, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, enable the electronic device to perform any of the ranging methods described above in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0202] This disclosure provides a computer program product comprising a computer program or executable instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer program or executable instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer program or executable instructions, causing the computer device to perform any of the ranging methods described in this disclosure. The computer device may be the first device described above.

[0203] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

[0204] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A distance measurement method, characterized in that, include: In response to a ranging command, control the transmission of at least two ranging signals between a first device and at least one second device; Based on the at least two ranging signals, the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined; If the measured distance is within a preset distance range, a meeting invitation instruction is sent to the second device corresponding to the measured distance within the preset distance range; The meeting invitation instruction is used to instruct the second device and the first device to enter the same communication conference.

2. The ranging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the at least two ranging signals includes: Based on the first ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices, a first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined; A second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices; wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are ranging signals of different types; The measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first ranging signal includes a Bluetooth signal; Determining the first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices includes: Receive first signal strength data determined by each of the second devices based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device, and determine the first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first signal strength data; or, Receive the first preset distance determined by each of the second devices based on the Bluetooth signal sent by the first device; or, The system receives the Bluetooth signal sent by each of the second devices, determines second signal strength data based on the received Bluetooth signal, and determines the first estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the second signal strength data.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second ranging signal includes an ultrasonic signal; The step of determining the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the second ranging signal transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices includes: Obtain the device latency between the first device and each of the second devices; A second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined based on the ultrasonic signals transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices and the device time delay.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of determining the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signals transmitted between the first device and each of the second devices and the device delay includes: Receive the reception timestamp of the ultrasonic signal determined by each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device, and determine the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the transmission timestamp of the ultrasonic signal, the reception timestamp, and the device delay. or, Receive the second estimated distance determined by each of the second devices based on the ultrasonic signal sent by the first device and the device delay; or, The system receives the ultrasonic signal sent by the second device and the timestamp of the ultrasonic signal transmission, and determines the second estimated distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the timestamp of the transmission, the timestamp of the ultrasonic signal reception, and the device delay.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the device latency between the first device and each of the second devices includes: In response to a clock synchronization command, control the transmission of clock signals and acknowledgment signals returned in response to the clock signals between the first device and each of the second devices; Based on the timestamps of the clock signal being sent and received, and the timestamps of the acknowledgment signal being sent and received, the device delay between the first device and each of the second devices is determined.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance includes: Determine the first preset weight and the second preset weight; Based on the calculation result between the first preset weight and the first estimated distance, and the calculation result between the second preset weight and the second estimated distance, the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices is determined.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The step of controlling the transmission of at least two ranging signals between a first device and at least one second device in response to a ranging command includes: In response to the ranging command, the at least two ranging signals are sent to each of the at least one of the second devices; or, In response to the ranging command, control at least one of the second devices to send the at least two ranging signals and receive the at least two ranging signals.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the ranging command issued by the user to the first device; or, Receive the ranging command issued by a third device that has a communication connection with the first device.

10. A ranging device, characterized in that, The device includes: The control module is configured to control the transmission of at least two ranging signals between a first device and at least one second device in response to a ranging command; A ranging module is configured to determine the measured distance between the first device and each of the second devices based on the at least two ranging signals. The sending module is configured to send a meeting invitation instruction to the second device corresponding to the measured distance within the preset distance range when the measured distance is within the preset distance range; wherein the meeting invitation instruction is used to instruct the second device and the first device to enter the same communication conference.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: processor; Memory used to store computer programs or instructions; The processor executes the computer program or instructions to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions in the storage medium are executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 are implemented.

13. A computer program product, comprising a computer program or instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, they implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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