A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and device, relates to the technical field of communication, and is used for realizing ranging between multiple anchor points and multiple terminal devices, improving ranging precision and ranging accuracy, reducing time required for ranging, and improving ranging efficiency. The method comprises the following steps: a master anchor point respectively sends first resource information and second resource information to a first terminal device and a second terminal device, the first resource information is used for indicating multiple first time slots, and the second resource information is used for indicating multiple second time slots; there is a same time slot in the multiple first time slots and the multiple second time slots, and the same time slot is used for ranging between the first terminal device and the second terminal device and different anchor points; the master anchor point sends third resource information to multiple slave anchor points, the third resource information is used for indicating the first time slot and the second time slot of the multiple slave anchor points; the master anchor point performs ranging communication with the first terminal device in the corresponding first time slot, and the master anchor point performs ranging communication with the second terminal device in the corresponding second time slot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing technological sophistication and intelligence of electric vehicles, near-field contactless unlocking has gradually become a significant advantage. For example, a mobile phone can act as a car key, enabling contactless unlocking of the vehicle doors by measuring distance; or, a charging station, similar to a car key, can automatically open its charging cover when the vehicle approaches, achieving contactless unlocking. This contactless unlocking requires anchor points on the vehicle to measure the distance between the phone and the charging station, and unlocking only after the measured distance meets a certain threshold. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for realizing distance measurement between multiple anchor points and multiple terminal devices, improving distance measurement accuracy and precision, reducing the time required for distance measurement, and improving distance measurement efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a main anchor point in a multi-anchor-point device, the multi-anchor-point device including multiple anchor points, such as the main anchor point and multiple slave anchor points, for example, the multi-anchor-point device being a vehicle. The method includes: the main anchor point sending first resource information and second resource information to a first terminal device and a second terminal device respectively, the first resource information indicating multiple first time slots allocated to the first terminal device for distance measurement between the multiple anchor points, and the second resource information indicating multiple second time slots allocated to the second terminal device for distance measurement between the multiple anchor points; wherein, there are common time slots among the multiple first time slots and the multiple second time slots, and the common time slots are used for distance measurement between the first terminal device and the second terminal device and different anchor points; the main anchor point sending third resource information to the multiple slave anchor points, the third resource information indicating the first and second time slots allocated to the multiple slave anchor points among the multiple first time slots; the main anchor point performing distance measurement communication with the first terminal device in the corresponding first time slot, and the main anchor point performing distance measurement communication with the second terminal device in the corresponding second time slot. The aforementioned main anchor point can serve as a management node, while the secondary anchor points and terminal devices can serve as terminal nodes. The management node can allocate resources to multiple terminal nodes so that the multiple anchor points can perform distance measurement on the first terminal device and the second terminal device in parallel.

[0006] In the above technical solution, the multiple anchor points can simultaneously measure the distance to different terminal devices among multiple terminal devices through cross-ranging, which reduces the time required for ranging and improves ranging efficiency. At the same time, for each terminal device, the position of the terminal device can be determined based on the ranging results between the multiple anchor points and the terminal device, thereby improving ranging accuracy and precision.

[0007] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the plurality of slave anchor points includes a first slave anchor point, a first time slot allocated for ranging between the first terminal device and the master anchor point, and a second time slot allocated for ranging between the second terminal device and the first slave anchor point. In the above possible implementation, the master anchor point and slave anchor points can perform ranging with different terminal devices in the same time slot, thereby reducing the time required for ranging and improving ranging efficiency.

[0008] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the plurality of trailing anchors includes a first trailing anchor and a second trailing anchor. A first time slot allocated for ranging between the first terminal device and the first trailing anchor is the same as a second time slot allocated for ranging between the second terminal device and the second trailing anchor. In the above possible implementation, the trailing anchors can perform ranging with different terminal devices in the same time slot, thereby reducing the time required for ranging and improving ranging efficiency.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the master anchor point sends third resource information to the multiple slave anchor points, including: the master anchor point sending the third resource information to the multiple slave anchor points via a broadcast frame or a system management frame; or, the master anchor point sending the third resource information to the multiple slave anchor points via a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus; or, the master anchor point sending the third resource information to the multiple slave anchor points via a Starlight Low Power (SLE) connection or a Bluetooth Low Power (BLE) connection. In the above possible implementations, the master anchor point can send information to the multiple slave anchor points in various different ways, thereby improving the diversity and flexibility of communication between the master anchor point and the multiple slave anchor points. Furthermore, by sending information to the multiple slave anchor points via a broadcast frame or a system management frame, the master anchor point does not need to establish a one-to-one connection with the multiple slave anchor points and can send control information to the multiple slave anchor points simultaneously, thereby saving the air interface time slots of the master anchor point and improving communication efficiency.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the main anchor point sends first resource information and second resource information to the first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively, including: the main anchor point sends the first resource information and second resource information to the first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively via an SLE connection or a BLE connection. In the above possible implementations, the main anchor point can send information to the terminal device in various different ways, thereby improving the diversity and flexibility of communication between the main anchor point and the terminal device.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the main anchor point performs ranging communication with the first terminal device in a corresponding first time slot, including: in the first time slot allocated for ranging between the first terminal device and the main anchor point, the main anchor point sends a first measurement frame to the first terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the first terminal device, the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame are used to acquire channel state information between the first terminal device and the main anchor point, and the channel state information between the first terminal device and the plurality of anchor points is used to determine the location information of the first terminal device; and / or, the main anchor point performs ranging communication with the second terminal device in a corresponding second time slot, including: in the second time slot allocated for ranging between the second terminal device and the main anchor point, the main anchor point sends a third measurement frame to the second terminal device and receives a fourth measurement frame from the second terminal device, the third measurement frame and the fourth measurement frame are used to acquire channel state information between the second terminal device and the main anchor point, and the channel state information between the second terminal device and the plurality of anchor points is used to determine the location information of the second terminal device. In the above possible implementations, multiple anchor points can obtain channel state information between different anchor points and the terminal device through bidirectional interactive measurement frames. This channel state information is related to the phase difference between the bidirectional interactive measurement frames, so the distance determination based on this channel state information is not affected by the surrounding environment. Furthermore, the location information of the terminal device can be accurately determined through the channel state information between multiple anchor points and the terminal device, thereby improving ranging accuracy and precision. When unlocking based on the location information of the terminal device, the accuracy and success rate of unlocking can be greatly improved, thus enhancing the user experience.

[0012] Secondly, a communication device is provided, which serves as an anchor point or a chip applied to the anchor point, and can perform the functions executed by the first device in the above-described method. These functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the device includes a processing unit, a transmitting unit, and a receiving unit; the processing unit is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the above method; the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be used to support the device in communicating with other anchor points or terminal devices.

[0014] In another possible implementation of the second aspect, the device includes a processor and a communication interface; the processor is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the methods described above; the communication interface is used to support communication between the device and other anchor points or terminal devices. Optionally, the device also includes a memory coupled to the processor, which stores necessary program instructions and data for the device.

[0015] In another aspect of this application, a multi-anchor-point device is provided, comprising a plurality of anchor points, each anchor point including a communication device provided in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the multi-anchor-point device is a vehicle, or a device within a vehicle.

[0016] In another aspect of this application, a communication system is provided, the communication system including a multi-anchor device and a plurality of terminal devices, the multi-anchor device including a plurality of anchor points, the plurality of anchor points being capable of communicating with the plurality of terminal devices, the anchor points including the communication device provided in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0017] In another aspect of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a device, cause the device to perform a communication method as provided in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0018] In another aspect of this application, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the communication method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0019] It is understood that the beneficial effects achieved by any of the communication devices, communication systems, computer-readable storage media and computer program products provided above can be referred to in accordance with the beneficial effects of the communication methods provided above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a scenario of contactless unlocking provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2A schematic diagram of a scenario for distance measurement using multiple anchor points, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 This application provides a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between multiple anchor points and a terminal device in an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating distance measurement between multiple anchor points and multiple terminal devices, provided as an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating distance measurement between multiple anchor points and multiple terminal devices, provided as an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating yet another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a measurement frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating yet another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another first communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of another second communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, a, b, and c; where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0037] The embodiments of this application use terms such as "first" and "second" to distinguish objects with similar names, functions, or roles. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or order of execution. In this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being used as an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0038] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, the relevant scenarios involved in this application will be described first.

[0039] With the increasing technological sophistication and intelligence of electric vehicles, near-field contactless unlocking has gradually become a significant advantage. For example, a mobile phone can act as a car key, enabling contactless unlocking of the vehicle doors by measuring distance; or, a charging station, similar to a car key, can automatically open its charging cover when the vehicle approaches, achieving contactless unlocking. This contactless unlocking requires anchor points on the vehicle to measure the distance between the phone and the charging station, and unlocking only after the measured distance meets a certain threshold.

[0040] In one implementation, a Bluetooth module can be used for ranging, specifically through the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the Bluetooth signal. For example, such as... Figure 1As shown, taking a user's mobile phone as a car key as an example, as the user approaches the vehicle, the phone can send a Bluetooth signal. An anchor point on the vehicle can receive and detect the RSSI of this Bluetooth signal. Then, the anchor point can determine the distance corresponding to the detected RSSI based on a preset correspondence between RSSI and distance. However, sensing the positional relationship between the vehicle and the car key via RSSI is easily affected by the surrounding environment, resulting in low ranging accuracy and potential unlocking failures, thus degrading the user experience.

[0041] In another implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, when a vehicle includes multiple anchor points, each anchor point can measure distances to the user's terminal device, and then determine the terminal device's position based on the measured distances. This implementation method improves ranging accuracy and precision by using multiple anchor points to measure distances to the terminal device, thereby increasing the accuracy and success rate of unlocking and enhancing the user experience when used for contactless unlocking.

[0042] Furthermore, in certain special scenarios where a vehicle includes multiple anchor points, these anchor points need to measure the distance to multiple terminal devices simultaneously. Based on the distances between these terminal devices and the vehicle, different parts of the vehicle can be unlocked individually. For example, when multiple users are simultaneously in a vehicle and need to unlock different doors at the same time, the multiple anchor points on the vehicle can measure the distance to multiple terminal devices simultaneously, and then unlock different doors based on the distances measured from each terminal device.

[0043] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be used to measure distance between a multi-anchor-point device and multiple terminal devices. The multi-anchor-point device includes multiple anchor points, which can specifically locate multiple terminal devices through distance measurement. In this method, the multiple anchor points can simultaneously measure the distance to different terminal devices among the multiple terminal devices through cross-ranging distance measurement, thereby reducing the time required for distance measurement and improving distance measurement efficiency while ensuring distance measurement accuracy and precision.

[0044] The technical solutions provided in this application can be used in various communication systems, including third-generation partnership project (3GPP) communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, internet of things (IoT) systems, narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) systems, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC), enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), vehicular short-range wireless communication systems, and various types of future communication systems, such as non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems (e.g., satellite communication systems), non-3GPP communication systems, etc., without limitation.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication system includes at least one terminal node and at least one management node. The terminal node can be connected to the management node via wired or wireless means, and the management node can be connected to the core network via wired or wireless means. The terminal node, referred to as a T node, can be a node that receives data scheduling information and sends data according to the data scheduling information in the communication system. The management node, referred to as a G node, can be a node that sends data scheduling information in the communication system.

[0046] In one possible example, the management node may include management node a and management node b, and the terminal nodes may include terminal node a, terminal node b, terminal node c, terminal node d, and terminal node e.

[0047] Optionally, the terminal node can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities or a chip or chip system that can be configured on the device, allowing users to access the network and providing voice and / or data connectivity to users. The terminal node can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), subscriber unit, terminal, mobile station (MS), or mobile terminal (MT), etc.

[0048] For example, the terminal node can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, or computer with wireless transceiver capabilities. The terminal node can also be a user station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal node, mobile terminal node, user terminal node, wireless communication device, user agent, user device, cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device, processing device connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle device, wearable device, terminal node in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home device (e.g., refrigerator, television, air conditioner, electricity meter, etc.), smart robot, robotic arm, workshop equipment, virtual reality (VR) terminal, augmented reality (AR) terminal, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in autonomous driving, wireless terminal in telemedicine, wireless terminal in smart grid, and smart city. The following are not limited to wireless terminals in cities, smart homes, vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capabilities, intelligent connected vehicles, drones with UAV-to-UAV (U2U) communication capabilities, terminal nodes in future networks, or terminal nodes in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs). The terminal node in this application can also be an on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The terminal node can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, it can be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal node. The device used to implement the terminal function can be a terminal node; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing this function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0049] Optionally, the management node can be any device deployed in the network capable of wireless communication with terminal nodes. It can also be a chip or chip system embedded in such devices, a logical node, a logical module, or a function implemented in software. It can be used to implement functions such as wireless physical control, resource scheduling and wireless resource management, wireless access control, and mobility management. Specifically, the management node can be used to provide access services to terminal nodes; for example, the management node can be a device that supports wired access or a device that supports wireless access.

[0050] For example, a management node can consist of one or more access network (AN) / radio access network (RAN) nodes. AN / RAN nodes can be: evolved Node B (gNB), transmission reception point (TRP), evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), base band unit (BBU), or access point (AP), wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, various forms of macro base station, micro base station (also known as small cell), relay station, access point, wearable device, vehicle-mounted device, etc.

[0051] In another example, the management node may include a baseband unit (BBU) and a remote radio unit (RRU). The BBU and RRU can be located in different locations; for example, the RRU can be deployed remotely to a high-traffic area, while the BBU is located in the central equipment room. Alternatively, the BBU and RRU can be located in the same equipment room. Furthermore, the BBU and RRU can be different components within the same rack.

[0052] In another example, the management node can be a device that includes centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or both CU and DU nodes. For instance, the management node can be logically divided into CUs and DUs, with some protocol layer functions centrally controlled by the CU, and the remaining partial or complete protocol layer functions distributed across the DU, which is then centrally controlled by the CU. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. Furthermore, the centralized unit (CU) can be further divided into a control plane (CU-CP) and a user plane (CU-UP).

[0053] In another example, the management node may also be a device that includes a radio unit (RU), or a device that includes a CU, a DU, and a RU. The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as an RRU, an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0054] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0055] Understandable Figure 3 The communication system shown is merely exemplary and does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application. In practical applications, the communication system may also include other nodes, such as other management nodes and / or other terminal nodes.

[0056] Optionally, the communication system provided in this application embodiment can be a SparkLink wireless communication system, also known as a SparkLink system. This means the communication system uses SparkLink technology for communication. SparkLink can be referred to as NearLink or SparkLink in English. SparkLink technology is a wireless communication technology that may only have the characteristics of Bluetooth without the features of Wi-Fi, or it may combine the features of both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. SparkLink technology can be used to achieve high-quality, low-power, secure, and reliable short-range communication. SparkLink technology uses wireless frequency bands for communication and features high transmission rate, low power consumption, and high security. SparkLink technology may include SparkLink Basic (SLB) access technology and SparkLink Low Energy (SLE) access technology. For example, the standard number of this star flash technology may include, but is not limited to: T / XS 00001-2022, T / XS10002-2022, T / XS20001-2022, T / XS10002-2023, T / XS 50001-2024, or T / XS 30013-2024, etc.

[0057] In one possible embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown in the embodiments of this application, the multiple anchor points include a master anchor point G and multiple slave anchor points T. The master anchor point G can serve as a management node, and the multiple slave anchor points T and the terminal device T can serve as multiple terminal nodes. The master anchor point G and the multiple slave anchor points T can be connected via a controller area network (CAN) bus and / or a communication connection. The master anchor point and the terminal device can also be connected via a communication connection. For example, in the case of a star-flash system, the communication connection can be an SLE connection, which can also be called an SLE bidirectional connection when used for bidirectional communication. Figure 4 Example (a) illustrates this by connecting the master anchor point G and the multiple slave anchor points T via a CAN bus. Figure 4 Example (b) illustrates this by connecting the main anchor point G and the multiple secondary anchor points T via an SLE connection. Figure 4 Example (c) illustrates the connection between the master anchor point G and the multiple slave anchor points T via a CAN bus and SLE.

[0058] In one example, when the communication system is a WiFi system, the aforementioned multiple anchor points can be referred to as multiple WiFi anchor points, which may include a primary WiFi anchor point and multiple secondary WiFi anchor points. Here, a WiFi anchor point can refer to an anchor point that communicates based on the WiFi protocol. In another example, when the communication system is a StarScan system, the aforementioned multiple anchor points can be referred to as multiple StarScan anchor points, which may include a primary StarScan anchor point and multiple secondary StarScan anchor points. Here, a StarScan anchor point can refer to an anchor point that communicates based on the StarScan protocol.

[0059] The anchor point in the application embodiments can also be called a communication anchor point, and the English term for anchor point is "anchor". Optionally, the anchor point can be a ranging module or a positioning module, or a module with other functions. This application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0060] In one possible embodiment, when the plurality of anchor points are used to measure the distance to multiple terminal devices, the plurality of anchor points can measure the distance to the multiple terminal devices sequentially in a serial manner. For example, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, assuming the multiple anchor points include a main anchor point and anchor points 1 to 4, and the multiple terminal devices include devices 1 to 6, the ranging sequence can be as follows: the main anchor point measures the distance to device 1, anchor point 1 measures the distance to device 1, anchor point 2 measures the distance to device 1, anchor point 3 measures the distance to device 1, and anchor point 4 measures the distance to device 1; then, the main anchor point measures the distance to device 2, anchor point 1 measures the distance to device 2, anchor point 2 measures the distance to device 2, anchor point 3 measures the distance to device 2, and anchor point 4 measures the distance to device 2; and so on, until the main anchor point and anchor points 1 to 4 have sequentially completed the ranging of device 6. Figure 5 The horizontal axis represents time, and the numbers 0 to 4 in the boxes represent the time slots used for distance measurement from the main anchor point and from anchor point 1 to anchor point 4, respectively.

[0061] In the above embodiments, the terminal device and the anchor point perform one-to-one distance measurement. After one terminal device completes distance measurement with all the anchor points, the next terminal device starts distance measurement with all the anchor points. As a result, the entire distance measurement process takes a long time and the distance measurement is relatively small and low.

[0062] The anchor point in the application embodiments can also be called a communication anchor point, and the English term for anchor point is "anchor". Optionally, the anchor point can be a ranging module or a positioning module, or a module with other functions. This application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0063] Figure 6This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method can be applied to the communication system provided above. The communication system may include a multi-anchor device and multiple terminal devices. The multi-anchor device includes multiple anchor points, and the multiple terminal devices include a first terminal device and a second terminal device. The method includes the following steps.

[0064] S201: The main anchor point sends first resource information to the first terminal device. The first resource information is used to indicate multiple first time slots allocated to the first terminal device for distance measurement between the multiple anchor points.

[0065] Optionally, the main anchor point may send the first resource information to the first terminal device via an SLE connection or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection.

[0066] S202: The main anchor point sends second resource information to the second terminal device. The second resource information is used to indicate multiple second time slots allocated to the second terminal device for distance measurement between the multiple anchor points. There are common time slots among the multiple first time slots and the multiple second time slots. The common time slots are used for distance measurement between the first terminal device and the second terminal device and different anchor points.

[0067] Optionally, the main anchor point may send the second resource information to the second terminal device via an SLE connection or a BLE connection.

[0068] S203: The master anchor point sends third resource information to multiple slave anchor points. The third resource information is used to indicate the first and second time slots allocated to the multiple slave anchor points in the multiple first time slots.

[0069] Optionally, the master anchor point sends third resource information to the plurality of slave anchor points, including: the master anchor point sending the third resource information to the plurality of slave anchor points via a broadcast frame or a system management frame; or, the master anchor point sending the third resource information to the plurality of slave anchor points via a CAN bus; or, the master anchor point sending the third resource information to the plurality of slave anchor points via an SLE connection or a BLE connection.

[0070] The execution of S201, S202, and S203 can be in any order. For example, S201, S202, and S203 can be executed sequentially, or S203, S202, and S201 can be executed sequentially, or S201, S202, and S203 can be executed simultaneously. Figure 6 The following explanation uses the sequential execution of S201, S202, and S203 as an example.

[0071] Optionally, the multiple first time slots indicated by the first resource information can correspond one-to-one with the multiple anchor points, and the first time slot corresponding to each anchor point is used for distance measurement between the anchor point and the first terminal device. For example, the multiple anchor points include a main anchor point and anchor points 1 to 4, and the multiple first time slots include T10 to T14. T10 is used for distance measurement between the main anchor point and the first terminal device, T11 is used for distance measurement between anchor point 1 and the first terminal device, T12 is used for distance measurement between anchor point 2 and the first terminal device, T13 is used for distance measurement between anchor point 3 and the first terminal device, and T14 is used for distance measurement between anchor point 4 and the first terminal device.

[0072] Optionally, the multiple second time slots indicated by the second resource information can correspond one-to-one with the multiple anchor points, and the second time slot corresponding to each anchor point is used for distance measurement between the anchor point and the second terminal device. For example, the multiple anchor points include a main anchor point and anchor points 1 to 4, and the multiple second time slots include T20 to T24. T20 is used for distance measurement between the main anchor point and the second terminal device, T21 is used for distance measurement between anchor point 1 and the second terminal device, T22 is used for distance measurement between anchor point 2 and the second terminal device, T23 is used for distance measurement between anchor point 3 and the second terminal device, and T24 is used for distance measurement between anchor point 4 and the second terminal device.

[0073] In this embodiment, some of the first time slots and the multiple second time slots share the same time slot, which is used for distance measurement between the first terminal device and the second terminal device and different anchor points. Thus, different anchor points can perform distance measurement with the first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively in the same time slot, meaning the multiple anchor points can perform distance measurement with the first terminal device and the second terminal device in parallel.

[0074] In one possible embodiment, the plurality of slave anchor points includes a first slave anchor point, and the first time slot allocated for ranging between the first terminal device and the main anchor point is the same as the second time slot allocated for ranging between the second terminal device and the first slave anchor point. That is, the main anchor point and the slave anchor points can perform ranging with different terminal devices in the same time slot. For example, assuming the first slave anchor point is slave anchor point 1, T10 is used for ranging between the main anchor point and the first terminal device, and T21 is used for ranging between slave anchor point 1 and the second terminal device, then T10 and T21 are the same time slot.

[0075] In another possible embodiment, the plurality of trailing anchors includes a first trailing anchor and a second trailing anchor. The first time slot allocated for ranging between the first terminal device and the first trailing anchor is the same as the second time slot allocated for ranging between the second terminal device and the second trailing anchor. That is, two different trailing anchors can perform ranging with different terminal devices in the same time slot. For example, assuming the first trailing anchor is trailing anchor 1 and the second trailing anchor is trailing anchor 2, T11 is used for ranging between trailing anchor 1 and the first terminal device, and T22 is used for ranging between trailing anchor 2 and the second terminal device, then T11 and T22 are the same time slot.

[0076] S204: The multiple anchor points communicate with the first terminal device in the corresponding first time slot, and the multiple anchor points communicate with the second terminal device in the corresponding second time slot.

[0077] Optionally, each of the plurality of anchor points may communicate with the terminal device in a ranging manner within a corresponding time slot. This may include: the anchor point measuring the distance with the terminal device by measuring RSSI within the corresponding time slot; or, the anchor point measuring the distance with the terminal device by bidirectional interactive measurement frames within the corresponding time slot.

[0078] In one possible embodiment, since the primary anchor point and the secondary anchor point among the multiple anchor points can perform ranging with different terminal devices in the same time slot, and different secondary anchor points can also perform ranging with different terminal devices in the same time slot, the multiple anchor points can perform ranging communication with multiple terminal devices in parallel in the corresponding time slot.

[0079] As an example, the multiple anchor points include a main anchor point, a secondary anchor point 1, and a secondary anchor point 2, and the multiple terminal devices include device 1 and device 2. Then: in time slot T0, the main anchor point measures distance with device 1, while the secondary anchor point 1 measures distance with device 2; in time slot T1, the main anchor point measures distance with device 2, while the secondary anchor point 2 measures distance with device 1; in time slot T2, the secondary anchor point 1 measures distance with device 1, while the secondary anchor point 2 measures distance with device 2.

[0080] As another example, such as Figure 7As shown, assuming the multiple anchor points include a main anchor point and anchor points 1 to 4, and the multiple terminal devices include devices 1 to 6, then: In time slot T0, the main anchor point measures distance to device 1; in time slot T1, the main anchor point measures distance to device 2, and simultaneously anchor point 1 measures distance to device 1; in time slot T2, the main anchor point measures distance to device 3, and simultaneously anchor point 1 measures distance to device 2, and anchor point 2 measures distance to device 1; in time slot T3, the main anchor point measures distance to device 4, and simultaneously anchor point 1 measures distance to device 3, anchor point 2 measures distance to device 2, and anchor point 3 measures distance to device 1; in time slot T4, the main anchor point measures distance to device 5, and simultaneously anchor point 1 measures distance to device 4, anchor point 2 measures distance to device 3, and anchor point 3 measures distance to device 1. Device 2 performs distance measurement and distance measurement from anchor point 4 to device 1; within time slot T5, the main anchor point performs distance measurement with device 6, and simultaneously performs distance measurement from anchor point 1 to device 5, from anchor point 2 to device 4, from anchor point 3 to device 3, and from anchor point 4 to device 2; within time slot T6, distance measurement is performed from anchor point 1 to device 6, simultaneously performs distance measurement from anchor point 2 to device 5, from anchor point 3 to device 4, and from anchor point 4 to device 3; within time slot T7, distance measurement is performed from anchor point 2 to device 6, simultaneously performs distance measurement from anchor point 3 to device 5, and from anchor point 4 to device 4; within time slot T8, distance measurement is performed from anchor point 3 to device 6, and simultaneously performs distance measurement from anchor point 4 to device 5; within time slot T9, distance measurement is performed from anchor point 4 to device 6. Figure 7 The horizontal axis represents time, and the numbers 0 to 4 in the box represent the time slots used for distance measurement from the main anchor point and from anchor point 1 to anchor point 4, respectively. The example given is that two distance measurements were performed between the multiple anchor points and the multiple terminal devices.

[0081] It is understood that the above two examples are merely illustrative. In practical applications, the number of anchor points, the number of terminal devices, and the time slots used when the anchor points and terminal devices perform parallel ranging can be other than those specified in this application.

[0082] Optionally, the main anchor point communicates with the first terminal device in a ranging communication within a corresponding first time slot, including: within the first time slot allocated for ranging between the first terminal device and the main anchor point, the main anchor point sends a first measurement frame to the first terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the first terminal device. The first and second measurement frames are used to obtain channel state information between the first terminal device and the main anchor point, and the channel state information between the first terminal device and the multiple anchor points is used to determine the location information of the first terminal device.

[0083] Optionally, the main anchor point performs ranging communication with the second terminal device in the corresponding second time slot, including: in the second time slot allocated for ranging between the second terminal device and the main anchor point, the main anchor point sends a third measurement frame to the second terminal device and receives a fourth measurement frame from the second terminal device. The third and fourth measurement frames are used to obtain channel state information between the second terminal device and the main anchor point. The channel state information between the second terminal device and the multiple anchor points is used to determine the location information of the second terminal device.

[0084] To facilitate understanding, the following example uses a terminal device to illustrate in detail the process of ranging communication between the multiple anchor points and the terminal device.

[0085] In one possible embodiment, the plurality of anchor points respectively send a first measurement frame to the terminal device; the terminal device receives the first measurement frames from the plurality of anchor points respectively, and the terminal device sends a second measurement frame to the plurality of anchor points respectively; the plurality of anchor points respectively receive the second measurement frame from the terminal device, and the first and second measurement frames corresponding to each anchor point are used to obtain channel state information between the anchor point and the terminal device. The channel state information between the plurality of anchor points and the terminal device is used to determine the location information of the terminal device.

[0086] In one example, such as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the multiple anchor points include a main anchor point and anchor points 1 to 4. The terminal device sends a second measurement frame a' to the main anchor point in time slot T0, sends a second measurement frame b' to anchor point 1 in time slot T1, sends a second measurement frame c' to anchor point 2 in time slot T2, sends a second measurement frame d' to anchor point 3 in time slot T3, and sends a second measurement frame e' to anchor point 4 in time slot T4. Correspondingly, the main anchor point receives the second measurement frame a' in time slot T0, anchor point 1 receives the second measurement frame b' in time slot T1, anchor point 2 receives the second measurement frame c' in time slot T2, anchor point 3 receives the second measurement frame d' in time slot T3, and anchor point 4 receives the second measurement frame e' in time slot T4. Time slots T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4 represent different time slots.

[0087] Optionally, for each anchor point, the anchor point may first send a first measurement frame to the terminal device, or the anchor point may first receive a second measurement frame from the terminal device. This will be described in detail below.

[0088] In a first possible embodiment, for any one of the plurality of anchor points: the terminal device first sends a second measurement frame to that anchor point; when the anchor point receives the second measurement frame, it then sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device. That is, the anchor point first receives the second measurement frame from the terminal device, and then sends the first measurement frame to the terminal device; correspondingly, the terminal device first sends the second measurement frame to the anchor point, and then receives the first measurement frame from the anchor point. For example, as shown... Figure 8 As shown, the main anchor point and the secondary anchor points 1 to 4 first receive the second measurement frames a' to e' from the terminal device, and then send the first measurement frames a to e to the terminal device, respectively.

[0089] In this embodiment, for any one of the plurality of anchor points, the terminal device can obtain channel state information between the anchor point and the terminal device based on the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame corresponding to the anchor point, and send the channel state information between the anchor point and the terminal device to the main anchor point. Optionally, for the plurality of anchor points, the terminal device can obtain multiple channel state information and send the multiple channel state information to the main anchor point; the main anchor point can receive multiple channel state information, which includes the channel state information between the plurality of anchor points and the terminal device.

[0090] In a second possible embodiment, for any one of the plurality of anchor points: the anchor point first sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device; when the terminal device receives the first measurement frame, the terminal device then sends a second measurement frame to the anchor point; subsequently, the anchor point receives the second measurement frame. That is, the anchor point first sends the first measurement frame to the terminal device, and then receives the second measurement frame from the terminal device; correspondingly, the terminal device first receives the first measurement frame from the anchor point, and then sends the second measurement frame to the anchor point. For example, as shown... Figure 9 As shown, the main anchor point and the secondary anchor points 1 to 4 first send the first measurement frame a to the second measurement frame e to the terminal device respectively, and then receive the second measurement frames a' to e' from the terminal device respectively.

[0091] In this embodiment, for any one of the plurality of anchor points, the anchor point can obtain channel state information between the anchor point and the terminal device based on the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame corresponding to the anchor point. Optionally, for each of the plurality of anchor points, the anchor point can also send the channel state information between the anchor point and the terminal device to the master anchor point. Further, for the plurality of anchor points, the master anchor point can receive multiple channel state information from the plurality of anchor points, the multiple channel state information including the channel state information between the plurality of anchor points and the terminal device.

[0092] Optionally, the measurement frames received and transmitted at the same anchor point can be referred to as a pair of measurement frames. The structures of the two measurement frames in each pair can be the same or different. When the structures of the two measurement frames are different, the structure of the two measurement frames is related to the order in which they are transmitted. Several examples are provided below for illustration.

[0093] In one example, such as Figure 10 As shown in (a), both the first and second measurement frames sent include measurement signals. The length and type of the measurement signals can be determined by the corresponding configuration.

[0094] In another example, such as Figure 10 As shown in (b), the first transmitted measurement frame includes a preamble, a synchronization signal, an equalization protection sequence, a handover interval, and a measurement signal in sequence, while the second received measurement frame includes the measurement signal, the handover interval, the preamble, the synchronization signal, and the equalization protection sequence in sequence. Optionally, for the first transmitted measurement frame, in a multi-antenna scenario, the antenna pairs corresponding to the preamble, synchronization signal, and equalization protection sequence are the same as the antenna pairs corresponding to the first sub-measurement signal in the measurement signal; for the second transmitted measurement frame, in a multi-antenna scenario, the antenna pairs corresponding to the preamble, synchronization signal, and equalization protection sequence are the same as the antenna pairs corresponding to the last sub-measurement signal in the measurement signal. The type of the synchronization signal, the length and type of the measurement signal, and the length of the handover interval can be determined by the corresponding configuration; when both the measurement signal and the synchronization signal use frequency-shift keying (PSK) modulation, the handover interval length can be configured to 0.

[0095] In another example, such as Figure 10 As shown in (c), the first transmitted measurement frame includes a preamble signal, a synchronization signal, and an equalization protection sequence in sequence, while the subsequently received measurement frame includes a preamble signal, a synchronization signal, an equalization protection sequence, a switching interval, and a measurement signal in sequence. Optionally, the length and type of the synchronization signal can be determined by the corresponding configuration; the structure of this measurement frame can be used during the initialization phase of the position measurement event group; in a multi-antenna scenario, only one antenna can be used to transmit the measurement frame, and the specific antenna used can be determined by the transmitting device.

[0096] In another example, such as Figure 10As shown in (d), the first transmitted measurement frame can sequentially include a preamble signal, a synchronization signal, an equalization protection sequence, a switching interval, and a measurement signal. The subsequently received measurement frame can also sequentially include the same preamble signal, synchronization signal, equalization protection sequence, switching interval, and measurement signal. Optionally, the length and type of the synchronization signal can be determined by the corresponding configuration. This measurement frame structure can be used during the initial synchronization phase of ultra-wideband pulse measurement. The synchronization signal can be used to measure the timing deviation between the anchor point and the terminal device, and the measurement signal can be used to measure the frequency deviation between the anchor point and the terminal device. The timing and frequency deviations can be used to determine the time and frequency at which the anchor point or terminal device receives the ultra-wideband measurement frame. Optionally, the modulation method of the measurement signal is phase-free BPSK. In multi-antenna scenarios, only one antenna can be used to transmit the entire measurement frame; the specific antenna used can be determined by the transmitting device. Furthermore, when the anchor point and terminal device transmit or receive this measurement frame, the end time of the synchronization signal is used as the timing reference point for timing synchronization, i.e., the start time indicated by the start time field of the first measurement frame in the ultra-wideband pulse is the same as the end time of the synchronization signal.

[0097] Optionally, in the two possible embodiments described above, the channel state information between each anchor point and the terminal device may include: channel state information - in-phase (I) path and channel state information - quadrature (Q) path. The I path and the Q path can also be referred to as IQ data. This IQ data can be used to determine the phase difference between the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame, and this phase difference can be used to determine the distance between the anchor point and the terminal device.

[0098] Furthermore, the channel state information between the aforementioned multiple anchor points and the terminal device can be used to obtain multiple distances between the multiple anchor points and the terminal device, and these multiple distances can be used to determine the location information of the terminal device. Specifically, the channel state information between one anchor point and the terminal device can be used to obtain the distance between the anchor point and the terminal device, and these multiple distances include the distance between each of the multiple anchor points and the terminal device.

[0099] In one possible embodiment, when the main anchor point receives multiple channel state information from the terminal device, and the multiple channel state information includes channel state information between the multiple anchor points and the terminal device, the method further includes: the main anchor point obtaining multiple distances between the multiple anchor points and the terminal device based on the multiple channel state information, and determining the location information of the terminal device based on the multiple distances. Optionally, for any one of the multiple secondary anchor points, the distance between the secondary anchor point and the terminal device can be obtained by the main anchor point through calculation, or it can be obtained by the corresponding secondary anchor point through calculation and then sent to the main anchor point.

[0100] In another possible embodiment, if each of the plurality of anchor points obtains its own channel state information with the terminal device, each anchor point can determine the corresponding distance based on its acquired channel state information; each of the plurality of anchor points sends its corresponding distance to the master anchor point; the master anchor point can determine the location information of the terminal device based on its own determined distance and the received distance. Alternatively, each of the plurality of anchor points can send its corresponding channel state information to the master anchor point, which then determines multiple distances between the plurality of anchor points and the terminal device, and determines the location information of the terminal device based on these multiple distances.

[0101] For ease of description, the multiple channel state information are represented as IQ data 0 to IQ data 4, and the multiple distances are represented as distance 0 to distance 4. Specifically, IQ data 0 represents the channel state information between the primary anchor point and the terminal device, and distance 0 represents the distance between the primary anchor point and the terminal device; IQ data 1 represents the channel state information between the secondary anchor point 1 and the terminal device, and distance 1 represents the distance between the secondary anchor point 1 and the terminal device; IQ data 2 represents the channel state information between the secondary anchor point 2 and the terminal device, and distance 2 represents the distance between the secondary anchor point 2 and the terminal device; IQ data 3 represents the channel state information between the secondary anchor point 3 and the terminal device, and distance 3 represents the distance between the secondary anchor point 3 and the terminal device; IQ data 4 represents the channel state information between the secondary anchor point 4 and the terminal device, and distance 4 represents the distance between the secondary anchor point 4 and the terminal device.

[0102] As an example, combined Figure 8 ,like Figure 11 As shown, when the terminal device determines IQ data 0 to IQ data 4 based on multiple pairs of measurement frames, the method further includes: the main anchor point receiving IQ data 0 to IQ data 4 from the terminal device; the main anchor point determining distance 0 based on IQ data 0; the main anchor point sending IQ data 1 to the secondary anchor point 1 and receiving distance 1 from the secondary anchor point 1; the main anchor point sending IQ data 2 to the secondary anchor point 2 and receiving distance 2 from the secondary anchor point 2; the main anchor point sending IQ data 3 to the secondary anchor point 3 and receiving distance 3 from the secondary anchor point 3; the main anchor point sending IQ data 4 to the secondary anchor point 4 and receiving distance 4 from the secondary anchor point 4; then, the main anchor point determining the location information of the terminal device based on distance 0, distance 1, distance 2, distance 3, and distance 4. Optionally, the main anchor point can also directly determine distances 0 to 4 based on IQ data 0 to IQ data 4. Figure 11The following example illustrates how the main anchor point communicates with the terminal device via an SLE connection, and how the main anchor point is connected to the secondary anchor points 1 to 4 via an SLE connection or a CAN bus, with the main anchor point sending broadcast frames or system management frames to the secondary anchor points 1 to 4.

[0103] As another example, combining Figure 9 ,like Figure 12 As shown, when the main anchor point and the sub-anchor points 1 to 4 respectively obtain IQ data 0 to IQ data 4, the method further includes: the main anchor point determining distance 0 based on IQ data 0; sub-anchor point 1 determining distance 1 based on IQ data 1 and sending distance 1 to the main anchor point; sub-anchor point 2 determining distance 2 based on IQ data 2 and sending distance 2 to the main anchor point; sub-anchor point 3 determining distance 3 based on IQ data 3 and sending distance 3 to the main anchor point; sub-anchor point 4 determining distance 4 based on IQ data 4 and sending distance 4 to the main anchor point; the main anchor point receiving IQ data 1 to IQ data 4; the main anchor point determining distances 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 based on IQ data 0 to IQ data 4; and then determining the location information of the terminal device based on distances 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Optionally, IQ data 1 to IQ data 4 can also be sent from anchor point 1 to anchor point 4 to the main anchor point, and the main anchor point can determine the distance from 0 to 4 based on IQ data 0 to IQ data 4. Figure 12 The following example illustrates how the main anchor point communicates with the terminal device via an SLE connection, and how the main anchor point is connected to the secondary anchor points 1 to 4 via a CAN bus, with the main anchor point sending broadcast frames or system management frames to the secondary anchor points 1 to 4.

[0104] Furthermore, before the bidirectional interactive measurement frame, the master anchor point can also send first control information to the terminal device. The first control information is used to indicate the channel state information between the multiple anchor points and the terminal device. Similarly, the master anchor point can also send second control information to the multiple slave anchor points. The second control information is used to indicate the channel state information between the multiple slave anchor points and the terminal device.

[0105] The first control information and the second control information can be used to control the ranging parameters between the master anchor point and the terminal device, as well as the ranging parameters between each slave anchor point and the terminal device. Optionally, the ranging parameters may include at least one of the following: the period of the measurement event, the number of measurements, or the length or type of the measurement signal, etc. Optionally, the master anchor point may also send enable information to the terminal device and the plurality of slave anchor points, which can be used to enable the terminal device and the plurality of slave anchor points to start sending or receiving measurement frames.

[0106] Optionally, the first control information and the first resource information mentioned above can be sent by the main anchor point all at once, or the main anchor point can send them through multiple sources; similarly, the second control information and the second resource information can be sent by the main anchor point all at once, or the main anchor point can send them through multiple sources.

[0107] In one possible embodiment, the master anchor point sending second control information to the plurality of slave anchor points may include: the master anchor point sending the second control information to each of the plurality of slave anchor points via an SLE connection; or, the master anchor point sending the second control information to the plurality of slave anchor points via a broadcast frame or a system management frame. In this embodiment, when the master anchor point sends the second control information to the plurality of slave anchor points via a broadcast frame or a system management frame, there is no need to establish a one-to-one connection between the master anchor point and the plurality of slave anchor points, and the second control information can be sent to the plurality of slave anchor points simultaneously, thereby saving the air interface time slot of the master anchor point and improving communication efficiency.

[0108] Optionally, when the master anchor point and the slave anchor point communicate via an SLE connection or a CAN bus, the master anchor point and the slave anchor point can transmit different information through the SLE connection and the CAN bus. For example, the master anchor point and the slave anchor point can achieve time synchronization through the SLE connection, and transmit one or more of the following through the CAN bus: channel status information, distance, and second control information.

[0109] Furthermore, in one possible embodiment, before the plurality of anchor points send the first measurement frame to the terminal device and receive the second measurement frame from the terminal device, an SLE connection can be established between the master anchor point and the terminal device, and an SLE connection can also be established between the master anchor point and each slave anchor point. For example, establishing an SLE connection between the master anchor point and the terminal device specifically includes: the terminal device sending a broadcast message; the master anchor point sending a scan access request to the terminal device; and the terminal device sending a scan access response to the master anchor point, thus establishing the connection between the master anchor point and the terminal device.

[0110] In this embodiment, the multiple anchor points can simultaneously measure the distance between the first and second terminal devices through cross-ranging, thereby reducing the time required for ranging and improving ranging efficiency. Furthermore, through bidirectional interactive measurement frames, the multiple anchor points and each terminal device can obtain channel state information between different anchor points and the terminal device. This channel state information is related to the phase difference between the bidirectional interactive measurement frames, thus determining the distance based on this channel state information is unaffected by the surrounding environment. Moreover, the channel state information between multiple anchor points and the terminal device can accurately determine the location information of the terminal device, thereby improving ranging accuracy and precision. Consequently, when unlocking a vehicle based on this location information, the accuracy and success rate of unlocking can be greatly improved, thus enhancing the user experience.

[0111] The above primarily describes the solutions provided in this application from the perspective of the interaction between the anchor point and the terminal device. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the anchor point and terminal device include corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0112] This application embodiment can divide the anchor point and terminal device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the division of each function into separate functional modules as an example.

[0113] When using integrated units, Figure 13A schematic diagram of a first communication device involved in the above embodiments is shown. The device can be an anchor point or a chip applied to the anchor point. The device includes a transmitting unit 301, a receiving unit 302, and a processing unit 303. In one possible embodiment, when the device is the main anchor point, the transmitting unit 301 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps S201-S203 in the above method embodiments, and can also be used to support the device in sending measurement frames and other information to a terminal device; the receiving unit 302 can be used to support the device in receiving measurement frames and other steps sent by the terminal device in the above method embodiments; the processing unit 303 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps in the above method embodiments, such as obtaining channel state information, determining the distance between the anchor point and the terminal device, or determining the location information of the terminal device. In another possible embodiment, when the device is a slave anchor point, the transmitting unit 301 can be used to support steps such as the device sending measurement frames to the terminal device; the receiving unit 302 can be used to support steps such as the device receiving the third resource information in S203 of the above method embodiment, or the measurement frames sent by the terminal device; the processing unit 303 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps such as obtaining channel state information or determining the distance between the slave anchor point and the terminal device in the above method embodiment. All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0114] Based on hardware implementation, the processing unit 303 in this application embodiment can be the processor of the device, the sending unit 301 can be the transmitter of the device, and the receiving unit 302 can be the receiver of the device. The transmitter can usually be integrated with the receiver as a transceiver. The specific transceiver can also be called a communication interface or interface circuit.

[0115] like Figure 14 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of another first communication device involved in the above embodiments provided in this application. The device can be used as an anchor point or a chip applied to the anchor point. The device includes: a processor 312, a memory 311, a communication interface 313 and a bus 314. The processor 312, the memory 311 and the communication interface 313 are connected through the bus 314.

[0116] The processor 312 is used to control and manage the operation of the device. In one possible embodiment, the processor 312 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps in the above method embodiments, such as obtaining channel state information, determining the distance between the anchor point and the terminal device, or determining the location information of the terminal device. In another possible embodiment, the processor 312 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps in the above method embodiments, such as obtaining channel state information or determining the distance between the anchor point and the terminal device. The communication interface 313 is used to support the device in communication, such as supporting the device to communicate with other anchor points or terminal devices.

[0117] In this embodiment, processor 312 may include a central processing unit, a positioning accelerometer, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. The bus 314 may include an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0118] When using integrated units, Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a second communication device involved in the above embodiments is shown. This device can be a terminal device or a chip applied to a terminal device. The device includes a receiving unit 401, a transmitting unit 402, and a processing unit 403. In one possible embodiment, the receiving unit 401 can be used to support the device in receiving one or more of the steps in S201 of the above method embodiments, such as receiving first resource information, receiving measurement frames sent by multiple anchor points, or receiving first control information; the transmitting unit 402 can be used to support the device in performing the step of sending second measurement frames to multiple anchor points in the above method embodiments; the processing unit 403 can be used to support the device in performing the step of obtaining multiple channel state information in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes described herein. All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0119] Based on hardware implementation, the processing unit 403 in this application embodiment can be the processor of the device, the receiving unit 401 can be the receiver of the device, and the sending unit 402 can be the transmitter of the device. The transmitter can usually be integrated with the receiver as a transceiver. The specific transceiver can also be called a communication interface or interface circuit.

[0120] like Figure 16 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of another second communication device involved in the above embodiments provided in this application. The device can be used as a terminal device or a chip applied to a terminal device. The device includes: a processor 412, a memory 411, a communication interface 413 and a bus 414. The processor 412, the memory 411 and the communication interface 413 are connected through the bus 414.

[0121] The processor 412 is used to control and manage the operation of the device. In one possible embodiment, the processor 412 can be used to support the device in performing the steps of acquiring multiple channel state information in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes described herein. The communication interface 413 is used to support the device in communication, such as supporting the device to communicate with multiple anchor points.

[0122] In this embodiment, processor 412 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. The bus 414 may include an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0123] In another embodiment of this application, a multi-anchor-point device is provided, comprising a plurality of anchor points, including a main anchor point and a plurality of secondary anchor points. The main anchor point can be used to support the execution of the steps of the main anchor point in the above method embodiments, and the secondary anchor points can be used to execute the steps of the secondary anchor points in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the multi-anchor-point device is a vehicle or a device in a vehicle.

[0124] In another embodiment of this application, a communication system is provided, which includes a multi-anchor device and a plurality of terminal devices; wherein, the multi-anchor device can be the multi-anchor device provided above, used to execute the steps of the main anchor and a plurality of slave anchors in the method embodiment provided above; the plurality of terminal devices can be used to execute the steps of the terminal devices in the method embodiment provided above.

[0125] It is understood that all relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced in the embodiments of the communication device, the embodiments of the multi-anchor device, and the embodiments of the communication system, and will not be repeated here.

[0126] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another apparatus, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0127] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0128] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. This readable storage medium may include various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, external hard drive, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product.

[0129] In another embodiment of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores computer-executable instructions that are executed by a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or a processor when executing the steps of the anchor point in the above method embodiment.

[0130] In another embodiment of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores computer-executable instructions that are executed by a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or a processor when executing the steps of the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0131] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a device, cause the device to perform the steps of the anchor points in the above method embodiments.

[0132] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a device, cause the device to perform the steps of the terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0133] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, A main anchor point applied in a multi-anchor point device, the multi-anchor point device including multiple anchor points, the multiple anchor points including the main anchor point and multiple secondary anchor points, the method comprising: The main anchor point sends first resource information and second resource information to the first terminal device and the second terminal device, respectively. The first resource information is used to indicate multiple first time slots allocated to the first terminal device for distance measurement between the multiple anchor points, and the second resource information is used to indicate multiple second time slots allocated to the second terminal device for distance measurement between the multiple anchor points. Among the multiple first time slots and the multiple second time slots, there are some identical time slots, and the identical time slots are used for distance measurement between the first terminal device and the second terminal device and different anchor points. The master anchor point sends third resource information to the plurality of slave anchor points, the third resource information being used to indicate the first and second time slots allocated to the plurality of slave anchor points in the plurality of first time slots; The main anchor point performs ranging communication with the first terminal device in the corresponding first time slot, and the main anchor point performs ranging communication with the second terminal device in the corresponding second time slot.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of slave anchor points includes a first slave anchor point, a first time slot allocated to the first terminal device for distance measurement between the first terminal device and the main anchor point, and the same second time slot allocated to the second terminal device for distance measurement between the second terminal device and the first slave anchor point.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The plurality of trailing anchors includes a first trailing anchor and a second trailing anchor. The first time slot allocated to the first terminal device for distance measurement between the first trailing anchor and the first trailing anchor is the same as the second time slot allocated to the second terminal device for distance measurement between the second trailing anchor and the second trailing anchor.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The primary anchor point sends third resource information to the plurality of secondary anchor points, including: The primary anchor point sends third resource information to the multiple secondary anchor points via broadcast frames or system management frames; or... The master anchor point sends third resource information to the multiple slave anchor points via the controller area network (CAN bus); or... The main anchor point sends third resource information to the multiple slave anchor points via a Starlight Low Power SLE connection or a Bluetooth Low Power BLE connection.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The main anchor point sends first resource information and second resource information to the first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively, including: The main anchor point sends the first resource information and the second resource information to the first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively via an SLE connection or a BLE connection.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The main anchor point communicates with the first terminal device in ranging within the corresponding first time slot, including: Within a first time slot allocated for ranging between the first terminal device and the main anchor point, the main anchor point sends a first measurement frame to the first terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the first terminal device. The first and second measurement frames are used to acquire channel state information between the first terminal device and the main anchor point. The channel state information between the first terminal device and the plurality of anchor points is used to determine the location information of the first terminal device; and / or, The main anchor point communicates with the second terminal device in ranging within the corresponding second time slot, including: During the second time slot allocated for distance measurement between the second terminal device and the main anchor point, the main anchor point sends a third measurement frame to the second terminal device and receives a fourth measurement frame from the second terminal device. The third and fourth measurement frames are used to obtain channel state information between the second terminal device and the main anchor point. The channel state information between the second terminal device and the plurality of anchor points is used to determine the location information of the second terminal device.

7. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes modules or units for implementing the method of any one of claims 1-6.

8. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when the processor executes the instructions in the memory, cause the device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

9. A multi-anchor point device, characterized in that, The multi-anchor device includes a plurality of anchor points, which are used to support the multi-anchor device in performing the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on the device, cause the device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

11. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

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