Low-loss leaky coaxial cable, terminal device positioning method and system

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of cable communication positioning, and discloses a low-loss integrated leakage coaxial cable, a terminal device positioning method and a system. The coaxial cable is divided into a first section to an Nth section from head to tail along the length direction. A first slot hole group with a first polarization direction is arranged on the outer conductor of the odd section, and a second slot hole group with a second polarization direction is arranged on the outer conductor of the even section. The terminal device is equipped with two antennas with perpendicular polarization directions. During the movement of the terminal device, the signals received by the two antennas present alternating strong and weak intervals. The communication is realized by combining the signals of the two antennas, and the positioning is realized by counting the number of strong and weak intervals to confirm the position of the section. The application can solve the technical problem that the leakage coaxial cable in the prior art cannot realize the integration of communication and positioning without increasing an additional monitoring module. The application can realize the integration of communication and positioning without an additional monitoring module, reduces the construction complexity, and improves the system cost-effectiveness ratio.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of cable communication positioning technology, and more specifically, relates to a low-loss integrated inductive leaky coaxial cable, a terminal equipment positioning method and system. Background Technology

[0002] Leaky coaxial cable is a special type of coaxial cable with periodically arranged slots on its outer conductor. This allows electromagnetic waves to leak out at a certain rate, forming an electromagnetic radiation area along the cable's length. This enables wireless communication coverage in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces such as tunnels, subways, and mines. Traditionally, leaky coaxial cables are mainly used for communication coverage; terminal devices connect to base stations by receiving the electromagnetic waves radiated from the leaky cable.

[0003] However, in practical applications, in addition to communication needs, there is also a need to locate terminal devices. In existing technologies, to achieve terminal device location, monitoring modules are typically installed at both ends of the leaky coaxial cable. The location of the terminal device is calculated by measuring the transmission delay of the signal in the leaky cable. This approach has the following problems: First, it requires additional monitoring modules, increasing the system's hardware cost and construction complexity; second, the delay measurement method requires high signal synchronization accuracy, resulting in significant errors in long-distance leaky cable systems; third, it cannot achieve integrated communication and location functions without adding additional equipment, leading to a low system cost-effectiveness ratio.

[0004] Therefore, how to achieve integrated communication and positioning functions for terminal devices by utilizing the structural characteristics of leaky coaxial cables without adding extra monitoring modules, thereby reducing system complexity and cost and improving cost-effectiveness, has become a pressing technical problem in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies or improvement needs of the prior art, the purpose of this application is to provide a low-loss integrated communication and positioning method and system for leaky coaxial cable and terminal equipment positioning, so as to solve the technical problem that the existing leaky coaxial cable cannot achieve integrated communication and positioning without adding an additional monitoring module.

[0006] The above-mentioned technical objectives of this application are mainly achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a low-loss, inductively integrated, leaky coaxial cable. The coaxial cable is used to enable communication and positioning of a terminal device that can move relative to the coaxial cable. The coaxial cable is divided into segments 1 to N along its length, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3. In odd-numbered segments, a first group of slots with a first polarization direction is formed on the outer conductor of the coaxial cable. In even-numbered segments, a second group of slots with a second polarization direction is formed on the outer conductor of the coaxial cable. When the terminal device moves from the head of the coaxial cable to segment n, n takes any value from 1 to N. The electromagnetic waves leaked by the first or second group of slots in segment n can be received in real time by two antennas in the terminal device, each with a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction, respectively. The signals received by the two antennas are combined to achieve real-time communication. The two antennas determine the value of n based on the number of strong and weak intervals of continuous signals received by the terminal device during its movement from segment 1 to segment n to achieve positioning of the terminal device.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction are perpendicular.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the first slot group includes a plurality of figure-eight holes arranged according to a preset pattern, and the second slot group includes a plurality of vertical straight holes arranged according to a preset pattern.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the length of each segment of the coaxial cable is 20m to 50m.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of this application, from the head to the tail of the coaxial cable, the size of the multiple slots in the multiple first slot groups opened on the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is gradually changed, and / or, the size of the multiple slots in the multiple second slot groups opened on the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is gradually changed; the two antennas determine the direction of movement of the terminal device based on the changing trend of the continuous signal received during the movement between the segments of the terminal device.

[0012] Secondly, this application also provides a terminal device positioning method, comprising: laying a coaxial cable along the moving direction of the terminal device, wherein the coaxial cable is a low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable as described above, and both ends of the coaxial cable are connected to a POI combining platform and an RRU radio frequency unit to establish a communication link; setting a first antenna and a second antenna having a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction respectively on the terminal device which can move relative to the coaxial cable; when the terminal device is in an odd-numbered segment, the first antenna can receive strong electromagnetic waves with the first polarization direction to form a strong signal range, and the second antenna receives weak electromagnetic waves with the second polarization direction to form a weak signal range. When the terminal device is in an even-numbered segment, the second antenna can receive strong electromagnetic waves with a second polarization direction to form a strong signal range, and the first antenna receives weak electromagnetic waves with a first polarization direction to form a weak signal range. During the process of the terminal device moving from the head of the coaxial cable to the nth segment, the continuous signals received by the first antenna and the second antenna respectively exhibit strong and weak ranges consistent with the segmented ranges of the slot polarization direction. The strong and weak ranges between the first antenna and the second antenna are opposite. The terminal device determines the value of n by the number of the continuous signal strong and weak ranges, and then determines the position of the terminal device according to the laying position of the nth segment of the coaxial cable.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of this application, M identical coaxial cables are laid along the moving direction of the terminal device, where M is an integer greater than 1. Each segment of the coaxial cable has a length of L, and the heads of each coaxial cable are staggered by a distance L / M along their length. The first antenna and the second antenna can individually receive the electromagnetic waves leaked from each coaxial cable to obtain continuous signals with corresponding strength intervals, thereby confirming that the terminal device is located at the nth segment of the mth coaxial cable. m Segment, m takes values ​​from 1 to M, based on the n1th segment to the nth segment corresponding to the 1st to Mth coaxial cable. m The location of the terminal device is determined by the overlapping area of ​​the segments.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of this application, during the process of the terminal device moving from the head of the coaxial cable to the nth segment, the terminal device combines the continuous signals with strong and weak intervals received by the first antenna and the second antenna respectively to form a continuous combined signal that meets the communication requirements, and the terminal device realizes information interaction through the continuous combined signal.

[0015] Thirdly, this application also provides a terminal device positioning system for implementing the aforementioned terminal device positioning method. The terminal device positioning system includes: a coaxial cable laid along a preset path, wherein the coaxial cable is a low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable as described above, and both ends of the coaxial cable are connected to a POI combining platform and an RRU radio frequency unit; a terminal device movable along the preset path, wherein the terminal device is provided with a first antenna and a second antenna having a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction respectively, and the terminal device integrates a location information processing module and a communication module, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are electrically connected to the location information processing module and the communication module; wherein the location information processing module is configured to confirm the location of the terminal device based on continuous signals with strong and weak intervals received by the first antenna and / or the second antenna respectively, and the communication module is configured to combine the continuous signals with strong and weak intervals received by the first antenna and the second antenna respectively so that the terminal device can realize information interaction through continuous combined signals.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the terminal device positioning system includes multiple coaxial cables, each coaxial cable being connected end to end along the preset path, and the POI combining platform and the RRU radio frequency unit are provided between each pair of adjacent coaxial cables.

[0017] In summary, compared with the prior art, the technical solutions conceived in this application mainly possess the following technical features and advantages: 1. The low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable, terminal equipment positioning method and system described in this application, by alternately opening slots with different polarization directions in segments along the length of the leaky coaxial cable, combined with two orthogonally polarized antennas equipped on the terminal equipment, utilizes the alternating strength range of the received signals from the two antennas to realize the positioning function of the terminal equipment. There is no need to install additional monitoring modules at both ends of the leaky cable, which reduces the system hardware cost and construction complexity, and improves the system cost-effectiveness ratio.

[0018] 2. The low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable, terminal equipment positioning method and system described in this application combine the signals received by two orthogonally polarized antennas, which ensures the continuous communication capability of the terminal equipment while realizing the positioning function, and realizes the integrated function of communication and positioning, avoiding the problem of increased system complexity caused by the separation of positioning and communication functions in traditional solutions.

[0019] 3. The low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable, terminal equipment positioning method and system described in this application, through the gradual setting of the slot size, achieves the positioning function while ensuring the low-loss characteristics of the leaky cable, and can determine the movement direction of the terminal equipment through the trend of signal strength change, further improving the practicality of the positioning system.

[0020] 4. The low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable, terminal equipment positioning method and system described in this application can improve the positioning accuracy from the length L of each segment of a single leaky cable to L / M by staggering the laying of multiple leaky cables, and achieve flexible adjustment of positioning accuracy without changing the structure of a single leaky cable. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the polarization electromagnetic wave signal intensity gradient formed by the alternation of dual polarization sections of a single coaxial cable; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first slot group in this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second slot group in this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the terminal equipment and signal combiner described in this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the polarized electromagnetic wave signal intensity gradient in a multi-signal link formed by three interlaced coaxial cables. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0023] Implementation Method 1: This application provides a low-loss, inductively integrated, leaky coaxial cable for communication and positioning of a terminal device that can move relative to the coaxial cable. The coaxial cable includes an inner conductor, an insulating layer covering the inner conductor, an outer conductor covering the insulating layer, and an outer sheath covering the outer conductor. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the coaxial cable is divided into segments 1 to N along its length, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3. In odd-numbered segments, a first group of slots with a first polarization direction is formed on the outer conductor; in even-numbered segments, a second group of slots with a second polarization direction is formed on the outer conductor. The coaxial cable leaks electromagnetic waves with a stronger first polarization direction and a weaker second polarization direction in odd-numbered segments; conversely, it leaks electromagnetic waves with a stronger second polarization direction and a weaker first polarization direction in even-numbered segments.

[0024] This application involves alternating segments along the length of a coaxial cable with two different sets of slots in different polarization directions. Combined with two polarized antennas on the terminal device that correspond to the two polarization directions, the positioning function of the terminal device is realized by utilizing the alternating strength range of the received signals from the two antennas. This eliminates the need to install additional monitoring modules at both ends of the leaky cable, reducing system hardware costs and construction complexity, and improving the system's cost-effectiveness.

[0025] The following will describe in detail the specific structure and working process of the low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable described in this application, with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the coaxial cable is evenly divided into N segments along its length from beginning to end, and each segment is a relatively independent polarization interval, with each segment forming a polarization interval of length L.

[0027] The length L of each segment ranges from 20 to 50 meters. The length of each segment is determined by considering both positioning accuracy and system loss: if the segment length is too short, the number of slots in the same polarization direction within each polarization interval will be insufficient, leading to a deterioration in the superposition of electromagnetic waves leaking from the periodic slots, making it impossible to form a stable broadband electromagnetic wave signal in a narrow space; if the segment length is too long, the distance the terminal device travels within the same segment increases, resulting in a decrease in positioning accuracy, which cannot meet the actual position accuracy requirements of applications such as mines and subways. Therefore, setting the length of each segment within the range of 20 to 50 meters ensures both the stability of the leaked electromagnetic wave signal and keeps the positioning accuracy within a reasonable range, thus balancing the comprehensive requirements of communication quality and positioning accuracy.

[0028] Furthermore, the first and second polarization directions are perpendicular, namely the main polarization direction and the cross-polarization direction, respectively. The electromagnetic waves leaked by the first slot group are vertically polarized, and the electromagnetic waves leaked by the second slot group are horizontally polarized, with the two polarization directions being orthogonal to each other. Setting the two polarization directions to be perpendicular to each other ensures that the electromagnetic waves leaked by the coaxial cable in odd-numbered and even-numbered segments have a natural distinction in polarization characteristics. The signal strength (electromagnetic wave level) received by the two corresponding orthogonally polarized antennas on the terminal device at any given time exhibits a complementary state of strong and weak signals. The alternation of strong and weak intervals corresponds to the switching of polarization segment intervals, thus providing reliable signal characteristic basis for positioning. The cross-polarization ratio of the coaxial cable (the ratio of the electric field strength of the main polarization direction to that of the cross-polarization direction) is approximately 10dB, meaning that the signal strength received by the vertically polarized antenna and the horizontally polarized antenna on the terminal device at the same time always differs by approximately 10dB. This difference is sufficient for the corresponding antenna on the terminal device to reliably identify the signal, thereby ensuring the accuracy of positioning judgment.

[0029] Specifically, the first slot group adopts a vertical polarization method, and the slot shape is a figure-eight hole. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the figure-eight holes can be in single, double, or triple rows. Each row of figure-eight holes consists of multiple symmetrical groups of eight holes, and each row can contain 1 to 6 groups of eight holes. The slot angle of the figure-eight holes is between 10 and 45 degrees, the slot length is typically 4.5 mm to 60 mm, and the slot width is between 0.6 mm and 7 mm. Because the slots of the figure-eight holes are symmetrical about their left and right axes, the horizontal components of the electromagnetic waves leaking from adjacent slots almost cancel each other out. Therefore, the intensity of the electromagnetic waves in the vertical polarization direction is much stronger than that in the horizontal direction. The polarization direction of the electromagnetic waves leaking from the figure-eight holes is approximately perpendicular to the slot direction.

[0030] The second slot group adopts a horizontal polarization method, and the slot shape is a vertical straight hole. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the number of slots in a vertical I-shaped cable is typically 2 to the power of a, where a is an integer from 1 to 5. The slots can be arranged in multiple rows along the length of the coaxial cable. The slot width is approximately 0.5 mm to 7 mm, the slot length is 4.5 mm to 50 mm, and the slot inclination angle is typically 0 degrees to 10 degrees. The slot length is typically 4 to 10 times the slot width. The polarization direction of a horizontally polarized slot is perpendicular to its length. The vertically polarized electromagnetic waves generated at the wider end of the slot are less, therefore its horizontal polarization is much stronger than its vertical polarization.

[0031] Preferably, from the head to the tail of the coaxial cable, the size of the slots in multiple polarization zones is gradually changed, from small to large or from large to small. The gradual change in the size of the slots mainly includes two aspects, as follows.

[0032] On the one hand, within each polarization interval, the size of the slot on the outer conductor gradually increases along the length of the coaxial cable from near the source end (head) to far away from the source end (tail). Near the source end, the slot size is smaller, resulting in lower transmission attenuation per unit length, but higher coupling loss (signal is difficult to leak out). As the distance from the source end increases, the slot size gradually increases, and the coupling loss decreases accordingly (signal is easier to leak out), compensating for the increase in transmission attenuation. This makes the system loss (the sum of transmission attenuation and coupling loss) at various locations within a single polarization interval tend to be consistent, ensuring that the signal level received by the terminal device at any location within that polarization interval is basically stable.

[0033] On the other hand, along the length of the coaxial cable, the slot size in adjacent vertical polarization zones and adjacent horizontal polarization zones gradually increases or decreases. The system loss of the intervening polarization zones is stabilized by a fixed value through the overall design of the slot size. This value remains below one-third of the coaxial cable cross-polarization ratio (approximately 10dB), thus ensuring low overall link loss without affecting the terminal device's ability to identify polarization zone switching. Based on this gradual slot design between polarization zones, when the terminal device moves between multiple polarization zones, it can determine the direction of movement based on the increase or decrease in the level of the electromagnetic waves from two adjacent high-level polarization zones.

[0034] In the operation of the coaxial cable described in this application, when the terminal device moves from the head of the coaxial cable to the nth segment (n being any value from 1 to N), the electromagnetic waves leaking from the first or second slot group within the nth segment can be received in real time by two antennas in the terminal device, each with a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction, respectively. The signals received by the two antennas are combined to achieve real-time communication. The two antennas determine the value of n based on the number of strong and weak intervals of continuous signals (electromagnetic wave levels) received by the terminal device during its movement from the 1st to the nth segment, thereby achieving the positioning of the terminal device. The two antennas can determine the position information based on the strength and weakness of the interval signals received individually by each antenna, and the results of the two antennas are mutually verified to avoid the inability to determine the position information when the signal quality received by one antenna is unstable.

[0035] Implementation Method Two: This application also provides a terminal device positioning method, which utilizes the low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable described in Embodiment 1 to achieve communication and positioning of the terminal device that can move relative to the coaxial cable, as detailed below.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, a low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable as described in Embodiment 1 is laid along the movement direction of the terminal device. This movement direction can be a narrow space such as a mine tunnel or subway tunnel. Both ends of the coaxial cable are connected to a POI (Point of Interface) combining platform and an RRU (Remote Radio Unit). The POI combining platform and the RRU together construct a communication link.

[0037] A first antenna and a second antenna, each with a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction, are respectively provided on a terminal device that can move relative to the coaxial cable. The terminal device can be a vehicle-mounted terminal on a mining truck. The first antenna adopts vertical polarization, and the second antenna adopts horizontal polarization. The polarization directions of the two antennas are perpendicular to each other, and they are used to receive the two polarized electromagnetic waves leaking from the coaxial cable.

[0038] When the terminal device is in an odd-numbered segment, the first antenna receives a strong electromagnetic wave with a first polarization direction, forming a strong signal range; at the same time, the second antenna receives a weak electromagnetic wave with a second polarization direction, forming a weak signal range. The signal strength received by the two antennas differs by approximately 10 dB.

[0039] When the terminal device is in an even-numbered segment, the second antenna can receive strong electromagnetic waves with a second polarization direction, forming a strong signal range; at the same time, the first antenna receives weak electromagnetic waves with a first polarization direction, forming a weak signal range. The strong and weak ranges of the two antennas are exactly opposite.

[0040] As the terminal device moves from the head of the coaxial cable to the nth segment, the continuous signals received by the first and second antennas exhibit strong and weak intervals consistent with the segmented intervals of the slot polarization direction. The strong and weak intervals between the first and second antennas are opposite.

[0041] The terminal device determines the value of 'n' by counting the number of consecutive signal strength intervals, thus identifying the current segment number. It then determines its position based on the location of the nth segment of the coaxial cable. The positioning accuracy is approximately the length of a single polarization interval, ranging from 20 to 50 meters. The terminal device can also determine its direction of movement by observing the increasing or decreasing electromagnetic wave levels in adjacent strong-level intervals. A gradually increasing signal strength indicates that the terminal device is moving towards the signal source. A gradually decreasing signal strength indicates that the terminal device is moving away from the signal source.

[0042] The terminal device combines the continuous signals with varying strength ranges received by the first and second antennas to form a continuous combined signal that meets communication requirements. Since the two antennas have mutually orthogonal polarization directions, only the antenna whose polarization matches the leaky cable can receive a stronger electromagnetic wave at any given time, while the other antenna receives a weaker electromagnetic wave. After the signals from the two antennas are combined, the combined signal maintains a strong level across any time interval, thus meeting the requirements of the communication module and enabling communication functionality.

[0043] According to one embodiment of this application, such as Figure 5As shown, M identical coaxial cables are laid along the moving direction of the terminal equipment, where M is an integer greater than 1. Each segment of each coaxial cable has a length of L, and the heads of each coaxial cable are staggered by a distance L / M along their length.

[0044] Each coaxial cable transmits a different signal stream, and the terminal device simultaneously receives data from multiple signal streams. Each coaxial cable uses the same slot configuration and segment length. The first and second antennas can individually receive the electromagnetic waves leaking from each of the coaxial cables, thereby obtaining continuous signals with corresponding strength and weakness intervals, confirming that the terminal device is located at the nth segment of the m-th coaxial cable. m The segment, m takes values ​​from 1 to M, n m Values ​​from 1 to N. Based on the n1th segment to the nth segment corresponding to the 1st to Mth coaxial cable. m The location coordinates of the overlapping area of ​​the segments confirm the location of the terminal device.

[0045] By using this method of staggered laying of multiple coaxial cables, the positioning accuracy can be improved from L per segment of a single coaxial cable to L / M. Because the terminal device has two antennas with mutually perpendicular polarization directions, it can still receive signals from all polarization ranges.

[0046] The two antennas can determine location information by independently receiving signal strength within a given range. The results from both antennas are cross-verified to prevent location instability caused by unstable signal quality from one antenna. If location information is lost, it can be reset based on the signal source device information when the terminal device moves to the next leaky cable link.

[0047] Implementation Method 3: This application also provides a terminal device positioning system for implementing the terminal device positioning method described in Embodiment 2, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the terminal device positioning system includes a coaxial cable laid along a preset path and a terminal device that can move along the preset path.

[0048] The preset path can be a narrow space such as a mine tunnel or subway tunnel. The coaxial cable is the low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable described in Embodiment 1. Both ends of the coaxial cable are connected to a POI combining platform and an RRU radio frequency unit to build a complete communication system.

[0049] The terminal device is equipped with a first antenna and a second antenna, each having a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction, respectively. The first antenna uses vertical polarization, and the second antenna uses horizontal polarization. The terminal device integrates a location information processing module and a communication module. Both the first and second antennas are electrically connected to the location information processing module and the communication module, which can be executed by a microprocessor.

[0050] The location information processing module is configured to confirm the location of the terminal device based on the continuous signals with strong and weak intervals received by the first antenna and the second antenna respectively. Specifically, the location information processing module determines the segment number where the terminal device is currently located based on the number of strong and weak intervals, and then confirms the location of the terminal device.

[0051] The communication module is configured to combine the continuous signals with strong and weak intervals received by the first antenna and the second antenna respectively, so that the terminal device can realize information interaction through the continuous combined signal. The combined signal ensures that the communication signal level in any interval meets the requirements of the communication module.

[0052] According to one embodiment of this application, the terminal device positioning system includes multiple coaxial cables. Each coaxial cable is connected end-to-end along a preset path, and a POI combining platform and an RRU radio frequency unit are disposed between each pair of adjacent coaxial cables. By connecting multiple coaxial cables end-to-end, communication coverage and terminal device positioning over long distances and narrow spaces can be achieved. The POI combining platform and RRU radio frequency unit at both ends of each coaxial cable establish independent communication links.

[0053] It should be understood that expressions such as "comprising" and "may include" as used in this application indicate the existence of the disclosed functions, operations, or constituent elements, and do not limit one or more additional functions, operations, and constituent elements. In this application, terms such as "comprising" and / or "having" may be interpreted as indicating a specific characteristic, number, operation, constituent element, component, or combination thereof, but should not be interpreted as excluding the existence or possibility of adding one or more other characteristics, numbers, operations, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0054] It should be understood that the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” and “circumferential” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0055] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0056] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0057] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A low-loss, inductively integrated, leaky coaxial cable for enabling communication and positioning of a terminal device movable relative to the coaxial cable, characterized in that, The coaxial cable is divided into segments 1 to N along its length, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3. In odd-numbered segments, a first group of slots with a first polarization direction is formed on the outer conductor of the coaxial cable. In even-numbered segments, a second group of slots with a second polarization direction is formed on the outer conductor of the coaxial cable. When the terminal device moves from the head of the coaxial cable to the nth segment, n takes any value from 1 to N. The electromagnetic wave energy leaked by the first slot group or the second slot group in the nth segment can be received in real time by two antennas in the terminal device that have a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction, respectively. The signals received by the two antennas are combined to achieve real-time communication. The two antennas determine the value of n based on the number of strong and weak intervals of the continuous signal received by the terminal device during the movement from the 1st segment to the nth segment to achieve the positioning of the terminal device.

2. The low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first polarization direction and the second polarization direction are perpendicular.

3. The low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first slot group includes multiple figure-eight holes arranged according to a preset pattern, and the second slot group includes multiple vertical straight holes arranged according to a preset pattern.

4. The low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of each segment of the coaxial cable is 20m-50m.

5. The low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, From the head to the tail of the coaxial cable, the size of the multiple slots in the multiple first slot groups opened on the outer conductor inside the coaxial cable is gradually changed, and / or, the size of the multiple slots in the multiple second slot groups opened on the outer conductor inside the coaxial cable is gradually changed. The two antennas determine the direction of movement of the terminal device based on the changing trend of the continuous signals received during the movement of the terminal device between its segments.

6. A method for locating a terminal device, characterized in that, include: A coaxial cable is laid along the moving direction of the terminal device. The coaxial cable is a low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable as described in any one of claims 1 to 5. Both ends of the coaxial cable are connected to the POI combining platform and the RRU radio frequency unit to establish a communication link. A first antenna and a second antenna, each having a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction, are respectively provided on the terminal device that is movable relative to the coaxial cable; When the terminal device is in an odd number of segments, the first antenna can receive strong electromagnetic waves with a first polarization direction to form a strong signal range, and the second antenna can receive weak electromagnetic waves with a second polarization direction to form a weak signal range. When the terminal device is in an even-numbered segment, the second antenna can receive strong electromagnetic waves with a second polarization direction to form a strong signal range, and the first antenna receives weak electromagnetic waves with a first polarization direction to form a weak signal range. During the process of the terminal device moving from the head of the coaxial cable to the nth segment, the continuous signals received by the first antenna and the second antenna respectively exhibit strong and weak intervals consistent with the segmented intervals of the slot polarization direction. The strong and weak intervals between the first antenna and the second antenna are opposite. The terminal device determines the value of n by the number of the strong and weak intervals of the continuous signal, and then determines the position of the terminal device according to the laying position of the nth segment of the coaxial cable.

7. The terminal device positioning method according to claim 6, characterized in that, M identical coaxial cables are laid along the moving direction of the terminal device, where M is an integer greater than 1. The length of each segment of the coaxial cable is L, and the laying positions of the heads of the coaxial cables are staggered by a distance L / M along their length direction. The first antenna and the second antenna can individually receive electromagnetic waves leaked from each of the coaxial cables to obtain continuous signals with corresponding strength ranges, thereby confirming that the terminal device is located at the nth position of the mth coaxial cable. m Segment, m takes values ​​from 1 to M, based on the n1th segment to the nth segment corresponding to the 1st to Mth coaxial cable. m The location of the terminal device is determined by the overlapping area of ​​the segments.

8. The terminal device positioning method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, During the process of the terminal device moving from the head of the coaxial cable to the nth segment, the terminal device combines the continuous signals with strong and weak intervals received by the first antenna and the second antenna respectively to form a continuous combined signal that meets the communication requirements. The terminal device realizes information interaction through the continuous combined signal.

9. A terminal device positioning system, characterized in that, For implementing the terminal device positioning method as described in any one of claims 6 to 8, the terminal device positioning system comprises: A coaxial cable laid along a preset path, wherein the coaxial cable is a low-loss inductive integrated leaky coaxial cable as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, and both ends of the coaxial cable are connected to a POI combining platform and an RRU radio frequency unit. A terminal device that can move along the preset path, wherein the terminal device is provided with a first antenna and a second antenna having a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction respectively, and the terminal device integrates a location information processing module and a communication module, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are electrically connected to the location information processing module and the communication module; The location information processing module is configured to confirm the location of the terminal device based on continuous signals with strong and weak intervals received by the first antenna and / or the second antenna, respectively. The communication module is configured to combine the continuous signals with strong and weak intervals received by the first antenna and the second antenna, respectively, so that the terminal device can realize information interaction through the continuous combined signal.

10. The terminal device positioning system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal device positioning system includes multiple coaxial cables, each coaxial cable being connected end to end along the preset path, and the POI combining platform and the RRU radio frequency unit are provided between each pair of adjacent coaxial cables.

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