Tracker

Abstract

The utility model provides a tracker, and relates to the technical field of communication equipment. The tracker comprises a cellular communication module, a communication identification chip, a positioning module, a radio frequency antenna and a radio frequency switch. An identity recognition interface of the cellular communication module is connected with a data interface of the communication recognition chip, a first input / output interface of the cellular communication module is connected with a logic control interface of the radio frequency switch, and an antenna interface of the radio frequency switch is connected with a contact of the radio frequency antenna; a first radio frequency interface of the radio frequency switch is connected with a radio frequency interface of the cellular communication module, a second radio frequency interface of the radio frequency switch is connected with a radio frequency receiving interface of the positioning module, and a data transceiving interface of the positioning module is connected with a position data transceiving interface of the cellular communication module. According to the tracker, a communication function and a positioning function can be realized only by using one antenna, and the problems of low positioning accuracy, high power consumption and the like caused by poor isolation of double antennas in an existing tracker are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication equipment, and in particular, to a tracker. Background Art

[0002] Due to the needs of scientific research, sports and culture, issues such as animal habitats, bird migration environments and the activity tracks of protected animals are receiving more and more attention. Flying bird trackers have huge market prospects and scientific research needs.

[0003] Existing trackers are designed based on Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and Global Navigation Satellite Syst (GNSS) technologies. They require both narrowband IoT antennas and global navigation satellite system antennas, which results in poor antenna isolation and leads to problems such as low positioning accuracy and high power consumption of the tracker. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present application provides a tracker to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in the embodiment of the present application is as follows:

[0006] The embodiment of the present application provides a tracker, including: a cellular communication module, a communication identification chip, a positioning module, a radio frequency switch, and a radio frequency antenna;

[0007] The identity recognition interface of the cellular communication module is connected to the data interface of the communication recognition chip, the first input and output interface of the cellular communication module is connected to the logic control interface of the radio frequency switch, and the antenna interface of the radio frequency switch is connected to the contact of the radio frequency antenna;

[0008] The first RF interface of the RF switch is connected to the RF interface of the cellular communication module, the second RF interface of the RF switch is connected to the RF receiving interface of the positioning module, and the data transceiver interface of the positioning module is connected to the position data transceiver interface of the cellular communication module.

[0009] In one embodiment, the tracker further comprises: a power amplifier;

[0010] The first RF transceiver interface of the power amplifier is connected to the RF interface of the cellular communication module, and the second RF transceiver interface of the power amplifier is connected to the first RF interface of the RF switch.

[0011] In one embodiment, the cellular communication module includes: a baseband chip and a radio frequency transceiver, wherein the identity recognition interface of the baseband chip is connected to the data interface of the communication recognition chip, and the communication interface of the baseband chip is connected to the communication interface of the radio frequency transceiver;

[0012] The input and output interface of the baseband chip is connected to the logic control interface of the radio frequency switch;

[0013] The position data transceiver interface of the baseband chip is connected to the data transceiver interface of the positioning module;

[0014] The radio frequency interface of the radio frequency transceiver is connected to the first radio frequency transceiver interface of the power amplifier; and the second input and output interface of the baseband chip is connected to the logic control interface of the power amplifier.

[0015] In one embodiment, the tracker further comprises: an indicator light circuit;

[0016] The communication status interface of the baseband chip is connected to the status interface of the indicator light circuit.

[0017] In one embodiment, the tracker further includes: a watchdog chip;

[0018] The reset interface of the baseband chip is connected to the reset interface of the watchdog chip.

[0019] In one embodiment, the cellular communication module further comprises: a serial communication interface;

[0020] The cellular communication module is connected to the serial communication module via the serial communication interface.

[0021] In one embodiment, the positioning module includes: a positioning chip, a low noise amplifier, and a filter;

[0022] The data transceiver interface of the positioning chip is connected to the position data transceiver interface of the cellular communication module;

[0023] The radio frequency receiving interface of the positioning chip is connected to the filter through the low noise amplifier, and the antenna interface of the filter is connected to the second radio frequency interface of the radio frequency switch.

[0024] In one embodiment, the multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces of the power amplifier are respectively connected to the multiple groups of first RF interfaces of the RF switch, and the multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces correspond to multiple communication bandwidths respectively.

[0025] In one embodiment, the tracker further comprises: a plurality of radio frequency matching circuits;

[0026] The multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces of the power amplifier are respectively connected to the multiple groups of first RF interfaces of the RF switch through the multiple RF matching circuits.

[0027] In one embodiment, the radio frequency transceiver further includes: a wireless network interface;

[0028] The wireless network interface is used to connect to a preset wireless communication module.

[0029] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: the present application provides a tracker, including a cellular communication module, a communication identification chip, a positioning module, a radio frequency antenna, and a radio frequency switch. Among them, the identity recognition interface of the cellular communication module is connected to the data interface of the communication identification chip, the first input and output interface of the cellular communication module is connected to the logic control interface of the radio frequency switch, and the antenna interface of the radio frequency switch is connected to the contact of the radio frequency antenna; the first radio frequency interface of the radio frequency switch is connected to the radio frequency interface of the cellular communication module, the second radio frequency interface of the radio frequency switch is connected to the radio frequency receiving interface of the positioning module, and the data transceiver interface of the positioning module is connected to the location data transceiver interface of the cellular communication module.

[0030] The tracker of the present application can realize the time-division operation of the Internet of Things and positioning through a radio frequency switch, so that the communication function and the positioning function can be realized using only one antenna, solving the problems of low positioning accuracy and high power consumption caused by the poor isolation of the dual antennas in the existing trackers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 One of the structural schematic diagrams of a tracker provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 2 A second structural diagram of a tracker provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 3 A third structural diagram of a tracker provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a baseband chip provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 5 A fourth structural diagram of a tracker provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a fifth structural diagram of a tracker provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1. Cellular communication module; 11. Baseband chip; 12. RF transceiver; 2. Communication identification chip; 3. Positioning module; 4. RF switch; 5. RF antenna; 6. Power amplifier; 7. Indicator light circuit; 8. Watchdog chip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments.

[0040] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0041] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, or is the orientation or position relationship in which the product of the application is usually placed when used. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0042] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequential order. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0043] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "disposed" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, it can be a direct connection, it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0044] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other.

[0045] With the vigorous development of scientific research and sports culture, issues such as animal habitats, bird migration environments, and the activity tracks of protected animals have received more and more attention. Flying bird trackers have huge market prospects and scientific research needs.

[0046] Existing bird trackers are designed based on the Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and Global Navigation Satellite Syst (GNSS) technologies. After the tracker is awakened, it obtains the location information of the bird wearing the tracker through the Global Navigation Satellite Syst (GNSS), and then sends the location information of the bird to the background server through the Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), so that the background server can record the flight trajectory of the bird.

[0047] However, in this method, the tracker needs to have both a narrowband IoT antenna and a global satellite navigation positioning antenna, which will result in poor antenna isolation, leading to problems such as low tracker positioning accuracy and high power consumption.

[0048] Therefore, the embodiment of the present application provides a tracker that can solve the problems existing in the prior art. The tracker provided by the present application is specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings through multiple examples.

[0049] Figure 1 This is one of the structural diagrams of a tracker provided in one embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the tracker provided in this application includes: a cellular communication module 1, a communication identification chip 2, a positioning module 3, a radio frequency switch 4, and a radio frequency antenna 5.

[0050] Among them, the communication identification chip 2 can be, for example, a chip with an embedded SIM card (Embedded-SIM, eSIM) function. The size of the communication identification chip is only 2mm*2mm, and the volume of the tracker equipped with the chip can meet the design requirements of being small enough.

[0051] The communication identification chip 2 pre-stores preset identity identification information, and the identity identification interface of the cellular communication module 1 is connected to the data interface of the communication identification chip. Based on this connection, the cellular communication module 1 can obtain the preset identity identification information stored in the communication identification chip 2, thereby performing identity authentication of the operator of the LTE network (Long Term Evolution) to use the LTE network to send the location information of the flying bird to the background server.

[0052] In the existing method, the tracker uses the NB-IoT technology of low-power narrowband interconnection, which can only transmit a small amount of data and cannot achieve long-term real-time monitoring. The present application uses LTE_CAT1 technology for communication, which can transmit data in real time with a large bandwidth. By using base station positioning technology, positioning and communication can be achieved in the wild and in areas covered by base stations near roads.

[0053] In addition, the first input-output interface of the cellular communication module 1 (interface 1 of the cellular communication module in the figure) is connected to the logic control interface of the RF switch 4 (interface 1 of the RF switch in the figure), and the antenna interface of the RF switch (interface 2 of the RF switch in the figure) is connected to the contacts of the RF antenna. The cellular communication module 1 can control the on and off of the RF switch through the first input-output interface to achieve control between the connection frequency bands of the cellular communication module 1 and the RF antenna.

[0054] For example, the first RF interface of the RF switch (interface 3 of the RF switch in the figure) is connected to the RF interface of the cellular communication module (interface 2 of the cellular communication module in the figure), and the second RF interface of the RF switch (interface 4 of the RF switch in the figure) is connected to the RF receiving interface of the positioning module.

[0055] The RF switch model is MXD8680HD, and this switch is a 1P8T switch. By controlling the RF switch, the connection frequency band between the cellular communication module and the RF antenna can be set to B34 / 39 (1880MHz-2024.9MHz) and B38 / 40 / 41 (2300MHz-2689.9MHz) to achieve LTE network communication; the connection frequency band between the cellular communication module and the RF antenna can also be set to GNSS (1530MHz-1576MHz) to achieve GNSS positioning function. Compared with the existing methods, the frequency bands of NB-IoT are mostly Band5 (824MHz-893.9MHz) and Band8 (88MHz-959.9MHz). This application can shorten the communication frequency band, realize a single antenna with a small area, integrate the GNSS antenna and the LTE antenna into one antenna, and solve the problems of reduced efficiency, power consumption, and insufficient battery life caused by poor isolation of dual antennas. It should also be noted that the antenna of the present application is integrated with the tracker housing using laser engraving (LDS), which can reduce the volume and weight of the tracker while meeting the antenna efficiency.

[0056] The data transceiver interface of the positioning module is connected to the position data transceiver interface of the cellular communication module. Through this connection, serial communication between the positioning module and the cellular communication module can be realized, and the positioning module can send the flying bird position information to the cellular communication module.

[0057] The operating logic of the tracker provided in this application is: when the tracker is in normal working mode, the RF switch path is first the GNSS path. At this time, the cellular communication module controls the positioning module to power on and locate. The positioning module sends the positioning information to the cellular communication module through the data transceiver interface, and the cellular communication module stores the positioning information in the internal flash; when the positioning information needs to be uploaded to the cloud, the RF switch switches to the LTE path. At this time, the tracker connects to the base station, performs regular LTE services, and uploads the stored positioning information to the server.

[0058] Optionally, the tracker may further include an energy storage unit, which may be a polymer lithium battery. The polymer lithium battery may be repeatedly charged and discharged, so that the tracker may be used repeatedly. The power output interface of the energy storage unit is connected to the power input interface of the cellular communication module, and the power output interface of the energy storage unit is also connected to the power input interface of the positioning module.

[0059] The tracker also has a low power mode, which can control power consumption by controlling the tracker's network interval and GNSS positioning interval.

[0060] Figure 2 The second structural diagram of the tracker provided in one embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the tracker may further include a power amplifier 6, wherein a first RF transceiver interface of the power amplifier 6 (interface 1 of the power amplifier in the figure) is connected to a RF interface of the cellular communication module (interface 2 of the cellular communication module), and multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces of the power amplifier 6 (interface 2 of the power amplifier in the figure) are respectively connected to multiple groups of first RF interfaces of the RF switch (interface 3 of the RF switch), and the multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces correspond to multiple communication bandwidths respectively. The power supply output interface of the energy storage unit is also connected to the power supply interface of the power amplifier.

[0061] In many cases, the signal obtained from the signal source is often very weak and cannot meet the requirements of subsequent devices. In this embodiment, a power amplifier 6 is provided to connect the cellular communication module 1 and the RF switch 4. The power amplifier can amplify the amplitude and power of the signal so that the signal reaches a higher power level, which is crucial for improving the signal strength, extending the transmission distance, and enhancing the transmission capacity.

[0062] In addition, the power amplifier of the present application is model NV7645, a small-size power amplifier with dimensions of 3.0x3.0x0.85mm, which saves the occupied volume, can reduce the volume of the tracker, and meet the design requirements of being small enough.

[0063] Figure 3 The third structural diagram of the tracker provided in one embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a baseband chip provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the cellular communication module 1 may include a baseband chip 11 and a radio frequency transceiver 12. The baseband chip, as the main control of the tracker, can provide low-power communication, data processing and basic control. The identification interface of the baseband chip is also the identification interface of the cellular communication module, which is used to connect the data interface of the communication identification chip. The communication interface of the baseband chip is connected to the communication interface of the radio frequency transceiver. Based on this connection, the baseband chip can obtain the information obtained by the radio frequency transceiver, and can also send control signals to the radio frequency transceiver.

[0064] The input and output interface of the baseband chip, that is, the first input and output interface of the cellular communication module, is used to connect to the logic control interface of the RF switch; the position data transceiver interface of the baseband chip, that is, the position data transceiver interface of the cellular communication module, is used to connect to the data transceiver interface of the positioning module; the RF interface of the RF transceiver, that is, the RF interface of the cellular communication module, is used to connect to the first RF transceiver interface of the power amplifier; the baseband chip also has a second input and output interface, which is used to connect to the logic control interface of the power amplifier, and the baseband chip can realize the logic control of the power amplifier through the second input and output interface.

[0065] Figure 5 A fourth structural diagram of a tracker provided in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the tracker also includes an indicator light circuit 7. The communication status interface of the baseband chip is connected to the status interface of the indicator light circuit. The power interface of the indicator light circuit is connected to the power supply output interface of the energy storage unit. The indicator light circuit can be, for example, a circuit composed of light-emitting diodes. When the baseband chip sends a signal to the status interface of the indicator light circuit through its communication status interface, the light-emitting diode in the indicator light circuit emits light.

[0066] In this embodiment, an indicator light circuit is set in the tracker. When it is necessary to find a certain tracker from multiple trackers, a signal can be sent to the indicator light circuit of the tracker to make the indicator light circuit of the tracker light up, making it easier for the staff to find the tracker based on the lighted object.

[0067] Figure 6 A fifth structural diagram of a tracker provided in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. Figure 6As shown, the tracker may also include a watchdog chip 8.

[0068] The watchdog chip can be an SGM820B chip. The power interface of the watchdog chip is connected to the power supply output interface of the energy storage unit; the reset interface of the watchdog chip is connected to the reset interface of the baseband chip to ensure the normal operation of the cellular communication module. The cellular communication module can be reset after an abnormality. For example, when the voltage provided by the energy storage unit to the cellular communication module is less than 3.1V, the baseband chip is reset and the cellular communication module is no longer allowed to work, thereby preventing abnormal operation of the cellular communication module or data distortion due to unstable voltage; the wake-up interface of the watchdog chip is connected to the communication wake-up interface of the baseband chip, and the cellular Internet of Things chip can be restarted when the voltage changes from less than 3.1V to greater than or equal to 3.1V.

[0069] In one embodiment, the cellular communication module may also be provided with a serial communication interface, and the cellular communication module is connected to the serial communication module via the serial communication interface to implement firmware downloading and development and debugging of the baseband chip.

[0070] In one embodiment, the positioning module may include a positioning chip, a low noise amplifier, and a filter. The positioning chip may be a GNSS chip of model UC6228CI, which has a volume of 1.70×2.84×0.84 mm and is matched with a low noise amplifier (LNA of model MXDLN16U) and a filter (Saw of model SFHG89GA002), which can achieve high-precision positioning in a small volume.

[0071] The data transceiver interface of the positioning chip, that is, the transceiver output interface of the positioning module, is used to connect to the location data transceiver interface of the cellular communication module; the RF receiving interface of the positioning chip is connected to the filter through a low-noise amplifier, and the antenna interface of the filter, that is, the RF receiving interface of the positioning module, is used to connect to the second RF interface of the RF switch.

[0072] In one embodiment, the tracker may further include multiple RF matching circuits, and the multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces of the power amplifier are respectively connected to the multiple groups of first RF interfaces of the RF switch through the multiple RF matching circuits.

[0073] In one embodiment, the RF transceiver may also be provided with a wireless network interface. The RF transceiver may be connected to the wireless communication module through the wireless network interface, thereby realizing the WI-FI_Scan function of the cellular communication module and cooperating with the base station positioning to realize the indoor high-precision positioning of the tracker.

[0074] In summary, the present application provides a tracker with the following advantages:

[0075] 1. Based on LTE base stations, multi-mode full-scenario positioning can be achieved, which can cope with any scenario, including indoors, in cities, outdoors, etc.

[0076] 2. The operating frequency band is 1530Mhz-2589.9Mhz. This frequency band can achieve multi-frequency resonance of small-volume antennas, thereby using only one antenna and cooperating with an RF switch to complete GNSS and LTE functions.

[0077] 3. The antenna uses laser engraving form (LDS) and is integrated with the tracker housing, which can reduce the size and weight of the device while meeting the antenna efficiency.

[0078] 4. In a scenario without a base station, the positioning information obtained through GNSS can be stored in the cellular communication module, and the positioning information can be immediately transmitted to the background when connected to the Internet through LTE.

[0079] The above are only specific implementations of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A tracker, characterized in that: include: Cellular communication module, communication identification chip, positioning module, radio frequency switch, radio frequency antenna; The identity recognition interface of the cellular communication module is connected to the data interface of the communication recognition chip, the first input and output interface of the cellular communication module is connected to the logic control interface of the radio frequency switch, and the antenna interface of the radio frequency switch is connected to the contact of the radio frequency antenna; The first RF interface of the RF switch is connected to the RF interface of the cellular communication module, the second RF interface of the RF switch is connected to the RF receiving interface of the positioning module, and the data transceiver interface of the positioning module is connected to the position data transceiver interface of the cellular communication module.

2. The tracker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tracker also includes: a power amplifier; The first RF transceiver interface of the power amplifier is connected to the RF interface of the cellular communication module, and the second RF transceiver interface of the power amplifier is connected to the first RF interface of the RF switch.

3. The tracker according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cellular communication module comprises: a baseband chip and a radio frequency transceiver, wherein the identity recognition interface of the baseband chip is connected to the data interface of the communication recognition chip, and the communication interface of the baseband chip is connected to the communication interface of the radio frequency transceiver; The input and output interface of the baseband chip is connected to the logic control interface of the radio frequency switch; The position data transceiver interface of the baseband chip is connected to the data transceiver interface of the positioning module; The radio frequency interface of the radio frequency transceiver is connected to the first radio frequency transceiver interface of the power amplifier; and the second input and output interface of the baseband chip is connected to the logic control interface of the power amplifier.

4. The tracker according to claim 3, characterized in that: The tracker also includes: an indicator light circuit; The communication status interface of the baseband chip is connected to the status interface of the indicator light circuit.

5. The tracker according to claim 3, characterized in that: The tracker also includes: a watchdog chip; The reset interface of the baseband chip is connected to the reset interface of the watchdog chip.

6. The tracker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cellular communication module further comprises: a serial communication interface; The cellular communication module is connected to the serial communication module via the serial communication interface.

7. The tracker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning module includes: a positioning chip, a low noise amplifier, and a filter; The data transceiver interface of the positioning chip is connected to the position data transceiver interface of the cellular communication module; The radio frequency receiving interface of the positioning chip is connected to the filter through the low noise amplifier, and the antenna interface of the filter is connected to the second radio frequency interface of the radio frequency switch.

8. The tracker according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces of the power amplifier are respectively connected to the multiple groups of first RF interfaces of the RF switch, and the multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces correspond to multiple communication bandwidths respectively.

9. The tracker according to claim 8, characterized in that: The tracker also includes: a plurality of radio frequency matching circuits; The multiple groups of second RF transceiver interfaces of the power amplifier are respectively connected to the multiple groups of first RF interfaces of the RF switch through the multiple RF matching circuits.

10. The tracker according to claim 3, characterized in that: The RF transceiver further comprises: a wireless communication interface; the RF transceiver is connected to the wireless communication module via the wireless communication interface.

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