Communication methods and devices, electronic devices and related products

Abstract

This disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus, an electronic device, and related products. The communication method includes the steps of: an initiator receiving an advertising response (ADV-RESP) frame from a responder, the ADV-RESP frame indicating the number N of responders participating in multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging, where N ≥ 1; and an initiator transmitting a ranging start (SOR) frame to the responder according to the ADV-RESP frame, the SOR frame being used to provide a time offset for the start of a first ranging cycle. Through the above solution, the initiator obtains the number of responders participating in MMS ranging through the ADV-RESP frame transmitted by the responder, and then transmits an SOR frame according to the number of responders participating in MMS ranging, and therefore, when the responder transmits an ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, the initiator obtains the number of responders participating in MMS ranging, which is useful for the normal operation of MMS ranging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, and more particularly to communication methods, devices, electronic devices, and related products.

Background Art

[0002] Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is increasingly being used for indoor positioning and other positioning services such as access control and asset location identification. Apart from the conventional ranging use cases, other use cases such as device-free sensing, downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA), long-range ranging, etc. are being actively researched.

[0003] To address the use case of long-range ranging, multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging has been introduced in 802.15.4ab (see 15-21-0409-01-04ab-narrowband-assisted-multi-millisecond-uwb). During the initialization and setup phase of MMS ranging, the initiator and responder may negotiate the ranging configuration. For example, the initiator transmits an advertising poll (ADV-POLL) frame, while the responder listens for the incoming ADV-POLL frame and may respond with an advertising response (ADV-RESP) frame if the responder intends to participate in MMS ranging.

[0004] To ensure the operation of MMS ranging, it is important for the initiator to obtain the number of responders participating in MMS ranging. Therefore, the need for corresponding resolution arises.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method and device, an electronic device, and a related product according to the independent claims.

[0006] The above-mentioned and other objectives are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further forms of implementation are evident from the dependent claims, detailed description and drawings.

[0007] Specific embodiments are outlined in the attached independent claims, and other embodiments are outlined in the dependent claims.

[0008] According to the first aspect, this disclosure relates to a communication method,

[0009] The process involves an initiator receiving an advertising response (ADV-RESP) frame from a responder, where the ADV-RESP frame indicates the number N of responders participating in multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging, and N ≥ 1.

[0010] The steps include: an initiator transmitting a Start of Range (SOR) frame to the responder according to the ADV-RESP frame, the SOR frame being used to provide a time offset for the start of the first distance measurement cycle; and Includes.

[0011] In the above communication method, the initiator obtains the number of responders participating in MMS ranging through the ADV-RESP frame transmitted by the responder, and then transmits SOR frames according to the number of responders participating in MMS ranging. Therefore, when a responder transmits an ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, the initiator obtains the number of responders participating in MMS ranging, which is useful for the normal operation of MMS ranging.

[0012] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction, the first instruction is used to indicate a number N.

[0013] The number N may be expressed in an explicit manner, that is, the number N may be directly expressed by the first instruction in the ADV-RESP frame, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0014] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment itself, an ADV-RESP frame includes a second instruction used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

[0015] The number N may be indicated in an explicit manner, that is, the number N may be indirectly indicated by a second indication within the ADV-RESP frame, where the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame is Ni, and given Ni and i, the number N may be obtained indirectly. Furthermore, since the initiator knows the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames, the accuracy of the SOR frame transmission time can be improved even when frame drops occur.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the number N is represented by the number of ADV-RESP frames received by the initiator.

[0017] The number N may be expressed in an implicit way, namely, by the number of ADV-RESP frames received by the initiator, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0018] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, N≧2, and the step of receiving an ADV-RESP frame from a responder by the initiator is:

[0019] The process includes the step of an initiator sequentially receiving N ADV-RESP frames from N responders in a predetermined order, wherein the predetermined order is coordinated by the N responders.

[0020] ADV-RESP frames are received sequentially in a coordinated manner to ensure that ADV-RESP frames do not collide with each other. When the initiator receives ADV-RESP frames indicating N responders participating in MMS ranging, it is warned that N responders will transmit ADV-RESP frames and therefore refrains from transmitting SOR frames. Thus, collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between ADV-RESP frames and SOR frames are prevented.

[0021] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, an ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction and a second instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate a number N, and the second instruction being used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

[0022] The joint instruction scheme may be suitable for a scenario in which only one ADV-RESP frame is transmitted to the initiator by one responder. On the one hand, the first instruction may indicate the number of responders participating in MMS ranging. On the other hand, the second instruction may indicate that the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames is zero. Thus, after receiving the ADV-RESP frame containing the first and second instructions, the initiator may know that it is time to transmit the SOR frame.

[0023] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, N ≥ 2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes a third instruction, which is used to indicate that N responders are synchronized with one another.

[0024] If one of the N responders transmits an ADV-RESP frame with a third instruction to the initiator, upon receiving the ADV-RESP frame, the initiator understands that this is the only ADV-RESP frame and proceeds to transmit a SOR frame.

[0025] In a possible implementation form of the method according to the first aspect itself, in the step of receiving an ADV-RESP frame from a responder by an initiator,

[0026] the step of receiving one ADV-RESP frame from one responder by an initiator, where the one responder is pre-determined or dynamically selected from responders participating in MMS ranging, is included.

[0027] In the initialization and setup phase, only one responder transmits one ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, and multiple responders do not transmit their ADV-RESP frames to the initiator. Thus, the processing efficiency in the initialization and setup phase is improved, and a unified initialization and setup procedure is achieved.

[0028] In a possible implementation form of the method according to the first aspect itself, before receiving an ADV-RESP frame from a responder by an initiator, the method

[0029] further includes the step of transmitting an advertising poll (ADV-POLL) frame to the responder by the initiator, where the ADV-POLL frame is used to indicate the maximum number of K responders supported for MMS ranging, and K≧1.

[0030] The maximum number of K responders supported for MMS ranging may indicate whether the initiator supports one-to-many MMS ranging. When K is a value greater than 1, it means that the initiator supports one-to-many MMS ranging.

[0031] In a possible implementation form of the method according to the first aspect itself, the step of transmitting an SOR frame to the responder by an initiator is

[0032] The initiator, upon receiving the Nth ADV-RESP frame, includes the step of transmitting a SOR frame to the responder.

[0033] Upon receiving the Nth ADV-RESP frame, i.e., the last ADV-RESP frame (indicating 0 remaining ADV-RESP frames), the initiator transmits a SOR frame indicating when MMS ranging should begin. This prevents collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between SOR frames.

[0034] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the step of transmitting the SOR frame to the responder by the initiator is:

[0035] A step of estimating the expected transmission time of N ADV-RESP frames,

[0036] The initiator, once the expected transmission time has elapsed, transmits the SOR frame to the responder. Includes.

[0037] If the last ADV-RESP frame is not received by the initiator, the initiator will transmit a SOR frame after the expected total transmission time for all ADV-RESP frames has elapsed. This prevents collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between ADV-RESP frames and SOR frames.

[0038] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the step of transmitting the SOR frame to the responder by the initiator is:

[0039] The initiator includes the step of transmitting a SOR frame to one responder.

[0040] When the initiator receives one ADV-RESP frame from one responder, it decides that only one responder should transmit one ADV-RESP frame and transmits a SOR frame. This prevents collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between SOR frames.

[0041] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the method, before the initiator transmits the SOR frame to the responder,

[0042] The initiator determines the number of responders M for MMS ranging according to the number of ADV-RESP frames received, where M ≤ N, and the other step is...

[0043] The initiator transmits a SOR frame containing a fourth instruction indicating several M. It also includes.

[0044] Before initiating MMS ranging, the initiator may select a responder for MMS ranging from among the responders that transmit ADV-RESP frames to the initiator.

[0045] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a fifth instruction to indicate that no POLL frame exists in any ranging control stage other than the first access slot in the MMS ranging.

[0046] In MMS ranging, there are no POLL frames in the ranging control phase other than the first access slot; therefore, one measurement cycle can be completed in a shorter time, and a shorter ranging duration can be achieved.

[0047] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a sixth instruction to indicate that no RESP frames exist in the ranging control stage other than the first access slot.

[0048] In MMS ranging, RESP frames are absent in ranging control stages other than the first access slot, and therefore, one measurement cycle can be completed in a shorter time, achieving a shorter ranging duration.

[0049] In a possible implementation of the method itself according to the first embodiment, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a seventh instruction to indicate that the initiator is requested to transmit a measurement report, and the method

[0050] The initiator further includes the step of transmitting a report frame.

[0051] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment itself, N≧2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes an eighth instruction for requesting an integrated measurement report, and the method is

[0052] The initiator further includes the step of generating an integrated measurement report according to measurements for N responders,

[0053] The initiator transmits the reporting frame.

[0054] The initiator includes the step of transmitting a report frame that carries the integrated measurement report.

[0055] When an integrated measurement report is required, the measurement reporting stage is not included in the access slot. The initiator reserves a slot at the end of the ranging round to transmit the integrated measurement report from / about all responders, meaning that it is not necessary to transmit the measurement report in each access slot, thereby reducing ranging time and achieving a shorter ranging duration.

[0056] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a ninth instruction for requesting a two-way distance measurement (DS-TWR) measurement in the measurement report, and a seventh instruction for indicating that the initiator is requested to transmit the measurement report, and the method

[0057] The initiator further includes the step of transmitting a measurement report that includes both a first round-trip time and a first response time.

[0058] Both round-trip time and response time are measured by the initiator, and DS-TWR is enabled.

[0059] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a tenth instruction for requesting the initiator to transmit further MMS packets, the method

[0060] The initiator further includes the step of transmitting additional MMS packets.

[0061] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment itself, no further MMS packets are requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and the method is

[0062] The initiator determines that the MMS packet to be used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker,

[0063] The steps include enabling the initiator to enable an eleventh instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets within the SOR frame,

[0064] The initiator then performs the step of transmitting further MMS packets. It also includes.

[0065] In a scenario where the MMS packet used for MMS ranging has a single fragment with a RMARKER, further MMS packets from the initiator may be required to enable DS-TWR. If further MMS packets are not requested within the ADV-RESP frame, the Final MMS Packet Request field in the SOR frame may be set to 1, and therefore further MMS packets from the initiator may still be requested to enable DS-TWR. That is, the initiator may decide to transmit further MMS packets according to the type of MMS packet, even when further MMS packets are not requested by the responder.

[0066] In possible implementations of the method according to the first embodiment, the method is

[0067] The initiator records the first transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, the first reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the second transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of a further MMS packet.

[0068] The initiator calculates a first round-trip time and a first response time according to a first transmission time, a first reception time, and a second transmission time. It also includes.

[0069] When the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, the DS-TWR for the Nth responder (the last responder) can be enabled based on subsequent MMS packets.

[0070] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 12th instruction for requesting the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in the MMS ranging, and the method

[0071] The initiator further includes the step of receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder, and then transmitting the MMS packet in the last access slot.

[0072] By reversing the order of MMS packet exchange in the last access slot, further MMS packets from the initiator may become unnecessary, and DS-TWR can still be enabled.

[0073] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging is not required within the ADV-RESP frame, and the method

[0074] The initiator determines that the MMS packet to be used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker,

[0075] The initiator enables a 13th instruction to request that the interleaving of the fragments be reversed in the last access slot in the MMS ranging within the SOR frame,

[0076] The initiator, after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder, transmits the MMS packet in the last access slot. It also includes.

[0077] In a scenario where the MMS packet used for MMS ranging has a single fragment with a RMARKER, inversion of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging may be required to enable DS-TWR. If inversion of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging is not requested in the ADV-RESP frame, the 13th instruction in the SOR frame may be set to enabled, and therefore, inversion of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging may still be required to enable DS-TWR.

[0078] In possible implementations of the method according to the first embodiment, the method is

[0079] The initiator records the third transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the (N-1)th responder, the second reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the fourth transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder.

[0080] The initiator calculates a first round-trip time and a first response time according to a third transmission time, a second reception time, and a fourth transmission time. It also includes.

[0081] When the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, the DS-TWR for the Nth responder (the last responder) can be enabled based on the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot.

[0082] In possible implementations of the method according to the first embodiment, the method is

[0083] The initiator records the fifth first transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the m-th responder, the third reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the m-th responder to the initiator, and the sixth transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the (m+1)-th responder, where 1 ≤ m <Nである、ステップと、

[0084] The initiator calculates a first round-trip time and a first response time according to a fifth transmission time, a third reception time, and a sixth transmission time. It also includes.

[0085] DS-TWR can be enabled for the mth responder (not the last responder).

[0086] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, MMS packets from the initiator are skipped in access slots other than the first and last access slots in the MMS ranging, and the method

[0087] The initiator further includes the step of transmitting the final MMS packet in the last access slot in the MMS ranging.

[0088] The initiator does not transmit MMS packets in each access slot during the measurement cycle, thereby reducing the distance measurement time.

[0089] In a possible implementation of the method according to the first embodiment, N is even, and the method is

[0090] The initiator determines that the MMS packet to be used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker,

[0091] The initiator receives the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder, and then transmits the final MMS packet in the last access slot in the MMS ranging. It also includes.

[0092] By reversing the order of MMS packet exchanges in the last access slot, further MMS packets from the initiator may become unnecessary, and DS-TWR can still be enabled.

[0093] In possible implementations of the method according to the first embodiment, the method is

[0094] The initiator records the seventh transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator in the first access slot, the fourth reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the eighth transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot.

[0095] The initiator calculates a first round-trip time and a first response time according to a seventh transmission time, a fourth reception time, and an eighth transmission time. It also includes.

[0096] When the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, and N is even, DS-TWR can be enabled based on the reversal of the order of the last MMS packet exchange in the last access slot.

[0097] In possible implementations of the method according to the first embodiment, the method is

[0098] The initiator determines that the MMS packet to be used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing at least two fragments having ranging markers,

[0099] The steps include recording the 9th transmission time of the first distance marker in the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the nth responder, the 5th reception time of the second distance marker in the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the nth responder to the initiator, and the 10th transmission time of the 3rd distance marker in the second fragment of the first MMS packet carrying the distance marker, where 1 ≤ n ≤ N, and

[0100] The initiator calculates a first round-trip time and a first response time according to a ninth transmission time, a fifth reception time, and a tenth transmission time. It also includes.

[0101] DS-TWR can be enabled for all responders when the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing at least two fragments that have ranging markers.

[0102] According to the second aspect, this disclosure relates to a communication method,

[0103] The steps include: a responder transmitting an advertising response (ADV-RESP) frame to the initiator, where the ADV-RESP frame indicates the number N of responders participating in multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging, and N ≥ 1; and

[0104] The steps include: the responder receiving a Start of Range Measurement (SOR) frame from the initiator, the SOR frame being used to provide a time offset for the start of the first distance measurement cycle; and Includes.

[0105] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate a number N.

[0106] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame includes a second instruction used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

[0107] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, the number N is represented by the number of ADV-RESP frames transmitted by the responder.

[0108] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, N≧2, and the method is

[0109] The method further includes the step of coordinating a predetermined order for transmitting N ADV-RESP frames by N responders,

[0110] The step of the responder transmitting the ADV-RESP frame to the initiator is:

[0111] The process includes the step of sequentially transmitting N ADV-RESP frames to an initiator in a predetermined order by N responders.

[0112] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, an ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction and a second instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate a number N, and the second instruction being used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame is Ni, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

[0113] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, N ≥ 2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes a third instruction, which is used to indicate that N responders are synchronized with one another.

[0114] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment, the step of transmitting the ADV-RESP frame to the initiator by the responder is:

[0115] The step includes transmitting one ADV-RESP frame to an initiator by one responder, wherein the responder is either predetermined or dynamically selected from responders participating in MMS ranging.

[0116] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment, before the responder transmits the ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, the method

[0117] The step further includes the step of having a responder receive an advertising pole (ADV-POLL) frame from the initiator, the ADV-POLL frame being used to indicate the maximum number of K responders supported for MMS ranging, where K ≥ 1.

[0118] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second aspect, the step of the responder receiving an SOR frame from the initiator is:

[0119] The step includes receiving a SOR frame by a responder that contains a fourth indication of the number of responders M for MMS ranging, where M ≤ N.

[0120] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a fifth instruction to indicate that no POLL frame exists in the ranging control stage other than the first access slot in the MMS ranging.

[0121] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a sixth instruction to indicate that no RESP frames exist in the ranging control stage other than the first access slot.

[0122] In a possible implementation of the method itself according to the second embodiment, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 14th instruction to indicate that the responder is requested to transmit a measurement report, and the method

[0123] The process further includes the step of transmitting the reporting frame via a responder.

[0124] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, N≧2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes an eighth instruction for requesting an integrated measurement report, and the method is

[0125] The responder collects measurement reports from N responders,

[0126] The responder generates an integrated measurement report according to the measurement reports from N responders. It further includes,

[0127] The responder transmits the reporting frame.

[0128] The responder includes the step of transmitting a report frame that carries the integrated measurement report.

[0129] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a ninth instruction for requesting a two-way distance measurement (DS-TWR) measurement in the measurement report, and a 14th instruction for indicating that the responder is requested to transmit the measurement report is included in the ADV-RESP frame, and the method

[0130] The process further includes the step of having the responder transmit a measurement report that includes both a second round-trip time and a second response time.

[0131] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a tenth instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets, the method

[0132] The process further includes a step in which the responder receives additional MMS packets from the initiator.

[0133] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, no further MMS packets are requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and when the MMS packets used for MMS ranging are MMS packets containing a single fragment with ranging markers, the 11th instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets within the SOR frame is enabled.

[0134] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment, the method is

[0135] The steps include recording the sixth reception time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, the eleventh transmission time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the seventh reception time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of a further MMS packet,

[0136] The Nth initiator calculates the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the sixth reception time, the eleventh transmission time, and the seventh reception time. It also includes.

[0137] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 12th instruction for requesting that the interleaving of the fragments be reversed in the last access slot in the MMS ranging, and the method

[0138] The Nth responder transmits the first fragment of the MMS packet to the initiator,

[0139] The Nth responder receives an MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in the MMS ranging, and It also includes.

[0140] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment, the reversal of the fragment interleave in the last access slot in MMS ranging is not requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and when the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, the 13th instruction for requesting the reversal of the fragment interleave in the last access slot in MMS ranging within the SOR frame is enabled, and the method

[0141] The Nth responder transmits the first fragment of the MMS packet to the initiator,

[0142] The Nth responder receives an MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in the MMS ranging, and It also includes.

[0143] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment, the method is

[0144] The steps include recording the reception time of the 8th distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the (N-1)th responder, the transmission time of the 12th distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the 9th distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder,

[0145] The steps include: calculating the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the eighth reception time, the twelfth transmission time and the ninth reception time by the Nth responder; It also includes.

[0146] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment, the method is

[0147] The step involves recording, by the m-th responder, the reception time of the 10th distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the m-th responder, the transmission time of the 13th distance marker of the second fragment of the second MMS packet from the m-th responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the 11th distance marker of the third fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the (m+1)-th responder, where 1 ≤ m <Nである、ステップと、

[0148] The steps include: calculating the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the m-th responder, based on the 10th reception time, the 13th transmission time, and the 11th reception time; It also includes.

[0149] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment, MMS packets from the initiator are skipped in access slots other than the first and last access slots in the MMS ranging, and the method

[0150] The responder further includes the step of receiving the final MMS packet in the last access slot in the MMS ranging.

[0151] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment itself, N is even, and the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, and the method is

[0152] The Nth responder transmits the first fragment of the MMS packet to the initiator,

[0153] The Nth responder receives the final MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in the MMS ranging, and It also includes.

[0154] In a possible implementation of the method according to the second embodiment, the method is

[0155] The steps include recording the reception time of the 12th distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator in the first access slot by the Nth responder, the transmission time of the 14th distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the 13th distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot,

[0156] The steps include: calculating a second round-trip time and a second response time according to the 12th receive time, the 14th transmit time and the 13th receive time by the Nth responder; It also includes.

[0157] In possible implementations of the method by the second embodiment itself,

[0158] An MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing at least two fragments having ranging markers, and the method is:

[0159] The nth responder records the reception time of the 14th distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the nth responder, the transmission time of the 15th distance marker of the second fragment of the second MMS packet from the nth responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the 15th distance marker of the third fragment of the first MMS packet carrying the distance marker, where 1 ≤ n ≤ N.

[0160] The nth responder calculates a second round-trip time and a second response time according to a 14th reception time, a 15th transmission time, and a 15th reception time. It also includes.

[0161] According to a third aspect, the disclosure relates to a communication device including various units for performing a method according to the first aspect or any possible implementation in the first aspect.

[0162] According to a fourth aspect, the disclosure relates to a communication device including various units for performing a method according to the second aspect or any possible implementation in the second aspect.

[0163] According to a fifth aspect, the disclosure relates to an electronic device including a processing circuit for performing a method according to the first aspect or any possible implementation in the first aspect.

[0164] According to the sixth aspect, the disclosure relates to an electronic device including a processing circuit for performing a method according to the second aspect or any possible implementation in the second aspect.

[0165] According to the seventh aspect, the disclosure relates to a chip including an input / output (I / O) interface and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to call and execute computer programs stored in memory, enabling a device on which the chip is installed to perform the method according to the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0166] According to the eighth aspect, the disclosure relates to a chip including an input / output (I / O) interface and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to call and execute computer programs stored in memory, enabling a device on which the chip is installed to perform a method according to the second aspect or any possible implementation in the second aspect.

[0167] According to the ninth aspect, the disclosure relates to an electronic device including one or more processors and a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing a program for execution by the processors, wherein the program, when executed by the processors, configures a decoder to perform a method according to the first aspect or any possible implementation in the first aspect.

[0168] According to the tenth aspect, the disclosure relates to an electronic device including one or more processors and a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing a program for execution by the processors, wherein the program, when executed by the processors, configures an encoder to perform a method according to the second aspect or any possible implementation in the second aspect.

[0169] According to the eleventh aspect, the present disclosure relates to a communication system including an electronic device according to the ninth aspect and an electronic device according to the tenth aspect.

[0170] According to the twelfth aspect, the disclosure relates to a non-temporary computer-readable medium that, when executed by a computer device, causes a computer device to execute a method according to the first aspect or any possible implementation in the first aspect.

[0171] According to the 13th aspect, the Disclosure relates to a non-temporary computer-readable medium that, when executed by a computer device, causes the computer device to execute a method according to the second aspect or any possible implementation in the second aspect.

[0172] According to the fourteenth aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer program product including program code for performing a method according to the first aspect or any possible implementation in the first aspect.

[0173] According to the 15th aspect, the Disclosure relates to a computer program product including program code for performing a method according to the second aspect or any possible implementation in the second aspect.

[0174] This disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus, an electronic device, and related products. The initiator obtains the number of responders participating in MMS ranging through ADV-RESP frames transmitted by the responders, and then transmits SOR frames according to the number of responders participating in MMS ranging. Thus, when a responder transmits an ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, the initiator obtains the number of responders participating in MMS ranging, which is useful for the normal operation of MMS ranging. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0175] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached figures and drawings. [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the block-based ranging mode. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of UWB MMS ranging. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the DS-TWR's operation. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of a one-to-many SS-TWR ranging procedure using Narrowband-Assisted (NBA)-UWB MMS ranging. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of collisions during the initialization and setup phase for one-to-many MMS ranging. [Figure 6] This is a schematic flowchart of the communication method according to the embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of a vehicle digital key according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of one-to-many distance measurement according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram of the message flow in one-to-many distance measurement according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram of the ADV-POLL frame according to the embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram of the ADV-RESP frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram of a SOR frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram of a RIM frame according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram of the RRPT frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] This is a schematic diagram of a one-to-one MMS ranging system adapted to DS-TWR according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] This is a schematic diagram of the POLL frame according to the embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 17] This is a schematic diagram of a one-to-many MMS ranging system adapted to DS-TWR according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] This is a schematic diagram of UWB MMS packet exchange between an initiator and the last responder according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 19]This is a schematic diagram of UWB MMS packet exchange between an initiator and a responder according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] This is a schematic diagram of a scenario for a digital key for a garage door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] This is a schematic diagram of one-to-many distance measurement according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 22] This is a schematic diagram of a one-to-many MMS ranging system adapted to DS-TWR according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 23] This is a schematic diagram of an ADV-RESP frame according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 24] This is a schematic diagram of UWB MMS packet exchange between an initiator adapted to an odd number of responders and the last responder, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 25] This is a schematic diagram of UWB MMS packet exchange between an initiator adapted to an even number of responders and the last responder, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 26] This is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another application scenario for vehicle digital keys according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 27] This is a schematic diagram of a one-to-many MMS ranging system adapted to DS-TWR according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 28] This is a schematic diagram of an ADV-RESP frame according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 29] This is a schematic diagram of UWB MMS packet exchange between an initiator and a responder according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 30] This is a block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 31] This is a block diagram of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 32] This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0176] The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the present disclosure and illustrate specific embodiments of the invention or specific ways in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be used. It is understood that embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in other ways and may include structural or logical modifications not shown in the drawings. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be constrained to be restrictive, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the accompanying claims.

[0177] For example, disclosure relating to a described method may also apply to a corresponding device or system configured to perform the method, and vice versa. For example, if one or more specific method steps are described, the corresponding device may include one or more units, e.g., functional units (e.g., one unit that performs one or more steps, or multiple units that each perform one or more of the steps), even if such one or more units are not explicitly described or shown in the drawings. On the other hand, for example, if a particular device is described based on one or more units, e.g., functional units, the corresponding method may include one step for performing the function of one or more units (e.g., one step that performs the function of one or more units, or multiple steps that each perform one or more of the functions of the units), even if such one or more steps are not explicitly described or shown in the drawings. Furthermore, it is understood that the various exemplary embodiments and / or features described herein may be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

[0178] Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is increasingly being used for indoor positioning and other location services such as access control and asset location. Apart from dedicated devices and tags, UWB radios are becoming increasingly common in high-end smartphones. The UWB physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) are standardized by the IEEE, with the most recent relevant IEEE publications being IEEE 802.15.4-2020 and IEEE 802.15.4z. Recently, a new task group, 802.15.4ab, has been actively working to enhance UWB technology.

[0179] Apart from conventional ranging use cases, other use cases such as device-free sensing, downlink arrival time difference (DL-TDOA), and long-range ranging are being actively researched. To address the long-range ranging use case, multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging was introduced in 802.15.4ab (see 15-21-0409-01-04ab-narrowband-assisted-multi-millisecond-uwb). The main idea behind MMS ranging is to distribute a UWB ranging frame into multiple fragments transmitted over multiple milliseconds (ms), thereby overcoming the 37 nJ / ms emission energy limit. MMS ranging can be further enhanced by high-performance narrowband (NB) radios, which are used to provide time synchronization for UWB radios and also for control signaling. This is called NBA-UWB MMS ranging. In MMS ranging, the number of fragments required for ranging depends on the distance being measured and channel conditions, and may therefore be dynamically adjusted even within the same ranging session.

[0180] Distancing techniques, such as block-based ranging modes, may be used in a variety of scenarios, including tags, smartphones, laptops, key fobs, vehicles, door locks, garages, hotel rooms, elevators, etc. The block-based time structure is defined for block-based ranging modes in 802.15.4z and is shown in Figure 1. Each ranging block consists of an integer ranging round, each ranging round being a period of sufficient duration to complete one full ranging measurement cycle with a set of Extended Rangefinders (ERDEVs) participating in ranging exchange. Each ranging round is further subdivided into an integer number of ranging slots, each ranging slot being a period of sufficient duration to transmit at least one ranging frame (RFRAME). The block-based mode uses a structured timeline in which the ranging block structure is periodic by default.

[0181] Ultra-wideband (UWB) multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging, as discussed in IEEE 802.15.4ab, is shown in Figure 2. An MMS ranging session may include an initialization and setup phase followed by one or more measurement cycles. During the initialization and setup phase, frames are transmitted on the initialization channel, while during the measurement cycles, frames are transmitted on the ranging channel. It is possible to use the same channel for both the initialization and ranging channels, but one or more well-known channels are more likely to be used as the initialization channel.

[0182] During the initialization and setup phase, the initiator and responder may negotiate a ranging configuration different from the default configuration defined by 802.15.4ab. The initiator opportunistically transmits advertising pole (ADV-POLL) frames at times and intervals at its discretion, while the responder opportunistically listens for incoming ADV-POLL frames and may respond with advertising response (ADV-RESP) frames if the responder intends to participate in a ranging session with the initiator. When the initiator receives an ADV-RESP packet, it transmits a ranging start (SOR) packet that provides a time offset for the start of the first ranging cycle.

[0183] The distance measurement cycle includes a distance measurement control phase, a distance measurement phase, and an optional measurement reporting phase. The distance measurement control phase begins at the start of the distance measurement cycle. The initiator starts the distance measurement control phase by transmitting a POLL frame to the responder at the beginning of the first distance measurement slot of the distance measurement round. Upon successful receipt of the POLL frame, the responder transmits a RESP frame to the initiator. The POLL frame and RESP frame enable the initiator and responder to achieve time and frequency synchronization. The initiator may also include other control information within the POLL frame for the responder. In the distance measurement phase, the initiator and responder may exchange zero or more MMS UWB packets. An MMS UWB packet consists of multiple fragments and may include zero or more distance measurement sequence fragments (RSFs) and optionally one or more distance measurement integrity fragments (RIFs). RSFs are used to perform the distance measurement, while RIFs are used to check the integrity of the distance measurement. An MMS UWB packet may be an RSF-only MMS UWB packet, an RIF-only MMS UWB packet, or a mixed MMS UWB packet. In the mixed MMS UWB packet format for distance integrity, the RIF may conform to the RSF. A RIF-only MMS UWB packet contains only the RIF. The reporting phase begins after the initiator or responder has completed receiving all UWB fragments for the distance phase, and the initiator and / or responder generates a distance measurement report and sends an RPRT frame carrying the distance measurement report to the peer device. The reported timestamp is measured relative to the distance marker (RMARKER). For all legacy physical layer (PHY), the RMARKER is defined as the time when the beginning of the first symbol following the frame start delimiter (SFD) of the RFRAME is on the local antenna. For MMS UWB packets, the RMARKERs for RSF and RIF are called RSF-RMARKER and RIF-RMARKER, respectively. For RSF-only MMS packets or mixed MMS packets, the RSF-RMARKER is defined as the peak of the first pulse in the first RSF.For RIF-only MMS packets or mixed MMS packets, each RIF consists of two RIF-MARKERs, defined as the peak of the first pulse and the peak of the last pulse in each RIF. When an RIF is used for SS-TWR or DS-TWR timing measurement, the first RIF-RMARKER of the RIF is used as the RMARKER for timing measurement.

[0184] MMS ranging is offered in two forms: 1) UWB-only MMS ranging, in which control frames and ranging fragments are transmitted using UWB; and 2) Narrowband-assisted UWB multi-millisecond (NBA-UWB MMS) ranging, in which ranging fragments are transmitted using UWB, while control frames are transmitted using narrowband, for example, using an O-QPSK PHY as specified in IEEE 802.15.4-2020.

[0185] Several ranging and localization methods are described in IEEE 802.15.4z. One-sided two-way ranging (SS-TWR) involves measuring the round-trip delay of a single message from one device to another and the response returned to the original device. Two-sided two-way ranging (DS-TWR) is an extension of SS-TWR, where two round-trip time measurements are used and combined to give a time-of-flight (TOF) result with reduced error in the presence of uncorrected clock frequency offset, even with very long response delays. The operation of DS-TWR is shown in Figure 3, where device A initiates a first round-trip time measurement to which device B responds, then device B initiates a second round-trip time measurement to which device A responds, completing a full DS-TWR exchange. prop This is the propagation time of the RMARKER between devices.

[0186] Each device accurately measures the message transmission and reception times, and the resulting Time of Flight (TOF) is:

number

number

[0187] Here, T round This is the round trip time, and T reply This is the response time.

[0188] The UWB MMS ranging procedure discussed in IEEE 802.15.4ab (see IEEE 802.15-22 / 0381r2) is shown in Figure 2 above. A one-to-many SS-TWR ranging procedure using MMS ranging is also discussed in IEEE 802.15.4ab (see IEEE 802.15-22 / 00151r2). There are two types, depending on whether or not the Narrowband Assistance Method (NBA-UWB) is used. When NBA-UWB is not used, all frames are transmitted in the UWB band. When NBA-UWB is used, control frames are transmitted on the NB channel, while MMS ranging frames are transmitted in the UWB band. A one-to-many SS-TWR ranging procedure using NBA-UWB MMS ranging is shown in Figure 4. Frames exchanged using NB and UWB radios are represented by two different lines, with frames transmitted by the initiator on the line and frames transmitted by the responder below the line. The initiator initiates the ranging exchange by transmitting a Broadcast Range Measurement Start Message (RIM). The RIM may include configuration parameters for a one-to-many ranging round, dividing the ranging slots within the ranging round into multiple access slots, with one responder assigned to one access slot. In each access slot, the ranging control, ranging, and measurement reporting stages are the same as in the one-to-one MMS described above. In particular, in access slot 0, the Range Measurement Start Message also serves a time synchronization function as a Poll message. In the example shown in Figure 4, each responder replies a measurement report to the initiator in its assigned access slot, and the initiator calculates the distance based on the measurement report.

[0189] The initialization and setup phases for UWB MMS ranging shown in Figure 2 only consider one-to-one MMS ranging and may not be suitable for one-to-many MMS ranging. During the initialization and setup phase for one-to-many MMS ranging, multiple responders may receive ADV-POLL frames transmitted by the initiator, and multiple responders may simultaneously transmit ADV-RESP frames in response, causing the ADV-RESP frames to collide with the initiator, resulting in the initiator not receiving any ADV-RESP frames. Even if the responders use a mechanism such as Listen Before Talk (LBT) to manage the successful transmission of ADV-RESP frames, the SOR frames transmitted by the initiator in response to the ADV-RESP frames may still collide with delayed ADV-RESP frames from some responders. This is shown in Figure 5.

[0190] Regarding the one-to-many SS-TWR ranging procedure using NBA-UWB MMS ranging shown in Figure 4, T round (Round trip time) and T reply The response time is measured independently by the initiator and responder using their local clocks, both of which have some clock frequency offset error from their nominal frequencies, resulting in a TOF estimate with a considerable error that increases as the response time increases. In fact, this problem also exists in one-to-one MMS ranging.

[0191] This disclosure aims to solve the above-mentioned problems. Solutions are proposed to enhance the initialization and setup phases of UWB MMS ranging, and to enhance the ranging and reporting phases of UWB MMS ranging (one-to-one or one-to-many) to enable DS-TWR.

[0192] This disclosure is applicable to any application scenario using UWB MMS ranging.

[0193] Before describing the solutions in this disclosure, the relevant nomenclature is introduced below.

[0194] Controller: A device that controls the UWB session and defines session parameters.

[0195] Controller: A device that joins a UWB session using session parameters received from the controller.

[0196] Initiator: A device that initiates a UWB exchange by sending the first message of the exchange in response to a command from the controller. The controller can be the initiator.

[0197] Responder: A device that responds to the first message received from the initiator and participates in the UWB exchange. A controller can be a responder.

[0198] NB-UWB module: A module containing a tightly coupled (e.g., housed in the same hardware component) UWB radio and NB radio.

[0199] Synchronized one-to-many ranging: One-to-many ranging where all responders are connected to each other and their actions can be coordinated.

[0200] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This disclosure provides a communication method involving interaction between an initiator and a responder. References may be made to Figure 6, and the communication method may include the following steps.

[0201] In step 601, the initiator transmits an ADV-POLL frame to the responder.

[0202] The ADV-POLL frame may be used to indicate the maximum number of K responders supported for MMS ranging, where K ≥ 1. The structure of the ADV-POLL frame will be described later. The maximum number may also be specified by the maximum responder field within the ADV-POLL frame. The maximum number of K responders supported for MMS ranging may indicate whether the initiator supports one-to-many MMS ranging. When K is greater than 1, it means that the initiator supports one-to-many MMS ranging.

[0203] In step 602, the responder transmits an ADV-RESP frame to the initiator.

[0204] The ADV-RESP frame represents the number of responders N participating in MMS ranging, where N ≥ 1. The structure of the ADV-RESP frame will be described later.

[0205] The number N may be expressed in an explicit manner. For example, in a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame contains a first instruction, which is used to indicate the number N. In other implementations, the ADV-RESP frame contains a second instruction, which is used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N. The number N may also be expressed directly by the first instruction within the ADV-RESP frame, thereby saving signaling overhead, or indirectly by the second instruction within the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame. Given Ni and i, the number N may be obtained indirectly. Furthermore, since the initiator knows the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames, the accuracy of SOR frame transmission time can be improved even when frame drops occur. The first instruction may be the responder count field in the ADV-RESP frame, and the second instruction may be the remaining ADV-RESP field in the ADV-RESP frame. The first and second instructions may also be the same field in the ADV-RESP frame, in which case it should be noted that an additional field should be included in the ADV-RESP frame to indicate which instruction is being used.

[0206] The number N may also be expressed in an implicit way, for example, in a possible implementation, the number N is expressed by the number of ADV-RESP frames received by the initiator, i.e., the number of ADV-RESP frames transmitted by the responder, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0207] In possible implementations, if N ≥ 2, the N responders may coordinate a predetermined order for transmitting N ADV-RESP frames, and the N responders sequentially transmit the N ADV-RESP frames to the initiator according to the predetermined order. The ADV-RESP frames are transmitted successively in the coordinated manner, ensuring that the ADV-RESP frames do not collide with each other. When the initiator receives ADV-RESP frames indicating that N responders are participating in MMS ranging, it is warned that the N responders are transmitting ADV-RESP frames and therefore refrains from transmitting SOR frames. Thus, collisions between ADV-RESP frames or with SOR frames are prevented.

[0208] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a fifth indication to show that no POLL frames exist in the ranging control phases other than the first access slot in MMS ranging. The fifth indication may also be a POLL-absent field within the control phase in the ADV-RESP frame. Since no POLL frames exist in the ranging control phases other than the first access slot in MMS ranging, a single measurement cycle can be completed in a shorter time, and a shorter ranging duration can be achieved.

[0209] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a sixth instruction to indicate the absence of RESP frames in distance measurement control phases other than the first access slot. The sixth instruction may also be an in-control phase RESP absence field within the ADV-RESP frame. Since no RESP frames are present in distance measurement control phases other than the first access slot in MMS distance measurement, a single measurement cycle can be completed in a shorter time, and a shorter distance measurement duration can be achieved.

[0210] The ADV-RESP frame further includes a field for requesting the transmission of measurement reports, and the responder or initiator may be requested to transmit measurement reports according to actual needs. Furthermore, when an integrated measurement report is requested, the measurement report stage is not included in the access slot, and the initiator reserves a slot at the end of the ranging round to transmit integrated measurement reports from / about all responders, i.e., there is no need to transmit measurement reports in each access slot, thereby reducing ranging time and achieving a shorter ranging duration.

[0211] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a seventh instruction indicating that the initiator is requested to transmit a measurement report, the method further including the step of the initiator transmitting a report frame. The seventh instruction may also be an initiator report request field in the ADV-RESP frame.

[0212] In a possible implementation, N ≥ 2, the ADV-RESP frame further includes an eighth instruction for requesting an integrated measurement report, the method further including the step of an initiator generating an integrated measurement report according to measurements for N responders and transmitting a report frame carrying the integrated measurement report. The eighth instruction may also be an integrated measurement report field in the RPRT frame.

[0213] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 14th instruction indicating that a responder is requested to transmit a measurement report, the method further including the step of the responder transmitting a report frame. The 14th instruction may also be a responder report request field in the ADV-RESP frame.

[0214] In a possible implementation, N ≥ 2, the ADV-RESP frame further includes an eighth instruction for requesting an integrated measurement report, the method further including the steps of a responder collecting measurement reports from N responders, generating an integrated measurement report according to the measurement reports from the N responders, and transmitting a report frame carrying the integrated measurement report. The eighth instruction may also be an integrated measurement report field in the RPRT frame.

[0215] Next, a specific implementation of DS-TWR is introduced, in which both round-trip time and response time are measured by the initiator or responder, thereby resolving the shortcomings of SS-TWR as described above. The specific implementation of DS-TWR provided in this disclosure can be applied to one-to-one or one-to-many MMS ranging.

[0216] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a ninth instruction for requesting a two-way distance measurement (DS-TWR) measurement in the measurement report, and a seventh instruction for indicating that the initiator is requested to transmit the measurement report, the method further including the step of the initiator transmitting a measurement report including both a first round-trip time and a first response time. The ninth instruction may be a DS-TWR field in the ADV-RESP frame, and the seventh instruction may be an initiator report request field in the ADV-RESP frame. For example, if the DS-TWR field is set to 1, it means that DS-TWR is enabled.

[0217] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 10th instruction for requesting the initiator to transmit additional MMS packets (which may also be called additional MMS packets), the method further includes the step of the initiator transmitting additional MMS packets. The 10th instruction may also be a final MMS packet request field in the ADV-RESP frame. For example, if the final MMS packet request field is set to 1, it means that the initiator is requested to transmit additional MMS packets.

[0218] In possible implementations, no further MMS packets are requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and the method further includes the steps of the initiator determining that the MMS packet to be used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, enabling an eleventh instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets within the SOR frame, and transmitting further MMS packets. The eleventh instruction may also be the final MMS packet request field within the SOR frame. The MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker may be an RIF-only MMS packet or an RSF-only MMS packet containing a single fragment. In scenarios where the MMS packet to be used for MMS ranging has a single fragment with a RMARKER, further MMS packets from the initiator may be required to enable DS-TWR. If no further MMS packets are requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and for example the Last MMS Packet Request field is set to 0 within the ADV-RESP frame, the Last MMS Packet Request field in the SOR frame may be set to 1, and therefore further MMS packets from the initiator may still be requested to enable DS-TWR. In other words, the initiator may decide to transmit further MMS packets according to the type of MMS packet, even when no further MMS packets are requested by the responder.

[0219] The following describes the process for obtaining the first round-trip time and first response time in the initiator's measurement report, and the second round-trip time and second response time in the responder's measurement report. The first round-trip time, first response time, second round-trip time, and second response time are used to estimate the Time of Flight (TOF) as described in Equation 1, and therefore to estimate the distance of the peer devices.

[0220] When the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, for example, a RIF-only MMS packet or an RSF-only MMS packet having a single fragment, for the last access slot, in a possible implementation, the initiator records the first transmission time of the first ranging marker in the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, the first reception time of the second ranging marker in the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the second transmission time of the third ranging marker in the first fragment of a further MMS packet, and calculates the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the first transmission time, first reception time and second transmission time. In a possible implementation, the Nth responder records the sixth reception time of the first ranging marker in the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, the eleventh transmission time of the second ranging marker in the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the seventh reception time of the third ranging marker in the first fragment of a further MMS packet, and calculates the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the sixth reception time, the eleventh transmission time, and the seventh reception time. When the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, the DS-TWR for the Nth responder (the last responder) can be enabled based on further MMS packets.

[0221] For the non-final access slot, in a possible implementation, the initiator records the fifth transmission time of the first ranging marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the m-th responder, the third reception time of the second ranging marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the m-th responder to the initiator, and the sixth transmission time of the third ranging marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the (m + 1)-th responder, where 1 ≤ m < N, and calculates the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the fifth transmission time, the third reception time, and the sixth transmission time. In a possible implementation, the m-th responder records the tenth reception time of the first ranging marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the m-th responder, the thirteenth transmission time of the second ranging marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the m-th responder to the initiator, and the eleventh reception time of the third ranging marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the (m + 1)-th responder, where 1 ≤ m < N, and calculates the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the tenth reception time, the thirteenth transmission time, and the eleventh reception time. Therefore, DS-TWR for the m-th responder (non-final responder) can be enabled.

[0222] When an MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing at least two fragments having ranging markers, for example, a mixed MMS packet or a RIF-only MMS packet with at least two fragments is used for MMS ranging, a single MMS packet exchange is sufficient for DS-TWR. In this case, regarding the process of obtaining the first round trip time and the first response time, in a possible implementation, the initiator determines that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing at least two fragments having ranging markers, and records the 9th transmission time of the first ranging marker in the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the nth responder, the 5th reception time of the second ranging marker in the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the nth responder to the initiator, and the 10th transmission time of the third ranging marker in the second fragment of the first MMS packet carrying the ranging marker, where 1 ≤ n ≤ N, and calculates the first round trip time and the first response time according to the 9th transmission time, the 5th reception time and the 10th transmission time.

[0223] Regarding the process of obtaining the second round-trip time and the second response time in the above case, in a possible implementation, the nth responder records the 14th reception time of the first ranging marker in the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the nth responder, the 15th transmission time of the second ranging marker in the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the nth responder to the initiator, and the 15th reception time of the third ranging marker in the second fragment of the first MMS packet carrying the ranging marker, where 1 ≤ n ≤ N, and calculates the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the 14th reception time, the 15th transmission time, and the 15th reception time. Thus, DS-TWR can be enabled for all responders when the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing at least two fragments having ranging markers.

[0224] In step 603, the initiator transmits a Start of Range (SOR) frame to the responder according to the ADV-RESP frame.

[0225] The SOR frame is used to provide a time offset for when the first distance measurement cycle begins, and the structure of the SOR frame will be described later.

[0226] In a possible implementation, the initiator transmits a SOR frame to the responder upon receiving the Nth ADV-RESP frame. Upon receiving the Nth ADV-RESP frame, i.e., the last ADV-RESP frame (indicating 0 remaining ADV-RESP frames), the initiator transmits a SOR frame indicating when MMS ranging should begin. Thus, collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between SOR frames are prevented.

[0227] In other possible implementations, the initiator estimates the expected transmission time for N ADV-RESP frames, and once the expected transmission time has elapsed, transmits a SOR frame to the responder. If the last ADV-RESP frame is not received by the initiator, the initiator transmits a SOR frame once the total expected transmission time for all ADV-RESP frames has elapsed. Thus, collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between SOR frames are prevented.

[0228] In possible implementations, before the initiator transmits an SOR frame to the responders, the initiator determines the number M of responders for MMS ranging according to the number of ADV-RESP frames received, where M ≤ N, and transmits an SOR frame containing a fourth instruction indicating the number M. That is, before the start of MMS ranging, the initiator may select the responders for MMS ranging from among the responders that transmit ADV-RESP frames to the initiator.

[0229] In the communication method provided by this disclosure, the initiator obtains the number of responders participating in MMS ranging through ADV-RESP frames transmitted from the responders, and then transmits SOR frames according to the number of responders participating in MMS ranging. Therefore, when a responder transmits an ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, the initiator obtains the number of responders participating in MMS ranging, which is advantageous for the normal operation of MMS ranging. Since N responders are connected to each other and can communicate with each other, when an ADV-POLL frame is received, the N responders can coordinate their responses and transmit ADV-RESP frames successively in a coordinated manner, ensuring that their ADV-RESP frames do not collide with each other. Furthermore, when the initiator receives an ADV-RESP frame indicating that N responders are participating in MMS ranging, it is warned that N responders will transmit ADV-RESP frames, and therefore refrains from transmitting a SOR frame. Therefore, collisions between ADV-RESP frames or SOR frames are prevented. Furthermore, DS-TWR can be enabled by setting the final MMS packet request field to enabled.

[0230] The application scenario for a vehicle digital key shown in Figure 7 is given as Example 1, but other scenarios may exist and are not limited herein. Recently, many mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) and vehicles support digital keys that can be used to lock and unlock an authorized vehicle (e.g., a car), to start / stop its engine, or even to share the digital key with friends and family to access the vehicle. Many such modern mobile devices and vehicles also support UWB radios, which allow the vehicle to accurately determine even the location and orientation of the mobile device. When combined with a digital key, this enables the application of a digital key that allows the car doors to be locked / unlocked even when the user holding the mobile device is still several meters away from the car. As described above, to address long-range distance measurement use cases, MMS ranging is introduced in 802.15.4ab, which can be further extended by a high-performance narrowband (NB) radio used to provide time synchronization for the UWB radio and also used for control signaling. The UWB radio and NB radio may also be housed in the same hardware components that form an NB-UWB module. Several such NB-UWB modules may be installed in various locations within the vehicle (e.g., a car) to function as responders. One or more Bluetooth radios may also be installed. All these radios can also be connected to and communicate with each other, for example, using an in-vehicle wired network. A central device that can control and coordinate all the radios may be present in the vehicle. A compatible mobile device (e.g., a smartphone) supports the UWB, NB, and Bluetooth radios respectively and functions as an initiator for MMS ranging. The Bluetooth radio is used for initial discovery, connection setup, and certificate verification, while the NB and UWB radios are used for MMS ranging.

[0231] During the initialization and setup phase of MMS ranging, the initiator opportunistically transmits advertising pole (ADV-POLL) frames at times and intervals at its discretion, while responders opportunistically listen for incoming ADV-POLL frames and may respond with advertising response (ADV-RESP) frames if they intend to participate in a ranging session with the initiator. When the initiator receives an ADV-RESP packet, it transmits a ranging start (SOR) packet that provides a time offset for when the first ranging cycle begins. However, if multiple responders receive ADV-POLL frames transmitted by the initiator, the multiple responders may simultaneously transmit ADV-RESP frames in response, causing the ADV-RESP frames to collide at the initiator, resulting in the initiator not receiving any ADV-RESP frames. Even when responders use mechanisms such as Listen Before Talk (LBT) to manage the successful transmission of ADV-RESP frames, SOR frames transmitted by initiators in response to ADV-RESP frames may still collide with delayed ADV-RESP frames from some responders, as shown in Figure 5. However, in applications where multiple responders are connected to each other and can communicate with one another, upon receiving an ADV-POLL frame, the responders can coordinate their responses and transmit ADV-RESP frames sequentially in a coordinated manner, ensuring that these ADV-RESP frames do not collide with each other, as shown in Figure 8. Each ADV-RESP frame also indicates the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the frame, depending on the number of responders intended to participate in MMS ranging.

[0232] When an initiator receives an ADV-RESP frame indicating that one or more ADV-RESP frames remain, the initiator is warned that more responders will transmit ADV-RESP frames and therefore refrains from transmitting an SOR frame. The initiator can also estimate the expected total transmission time for all ADV-RESP frames when it receives an ADV-RESP frame indicating the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames. Upon receiving the last ADV-RESP frame (indicating zero remaining ADV-RESP frames), the initiator transmits an SOR frame indicating when MMS ranging will begin. If the last ADV-RESP frame is not received by the initiator, the initiator transmits an SOR frame after the expected total transmission time for all ADV-RESP frames has elapsed. This prevents collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between SOR frames.

[0233] Figure 9 shows an exemplary message flow involved in a one-to-many UWB MMS ranging application with multiple coordinated responders adapted to DS-TWR. An MMS UWB ranging session begins with the controller and controllers performing session setup, during which long-term session parameters such as UWB channel number, preamble code, and block structure (number of blocks, block duration) are negotiated. In vehicle digital key applications, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone) functions as the controller, while an NB-UWB module in the vehicle functions as the controller. When security is enabled, one or more security keys are also exchanged between the controller and controllers. For NBA-UWB MMS ranging, narrowband-related parameters (NB channel number, number of MMS fragments, etc.) may also be negotiated during session setup. Furthermore, initiator and responder roles are also assigned during session setup. Long-term parameters are not expected to change during the session. Figure 9 shows that the controller can act as the initiator while the control is assigned the responder role; however, in different applications, the control may be assigned the initiator role while the controller acts as the responder. In contrast, parameters related to the measurement cycle, such as round / slot duration, number of MMS fragments, and reporting mode, may be considered short-term parameters and may be modified during the session. Session setup may be performed out of band, for example, using a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi radio, or in band, for example, using a narrowband or UWB radio.

[0234] Once a session is set up, the initiator opportunistically transmits ADV-POLL frames at times and intervals of its discretion, while the responder opportunistically listens for incoming ADV-POLL frames and may respond with ADV-RESP frames if the responder intends to participate in a ranging session with the initiator. The ADV-POLL frame is shown in Figure 10, where several key fields within the ADV-POLL frame are introduced. It should be noted that the ID field within each frame can be used to identify a particular type of frame.

[0235] The Initialization and Setup Mode field indicates the permitted initialization and setup mode for MMS ranging and may be set to one of the following values:

[0236] 0 = Single responder: Only one-to-one distance measurement is supported.

[0237] 1 = Multiple responders based on competition: Competition-based one-to-many ranging is supported.

[0238] 2 = Synchronized multiple responders: Synchronized one-to-many distance measurement is supported.

[0239] 3 = Reserved.

[0240] The maximum responder presence bit indicates whether or not the maximum responder field exists.

[0241] The Maximum Responder Field specifies the maximum number of responders an initiator can support for MMS ranging (e.g., K≧1). To indicate that an initiator supports one-to-many MMS ranging, the Maximum Responder Field in the ADV-POLL frame is set to a value greater than 1 and does not exist during one-to-one ranging.

[0242] Upon receiving ADV-POLL frames, the responders can coordinate their responses and select N (N ≤ K) responders to participate in MMS ranging. The selected N responders then transmit their respective ADV-RESP frames sequentially in a coordinated manner, ensuring that their ADV-RESP frames do not collide with each other. The ADV-RESP frames are used by the responders to request parameters for MMS ranging, as shown in Figure 11, with the main fields being as follows:

[0243] Distancing Mode: Indicates the mode required for MMS ranging.

[0244] 0 = 1 to 1

[0245] 1 = Serial one-to-many (In this example, the distance measurement mode field is set to 1)

[0246] 2 = Time-efficient 1-to-many

[0247] 3 = Reserved.

[0248] Distancing Frame Sequence Decisor: Indicates whether the responder determines the transmission sequence of the distance measurement frame during the distance measurement phase of one-to-many distance measurement. The sequence may be the same as the transmission sequence of the ADV-RESP frame during the initialization and setup phase. This bit is reserved for one-to-one distance measurement.

[0249] DS-TWR: Indicates that DS-TWR-related fields are required in the measurement report.

[0250] Remaining ADV-RESP: Indicates the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted during the initialization and setup phases following this frame. This is only present when one-to-many ranging is required. It is reserved for one-to-one ranging.

[0251] Distance measurement parameters: These parameters are specific to the distance measurement mode.

[0252] ■POLL Absence During Control Phase: Indicates whether the POLL frame should be skipped during the ranging control phase other than the first access slot. For one-to-one ranging, it is reserved.

[0253] ■Integrated Measurement Report: Only a single integrated measurement report will be transmitted after the last access slot. One-to-one distance measurements are reserved.

[0254] ■ Initiator Report Request: Requests the initiator to transmit the measurement report.

[0255] ■Final MMS Packet Request: This requests the initiator to transmit an additional MMS packet at the end of the final ranging stage.

[0256] All responders transmit ADV-RESP frames that have the same content, except for the remaining ADV-RESP fields which differ for each responder. Based on the number of ADV-RESP frames received, the initiator knows how many responders will participate in the ranging stage.

[0257] When the last ADV-RESP frame (indicating 0 remaining ADV-RESP frames) is received, or when the expected total transmission time of all ADV-RESP frames has elapsed, the initiator transmits an SOR frame indicating the status of the MMS ranging request. If the status is successful, the time when the first measurement cycle of MMS ranging starts and the number of responders that the initiator will range during the MMS ranging round are also transmitted. In the SOR frame, the initiator may also confirm the MMS ranging parameters requested by the responder and propose MMS ranging parameters not requested by the responder. For example, in some use cases, the initiator may decide to enable DS-TWR for MMS ranging and set the DS-TWR field to 1 in the SOR frame even if DS-TWR was not requested by the responder within the ADV-RESP frame. The SOR frame is shown in Figure 12, and the main fields are as follows.

[0258] Ranging mode: Confirms the mode requested for MMS ranging.

[0259] 0 = 1-to-1

[0260] 1 = Serial 1-to-many

[0261] 2 = Time-efficient 1-to-many

[0262] 3 = Reserved.

[0263] Status: Indicates whether the ranging request was successful. The remaining fields in the SOR frame only exist if the status is successful and do not exist otherwise.

[0264] Ranging parameters: Confirms the ranging parameters requested by the responder. Further includes the following.

[0265] ■ Responder report request: Requests the responder to transmit a measurement report.

[0266] ■ Number of Responders: Indicates the number of responders confirmed for ranging. For one-to-many MMS ranging, this may be based on the number of ADV-RESP frames received by the initiator (e.g., N). For one-to-one ranging, this does not exist.

[0267] At a time indicated by the time offset within the SOR frame, the initiator transmits a Range Measurement Start Message (RIM) frame, for example, at the beginning of the first range measurement slot in a range measurement round (for one-to-one range measurements, the RIM frame replaces the POLL frame). The RIM frame signals the start of MMS range measurement, and the initiator reconfirms the parameters requested by the responder and initiator (in the ADV-RESP frame and SOR frame, respectively), and may also include other control information for the responder. The RIM frame is shown in Figure 13, and its main fields are as follows:

[0268] Distance measurement mode: Check the MMS distance measurement mode.

[0269] 0 = 1 to 1

[0270] 1 = Serial one-to-many

[0271] 2 = Time-efficient 1-to-many

[0272] 3 = Reserved.

[0273] DS-TWR: Indicates that DS-TWR-related fields are required in the measurement report.

[0274] Distancing Frame Sequence Decisionator: Indicates whether the responder determines the transmission sequence of the distance measurement frames during the distance measurement phase of one-to-many distance measurement. For one-to-one distance measurement, this is reserved.

[0275] Distance measurement parameters: Specify parameters specific to the distance measurement mode.

[0276] ■POLL Absence During Control Phase: Indicates whether the POLL frame is skipped during the ranging control phase other than the first access slot. For one-to-one ranging, it is reserved.

[0277] ■Integrated Measurement Report: Only a single integrated measurement report will be transmitted after the last access slot. One-to-one distance measurements are reserved.

[0278] ■ Initiator Report Request: Requests the initiator to transmit the measurement report.

[0279] ■Responder Report Request - Requests the responder to transmit the measurement report.

[0280] ■Final MMS Packet Request: This requests the initiator to transmit an additional MMS packet at the end of the final ranging stage.

[0281] ■Number of Responders: Specifies the number of responders participating in MMS ranging. This option is not available for one-to-one ranging.

[0282] In the RIM frame, the initiator reconfirms the parameters requested by the responder. The RIM also includes configuration parameters for a one-to-many ranging round, dividing the ranging slots within the ranging round into multiple access slots, with one access slot reserved for one responder. Each access slot may further include a ranging control phase, a ranging phase, and optionally a measurement reporting phase, as described above. In particular, in access slot 0 (i.e., the first access slot), the RIM frame also serves a time-synchronization function as a POLL frame. In the case of synchronized one-to-many ranging, the RIM frame indicates the number of responders participating in the ranging but does not provide a transmission sequence for the responders, i.e., it does not assign responders to access slots. Responders determine their own transmission sequence and access slot assignment. The sequence may be the same as the transmission sequence of the ADV-RESP frame during the initialization and setup phase. The ranging parameters field within the RIM frame also confirms the ranging parameters requested by the responder (no POLL in control phase, integrated measurement report, initiator report request, final MMS packet request). Furthermore, the responder report request field is set to indicate whether a responder measurement report is requested, and the responder count field specifies the number of responders (e.g., N) that can participate in a one-to-many MMS ranging. When the integrated measurement report bit is set to 1 in the RIM frame, the measurement report phase is not included in the access slot, and the initiator reserves the slot at the end of the ranging round to transmit an integrated measurement report from / about all responders.

[0283] Upon receiving a RIM frame in the initial ranging control phase, in synchronized one-to-many ranging, responders may coordinate among themselves to determine which responders will participate in the ranging (if the number of responders indicated in the RIM frame is less than the number of available responders) and their response sequence, i.e., the sequence in which responders perform MMS ranging with the initiator. The responder performing the first MMS ranging with the initiator is called the first responder, the responder performing the second MMS ranging is called the second responder, and so on, until the responder performing the last MMS ranging is called the last responder. The first responder sends back a first RESP frame to the initiator. The RIM and RESP frames enable the initiator and responders to achieve time and frequency synchronization. In the ranging phase of the first access slot, the initiator and the first responder perform MMS ranging by exchanging MMS packets containing zero or more UWB ranging sequence fragments (RSFs) and zero or more UWB ranging integrity fragments (RIFs). The types of MMS packets to be exchanged and the total number of fragments in each MMS packet (e.g., M) may be negotiated in advance (e.g., during session setup or during the initialization and setup phase). RSFs are used to perform ranging measurements, while RIFs are used to check the integrity of the ranging measurements. In the example in Figure 9, the integrated measurement report bit is set to 1 in the RIM frame, and therefore the measurement report phase is not included in the access slot. In synchronized one-to-many ranging, all responders are connected to each other and can maintain clock and frequency synchronization. Therefore, in the second and subsequent access slots, the responder may request the initiator to skip the transmission of the POLL frame (by setting the POLL absence bit in the control stage within the ADV-RESP frame to 1), in which case the ranging control stage of the second and subsequent access slots will allocate slots only for RESP frames.Therefore, in the second and subsequent access slots, only the responder transmits the RESP frame in the ranging control phase (i.e., the POLL frame is skipped), and each responder performs MMS ranging with the initiator in the ranging phase according to the determined response sequence. If the final MMS packet request bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame and the RIM frame, i.e., if the responder requests the initiator to transmit a further MMS packet at the end of the last ranging phase, the initiator transmits a further MMS packet at the end of the last ranging phase. The further MMS packet functions as the final packet used for DS-TWR measurements.

[0284] After the initiator and all responders have completed the exchange of MMS packets, the measurement reporting phase begins, and each of the initiator and responders generates a ranging measurement report and transmits an RPRT frame carrying the measurement report to the peer device. In the case of synchronized one-to-many ranging, when a report is requested from the responder (i.e., the responder report request bit is set to 1) and an integrated measurement report is indicated (i.e., the integrated measurement report bit is set to 1 in the RIM frame), one of the responders collects the relevant measurement reports from all responders (e.g., on the vehicle wired network), generates an integrated measurement report, and transmits an RPRT frame carrying the integrated measurement report in the first slot of the measurement reporting phase. Similarly, when a report is requested from the initiator (i.e., the initiator report request bit is set to 1), the initiator collects the relevant measurements for all responders, generates an integrated measurement report, and transmits an RPRT frame carrying the integrated measurement report in the second slot of the measurement reporting phase. The RPRT frame is shown in Figure 14, and the main fields are as follows.

[0285] Report size: Indicates the sizes of the response time field and the round trip time field.

[0286] 0: 1 octet

[0287] 1:2 Octet

[0288] 2:4 Octet

[0289] 3:5 Octet

[0290] DS-TWR: Indicates the presence of DS-TWR related fields in the measurement report.

[0291] Integrated measurement report: Indicates that the RPRT frame carries more than one measurement report. One-to-one distance measurement is reserved.

[0292] Number of Reports: Indicates the number of measurement reports in the measurement report list field. The number of reports field exists if the integrated measurement report bit is 1. It does not exist for one-to-one distance measurements.

[0293] Measurement Report List: Carries one or more measurement report fields. For one-to-one distance measurements, only one measurement report field exists. For one-to-many distance measurements, two or more measurement report fields exist, with one field for a responder or one field for a responder, arranged in the same order as the transmission order of the corresponding responders in the distance measurement round.

[0294] Measurement Report: Each report carries the measurement report for one responder or the measurement report for one responder.

[0295] Response time: The time difference between the time the MMS packet being responded to is received and the time the response MMS packet is sent.

[0296] Round-trip time: The time difference between the transmission time of the MMS packet that initiates the round-trip time measurement and the reception time of the response MMS packet from the peer device that completes the round-trip time measurement. The unit of time is a distance counter time unit as determined by IEEE 802.14ab (e.g., 15.65 ps (as used by the HRP UWB PHY in 802.15.4z), or a smaller unit such as 1 ps).

[0297] When the DS-TWR bit is 0 (for example, one-to-many distance measurement using SS-TWR):

[0298] Regarding the responder's RPRT frame: The response time field exists, but the round-trip time field does not.

[0299] Regarding the initiator's RPRT frame: A round-trip time field exists, but a response time field does not.

[0300] When the DS-TWR bit is 1 (for example, one-to-many distance measurement using DS-TWR):

[0301] Both a response time field and a round-trip time field exist.

[0302] If both the DS-TWR bit and the integrated measurement report bit are 0 (for example, for a one-to-one distance measurement using SS-TWR), the number of reports field does not exist, and the RPRT frame carries a single measurement report in the measurement report list. Alternatively, instead of the DS-TWR bit, the presence of the response time field and round trip time field can be indicated by separate presence bits (e.g., response time present and round trip time present).

[0303] When only one controller exists, the message flow shown in Figure 9 applies to one-to-one MMS ranging, and the RIM frame is replaced with a POLL frame. Figure 15 provides a graph of one-to-one MMS ranging adapted to DS-TWR. In the ADV-POLL frame (shown in Figure 10), the initialization and setup mode fields are set to 0 (i.e., single responder). The ADV-RESP frame (shown in Figure 11) is used by the responder to request parameters for one-to-one MMS ranging by setting the ranging mode field to 0 (i.e., one-to-one). If DS-TWR is requested, the DS-TWR bit is set to 1. The remaining ADV-RESP fields are set to 0. For one-to-one MMS ranging, the one-to-many ranging-related fields are reserved within the ADV-RESP and SOR frames.

[0304] At a time indicated by the time offset within the SOR frame, the initiator transmits a POLL frame, for example, at the beginning of the first ranging slot of a ranging round. The POLL frame signals the start of a one-to-one MMS ranging, and the initiator reconfirms the parameters requested by the responder and initiator (in the ADV-RESP frame and SOR frame, respectively), and may also include other control information for the responder. The POLL frame is shown in Figure 16, and its main fields are as follows:

[0305] Distance measurement mode: Check the MMS distance measurement mode.

[0306] 0 = 1 to 1

[0307] 1 = Serial one-to-many (In this example, the distance measurement mode field is set to 1)

[0308] 2 = Time-efficient 1-to-many

[0309] 3 = Reserved.

[0310] DS-TWR: Indicates that DS-TWR-related fields are required in the measurement report.

[0311] Distance measurement parameters: Specify parameters specific to the distance measurement mode.

[0312] ■ Initiator Report Request: Requests the initiator to transmit the measurement report.

[0313] ■Responder Report Request - Requests the responder to transmit the measurement report.

[0314] ■Final MMS Packet Request: This requests the initiator to transmit an additional MMS packet at the end of the final ranging stage.

[0315] Upon receiving a POLL frame, the responder sends a RESP frame back to the initiator. The POLL and RESP frames enable the initiator and responder to achieve time and frequency synchronization. During the ranging phase, the initiator and responder perform MMS ranging by exchanging MMS packets. In this example, each MMS packet consists of two fragments. If the final MMS packet request bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP and POLL frames, i.e., if the responder requests the initiator to transmit an additional MMS packet at the end of the last ranging phase, the initiator transmits an additional MMS packet at the end of the ranging phase. Alternatively, when an RSF-only MMS packet is used for MMS ranging and a DS-TWR measurement is requested (i.e., the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame), the initiator may transmit additional MMS packets even if the final MMS packet is not explicitly requested by the responder (i.e., the final MMS packet request bit is not set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame), setting the final MMS packet request bit to 1 in the SOR and POLL frames. When an RSF-only MMS packet is used for MMS ranging, the additional MMS packets serve as the final packet used to perform a DS-TWR measurement when the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame. After the initiator and responder have completed the exchange of MMS packets, the measurement reporting phase begins, and the initiator (if the initiator report request bit is set to 1) and the responder (if the responder report request bit is set to 1) generate a distance measurement report and send an RPRT frame carrying the measurement report to the peer device. When the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame, both the round-trip time field and the response time field are included in the measurement report.

[0316] Figure 17 shows a synchronized one-to-many example given in Figure 9 in time-domain format, where the number of responders (N) is equal to 8 and the number of fragments in an MMS packet (M) is 2. During the measurement cycle, each bar on the horizontal line represents one slot (for example, with a duration of 0.5 ms). The main points relating to this disclosure may also be as follows:

[0317] ■During the initialization and setup phase, the responders coordinate their responses and transmit each ADV-RESP frame in the coordinated manner. Each ADV-RESP frame indicates the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames. The initiator transmits a SOR frame after the last ADV-RESP frame.

[0318] ■During the distance measurement control phase of an access slot other than the first access slot, if the control phase POLL absence bit is set to 1 in the relevant frame, the POLL frame is skipped and only the RESP frame is transmitted. If the control phase POLL absence bit is not set to 1, the POLL frame is transmitted by the initiator two slots before the transmission time of the RESP frame, as shown in Figure 16.

[0319] ■When requested (for example, when the Last MMS Packet Request bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame to enable DS-TWR), during the ranging phase of the last access slot, the initiator transmits one additional MMS packet after receiving the MMS packet from the last responder. Alternatively, when RSF-only MMS packets are used for MMS ranging and DS-TWR measurement is requested (i.e., the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame), the initiator may transmit additional MMS packets even if the Last MMS packet is not explicitly requested by the responder (i.e., the Last MMS Packet Request bit is not set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame), and, if applicable, the Last MMS Packet Request bit is set to 1 in the SOR frame and RIM frame.

[0320] ■RPRT (Report) frames are transmitted only after the last access slot. If a combined measurement report for responders is requested, the uplink RPRT frame may carry the combined measurement report for all responders. If a combined measurement report for an initiator is requested, the downlink RPRT frame may carry the combined measurement report for all responders.

[0321] Figure 17 shows that one measurement cycle can be completed in 62 slots (31 ms). Without special measures (e.g., not skipping POLL frames or not using integrated measurement reports), and using the default serial one-to-many ranging sequence shown in Figure 4, one measurement cycle can be completed in only 80 slots (40 ms), i.e., more than 9 ms. Furthermore, the default serial one-to-many ranging sequence shown in Figure 4 may not support DS-TWR.

[0322] Next, this disclosure describes how ranging measurements to enable DS-TWR are performed and reported (for example, when the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in an ADV-RESP frame or SOR frame). Three MMS fragments with RMARKERs are required to perform timing measurements for DS-TWR. A mixed MMS packet or a RIF-only MMS packet with at least two fragments has at least two RMARKERs that can be used to compute timing measurements for DS-TWR. This means that when a mixed MMS packet or a RIF-only MMS packet with at least two fragments is used for MMS ranging, a single MMS packet exchange between the initiator and responder is sufficient for DS-TWR timing measurements. In this case, no further MMS packets (shown as the final MMS packet in Figure 17) are requested from the initiator.

[0323] Figure 18 shows an enlarged view of the UWB MMS packet exchange between the initiator and the last responder (i.e., responder 8) in the eighth access slot of Figure 17. In this example, the MMS packets may be mixed MMS packets or RIF-only MMS packets. In either case, as described above and shown in Figure 18, both fragments of the MMS packet contain RMARKERs that can be used to perform timing measurements. For a mixed MMS packet with a single RIF, the first RMARKER is the RSF-RMARKER in the first RSF of the initiator's MMS packet to the responder, the second RMARKER is the RSF-RMARKER in the first RSF of the responder's MMS packet, and the third RMARKER is the RIF-RMARKER in the first RIF of the initiator's MMS packet to the responder. For mixed MMS packets with more than one RIF, it is safer to use RIF-RMARKER for timing measurement; therefore, the RIF-RMARKER of the first two RIFs in the initiator's MMS packet is used as the 1st and 3rd RIF, while the RIF-MARKER of the first RIF in the responder's MMS packet is used as the 2nd RIF. For RIF-only MMS packets, the RIF-RMARKER of the first two fragments in the initiator's MMS packet is used as the 1st and 3rd RMARKER, while the RIF-MARKER of the first fragment in the responder's MMS packet is used as the 2nd RMARKER.

[0324] When mixed MMS packets or RIF-only MMS packets with at least two fragments are used for MMS ranging, each MMS packet contains at least two RMARKERs that can be used to perform timing measurements, so a single MMS packet exchange is sufficient for DS-TWR. The initiator records the timing of the relevant RMARKERs and calculates the required time (round-trip time (Tround1_Rn), response time (Treply2_Rn)) for each responder, as described below. Each responder records the timing of the relevant RMARKERs and calculates the required time (response time (Treply1_Rn), round-trip time (Tround2_Rn)) as follows. The fields in each measurement report (see Figure 14) are set as follows.

[0325] ■Initiator measurement report (regarding responder n):

[0326] ○ Round-trip time (Tround1_Rn) = The time difference between the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet to responder n and the reception time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of responder n's MMS packet.

[0327] ○Response time (Treply2_Rn) = The time difference between the reception time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the MMS packet of responder n and the transmission time of the RMARKER of the next fragment of the MMS packet of the initiator carrying the RMARKER.

[0328] ■Responser measurement report (from responder n):

[0329] ○ Response time (Treply1_Rn) = The time difference between the reception time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet to responder n and the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of responder n's MMS packet.

[0330] ○ Round-trip time (Tround2_Rn) = The time difference between the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the MMS packet of responder n and the reception time of the RMARKER of the next fragment of the MMS packet of the initiator carrying the RMARKER.

[0331] As described above, for mixed MMS packets with more than one RIF, it is safer to use RIF-RMARKER for timing measurements. In this case, the fields of each measurement report (see Figure 14) are set as follows:

[0332] ■Initiator measurement report (regarding responder n):

[0333] ○ Round-trip time (Tround1_Rn) = The time difference between the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first RIF of the initiator's MMS packet to responder n and the reception time of the RMARKER of the first RIF of the responder n's MMS packet.

[0334] ○ Response time (Treply2_Rn) = The time difference between the reception time of the RMARKER of the first RIF of the responder n's MMS packet and the transmission time of the RMARKER of the second RIF of the initiator's MMS packet.

[0335] ■Responser measurement report (from responder n):

[0336] ○ Response time (Treply1_Rn) = The time difference between the reception time of the RMARKER of the first RIF of the initiator's MMS packet to responder n and the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first RIF of responder n's MMS packet.

[0337] ○ Round-trip time (Tround2_Rn) = The time difference between the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first RIF of the responder n's MMS packet and the reception time of the RMARKER of the second RIF of the initiator's MMS packet.

[0338] When DS-TWR is requested, i.e., when the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame or SOR frame, both the round-trip time field and the response time field are included in the measurement report; otherwise, the initiator's measurement report includes only the round-trip time field, and the responder's measurement report includes only the response time field. When a device (initiator or responder) receives a measurement report from a peer device, it can calculate the DS-TWR TOF using Equation 1 and thus estimate the distance to the peer device.

[0339] Next, this disclosure describes a scenario in which the MMS packet used for MMS ranging has a single fragment containing a RMARKER (for example, when an RSF-only MMS packet is used, or when an RIF-only MMS packet with a single fragment is used). In this case, additional MMS packets from the initiator may be required to enable DS-TWR. An enlarged view of the MMS packet exchange between the initiator and the first two and last responders (i.e., responder 8) in the eighth access slot (Figure 17) is shown in Figure 19. In this example, the MMS packet is an RSF-only MMS packet. In this case, as described above and shown in Figure 19, only the first fragment (RSF) of the MMS packet contains a RMARKER that can be used to perform timing measurements. Three RMARKERs are required to perform timing measurements for DS-TWR. In this case, for all responders except the last responder, the first RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet for that responder (i.e., the first I-1 fragment of each access slot) (e.g., the RSF-RMARKER in the first RSF or the first RIF-RMARKER in the first RIF). The second RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the responder's MMS packet for that initiator (i.e., the Rn-1 fragment), while the third RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet for the next responder (i.e., the first I-1 fragment of the next access slot) (e.g., the RSF-RMARKER in the first RSF or the first RIF-RMARKER in the first RIF). This is shown in the left half of Figure 19. However, for the last responder, since there is no subsequent responder, further MMS packets (shown as the final MMS packet in Figure 17 and as further MMS packets in Figure 19) are required from the initiator to enable DS-TWR timing measurement.For the last responder, the first RMARKER is the RSF-RMARKER (in the first RSF) of the initiator's MMS packet for the last responder (i.e., the initial I-1 fragment in access slot 8), the second RMARKER is the RMARKER (i.e., the R8-1 fragment) of the initial fragment of the last responder's MMS packet for the initiator, while the third RMARKER is the RSF-RMARKER (in the first RSF) of a further MMS packet from the initiator (i.e., the final I-1 fragment in access slot 8). This is shown in the right half of Figure 19.

[0340] When an MMS packet used for MMS ranging has a single fragment with a RMARKER (for example, when an RSF-only MMS packet is used, or when an RIF-only MMS packet with a single fragment is used), the RMARKER is determined as described above, and the initiator records the timing of the relevant RMARKER and calculates the required time (round-trip time (Tround1_Rn), response time (Treply2_Rn)) for each responder as described below. Each responder records the timing of the relevant RMARKER and calculates the required time (response time (Treply1_Rn), round-trip time (Tround2_Rn)) as follows. The fields in each measurement report (see Figure 14) are set as follows.

[0341] ■Initiator measurement report (for responder n excluding the last responder):

[0342] ○ Round-trip time (Tround1_Rn) = The time difference between the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet to responder n and the reception time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of responder n's MMS packet.

[0343] ○Response time (Treply2_Rn) = The time difference between the reception time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the MMS packet of responder n and the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet to the next responder (n+1).

[0344] ■Responser measurement report (from responder n, excluding the last responder):

[0345] ○ Response time (Treply1_Rn) = The time difference between the reception time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet to responder n and the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of responder n's MMS packet.

[0346] ○ Round-trip time (Tround2_Rn) = The time difference between the transmission time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the MMS packet of responder n and the reception time of the RMARKER of the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet to the next responder (n+1).

[0347] ■Regarding the last responder, any further MMS packets from the initiator are used as MMS packets to the next responder (n+1) in order to calculate the DS-TWR timing measurement (i.e., the initiator's response time to the last responder and the last responder's round-trip time).

[0348] In Example 1 above, each of the multiple responders transmits an ADV-RESP frame to the initiator during the initialization and setup phase. In possible implementations, one responder may be predetermined or dynamically selected from multiple responders participating in MMS ranging. One responder transmits one ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, and the initiator then transmits an SOR frame to one responder, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the initialization and setup phase and achieving a unified initialization and setup procedure. Upon receiving one ADV-RESP frame from one responder, the initiator determines that only one responder transmitted one ADV-RESP frame and transmits an SOR frame. Thus, collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between SOR frames are prevented.

[0349] Regarding the indication scheme for a number N indicated by an ADV-RESP frame, in possible implementations, an ADV-RESP frame may include a first and a second indication, the first of which is used to indicate the number N, and the second of which is used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N. The first indication may also be the responder number field in the ADV-RESP frame, and the second indication may be the remaining ADV-RESP field in the ADV-RESP frame. Specifically, the second indication is used to indicate that the number of remaining first frames is 0. A joint indication scheme may be suitable for a scenario in which only one ADV-RESP frame is transmitted to the initiator by one responder. On the other hand, the first indication may indicate the number of responders participating in MMS ranging. On the other hand, the second instruction may indicate that the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames is zero. Thus, after receiving the ADV-RESP frames containing the first and second instructions, the initiator may know that it is time to transmit the SOR frame.

[0350] In possible implementations, MMS packets from the initiator are skipped in all access slots except the first and last access slots in the MMS ranging, and the communication method further includes the step of the initiator transmitting the final MMS packet in the last access slot in the MMS ranging. That is, the initiator does not transmit MMS packets in each access slot in the measurement cycle, thereby reducing the ranging time.

[0351] In possible implementations, when N is even, the communication method further includes the step of the initiator determining that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, and after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder, transmitting the final MMS packet in the last access slot in the MMS ranging. The MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker may be an RIF-only MMS packet or an RSF-only MMS packet containing a single fragment. Further MMS packets from the initiator may be unnecessary by reversing the order of MMS packet exchanges in the last access slot, and the DS-TWR can still be enabled.

[0352] Accordingly, the process for obtaining the first round-trip time and first response time in the initiator's measurement report, and the second round-trip time and second response time in the responder's measurement report, needs to be modified.

[0353] In a possible implementation, the initiator records the seventh transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator in the first access slot, the fourth reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the eighth transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot, and calculates the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the seventh transmission time, the fourth reception time and the eighth transmission time. In a possible implementation, the Nth responder records the 12th reception time of the first ranging marker on the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator in the first access slot, the 14th transmission time of the second ranging marker on the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the 13th reception time of the third ranging marker on the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot, and calculates the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the 12th reception time, the 14th transmission time and the 13th reception time. When the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, and when N is even, the DS-TWR can be enabled based on the reversal of the order of the final MMS packet exchange in the last access slot.

[0354] The above primarily describes implementation methods for specific scenarios different from Example 1. It should be noted that some similar processes for MMS ranging in Example 1 may also be applicable to specific scenarios and are not repeated here.

[0355] Other digital key application scenarios shown in Figure 20 (e.g., digital keys for opening garage doors or front gates) are given as Example 2, and other scenarios may exist and are not limited herein. Several NB-UWB modules may be installed in various locations (e.g., at the four corners of a garage) to function as responders. One or more Bluetooth radios may also be installed. All these radios can also be connected to and communicate with each other using, for example, an in-house wired network. A central device may exist that can control and coordinate all radios. One of the NB-UWB modules may also function as a proxy responder. The responder functioning as a proxy responder may be statically selected based on, for example, device capabilities and / or its location in the garage. Alternatively, the proxy responder may be dynamically selected based on, for example, the received signal strength of ADV-POLL frames during the initialization and setup phase. The responder that receives the ADV-POLL frame with the highest signal power may function as the proxy responder.

[0356] The UWB, NB, and Bluetooth radios may be installed directly inside the vehicle (e.g., a car), as shown in Figure 7, with one of the NB-UWB modules acting as the initiator. Alternatively, a compatible mobile device (e.g., a smartphone) that supports each of the UWB, NB, and Bluetooth radios and is carried by the car driver can act as the initiator for MMS ranging. The Bluetooth radio is used for initial discovery, connection setup, and certificate verification, while the NB and UWB radios are used for MMS ranging. Since NB-UWB MMS ranging is designed for long-range ranging, it is suitable for use cases that require ranging from greater distances, for example, to initiate a ranging procedure to open a garage door / gate while the car is still more than 50 meters away. By the time the car is near the garage / gate (for example, just 10 meters away), it may already be authenticated as an authorized vehicle (based on digital key information and distance, etc.), and appropriate actions such as opening the garage door or front gate can be taken without having to slow down or stop the car to wait for the door / gate to open the entire time.

[0357] During the initialization and setup phase of MMS ranging, the initiator may opportunistically transmit advertising pole (ADV-POLL) frames at times and intervals of its discretion, while responders may opportunistically listen for incoming ADV-POLL frames. In this scenario, as shown in Figure 21, only proxy responders respond to ADV-POLL frames with ADV-RESP frames. The ADV-RESP frame indicates the number of responders participating in the MMS ranging. The number of responders may be determined based on how many responders received ADV-POLL frames, etc. The ADV-RESP frame may also indicate that there are 0 remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following it, since this is the only ADV-RESP frame.

[0358] When an initiator receives an ADV-RESP frame, it can determine, based on the responder count field, whether a one-to-one MMS ranging measurement is requested or a one-to-many MMS ranging measurement is requested. When the responder count field is set to a value greater than 1, a one-to-many MMS ranging measurement is requested, and an alert is issued if more than one responder participates in the MMS ranging measurement. Since the ADV-RESP frame also indicates zero remaining ADV-RESP frames, the initiator transmits an SOR frame indicating when the MMS ranging measurement will begin. Thus, collisions between ADV-RESP frames or between SOR frames are prevented.

[0359] Figure 22 shows an exemplary time-domain message flow for a one-to-many UWB MMS ranging application adapted to DS-TWR with multiple coordinated responders and proxy responders.

[0360] The message flow is shown in Figure 9 and is the same as described above, so it will not be repeated here. Only different aspects will be described. The in-vehicle module (either the in-vehicle NB module or a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone)) functions as the controller and initiator, while the NB-UWB module in the garage functions as the controller and responder.

[0361] Once a session is set up, the initiator opportunistically transmits ADV-POLL frames at times and intervals of its discretion, while the responder opportunistically listens for incoming ADV-POLL frames and may respond with ADV-RESP frames if the responder intends to participate in a ranging session with the initiator. The Max Responder field in ADV-POLL specifies the maximum number of responders that the initiator can support for MMS ranging (e.g., K≧1). To indicate that the initiator supports one-to-many MMS ranging, the Max Responder field in ADV-POLL is set to a value greater than 1.

[0362] Upon receiving an ADV-POLL frame, the proxy responder can select N (N ≤ K) responders to participate in the MMS ranging and transmits an ADV-RESP frame to request parameters for the MMS ranging. The ADV-RESP frame is shown in Figure 23, and the main fields that differ from those in Figure 11 are as follows:

[0363] Remaining ADV-RESP: Always set to 0 to indicate that this is the only ADV-RESP frame transmitted during the initialization and setup phase.

[0364] Distance measurement parameters: These parameters are specific to MMS distance measurement.

[0365] ■RESP Absence During Control Phase: Set to 1 to indicate that the RESP frame will be skipped during the ranging control phase other than the first access slot.

[0366] ■Number of Responders: Indicates the number of responders participating in the distance measurement.

[0367] Here, the ADV-RESP frame also requires that the POLL frame be skipped during the ranging control phase other than the first access slot, and also requires DS-TWR time measurement and integrated measurement report.

[0368] Upon receiving an ADV-RESP frame, the initiator transmits an SOR frame indicating the status of the MMS ranging request. If the status is successful, it also transmits the time when the first measurement cycle of the MMS ranging will begin, and the number of responders the initiator will range during the MMS ranging round. The SOR frame also confirms the MMS ranging parameters requested by the responders.

[0369] At a time indicated by the time offset within the SOR frame, the initiator transmits a POLL frame (as shown in Figure 16), for example, at the beginning of the first ranging slot of a ranging round. The POLL frame signals the start of one-to-many MMS ranging, and the initiator reconfirms the parameters requested by the responder and initiator (in the ADV-RESP frame and SOR frame, respectively), and may also include other control information for the responder.

[0370] Upon receiving a POLL frame in the first access slot, the proxy responder sends a RESP frame back to the initiator. The POLL and RESP frames enable the initiator and proxy responder to achieve time and frequency synchronization. Since all responders are connected to each other, this also enables other responders to achieve time and frequency synchronization with the initiator. In the ranging phase of the first access slot, the initiator and proxy responder perform MMS ranging by exchanging MMS packets. Since the initiator and all responders have already achieved synchronization via the POLL and RESP frames in the first access slot, the POLL and RESP frames (and therefore the ranging control phase) are skipped in subsequent access slots. In the ranging phase of access slots other than the first and last access slots, MMS packets from the initiator are also skipped, and only the responders transmit MMS packets, with the MMS fragments of two responders interleaved within a period of 1 ms. The sequence and order of responder MMS fragments may be determined by a proxy responder or a central controller. When a DS-TWR is requested during the ranging phase of the last access slot, the initiator transmits the final MMS packet. If there is an even number of responders, the last responder also transmits its MMS packet in the last access slot, and its MMS fragment is interleaved with the initiator's MMS fragment. However, if there is an odd number of responders, the last access slot consists only of the initiator's MMS packet, as shown in Figure 22. This means that access slots other than the first access slot consist only of the ranging phase.Once the ranging phase is complete for all access slots, the slots are assigned to the measurement reporting phase. When a report is requested (i.e., the responder report request bit is set to 1 in the SOR and POLL frames) and an integrated measurement report is indicated (i.e., the integrated measurement report bit is set to 1 in the POLL frame), the proxy responder collects relevant measurement reports from all responders (e.g., on the home wired network), generates an integrated measurement report, and transmits an RPRT frame carrying the integrated measurement report in the first slot of the measurement reporting phase. Similarly, when a report is requested from the initiator (i.e., the initiator report request bit is set to 1), the initiator collects relevant measurements for all responders, generates an integrated measurement report, and transmits an RPRT frame carrying the integrated measurement report in the second slot of the measurement reporting phase. From Figure 22, it can be seen that one measurement cycle can be completed in 24 slots (i.e., 12 ms), which is even shorter than the time required for one measurement cycle in Example 1.

[0371] Next, this disclosure describes how ranging measurements are performed and reported to enable DS-TWR (when the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in an ADV-RESP frame or SOR frame). An enlarged view of the UWB MMS packet exchange between the initiator and responder in Figure 22 is shown in Figure 24.

[0372] As described above, when an odd number of responders are present, the last access slot consists solely of the initiator's MMS packets, and therefore the last MMS packet is always from the initiator. Here, regardless of the MMS packet type, the RMARKER of the first fragment of the initiator's last MMS packet is used as the third RMARKER for all DS-TWR timing measurements. The initiator records the timing of the relevant RMARKER and calculates the required time (round-trip time (Tround1_Rn), response time (Treply2_Rn)) for each responder, as described below. Each responder records the timing of the relevant RMARKER and calculates the required time (response time (Treply1_Rn), round-trip time (Tround2_Rn)) as follows. The fields in each measurement report (see Figure 14) are set as follows.

[0373] ■Initiator measurement report (regarding responder n):

[0374] ○ Round-trip time (Tround1_Rn) = The time difference between the RMARKER transmission time of the first fragment of the initiator's first MMS packet (e.g., the first I-1 fragment of access slot 0) and the RMARKER reception time of the first fragment of responder n's MMS packet (e.g., R7-1 of responder 7).

[0375] ○Response time (Treply2_Rn) = The time difference between the RMARKER's reception time of the first fragment of the responder n's MMS packet (e.g., R7-1 for responder 7) and the RMARKER's transmission time of the first fragment of the initiator's final MMS packet (e.g., the first I-1 fragment for access slot 4).

[0376] ■Responser measurement report (from responder n):

[0377] ○Response time (Treply1_Rn) = The time difference between the RMARKER's reception time for the first fragment of the initiator's first MMS packet (e.g., the initial I-1 fragment for access slot 0) and the RMARKER's transmission time for the first fragment of responder n's MMS packet (e.g., R7-1 for responder 7).

[0378] ○ Round-trip time (Tround2_Rn) = The time difference between the RMARKER transmission time of the first fragment of the MMS packet of responder n (e.g., R7-1 of responder 7) and the RMARKER reception time of the first fragment of the final MMS packet of the initiator (e.g., the first I-1 fragment of access slot 4).

[0379] When DS-TWR is requested (i.e., the DS-TWR bit is set to 1), both the round-trip time field and the response time field are present in the measurement report field; otherwise, the initiator's measurement report includes only the round-trip time, and the responder's measurement report includes only the response time. When a device (initiator or responder) receives a measurement report from a peer device, the device can calculate the DS-TWR TOF using Equation 1 and thus estimate the distance to the peer device.

[0380] Next, this disclosure describes how ranging measurements to enable DS-TWR (when the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in the ADV-RESP frame or SOR frame) are performed and reported when an even number of responders are present. An enlarged view of the UWB MMS packet exchange between the initiator and responders in Figure 22, adapted for an even number of responders, is shown in Figure 25. When an even number of responders are present, the last responder also transmits its MMS packet in the last access slot, and its MMS fragment is interleaved with the initiator's MMS fragment. The order of the initiator's MMS packet and the responder's MMS packet is not an issue with respect to mixed MMS packets and RIF-only MMS packets having at least two fragments with RMARKERs, since both packet formats consist of at least two RMARKERs that can be used for timing measurements. However, when an MMS packet with a single fragment containing a RMARKER is used (e.g., an RSF-only MMS packet or an RIF-only MMS packet with a single fragment) and there is an even number of responders, each MMS packet contains a single fragment containing a RMARKER. In this case, the initiator only needs to transmit its final MMS packet after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the last responder. This means that in the last access slot, the final ranging fragment is transmitted by the initiator, i.e., the fragment interleaving is reversed (the responder transmits first, then the initiator). This enables DS-TWR measurement for the last responder as well, regardless of the type of MMS packet. If the fragment interleaving is not reversed, as described above in Example 1, when an RSF-only MMS packet is used, further MMS packets from the initiator are required to enable DS-TWR. Timing measurement is the same as when the number of responders is odd.

[0381] Example 2 primarily describes a method for enabling DS-TWR without requiring the initiator to transmit additional MMS packets, where only one responder transmits ADV-RESP frames during the initialization and setup phase. In Example 2 above, the joint instruction scheme is implemented through a first instruction (e.g., the responder count field) and a second instruction (e.g., the remaining ADV-RESP fields), but other joint instruction schemes may exist, such as the following.

[0382] In possible implementations, an ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction used to indicate a number N, and when N ≥ 2, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a third instruction used to indicate that the N responders are synchronized with each other. The first instruction may be the responder number field in the ADV-RESP frame, and the third instruction may be the synchronized responder field in the ADV-RESP frame. In this case, one of the N responders transmits an ADV-RESP frame to the initiator in which the third instruction is valid (e.g., the synchronized responder field is set to 1), and upon receiving the ADV-RESP frame, the initiator understands that this is the only ADV-RESP frame and proceeds to transmit a SOR frame.

[0383] Furthermore, there may be other scenarios in which DS-TWR is enabled without requiring the initiator to transmit further MMS packets. In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 12th instruction for requesting the reversal of fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging, and the communication method further includes the step of the initiator transmitting an MMS packet in the last access slot after receiving the first fragment of an MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder. The 12th instruction may also be an end field in the initiator packet within the ADV-RESP frame. For example, if the end field in the initiator packet is set to 1, it is required to reverse the interleaving of fragments in the last access slot in MMS ranging. By reversing the order of MMS packet exchange in the last access slot, further MMS packets from the initiator may not be required, and DS-TWR can still be enabled.

[0384] In possible implementations, when the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging is not requested within the ADV-RESP frame, the communication method further includes the steps of the initiator determining that the MMS packet to be used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, enabling a 13th instruction in the SOR frame to request the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging, and then transmitting the MMS packet in the last access slot after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder. The 13th instruction may also be an end field in the initiator packet within the SOR frame. The MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker may also be an RIF-only MMS packet or an RSF-only MMS packet containing a single fragment. In scenarios where the MMS packet to be used for MMS ranging has a single fragment having a RMARKER, the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging may be required to enable DS-TWR. If the reversal of fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging is not requested within the ADV-RESP frame, for example, if the end field in the initiator packet is set to 0 in the ADV-RESP frame, the end field in the initiator packet in the SOR frame may be set to 1, and therefore, the reversal of fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging may still be required to enable DS-TWR.

[0385] For the last access slot, in a possible implementation, the initiator records the third transmission time of the first ranging marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the (N-1)th responder, the second reception time of the second ranging marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the fourth transmission time of the third ranging marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, and calculates the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the third transmission time, the second reception time and the fourth transmission time. In a possible implementation, the Nth responder records the eighth reception time of the first ranging marker in the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the (N-1)th responder, the twelfth transmission time of the second ranging marker in the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the ninth reception time of the third ranging marker in the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, and calculates the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the eighth reception time, the twelfth transmission time, and the ninth reception time. When the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, the DS-TWR for the Nth responder (the last responder) can be enabled based on the inversion of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot.

[0386] The above primarily describes implementation methods for specific scenarios different from Examples 1 and 2. It should be noted that some similar processes for MMS ranging in Examples 1 and 2 may also be applicable to other specific scenarios and are not repeated here.

[0387] Another application scenario for the vehicle digital key, shown in Figure 26, is given as Example 3. The main difference here is that the NB radio and UWB radio are not housed together in a single module. Multiple UWB radios are located in various places within the vehicle (e.g., a car) and function as responders. A single Bluetooth radio and a single NB radio are also present. All radios are connected to each other by a wired link. The UWB radio in the car functions as a responder. The initiator device (e.g., a smartphone) includes one of each of the UWB, NB, and Bluetooth radios. If no NB radio is present, this reduces to a UWB-only one-to-many ranging scenario where both control frames and ranging packets are transmitted using the UWB radio.

[0388] Figure 27 shows an exemplary time-domain message flow for a one-to-many UWB MMS ranging application adapted to DS-TWR with multiple coordinated responders and proxy responders. The message flow is similar to that shown in Figures 9 and 22 and described above, and will not be repeated here. Only aspects specific to this scenario will be described. The initialization and setup phases are the same as in Example 2, and since there is a single NB radio shared among all responders, all NB control frames are transmitted by the same radio. The main difference lies in the ranging phase, where a time-efficient one-to-many ranging mode is utilized (i.e., the ranging mode field is set to 2). Compared to Example 1, in each access slot, the initiator's MMS packets are interleaved with the MMS packets of multiple (e.g., two) responders.

[0389] In this case, the timing measurement to enable DS-TWR is performed in the same way as described in Example 1, except that when RSF-only MMS packets are used, the responder can request the initiator to reverse the transmission sequence of the last MMS packet (in the last access slot), instead of having the initiator transmit further MMS packets; that is, the fragment interleaving is reversed (the responder transmits first, then the initiator). This enables DS-TWR measurement for the responder's last set as well, regardless of the type of MMS packet. From Figure 27, it can be seen that one measurement cycle can be completed in 22 slots (i.e., 11 ms), which is even shorter than the time required for one measurement cycle in Example 2.

[0390] A responder can request the initiator to reverse the transmission sequence of the last MMS packet by setting the termination field in the initiator packet within the ADV-RESP frame to 1, as shown in Figure 28. The synchronous responder field indicates that the N responders requested for one-to-many ranging (as shown in the ranging mode field) are synchronized with each other. If an initiator receives an ADV-RESP frame with a synchronous responder field set to 1 and no other ADV-RESP fields are present in the ADV-RESP frame, the initiator understands that this is the only ADV-RESP frame transmitted by any one of the N responders and, upon receiving the ADV-RESP frame, can proceed to transmit a SOR frame.

[0391] Alternatively, when DS-TWR is requested and RSF-only MMS packets are used for MMS ranging, the initiator may decide to reverse the transmission sequence of the last MMS packet.

[0392] When mixed MMS packets or RIF-only MMS packets are used, the interleaved MMS packet fragments from the initiator and responder are used for timing calculations for DS-TWR (same as in Example 1). When mixed MMS packets or RIF-only MMS packets are used for MMS ranging, a single MMS packet exchange is sufficient for DS-TWR. The initiator records the timing of the relevant RMARKER as described in Example 1 and calculates the required time (round-trip time (Tround1_Rn), response time (Treply2_Rn)) for each responder. Each responder records the timing of the relevant RMARKER as described in Example 1 and calculates the required time (response time (Treply1_Rn), round-trip time (Tround2_Rn)).

[0393] However, when an MMS packet with a single fragment containing a RMARKER is used (e.g., an RSF-only MMS packet or an RIF-only MMS packet with a single fragment), the first RMARKER in the first fragment of the preceding MMS packet from the initiator, and the first RMARKER in the first fragment of the following MMS packet from the initiator, are used as the first and third RMARKERs, respectively, while the first RMARKER in the first fragment of the responder's MMS packet is used as the second RMARKER for all timing calculations of the DS-TWR. This is shown in Figure 29. In this case, only the first fragment of the MMS packet contains an RMARKER that can be used to perform timing measurements, while three RMARKERs are required to perform timing measurements for the DS-TWR. For all responders except the last responder, the first RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet for that responder, the second RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the responder's MMS packet for the initiator, while the third RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet for the next responder group. This is shown in the left half of Figure 29. However, for the last responder group, the transmission sequence of the last MMS packet is reversed, so the first RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the initiator's MMS packet for the previous responder group (e.g., the initial I-1 fragment in access slot 2), the second RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the responder's MMS packet for the initiator (e.g., the R7-1 or R8-1 fragment), while the third RMARKER is the RMARKER in the first fragment of the last MMS packet from the initiator (e.g., I-1 in access slot 3). This is shown in the right half of Figure 29.

[0394] When DS-TWR is requested (i.e., the DS-TWR bit is set to 1 in an applicable frame), both the round-trip time field and the response time field are included in the measurement report; otherwise, the initiator's measurement report includes only the round-trip time, and the responder's measurement report includes only the response time. When a device (initiator or responder) receives a measurement report from a peer device, it can calculate the DS-TWR TOF using Equation 1 and thus estimate the distance to the peer device.

[0395] When an MMS packet with a single fragment containing a RMARKER (e.g., an RSF-only MMS packet or an RIF-only MMS packet with a single fragment) is used, this method, which enables DS-TWR timing measurement for the last responder by reversing the transmission sequence of the last MMS packet (in the last access slot), i.e., reversing the interleaving of the fragments (responder transmits first, then initiator), is also applicable to the serial one-to-many ranging sequence described in Example 1. Referring to access slot 8 in Figure 19, if responder 8 transmits the first fragment of its MMS packet before the first fragment of the initiator's last MMS packet, the final MMS packet from the initiator is not required for DS-TWR measurement. Instead, to perform DS-TWR timing measurements, for the last responder, the first RMARKER is the RSF-RMARKER (in the first RSF) of the initiator's MMS packet for the previous responder (e.g., responder 7), or the MMS packet for the last responder (e.g., responder 8) for the initiator, while the second RMARKER is the RSF-RMARKER (in the first RSF) of the last MMS packet from the initiator.

[0396] Next, embodiments of products related to communication methods will be described.

[0397] Figure 30 shows a block diagram of a communication device 3000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device 3000 includes a unit for implementing a step or process in an embodiment of the method from the initiator side. As shown in Figure 30, the device 3000 is

[0398] A first receiving unit 3002 is configured to receive advertising response (ADV-RESP) frames from responders, where the ADV-RESP frame indicates the number N of responders participating in multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging, and N ≥ 1.

[0399] A first transmitting unit 3004 is configured to transmit a Start of Range (SOR) frame to the responder according to the ADV-RESP frame, and the SOR frame is used to provide a time offset for the start of the first distance measurement cycle. Includes.

[0400] In possible implementations, the ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction, which is used to indicate the number N.

[0401] In possible implementations, an ADV-RESP frame contains a second instruction used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

[0402] In possible implementations, the number N is represented by the number of ADV-RESP frames received by the initiator.

[0403] In a possible implementation, N ≥ 2, and the first receiving unit 3002 is specifically configured to sequentially receive N ADV-RESP frames from N responders in a predetermined order, the predetermined order being coordinated by the N responders.

[0404] In a possible implementation, an ADV-RESP frame contains a first instruction and a second instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate a number N, and the second instruction being used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

[0405] In possible implementations, N ≥ 2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes a third instruction, which is used to indicate that the N responders are synchronized with each other.

[0406] In a possible implementation, the first receiving unit 3002 is specifically configured to receive one ADV-RESP frame from one responder, the responder being either predetermined or dynamically selected from responders participating in MMS ranging.

[0407] In a possible implementation, the device 3000 further includes a second transmitting unit 3001 configured to transmit advertising pole (ADV-POLL) frames to responders, the ADV-POLL frames being used to indicate the maximum number of K responders supported for MMS ranging, where K ≥ 1.

[0408] In a possible implementation, the first transmitting unit 3004 is specifically configured to transmit a SOR frame to the responder upon receiving the Nth ADV-RESP frame.

[0409] In a possible implementation, the first transmission unit 3004 is specifically configured to estimate the expected transmission time for N ADV-RESP frames, and to transmit the SOR frame to the responder once the expected transmission time has elapsed.

[0410] In a possible implementation, the first transmitting unit 3004 is specifically configured to transmit SOR frames to one responder.

[0411] In a possible implementation, the device 3000 further includes a unit configured to determine the number M of responders for MMS ranging according to the number of ADV-RESP frames received, where M ≤ N, and to transmit a SOR frame containing a fourth indication of the number M.

[0412] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a fifth instruction to indicate that no POLL frames exist in the ranging control phase other than the first access slot in MMS ranging.

[0413] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a sixth instruction to indicate that no RESP frames exist in the ranging control phase other than the first access slot.

[0414] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a seventh instruction indicating that the initiator is requested to transmit a measurement report, and the apparatus 3000 further includes a third transmitting unit 3006 configured to transmit the report frame.

[0415] In a possible implementation, N ≥ 2, the ADV-RESP frame further includes an eighth instruction for requesting an integrated measurement report, the device further includes a generating unit configured to generate an integrated measurement report according to measurements for N responders, and a third transmitting unit 3006 is specifically configured to transmit a report frame carrying the integrated measurement report.

[0416] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a ninth instruction for requesting a two-way distance measurement (DS-TWR) measurement in the measurement report, a seventh instruction for indicating that the initiator is requested to transmit the measurement report, and the device further includes a unit configured to transmit a measurement report including both a first round-trip time and a first response time.

[0417] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a tenth instruction for requesting the initiator to transmit further MMS packets, the method further includes a unit configured to transmit further MMS packets.

[0418] In a possible implementation, no further MMS packets are requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and the device further includes a unit configured to transmit MMS packets, which determines that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, and to enable an eleventh instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets within the SOR frame.

[0419] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a unit configured to record a first transmission time of a first ranging marker in a first fragment of a first MMS packet from an initiator to an Nth responder, a first reception time of a second ranging marker in a first fragment of a second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and a second transmission time of a third ranging marker in a first fragment of a further MMS packet, and to calculate a first round-trip time and a first response time according to the first transmission time, first reception time and second transmission time.

[0420] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 12th instruction for requesting the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging, the device further includes a unit configured to transmit the MMS packet in the last access slot after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder.

[0421] In a possible implementation, the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging is not requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and the device determines that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, and further includes a unit configured to enable a 13th instruction in the SOR frame to request the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging, and to transmit the MMS packet in the last access slot after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder.

[0422] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a unit configured to record a third transmission time of a first distance marker in a first fragment of a first MMS packet from an initiator to the (N-1)th responder, a second reception time of a second distance marker in a first fragment of a second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and a fourth transmission time of a third distance marker in a first fragment of a third MMS packet from an initiator to the Nth responder, and to calculate a first round-trip time and a first response time according to the third transmission time, the second reception time, and the fourth transmission time.

[0423] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes a unit configured to record the fifth transmission time of the first ranging marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the m-th responder, the third reception time of the second ranging marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the m-th responder to the initiator, and the sixth transmission time of the third ranging marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the (m + 1)-th responder, where 1 ≤ m < N, and calculate the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the fifth transmission time, the third reception time, and the sixth transmission time.

[0424] In a possible implementation manner, the MMS packet from the initiator is skipped in access slots other than the first access slot and the last access slot in MMS ranging, and the device further includes a unit configured to transmit the final MMS packet in the last access slot in MMS ranging.

[0425] In a possible implementation manner, N is an even number, the device determines that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet including a single fragment having a ranging marker, and after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the N-th responder, further includes a unit configured to transmit the final MMS packet in the last access slot in MMS ranging.

[0426] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a unit configured to record the seventh transmission time of the first ranging marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator in the first access slot, the fourth reception time of the second ranging marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the eighth transmission time of the third ranging marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot, and to calculate a first round-trip time and a first response time according to the seventh transmission time, the fourth reception time and the eighth transmission time.

[0427] In a possible implementation, the device determines that an MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet comprising at least two fragments having ranging markers, and records the 9th transmission time of the first ranging marker in the first fragment of a first MMS packet from the initiator to the nth responder, the 5th reception time of the second ranging marker in the first fragment of a second MMS packet from the nth responder to the initiator, and the 10th transmission time of the third ranging marker in the second fragment of the first MMS packet carrying the ranging marker, where 1 ≤ n ≤ N, and further includes a unit configured to calculate a first round-trip time and a first response time according to the 9th transmission time, the 5th reception time and the 10th transmission time.

[0428] Figure 31 shows a block diagram of a communication device 3100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device 3100 includes a module for implementing a step or process in an embodiment of the method from the initiator side. As shown in Figure 31, the device 3100 is

[0429] A fourth transmitting unit 3102 is configured to transmit an advertising response (ADV-RESP) frame to the initiator, where the ADV-RESP frame indicates the number N of responders participating in multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging, N ≥ 1, and the fourth transmitting unit 3102

[0430] The system includes a second receiving unit 3104 configured to receive a Start-of-Range (SOR) frame from the initiator, the SOR frame being used to provide a time offset for the start of a first distance measurement cycle.

[0431] In possible implementations, the ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction, which is used to indicate the number N.

[0432] In possible implementations, an ADV-RESP frame contains a second instruction used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

[0433] In possible implementations, the number N is represented by the number of ADV-RESP frames transmitted by the responder.

[0434] In a possible implementation, N ≥ 2, and the device further includes a coordination unit configured to coordinate a predetermined order for transmitting N ADV-RESP frames, and the ADV-RESP transmission unit is specifically configured to sequentially transmit N ADV-RESP frames to an initiator in a predetermined order.

[0435] In a possible implementation, an ADV-RESP frame contains a first instruction and a second instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate a number N, and the second instruction being used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, where Ni is the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame, and 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

[0436] In possible implementations, N ≥ 2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes a third instruction, which is used to indicate that the N responders are synchronized with each other.

[0437] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP transmission unit is specifically configured to transmit one ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, and one responder is either predetermined or dynamically selected from responders participating in MMS ranging.

[0438] In a possible implementation, the device 3100 further includes a third receiving unit 3101 configured to receive advertising pole (ADV-POLL) frames from an initiator, the ADV-POLL frames being used to indicate the maximum number of K responders supported for MMS ranging, where K ≥ 1.

[0439] In a possible implementation, the second receiving unit 3104 is specifically configured to receive an SOR frame containing a fourth indication showing the number M of responders for MMS ranging, where M ≤ N.

[0440] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a fifth instruction to indicate that no POLL frames exist in the ranging control phase other than the first access slot in MMS ranging.

[0441] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a sixth instruction to indicate that no RESP frames exist in the ranging control phase other than the first access slot.

[0442] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 14th instruction indicating that the responder is requested to transmit a measurement report, and the device 3100 further includes a 5th transmitting unit 3106 configured to transmit the report frame.

[0443] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes an eighth instruction for requesting an integrated measurement report, the device further includes a collection unit configured to collect measurement reports from N responders, and a generation unit configured to generate an integrated measurement report according to the measurement reports from the N responders, the fifth transmission unit specifically configured to transmit a report frame carrying the integrated measurement report.

[0444] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a ninth instruction for requesting a two-way distance measurement (DS-TWR) measurement in the measurement report, a 14th instruction for indicating that the responder is requested to transmit the measurement report, and the device further includes a unit configured to transmit a measurement report including both a second round-trip time and a second response time.

[0445] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a tenth instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets, and the device further includes a unit configured to receive further MMS packets from the initiator.

[0446] In possible implementations, no further MMS packets are requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and when the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment with a ranging marker, the 11th instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets within the SOR frame is enabled.

[0447] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a unit configured to record a sixth reception time of a first ranging marker in a first fragment of a first MMS packet from an initiator to an Nth responder, an eleventh transmission time of a second ranging marker in a first fragment of a second MMS packet from an Nth responder to an initiator, and a seventh reception time of a third ranging marker in a first fragment of a further MMS packet, and to calculate a second round-trip time and a second response time according to the sixth reception time, the eleventh transmission time, and the seventh reception time.

[0448] In a possible implementation, the ADV-RESP frame further includes a 12th instruction for requesting the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in the MMS ranging, and the device further includes a unit configured to transmit a first fragment of the MMS packet to an initiator and to receive the MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in the MMS ranging.

[0449] In a possible implementation, the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging is not requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and when the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, the 13th instruction for requesting the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in MMS ranging is enabled within the SOR frame, and the device further includes a unit configured to transmit a first fragment of the MMS packet to an initiator and to receive the MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in MMS ranging.

[0450] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes a unit configured to record the 8th reception time of the 1st ranging marker of the 1st fragment of the 1st MMS packet from the initiator to the (N-1)th responder, the 12th transmission time of the 2nd ranging marker of the 1st fragment of the 2nd MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the 9th reception time of the 3rd ranging marker of the 1st fragment of the 3rd MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, and calculate the 2nd round-trip time and the 2nd response time according to the 8th reception time, the 12th transmission time and the 9th reception time.

[0451] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes a unit configured to record the 10th reception time of the 1st ranging marker of the 1st fragment of the 1st MMS packet from the initiator to the mth responder, the 13th transmission time of the 2nd ranging marker of the 1st fragment of the 2nd MMS packet from the mth responder to the initiator, and the 11th reception time of the 3rd ranging marker of the 1st fragment of the 3rd MMS packet from the initiator to the (m+1)th responder, where 1≦m<N, and calculate the 2nd round-trip time and the 2nd response time according to the 10th reception time, the 13th transmission time and the 11th reception time.

[0452] In a possible implementation manner, the MMS packet from the initiator is skipped in access slots other than the first access slot and the last access slot in MMS ranging, and the device further includes a unit configured to receive the final MMS packet in the last access slot in MMS ranging.

[0453] In a possible implementation manner, N is an even number, the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet including a single fragment with a ranging marker, and the device further includes a unit configured to transmit the 1st fragment of the MMS packet to the initiator and receive the final MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in MMS ranging.

[0454] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a unit configured to record the reception time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator in the first access slot, the transmission time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot, and to calculate a second round-trip time and a second response time according to the reception time of the 12th, the transmission time of the 14th, and the reception time of the 13th.

[0455] In a possible implementation, the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet comprising at least two fragments having ranging markers, the device further includes a unit configured to record, by the nth responder, the 14th reception time of the first ranging marker in the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the nth responder, the 15th transmission time of the second ranging marker in the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the nth responder to the initiator, and the 15th reception time of the third ranging marker in the second fragment of the first MMS packet carrying the ranging markers, where 1 ≤ n ≤ N, and to calculate a second round-trip time and a second response time according to the 14th reception time, the 15th transmission time and the 15th reception time.

[0456] Those skilled in the art will understand that the relevant descriptions of the units in embodiments of this disclosure can be understood by referring to the relevant descriptions of the communication methods in embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the units involved in embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented through software or hardware. The names of the units do not constitute a limitation on the units themselves. For example, the first transmitting unit 3004, the second transmitting unit 3001, the third transmitting unit 3006, the fourth transmitting unit 3102, and the fifth transmitting unit 3106 may be implemented as the same transmitter. In another example, the first receiving unit 3002, the second receiving unit 3104, and the third receiving unit 3101 may be implemented as the same receiver. Furthermore, the functions of the transmitter and receiver may be implemented through a transceiver. Furthermore, functions implemented by multiple units may be implemented by a single unit, which may be designed according to the actual needs.

[0457] The Disclosure further provides an electronic device, as shown in Figure 32, in which the electronic device 3200 may include a memory 3201 and a processor 3202, and a computer program is stored in the memory 3201 and executed by the processor 3202 to realize the corresponding steps described in embodiments of the method. The relevant descriptions of the steps can be understood by referring to the relevant descriptions of the communication method in embodiments of the Disclosure. Furthermore, the electronic device 3200 may further include a communication interface 3203 for communicating with other devices. The computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, or code) may include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented using a high-level procedural intrinsic programming language or an assembly language / machine language.

[0458] This disclosure provides a communication system including a device for performing an initiator-side communication method and a device for performing a responder-side communication method.

[0459] This disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium that stores computer execution instructions, and the above communication method is realized when the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor.

[0460] This disclosure further provides a computer program product including computer execution instructions, wherein the above communication method is realized when the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor.

[0461] Such computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, computer-readable storage media, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or any other medium capable of storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer. Any connection is also appropriately referred to as computer-readable media. For example, if instructions are transmitted from a website, server or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of media. However, it should be understood that computer-readable storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carriers, signals, or other temporary media, but instead refer to non-temporary, tangible storage media. As used herein, the terms "disk" and "disc" include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital multipurpose discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where a "disk" typically reproduces data magnetically, and a "disc" reproduces data optically using a laser. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0462] Instructions may be executed by one or more processors, such as digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits. Therefore, the term “processor” as used herein may refer to any of the above-described structures or any other structure suitable for an implementation of the technology described herein. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the functions described herein may be provided within dedicated hardware and / or software modules configured for encoding and decoding, or incorporated into a composite codec. The technology may also be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements.

[0463] The techniques of this disclosure may be implemented in a wide variety of devices or apparatus, including wireless handsets, integrated circuits (ICs), or sets of ICs (e.g., chipsets). Various components, modules, or units are described in this disclosure to highlight the functional aspects of devices configured to perform the disclosed techniques, but do not necessarily require implementation by different hardware units. Rather, as described above, the various units may be combined in a codec hardware unit, or they may be provided by a collection of interoperable hardware units, including one or more processors as described above, together with appropriate software and / or firmware.

Claims

1. A method of communication, The steps include: an initiator receiving an advertising response (ADV-RESP) frame from a responder, wherein the ADV-RESP frame indicates the number N of responders participating in multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging, and N ≥ 1; The steps include: the initiator transmits a Start of Distance Measurement (SOR) frame to the responder according to the ADV-RESP frame, the SOR frame being used to provide a time offset for the start of the first distance measurement cycle; and A method that includes this.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate the number N.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ADV-RESP frame includes a second instruction, the second instruction is used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, the number of the remaining ADV-RESP frames included in the i-th ADV-RESP frame is Ni, where 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the number N is represented by the number of ADV-RESP frames received by the initiator.

5. The step of receiving the ADV-RESP frame from the responder by the initiator is as follows: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising the step of the initiator sequentially receiving N ADV-RESP frames from N responders in a predetermined order, wherein the predetermined order is coordinated by the N responders.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction and a second instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate the number N, and the second instruction being used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, the number of the remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame being Ni, where 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein N ≥ 2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes a third instruction, the third instruction being used to indicate that N responders are synchronized with one another.

8. The step of the initiator receiving the ADV-RESP frame from the responder is: The method according to claim 6 or 7, comprising the step of receiving one ADV-RESP frame from one responder by the initiator, wherein the one responder is predetermined or dynamically selected from responders participating in the MMS ranging.

9. Before the initiator receives the ADV-RESP frame from the responder, the method The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising the step of transmitting an advertising pole (ADV-POLL) frame to the responder by the initiator, wherein the ADV-POLL frame is used to indicate the maximum number of K responders supported for the MMS ranging, where K ≥ 1.

10. The step of transmitting the SOR frame to the responder by the initiator is: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising the step of transmitting the SOR frame to the responder when the initiator receives the Nth ADV-RESP frame.

11. The step of transmitting the SOR frame to the responder by the initiator is: A step of estimating the expected transmission time of N ADV-RESP frames, The initiator, once the expected transmission time has elapsed, transmits the SOR frame to the responder. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, including

12. Before the initiator transmits the SOR frame to the responder, the method: The initiator determines the number of responders M for MMS ranging according to the number of ADV-RESP frames received, where M ≤ N, and the other step is... The initiator transmits the SOR frame including a fourth instruction indicating the number M. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising:

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the ADV-RESP frame further includes a fifth instruction to indicate that no POLL frame exists in any ranging control stage other than the first access slot in the MMS ranging.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the ADV-RESP frame further includes a sixth instruction to indicate that no RESP frames exist in the ranging control stage other than the first access slot.

15. The ADV-RESP frame further includes a seventh instruction to indicate that the initiator is requested to transmit a measurement report, and the method The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising the step of transmitting a report frame by the initiator.

16. N≧2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes an eighth instruction for requesting an integrated measurement report, and the method is The initiator further includes the step of generating the integrated measurement report according to measurements for N responders, The step of transmitting the report frame by the initiator is: The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of transmitting the report frame carrying the integrated measurement report by the initiator.

17. The ADV-RESP frame further includes a ninth instruction for requesting a two-way distance measurement (DS-TWR) measurement in the measurement report, and a seventh instruction is included in the ADV-RESP frame to indicate that the initiator is requested to transmit the measurement report, and the method is The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising the step of transmitting the measurement report, which includes both a first round-trip time and a first response time, by the initiator.

18. The ADV-RESP frame further includes a tenth instruction for requesting the initiator to transmit further MMS packets, the method The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of transmitting the further MMS packets by the initiator.

19. No further MMS packets are requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and this method The initiator determines that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, The steps include enabling the initiator to enable an eleventh instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets within the SOR frame, The initiator transmits the further MMS packets. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

20. The initiator records the first transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, the first reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the second transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the further MMS packet. The initiator calculates the first round trip time and the first response time according to the first transmission time, the first reception time and the second transmission time. The method according to claim 18 or 19, further comprising:

21. The ADV-RESP frame further includes a 12th instruction for requesting the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in the MMS ranging, and the method The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of transmitting an MMS packet in the last access slot after the initiator has received a first fragment of an MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder.

22. The reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in the MMS ranging is not required within the ADV-RESP frame, and the method is The initiator determines that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, The steps include enabling a 13th instruction by the initiator to request that the interleaving of the fragments be reversed in the last access slot in the MMS ranging within the SOR frame, The initiator, after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder, transmits the MMS packet in the last access slot. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

23. The initiator records the third transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the (N-1)th responder, the second reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the fourth transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder. The initiator calculates the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the third transmission time, the second reception time and the fourth transmission time. The method according to claim 21 or 22, further comprising:

24. The initiator records the fifth first transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the m-th responder, the third reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the m-th responder to the initiator, and the sixth transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the (m+1)-th responder, where 1 ≤ m <Nである、ステップと、 The initiator calculates the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the fifth transmission time, the third reception time and the sixth transmission time. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 23, further comprising:

25. The MMS packets from the initiator are skipped in access slots other than the first and last access slots in the MMS ranging, and this method is The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of transmitting the final MMS packet in the last access slot in the MMS ranging by the initiator.

26. N is an even number, and this method is The initiator determines that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, The initiator, after receiving the first fragment of the MMS packet transmitted by the Nth responder, transmits the final MMS packet in the last access slot in the MMS ranging. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

27. The initiator records the seventh transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator in the first access slot, the fourth reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the eighth transmission time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot. The initiator calculates the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the seventh transmission time, the fourth reception time and the eighth transmission time. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

28. The initiator determines that the MMS packet used for MMS ranging is an MMS packet comprising at least two fragments having ranging markers, The steps include recording the 9th transmission time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the nth responder, the 5th reception time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the nth responder to the initiator, and the 10th transmission time of the 3rd distance marker of the second fragment of the first MMS packet carrying the distance marker, where 1 ≤ n ≤ N, and The initiator calculates the first round-trip time and the first response time according to the ninth transmission time, the fifth reception time and the tenth transmission time. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

29. A method of communication, The steps include: a responder transmitting an advertising response (ADV-RESP) frame to the initiator, wherein the ADV-RESP frame indicates the number N of responders participating in multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging, and N ≥ 1; The steps include: the responder receiving a Start of Range (SOR) frame from the initiator, the SOR frame being used to provide a time offset for the start of a first distance measurement cycle; and A method that includes this.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate the number N.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the ADV-RESP frame includes a second instruction, the second instruction is used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames to be transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, the number of the remaining ADV-RESP frames included in the i-th ADV-RESP frame is Ni, where 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the number N is represented by the number of ADV-RESP frames transmitted by the responder.

33. N≧2, and this method is The method further includes the step of coordinating a predetermined order for transmitting N ADV-RESP frames by N responders, The step of transmitting the ADV-RESP frame to the initiator by the responder is: The method according to any one of claims 29 to 32, comprising the step of sequentially transmitting N ADV-RESP frames to the initiator in the predetermined order by the N responders.

34. The method according to claim 29, wherein the ADV-RESP frame includes a first instruction and a second instruction, the first instruction being used to indicate the number N, and the second instruction being used to indicate the number of remaining ADV-RESP frames transmitted following the ADV-RESP frame, the number of the remaining ADV-RESP frames contained in the i-th ADV-RESP frame being Ni, where 1 ≤ i ≤ N.

35. The method according to claim 30, wherein N ≥ 2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes a third instruction, the third instruction being used to indicate that N responders are synchronized with one another.

36. The step of transmitting the ADV-RESP frame to the initiator by the responder is: The method according to claim 34 or 35, comprising the step of transmitting one ADV-RESP frame to the initiator by one responder, wherein the one responder is predetermined or dynamically selected from responders participating in the MMS ranging.

37. Before the responder transmits the ADV-RESP frame to the initiator, the method: The method according to any one of claims 29 to 36, further comprising the step of having the responder receive an advertising pole (ADV-POLL) frame from the initiator, the ADV-POLL frame being used to indicate the maximum number of K responders supported for the MMS ranging, where K ≥ 1.

38. The step of the responder receiving the SOR frame from the initiator is: The method according to any one of claims 29 to 37, comprising the step of receiving the SOR frame by the responder, which includes a fourth indication of the number M of responders for MMS ranging, where M ≤ N.

39. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 38, wherein the ADV-RESP frame further includes a fifth instruction to indicate that no POLL frame exists in any ranging control stage other than the first access slot in the MMS ranging.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the ADV-RESP frame further includes a sixth instruction to indicate that no RESP frames exist in the ranging control stage other than the first access slot.

41. The ADV-RESP frame further includes a 14th instruction to indicate that the responder is requested to transmit a measurement report, and the method The method according to any one of claims 29 to 40, further comprising the step of transmitting a report frame by the responder.

42. N≧2, and the ADV-RESP frame further includes an eighth instruction for requesting an integrated measurement report, and the method is The responder collects measurement reports from N responders, The responder generates the integrated measurement report according to the measurement reports from the N responders. It further includes, The step of transmitting the report frame by the responder is: The method according to claim 41, further comprising the step of transmitting the report frame carrying the integrated measurement report by the responder.

43. The ADV-RESP frame further includes a ninth instruction for requesting a two-way distance measurement (DS-TWR) measurement in the measurement report, and a 14th instruction is included in the ADV-RESP frame for indicating that the responder is requested to transmit the measurement report, and the method is The method according to any one of claims 29 to 42, further comprising the step of transmitting the measurement report, including both a second round-trip time and a second response time, by the responder.

44. The ADV-RESP frame further includes a tenth instruction for requesting the initiator to transmit further MMS packets, the method The method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of receiving the further MMS packets from the initiator by the responder.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein no further MMS packets are requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and when the MMS packets used for MMS ranging are MMS packets containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, the 11th instruction to request the initiator to transmit further MMS packets within the SOR frame is effectively set.

46. The steps include recording, by the Nth responder, the sixth reception time of the first distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, the eleventh transmission time of the second distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the seventh reception time of the third distance marker of the first fragment of the further MMS packet, The Nth initiator calculates the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the sixth reception time, the eleventh transmission time and the seventh reception time. The method according to claim 44 or 45, further comprising:

47. The ADV-RESP frame further includes a 12th instruction for requesting the reversal of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in the MMS ranging, and the method The Nth responder transmits the first fragment of the MMS packet to the initiator, The Nth responder receives an MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in the MMS ranging. The method according to claim 43, further comprising:

48. The inversion of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in the MMS ranging is not requested within the ADV-RESP frame, and when the MMS packet used for the MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, the 13th instruction for requesting the inversion of the fragment interleaving in the last access slot in the MMS ranging within the SOR frame is enabled, and the method is The Nth responder transmits the first fragment of the MMS packet to the initiator, The Nth responder receives an MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in the MMS ranging. The method according to claim 43, further comprising:

49. The steps include recording by the Nth responder the reception time of the eighth distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the (N-1)th responder, the transmission time of the twelfth distance marker of the second fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the ninth distance marker of the third fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the Nth responder, The steps include: calculating the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the eighth reception time, the twelfth transmission time and the ninth reception time by the Nth responder; The method according to claim 47 or 48, further comprising:

50. The step involves recording, by the m-th responder, the reception time of the 10th distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the m-th responder, the transmission time of the 13th distance marker of the second fragment of the second MMS packet from the m-th responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the 11th distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator to the (m+1)-th responder, where 1 ≤ m <Nである、ステップと、 The steps include: calculating the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the m-th responder, based on the 10th reception time, the 13th transmission time, and the 11th reception time; The method according to any one of claims 43 to 49, further comprising:

51. The MMS packets from the initiator are skipped in access slots other than the first and last access slots in the MMS ranging, and this method is The method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of receiving the final MMS packet in the last access slot in the MMS ranging by the responder.

52. N is an even number, and the MMS packet used for the MMS ranging is an MMS packet containing a single fragment having a ranging marker, and the method is The Nth responder transmits the first fragment of the MMS packet to the initiator, The Nth responder receives the final MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot in the MMS ranging. The method according to claim 51, further comprising:

53. The steps include recording the reception time of the 12th distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator in the first access slot, the transmission time of the 14th distance marker of the first fragment of the second MMS packet from the Nth responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the 13th distance marker of the first fragment of the third MMS packet from the initiator in the last access slot, The steps include: calculating the second round-trip time and the second response time according to the 12th reception time, the 14th transmission time and the 13th reception time by the Nth responder; The method according to claim 52, further comprising:

54. The MMS packet used for the aforementioned MMS ranging is an MMS packet comprising at least two fragments having ranging markers, and the method is, The nth responder records the reception time of the 14th distance marker of the first fragment of the first MMS packet from the initiator to the nth responder, the transmission time of the 15th distance marker of the second fragment of the second MMS packet from the nth responder to the initiator, and the reception time of the 15th distance marker of the third fragment of the second MMS packet carrying the distance marker, where 1 ≤ n ≤ N. The n responder calculates the second round trip time and the second response time according to the 14th reception time, the 15th transmission time and the 15th reception time. The method according to claim 43, further comprising:

55. A communication device comprising a unit for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28, or a unit for performing the method according to any one of claims 29 to 54.

56. An electronic device comprising a processing circuit for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28, or a processing circuit for performing the method according to any one of claims 29 to 54.

57. A chip including an input / output (I / O) interface and a processor, The chip is configured such that the processor calls and executes a computer program stored in memory, enabling a device on which the chip is installed to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

58. A chip including an input / output (I / O) interface and a processor, The chip is configured such that the processor calls and executes a computer program stored in memory, enabling a device on which the chip is installed to perform the method described in any of claims 29 to 54.

59. electronic device One or more processors, A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium coupled to one or more processors and storing a program for execution by the processors. An electronic device comprising, wherein the programming, when performed by the processor, configures the decoder to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

60. electronic device One or more processors, A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing a program for execution by the processor. An electronic device comprising, wherein the programming, when performed by the processor, configures the encoder to perform the method according to any one of claims 29 to 54.

61. A communication system comprising the electronic device described in claim 59 and the electronic device described in claim 60.

62. A non-temporary computer-readable medium carrying program code that, when executed by a computer device, causes the computer device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28 or the method according to any one of claims 29 to 54.

63. A computer program product comprising program code for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28 or the method according to any one of claims 29 to 54 when executed on a computer or processor.

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