UWB components, terminals and UWB systems

Abstract

A UWB component, a terminal and a UWB system are provided. The UWB component is externally attached to a terminal as a UWB tag and / or a UWB anchor point. The UWB component includes a first interface module (101) provided to be connected to the terminal (200) and a UWB module (102) connected to the first interface module (101). The first interface module (101) is provided to transmit transmission contents between the terminal (200) and the UWB module (102), including any one or a combination of a power supply voltage, a clock signal and / or a communication signal required by the UWB module (102).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application is filed based on and claims priority to a Chinese patent application bearing application number 202110633768.2 and filed on June 7, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to UWB components, terminals and UWB systems. [Background technology]

[0003] Looking at the characteristics of the development of the mobile phone market, users' demands for user experience are becoming increasingly higher. While the need for smaller, lighter, and thinner devices remains unchanged, the basic functions of mobile phones are becoming increasingly more numerous. With the transition from 4th-generation mobile communication technology (4G) to 5th-generation mobile communication technology (5G), the number of wireless frequency bands has increased, the number of devices has grown, and the complexity of circuit boards has significantly increased. At the same time, the demand for higher imaging effects and faster charging speeds has increased. These factors have made circuit board design more difficult and space-consuming. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Currently, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is still in its early stages of development. Existing UWB-based products are indoor positioning systems based on fixed anchor points, and are mostly used in large-volume industrial equipment or workers. When UWB technology is used in small-volume devices such as mobile phones, there are many devices on the mobile phone's circuit board, which occupies a large amount of space, and the antennas occupy a large amount of space, increasing the risk of mutual antenna scrambling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The embodiments of the present application propose a UWB component, a terminal and a UWB system.

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a UWB component, the UWB component being externally attached to a terminal as a UWB tag and / or a UWB anchor point, the UWB component including a first interface module configured to be connected to the terminal and a UWB module connected to the first interface module, the first interface module configured to transmit transmission content between the terminal and the UWB module, including any one or a combination of a power supply voltage, a clock signal, and a communication signal required by the UWB module.

[0007] An embodiment of the present application further provides a terminal, which is externally attached to the UWB component. The terminal includes a second interface module and a UWB support module. The second interface module is connected to the UWB support module and is configured to be connected to the UWB component. The second interface module is configured to transmit transmission content between the UWB support module and the UWB component, including any one or a combination of a power supply voltage, a clock signal, and a communication signal required by the UWB module.

[0008] An embodiment of the present application further provides a UWB system including the above UWB component and the above terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a UWB component according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a UWB component in the case where the post-stage power supply unit according to the embodiment of the present application adopts the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a UWB component in the case where the post-stage power supply unit according to the embodiment of the present application adopts the second implementation form. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a UWB component in the case where the post-stage power supply unit according to the embodiment of the present application adopts the third embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a UWB component with a battery unit according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a first type of UWB system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a type 2 UWB system according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a type 3 UWB system according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a type 4 UWB system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a UWB system of type 5 according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a UWB system of type 6 according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a type 7 UWB system according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In order to clarify the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application, the following describes each embodiment in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, in each embodiment of the present application, many technical details are presented to help readers better understand the present application. However, the technical solutions claimed for protection of the present application can be realized without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments. The division of the following embodiments is made for the convenience of explanation and does not limit the specific embodiments of the present application in any way. The embodiments can be combined with and refer to each other unless they are inconsistent.

[0011] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the related art to the embodiments of the present application will be first described below.

[0012] Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is a wireless carrier communication technology that differs from conventional narrowband communication technology. It achieves wireless transmission by transmitting and receiving extremely narrow pulses at the nanosecond level. UWB pulses have extremely short time widths of less than 2ns, with very fast rising and falling edges. Even in noisy environments, the rising and falling edges are clearly defined, making them resistant to noise. According to the Fourier transform theorem, the shorter the time-domain pulse, the wider the spectrum, and UWB's usable bandwidth is 500MHz or more. While boasting ultra-wideband bandwidth, UWB power is also relatively low, resulting in a very low power spectral density and a signal strength far below noise, providing excellent concealment and security. UWB technology is showing good development trends in the areas of indoor high-precision positioning and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV).

[0013] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allocated a total of 7.5 GHz of frequency band between 3.1 and 10.6 GHz to UWB. Currently, the frequency of Channel 5 is 6.5 GHz, so the half-wave antenna design requires a spacing of approximately 2.3 cm between the two antennas. However, the frequency of Channel 9 is 8.0 GHz, so the half-wave antenna design requires a spacing of approximately 1.9 cm between the two antennas. Meanwhile, when a UWB module is installed in a terminal, it must function not only as a tag but also as an anchor point, necessitating multi-antenna technology in the UWB design. Fixed-distance half-wave antennas take up a lot of design space on the circuit board, and in a small space, they can scramble with antennas for functions such as 5G and Wi-Fi. At the same time, the UWB chip in a UWB module must integrate a baseband controller, a radio frequency front-end circuit, an independently operating microcontroller unit (MCU), and a Bluetooth® module to form a communications system. Furthermore, it must also provide power and clock signals from an independent power supply and clock unit, thus providing a complete technical solution for implementing the functions supported by UWB technology. Implementing UWB technology in devices such as mobile phones requires significant circuit board space, both in terms of the antenna and its available area and the device layout area. However, existing mobile phone designs are highly integrated and resource-intensive, making it a major challenge to free up space on the circuit board and provide adequate layout and antenna space for the UWB module. Currently, UWB technology is still in its early stages of development. Existing UWB-based products are indoor positioning systems based on fixed anchor points, and most of the products used are large industrial equipment or workers.When UWB technology is used in small terminals such as mobile phones, the number of devices on the mobile phone's circuit board increases, and the space occupied by the devices increases, resulting in a greater risk of mutual antenna scrambling.

[0014] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a UWB component. The UWB component is externally attached to a terminal as a UWB tag and / or a UWB anchor point. The UWB component includes a first interface module configured to be connected to the terminal and a UWB module connected to the first interface module. The first interface module is configured to transmit transmission content between the terminal and the UWB module, including any or a combination of a power supply voltage, a clock signal, and a communication signal required by the UWB module. The UWB component may include all or part of the devices for implementing UWB functions. That is, all or part of the devices for implementing UWB functions are located outside the terminal, and transmission content such as the power supply voltage, communication signals, and clock signals is performed via the first interface module. Since all or part of the devices for implementing UWB functions are located outside the terminal, this solves the problem of many devices occupying a large area on the terminal circuit board and many antennas occupying a large area, thereby reducing the risk of mutual antenna scrambling. In addition, some high-end devices with complex functions are no longer unable to incorporate UWB functionality or are forced to remove other functions in order to incorporate UWB functionality. At the same time, external UWB components make it easier to upgrade and replace UWB components. Furthermore, with the industry trend of increasing the number of environmentally friendly products surrounding devices, external UWB components provide users with a better user experience and more options.

[0015] In one embodiment, a schematic diagram of UWB components may refer to FIG. 1 and includes a first interface module 101 and a UWB module 102. The UWB module 102 is connected to the first interface module 101, which is configured to be connected to a terminal 200. For example, the first interface module 101 may be connected to a second interface module 201 in the terminal 200. Transmission contents between the terminal 200 and the UWB module 102 may include a power supply voltage, a communication signal, a clock signal, or any combination thereof, transmitted between the first interface module 101 and the second interface module 201.

[0016] Here, the UWB component may include all devices for implementing UWB functions or some of the devices for implementing UWB functions. If the UWB component includes some devices for implementing UWB functions, the remaining devices for implementing UWB functions may be provided in the terminal, that is, all devices for implementing UWB functions are distributed in the terminal and the UWB component. The terminal may be a mobile phone, a smart watch, a smart bracelet, etc.

[0017] The UWB module 102 may include any one or a combination of a UWB chip, a UWB antenna unit, an MCU, a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth antenna unit, a clock unit, and a battery unit. The UWB antenna unit may be used to receive and transmit UWB signals. The UWB chip may include baseband and radio frequency circuits for modulation and demodulation, and the baseband and radio frequency circuits may be used to modulate and demodulate UWB signals. The MCU may be used to process UWB signals or perform other necessary control operations. The Bluetooth communication unit may be a Bluetooth chip used to communicate with the terminal via Bluetooth. For example, the Bluetooth communication unit may be responsible for transmitting demodulated UWB signals to a processing unit in the terminal 200. If the UWB component and the terminal are connected via a wired connection, the Bluetooth communication unit may not be used. The Bluetooth antenna unit may be used to transmit and receive signals in cooperation with the Bluetooth communication unit. The clock unit may be a clock generator used to generate clock signals required for UWB components. The battery unit may be used to supply power to powered units in the UWB module that require power. The powered units may include a UWB chip, an MCU, a Bluetooth communication unit, etc. The fewer the number of devices in the UWB module, the easier the design will be. The more devices in the UWB module, the smaller the space occupied on the terminal circuit board will be and the smaller the impact on mutual scrambling of antennas will be.

[0018] According to actual needs, the UWB chip may be integrated with an MCU and a Bluetooth communication unit so that the UWB chip can realize the functions of the MCU and the Bluetooth communication unit. However, in this embodiment, the functional units integrated in the UWB chip are not particularly limited, and in implementation, according to actual needs, other devices besides the baseband and radio frequency circuit, the MCU, and the Bluetooth communication unit may also be integrated in the UWB chip.

[0019] In one embodiment, a UWB antenna (one of the devices for realizing the UWB function) for realizing the UWB function may be located outside the terminal, i.e., the UWB antenna may be included in the UWB component, thereby mitigating the problem of mutual scrambling between the UWB antenna and a 5G antenna, WIFI antenna, etc. provided on the circuit board of the terminal, and reducing the difficulty of antenna debugging. However, in implementation, the UWB antenna may be provided inside the terminal, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0020] In one example, the UWB component may be a UWB tag and realize the functionality of a UWB tag. Here, the UWB tag functionality may be understood as the UWB tag transmitting a signal to a surrounding anchor point to inform the anchor point of its relative location coordinates, or the UWB tag communicating with the anchor point to inform the anchor point of the absolute distance and relative angular direction between the UWB tag and the anchor point. The UWB tag may transmit useful information to the anchor point via its own communication route or other related auxiliary communication routes, but this embodiment does not particularly limit the useful information transmitted by the UWB tag to the anchor point. When the UWB component is a UWB tag, it belongs to a passive search device and does not need to communicate with the terminal. That is, when the UWB component is used as a UWB tag, the first interface module 101 does not need to transmit communication signals between the terminal 200 and the UWB module 102. In implementation, when the UWB component is a UWB tag, the UWB antenna unit may be a single antenna. If the UWB component is a UWB tag, the manufacturing cost of the UWB component is lower.

[0021] In one example, the UWB component may function as a UWB anchor point. Here, the function of a UWB anchor point may be understood as the ability of the UWB anchor point to receive multiple groups of communication signals from tags and calculate information such as absolute distances, relative angular directions, and relative coordinates with different tags based on the multiple groups of communication signals. The UWB anchor point may receive or transmit useful information via its own or other related auxiliary communication routes. However, the useful information received or transmitted by the UWB anchor point is not particularly limited in this embodiment. When the UWB component functions as a UWB anchor point, a communication signal exists between the UWB component and a terminal. The first interface module 101 may be configured to transmit the acquired UWB signal to the terminal for further processing or directly report and display the signal to the terminal when the UWB component functions as a UWB anchor point. In implementation, when the UWB component functions as a UWB anchor point, the UWB antenna unit may be a multi-antenna.

[0022] In one example, the UWB component may be a UWB tag or a UWB anchor point, i.e., it has both the functionality of a UWB tag and a UWB anchor point, and in this case, the UWB antenna unit may be a multi-antenna.

[0023] In one example, the UWB component and the terminal may be connected by a wire. The first interface module in the UWB component may be a serial interface or a parallel communication interface such as a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB), or a Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART), or may be a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface. The second interface module in the terminal may be a serial interface or a parallel communication interface such as a SPI, USB, or UART, or may be a GPIO general-purpose input / output interface.

[0024] In another example, the UWB component and the terminal may be connected wirelessly. The first interface module in the UWB component may be a wireless air interface, and the second interface module in the terminal may also be a wireless air interface. In implementation, the wireless connection between the UWB component and the terminal may be a Bluetooth connection, a 4G connection, a 5G connection, a WIFI connection, etc. For example, the terminal may be a mobile phone carried by a user, and the UWB component may be attached to the mobile phone, or the UWB component may be placed in a key chain or other object carried by the user. Thus, the mobile phone and the UWB component may achieve a short-range wireless connection, for example, may be connected via Bluetooth pairing.

[0025] In one embodiment, the UWB module includes a powered unit, which may be a device requiring power, such as a UWB chip, an MCU, a Bluetooth chip, etc. Powering the powered unit may take two forms: a self-battery-equipped subsystem that has its own battery unit within the UWB module, and a battery-less subsystem that does not have its own battery unit within the UWB module and requires external power. The two forms are described below.

[0026] If the UWB module does not have its own battery unit, the transmission content transmitted between the terminal and the UWB component includes the power supply voltage.

[0027] The powered unit is powered by a post-stage power supply unit, which may be a post-stage power supply unit drawn from the terminal battery. For example, the powered unit includes a UWB chip, which generally requires a power supply voltage of 1.8V, 1.2V, 2.8V, 3V, etc., so the UWB chip may be powered directly or indirectly through the terminal battery. Powering by a post-stage power supply unit may be divided into the following three implementations:

[0028] Implementation Scheme 1: Referring to FIG. 2 , the subsequent power supply unit 301 is located within the UWB component 100. The first interface module 101 is connected to the subsequent power supply unit 301. The first interface module 101 is configured to transmit the power supply voltage of the terminal 200 to the subsequent power supply unit 301. The subsequent power supply unit 301 is used to adjust the power supply voltage and power the powered unit 302 with the adjusted power supply voltage. Here, the power supply voltage of the terminal 200 can be supplied by the battery unit 401 in the UWB support module. That is, the power supply voltage supplied from the battery unit 401 in the terminal 200 passes through the second interface module 201 and the first interface module 101 to the subsequent power supply unit 301. Therefore, the subsequent power supply unit 301 can adjust the power supply voltage and power the powered unit 302 with the adjusted power supply voltage. Here, the post-stage power supply unit 301 may include a post-stage power supply such as a voltage converter (Direct Current-Direct Current: DC-DC) and / or a low dropout regulator (LDO).

[0029] Implementation Scheme 2: Referring to FIG. 3 , the post-stage power supply unit 301 is located within the terminal 200. The first interface module 101 is configured to transmit the regulated power supply voltage from the post-stage power supply unit 301 in the terminal 200 to the powered unit 302, thereby supplying power to the powered unit 302. In this implementation scheme, the terminal can directly supply multiple powers required by the powered unit 302. For example, the power supply voltage supplied from the battery unit 401 in the terminal 200 is regulated by the post-stage power supply unit 301, such as a DC-DC or LDO, and then passes through the second interface module 201 and the first interface module 101 to reach the powered unit 302, thereby supplying power to the powered unit 302. The LDO here is a buck type, i.e., performs buck regulation, while the DC-DC may be a buck type, a boost type, or a combination of boost and buck types. The post-stage power supply unit is provided in the terminal, and the first interface module directly transmits the adjusted power supply voltage from the post-stage power supply unit in the terminal to the powered unit, thereby realizing power supply to the powered unit while reducing the number of devices in the UWB component and advantageously reducing the manufacturing cost and design difficulty of the UWB component.

[0030] Implementation Scheme 3: Referring to FIG. 4, the post-stage power supply unit supplies power using the OTG signal of the terminal. OTG stands for On-The-Go and is mainly used for connecting different devices or mobile devices to exchange data. The post-stage power supply unit includes a first post-stage power supply subunit 3011 in the terminal 200 and a second post-stage power supply subunit 3012 in the UWB component 100. The first interface module 101 is configured to transmit the power supply voltage after being boosted and adjusted by the first post-stage power supply subunit 3011 to the second post-stage power supply subunit 3012. The second post-stage power supply subunit 3012 is used to down-adjust the boosted and adjusted power supply voltage and supply power to the powered unit 302 with the down-adjusted power supply voltage. That is, the post-stage power supply unit may supply power using the OTG signal supplied to the terminal. For example, the USB interface already provided in the terminal may be used as the second interface module in the terminal, and the subsequent power supply unit may include a first subsequent power supply subunit 3011, which is a step-up part present in the terminal 200, and a second subsequent power supply subunit 3012, which is a step-down part present in the UWB component 100. That is, the terminal may supply power to the powered unit 302 in the UWB component by OTG.

[0031] The above three implementation methods are advantageous in that they enable power supply to the powered unit under the premise that the UWB component does not need to have its own battery unit, thereby reducing the cost and design difficulty of the UWB component.

[0032] If the UWB module has its own battery unit, the powered unit can be powered by the battery unit in the UWB component. For example, the battery unit in the UWB module can directly power the UWB chip and does not need to be externally powered. Considering that the power supply capacity of the battery unit in the UWB module is not large, a wireless energy transmitting unit and a wireless energy receiving unit may be provided in the terminal and the UWB module, respectively. Referring to FIG. 5, the UWB module has its own battery unit 503, and the powered unit 302 may be powered by the battery unit 503. The UWB component 100 further includes a wireless energy receiving unit 502 connected to the powered unit 302. The transmission content transmitted between the terminal 200 and the UWB module 102 further includes wireless energy. The first interface module 101 is configured to transmit wireless energy transmitted by the wireless energy transmitting unit 501 in the terminal 200 to the wireless energy receiving unit 502. The wireless energy receiving unit 502 is used to use the received wireless energy to charge the powered unit 302. In this way, it is advantageous to achieve the purpose of indirect continuous power supply.

[0033] In one embodiment, the UWB module includes a clock unit that can provide the UWB module with a required clock signal. The clock unit in the UWB module can be a clock generator. For example, the clock generator can directly provide a clock to the UWB chip in the UWB module. In this case, the first interface module does not have a clock signal, i.e., no clock signal is transmitted between the terminal and the UWB component.

[0034] In one embodiment, the UWB module itself does not have a clock unit, and the content of communication between the terminal and the UWB module transmitted by the first interface module includes a clock signal. That is, the clock signal required by the UWB module is provided by the terminal, and the clock signal is provided from a clock generator in the terminal, or the clock signal is provided from a system clock in the terminal. Here, the clock generator in the terminal may be, for example, an independent clock generator in a mobile phone, and the system clock may be, for example, a system clock provided by a minimum system of the mobile phone. The clock signal required by the UWB component is provided by the terminal, thereby eliminating the need for a clock unit in the UWB component, reducing the cost and difficulty of designing the UWB component.

[0035] In one embodiment, the transmission content between the terminal and the UWB module transmitted by the first interface module includes communication signals used for data interaction and control. When used for data interaction, the communication signals are also called interactive communication signals. When the UWB component is used as a UWB anchor point, the interactive communication signals may be UWB signals transmitted between a processing unit (see FIGS. 1-5) in the terminal and a UWB module in the UWB component. When used for control, the communication signals are also called control-type communication signals, and control-type communication signals may simply be called control signals. The control signals are used to control the UWB module, and may include, for example, a reset signal for controlling restart, an enable signal for controlling on or off, or a signal for controlling entry into sleep mode, or a combination thereof.

[0036] In one embodiment, the UWB module includes a UWB chip and an MCU. The MCU and the UWB chip are connected. The MCU converts the output data of the UWB chip into standardized data conforming to a predetermined standard, and transmits the standardized data to the terminal via the first interface module. Here, the output data of the UWB chip may be understood as a UWB signal, and the UWB signal may be understood as the aforementioned interactive communication signal. The predetermined standard may be set according to actual needs, for example, to a standard that is conformed to by different types of terminals. Since the output data of the UWB chip has already been converted into standardized data, different terminals can easily identify and process the standardized data after receiving it, thereby allowing the UWB component to be used by more terminals and improving the versatility and compatibility of the UWB component.

[0037] In order to emphasize the innovative aspects of this application, this embodiment does not introduce units that are not particularly relevant to solving the technical problem presented in this application, but this does not mean that there are no other units in the UWB component of this embodiment.

[0038] An embodiment of the present application provides a terminal externally connected to the UWB component of any of the above-described embodiments. A schematic diagram of the terminal can be seen in the terminal 200 shown in any of FIGS. 1 to 5. For example, referring to FIG. 1, the terminal 200 includes a second interface module 201 and a UWB support module 202. The second interface module 201 is connected to the UWB support module 202. The second interface module 201 is connected to the UWB component 100, for example, to the first interface module 101 in the UWB component 100. The second interface module 201 is configured to transmit transmission contents between the UWB support module 202 and the UWB component 100, including any one or a combination of a power supply voltage, a communication signal, and a clock signal. The UWB support module 202 may be understood as a module within the terminal used to implement UWB functions in cooperation with the external UWB component.

[0039] In one embodiment, the second interface module 201 is configured such that the power supply voltage is included in the transmission content transmitted between the UWB support module 202 and the UWB component 100. That is, the transmission content transmitted between the second interface module 201 and the first interface module 101 includes the power supply voltage. Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the power supply voltage may be provided by a battery unit 401 in the UWB support module 202, which may be connected to the second interface module 201, and thus the second interface module 201 transmits the power supply voltage to the UWB component 100. Here, the battery unit 401 may be a battery in the terminal.

[0040] In one embodiment, the second interface module 201 is configured such that communication signals are included in the transmission content transmitted between the UWB support module 202 and the UWB component 100. That is, the transmission content transmitted between the second interface module 201 and the first interface module 101 includes communication signals. Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5 , the communication signals may be provided by a processing unit 402 in the UWB support module 202, which may be connected to the second interface module 201. Thus, the second interface module 201 transmits the communication signals to the UWB component 100, and the UWB component 100 may transmit the communication signals that need to be transmitted to the terminal 200 to the processing unit 402 via the second interface module 201. Here, the processing unit may be a processor in the terminal.

[0041] In one embodiment, the second interface module 201 is configured such that a clock signal is included in the transmission content between the UWB support module 202 and the UWB component 100. That is, the transmission content between the second interface module 201 and the first interface module 101 includes the clock signal. Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the clock signal may be provided by a clock unit 403 in the UWB support module 202, which may be connected to the second interface module 201, thereby transmitting the clock signal to the UWB component 100 by the second interface module 201. The clock unit 403 may be a clock generator or a system clock of a minimum system of the terminal.

[0042] In one embodiment, the second interface module 201 is configured to include wireless energy in the transmission content between the UWB support module 202 and the UWB component 100. Referring to Fig. 5, the UWB support module 202 includes a wireless energy transmitting unit 501 connected to the second interface module 201. The second interface module 201 is configured to transmit the wireless energy transmitted by the wireless energy transmitting unit 501 to a wireless energy receiving unit 502 in the UWB component 100. The wireless energy receiving unit 502 is used to utilize the received wireless energy to charge the powered unit 302 in the UWB component 100.

[0043] In order to emphasize the innovative aspects of this application, units that are not particularly relevant to solving the technical problems presented in this application are not introduced in this embodiment, but this does not mean that there are no other units in the terminal of this embodiment.

[0044] The terminal mentioned in this embodiment may be implemented in cooperation with the above-mentioned embodiment relating to the UWB component. The details and technical effects of the related technologies mentioned in the embodiment relating to the UWB component are still valid for the embodiment relating to the terminal, and will not be repeated here to reduce redundancy. Accordingly, the details of the related technologies of the terminal mentioned in this embodiment can also be applied to the above-mentioned embodiment relating to the UWB component.

[0045] The present embodiment further provides a UWB system, including the UWB component according to any one of the above embodiments and the terminal according to any one of the above embodiments. In this embodiment, the implementation of the UWB system may include various types, which will be described below.

[0046] Format 1 may refer to FIG. 6, Format 2 may refer to FIG. 7, Format 3 may refer to FIG. 8, Format 4 may refer to FIG. 9, Format 5 may refer to FIG. 10, Format 6 may refer to FIG. 11, and Format 7 may refer to FIG. 12. Note that interface unit A in FIGS. 6 to 12 may be understood as the second interface module in the embodiment related to the above-mentioned terminal, and interface unit B may be understood as the first interface module in the embodiment related to the above-mentioned UWB component. Since FIGS. 6 to 12 are intended to explain the contents of transmission between interface unit A and interface unit B, other functional units are omitted, and this does not mean that other functional units do not exist in UWB component 601 and terminal 602.

[0047] In the following, various implementations of UWB systems will be explained from three aspects: power supply, clock signal, and communication signal.

[0048] The supply voltage may have many different implementations.

[0049] In one embodiment, there is no battery unit in the UWB component, and the terminal needs to power the powered unit in the UWB component. The powered unit is exemplified as a UWB chip. The power required for a UWB chip is generally 1.8V, 1.2V, 2.8V, 3V, etc., so it may be powered directly or indirectly by the terminal's battery. There are several forms as follows:

[0050] a. Power is supplied from the battery of the terminal, and a post-stage power supply module is present in the UWB component. The post-stage power supply module is a post-stage power supply such as DC-DC or LDO, and the post-stage power supply is connected to the UWB chip to supply power to the UWB chip. For example, referring to Figures 6 to 8, the UWB chip in the UWB component is powered by the battery in the terminal and the post-stage power supply module within the UWB component.

[0051] b. The terminal may also directly supply the multiple power required by the powered unit (e.g., UWB chip) in the UWB component, with the post-stage power supply module located in the terminal. After voltage adjustment via a post-stage power supply such as a DC-DC or LDO, the interface units A and B transmit the regulated power supply voltage. Interface unit B is connected to the UWB chip and uses the regulated power supply voltage to power the UWB chip. For example, referring to Figures 6 to 8, the UWB chip in the UWB component is powered by the battery in the terminal and the post-stage power supply module located in the terminal. The LDO here is a step-down type, while the DC-DC may be a step-down type, a step-up type, or a combination of step-up and step-down types.

[0052] c. Power is supplied using OTG supplied to the terminal. For example, an existing USB interface is used as interface unit A. In this case, the post-stage power supply module includes a boost unit present in the terminal and a step-down unit present in the UWB component. For example, see Figures 9 and 10, that is, the UWB chip in the UWB component is powered by OTG supplied by the terminal. Here, the boost unit may be understood as the first post-stage power supply unit in Figure 4, and the step-down unit may be understood as the second post-stage power supply unit in Figure 4.

[0053] In one embodiment, a battery unit is included in the UWB component, eliminating the need for external power supply. However, the battery powering it may have a small capacity, a short battery life, or be difficult to replace, which may result in user experience issues. Therefore, the terminal and the UWB component may be equipped with a wireless energy transmitting unit and an infinite energy receiving unit, respectively, to achieve the purpose of indirectly providing continuous power. For example, referring to Figures 11 and 12, the UWB chip in the UWB component may be powered by wireless energy.

[0054] The clock signal may have a variety of implementations.

[0055] In one embodiment, the terminal can provide clocks in two forms: a clock provided by an independent clock generator in the terminal, and a system clock provided by the terminal's minimal system. As shown in Figure 6, the transmission between interface unit A and interface unit B includes a clock signal provided by the terminal.

[0056] In one embodiment, the clock signal may be provided directly by an independent clock generator present in the UWB component, and therefore, the transmissions transmitted by interface unit A and interface unit B do not include a clock signal, as shown in Figures 7 to 12.

[0057] The communication signal is used for data interaction and control. If the UWB component is a UWB tag, it belongs to a passive search device and does not need to communicate with the terminal. No communication signal is required between interface unit A and interface unit B; only power is required. For example, see Figures 8, 10, and 12, i.e., the content transmitted between interface unit A and interface unit B does not include a communication signal. If the UWB component is a UWB anchor point, the UWB component needs to communicate with the terminal. The UWB component needs to convey information to the terminal, report and display it, or allow the user to process it. For example, see Figures 6, 7, 9, and 11, i.e., the content transmitted between interface unit A and interface unit B includes a communication signal.

[0058] In an embodiment of the present application, a UWB component is provided as a UWB tag and / or a UWB anchor point. The UWB component is externally attached to a terminal. The UWB component transmits necessary transmission content between the terminal and the UWB component via a first interface module. The transmission content transmitted between the UWB component and the terminal includes a power supply voltage, a clock signal, and / or a communication signal required by the UWB component. By externally attaching the UWB component to the terminal, i.e., by placing devices for implementing UWB functions (which may be all or part of the devices for implementing UWB functions) outside the terminal, the first interface module transmits the transmission content, such as the power supply voltage, communication signal, and clock signal. Placing all or part of the devices for implementing UWB functions outside the terminal solves the problem of many devices and antennas occupying a large area on the terminal circuit board, and reduces the risk of mutual antenna scrambling. In addition, some high-end devices with complex functions are no longer unable to incorporate UWB functionality or are forced to remove other functions in order to incorporate UWB functionality. At the same time, external UWB components make it easier to upgrade and replace UWB components. Furthermore, with the industry trend of increasing the number of environmentally friendly products surrounding devices, external UWB components provide users with a better user experience and more options.

[0059] The system described in this embodiment may be implemented in cooperation with the above-described UWB component-related embodiment and terminal-related embodiment. The details and technical effects of the related technologies described in the UWB component-related embodiment and the terminal-related embodiment are still valid for the UWB system-related embodiment, and will not be repeated here to reduce redundancy. Accordingly, the details of the related technologies of the UWB system described in this embodiment can also be applied to the above-described UWB component-related embodiment.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present application, the method of placing all or part of the devices for implementing UWB functions external to the terminal can achieve the following technical effects. First, by placing all or part of the devices for implementing UWB functions external to the terminal, it is possible to solve the problem of many devices and antennas occupying a large area on the terminal circuit board, and it is possible to avoid the inability of some high-end terminals with complex functions to incorporate UWB functions or the need to extract other functions to incorporate UWB functions. Second, by placing the UWB antenna (one of the devices for implementing UWB functions) external to the terminal, it is possible to simultaneously alleviate the problem of mutual scrambling between the UWB antenna and 5G antennas, WiFi antennas, etc., and reduce the difficulty of antenna debugging. Third, the device for implementing UWB functions external to the terminal can better support UWB hardware upgrades and generational changes. Finally, in line with the industry trend of increasing the number of environmentally friendly products surrounding terminals, externalizing all or part of the devices for implementing UWB functions can provide users with a better user experience and more options.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are examples for realizing the present application, and that in actual applications, various changes in form and details may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A UWB component externally attached to a terminal as a UWB tag and / or a UWB anchor point, a first interface module provided to be connected to the terminal; and a UWB module connected to the first interface module; An ultra-wideband UWB component, wherein the first interface module is configured to transmit transmission content between the terminal and the UWB module, the transmission content including a clock signal, or including a clock signal and a communication signal, or including a clock signal and a power supply voltage required by the UWB module, or including a clock signal, a communication signal and a power supply voltage required by the UWB module, and the clock signal is supplied from a clock generator in the terminal or is supplied from a system clock in the terminal.

2. The UWB module includes a powered unit that is powered by a subsequent power supply unit; The post-stage power supply unit is in the UWB component, the first interface module is connected to the post-stage power supply unit, the first interface module is configured to transmit a power supply voltage of the terminal to the post-stage power supply unit, and the post-stage power supply unit is used to adjust the power supply voltage and supply power to the powered unit with the adjusted power supply voltage; or The post-stage power supply unit is in the terminal, and the first interface module is configured to transmit a regulated power supply voltage from the post-stage power supply unit in the terminal to the powered unit, thereby supplying power to the powered unit; or 2. The UWB component of claim 1, wherein the post-stage power supply unit supplies power using an OTG in the terminal, the post-stage power supply unit includes a first post-stage power supply subunit in the terminal and a second post-stage power supply subunit in the UWB component, the first interface module is configured to transmit the boost-regulated power supply voltage of the first post-stage power supply subunit to the second post-stage power supply subunit, and the second post-stage power supply subunit is used to down-regulate the boost-regulated power supply voltage and supply power to the powered unit with the down-regulated power supply voltage.

3. the UWB module includes a powered unit that is powered by a battery unit, and the battery unit; The UWB component further includes a wireless energy receiving unit connected to the powered unit; The transmission content further includes wireless energy, and the first interface module is configured to transmit the wireless energy transmitted by a wireless energy transmitting unit in the terminal to the wireless energy receiving unit; The UWB component according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless energy receiving unit is used to charge the powered unit using received wireless energy.

4. The UWB component according to claim 2 , wherein the post-stage power supply unit includes a voltage converter DC-DC and / or a low dropout regulator LDO.

5. the UWB module includes a UWB chip and a microprocessor MCU; 2. The UWB component of claim 1, wherein the MCU and the UWB chip are connected, and the MCU is used to convert output data of the UWB chip into standardized data conforming to a predetermined standard and transmit the standardized data to the terminal via the first interface module.

6. The UWB module includes:

10. The UWB component of claim 1, comprising one or a combination of a UWB chip, or a UWB antenna unit, or a microprocessor MCU, or a Bluetooth communication unit, or a Bluetooth antenna unit, or a clock unit, or a battery unit.

7. A terminal externally attached to the UWB component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a second interface module connected to a UWB support module and adapted to be connected to the UWB component; and the UWB support module; A terminal, wherein the second interface module is configured to transmit transmission content between the UWB support module and the UWB component, the transmission content including a clock signal, or including a clock signal and a communication signal, or including a clock signal and a power supply voltage required by the UWB module, or including a clock signal, a communication signal and a power supply voltage required by the UWB module, and the clock signal is supplied from a clock generator in the terminal, or is supplied from a system clock in the terminal.

8. the UWB support module includes a wireless energy transmission unit connected to the second interface module; 8. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the transmission content further includes wireless energy, and the second interface module is configured to transmit the wireless energy transmitted by the wireless energy transmitting unit to a wireless energy receiving unit in the UWB component, and the wireless energy receiving unit utilizes the received wireless energy and is used to charge a powered unit in the UWB component.

9. A UWB system comprising a UWB component according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a terminal according to claim 7.

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