Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a communication method and apparatus. The communication method comprises: a second node sending a synchronization signal in a first time unit, and in response to the synchronization signal, a first node sending a synchronization response signal in the first time unit; and the second node receiving a first ranging signal in a second time unit, and in response to the first ranging signal, the first node sending a first ranging response signal in the second time unit, wherein the synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the first node and the second node. The first time unit and the second time unit are both contained in a ranging time unit of the second node; the first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal; and the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal. The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than that occupied by the first bandwidth signal. Compared with the situation in which a second bandwidth signal is continuously exchanged in the whole ranging process, the duration occupied by a relatively large bandwidth signal can be shortened, thereby reducing the power consumption of nodes.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on July 24, 2023, with application number 202310916760.6 and application name “A Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of ranging technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0004] Ultra-wide band (UWB) technology is widely used in high-precision ranging and positioning scenarios due to its low power consumption and high temporal resolution.

[0005] Currently, when different nodes perform ranging or communication based on UWB technology, the time required to send and receive UWB signals takes a long time and the power consumption of the nodes is high.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for reducing the power consumption of a node during ranging.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method that can be performed by a first communication device. The first communication device can be a communication device or a communication device capable of supporting the communication device to implement the functions required by the method, such as a unit, functional module, circuit, or chip system within the communication device. The method provided in the first aspect is described below using the first communication device as a first node as an example.

[0010] The communication method includes: a first node receiving a synchronization signal from a second node in a first time unit, sending a synchronization response signal in response to the synchronization signal in the first time unit, and receiving a first ranging signal from the second node in a second time unit, sending a first ranging response signal in response to the first ranging signal in the second time unit. The synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the first node and the second node. The first ranging signal is used to measure the distance between the first node and the second node. The first time unit and the second time unit are both included in the ranging time unit of the second node, the first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal, and the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal. The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal.

[0011] In this method, the signals exchanged between the first node and the second node during the ranging process are first bandwidth signals and second bandwidth signals. Compared with the case where the second bandwidth signals are exchanged throughout the ranging process, the duration occupied by the larger bandwidth signal can be reduced, thereby reducing the power consumption of the node.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than or equal to 500 MHz, and the second bandwidth signal is a nanosecond or picosecond pulse signal.

[0013] Compared to the first bandwidth signal, the second bandwidth signal is a broadband signal, for example, a UWB signal.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the mean pulse repeat frequency (MPRF) of the second bandwidth signal is in the range of [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz] to minimize the duration occupied by the signal with a larger bandwidth. For example, the MPRF of the second bandwidth signal can be 16.1 MHz, 55.54 MHz, 62.4 MHz, 62.89 MHz, or 111.09 MHz.

[0015] In a possible implementation, a first duration is separated from a time point S0′ when the first node receives the first ranging signal and a time point S0 when the first node receives the synchronization response signal. The first duration is predefined or configured.

[0016] Through this method, after receiving the synchronization response signal, the first node can clearly determine the time to receive the first ranging signal, thereby turning on the receiver at an appropriate time to receive the first ranging signal. There is no need to keep the receiver turned on all the time, which can reduce the power consumption of the first node.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the sending time R0′ of the first ranging response signal and the sending time R0 of the synchronization response signal are separated by a second time duration, and the second time duration is predefined or configured.

[0018] After receiving the first ranging signal, the first node can determine the timing of sending the first ranging response signal based on the time the synchronization response signal was sent. This method allows the second node to determine the timing of receiving the first ranging response signal, allowing the second node to turn on its receiver at the appropriate time. This eliminates the need for the second node to keep its receiver on all the time, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the first node receiving a second ranging signal from the second node in a second time unit.

[0020] In a possible implementation, a third duration is separated from a time point S0 ″ at which the first node receives the second ranging signal and a time point S0 ′ at which the first node receives the first ranging signal. The third duration is predefined or configured.

[0021] Through this method, the first node can clearly receive the second ranging signal after the first ranging signal, and thus turn on the receiver to receive the second ranging signal at an appropriate time, without having to keep the receiver turned on all the time, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first node.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the TOF of a signal between the first node and the second node satisfies the following formula:

[0023] Among them, S` t is the time when the second node sends the first ranging signal, S'0 is the time when the first node receives the first ranging signal, and S' t is the time when the second node sends the second ranging signal, S″0 is the time when the first node receives the second ranging signal, R`0 is the time when the first node sends the first ranging response signal, R` 0_t is the time when the second node receives the first ranging response signal.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the first node receiving a measurement value from the second node in a third time unit, where the third time unit is included in a ranging time unit of the second node, and the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal, and the measurement value includes a reception time of the second ranging response signal.

[0025] In this method, the measurement value reported by the second node uses the first bandwidth signal, which can further reduce the duration occupied by the second bandwidth signal and further reduce the power consumption of the first node.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the first node broadcasting a control signal, where the control signal is a first bandwidth signal, and the control signal includes one or more of the following: access network time information or ranging duration information, where the ranging duration includes one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit.

[0027] This method enables the second node to clearly identify the time domain positions of the first bandwidth signal and the second bandwidth signal, thereby preventing the resources of the multiple second nodes from conflicting in a scenario with multiple second nodes.

[0028] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method that can be performed by a second communication device. The second communication device can be a communication device or a communication device capable of supporting the communication device to implement the functions required by the method, such as a unit, functional module, circuit, or chip system within the communication device. The method provided in the second aspect is described below using the second communication device as a second node as an example.

[0029] The communication method includes: the second node sends a synchronization signal in a first time unit and receives a synchronization response signal from the first node in the first time unit; and sends a first ranging signal in a second time unit and receives a first ranging response signal from the first node in the second time unit. The synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the first node and the second node. The first ranging signal is used to measure the distance between the first node and the second node. The first time unit and the second time unit are both included in the ranging time unit of the second node, the first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal, and the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal. The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than or equal to 500 MHz, and the second bandwidth signal is a nanosecond or picosecond pulse signal.

[0031] In a possible implementation, a pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal is located at [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz].

[0032] In a possible implementation, the sending time St' of the first ranging signal is separated from the sending time St of the synchronization signal by a first duration, and the first duration is predefined or configured.

[0033] In a possible implementation, a second duration is separated from the time R0_t′ when the second node receives the first ranging response signal and the time R0_t when the second node receives the synchronization response signal. The second duration is predefined or configured.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the second node sending a second ranging signal to the first node in a second time unit.

[0035] In a possible implementation, the sending time St' of the second ranging signal is separated from the sending time St' of the first ranging signal by a third time duration, and the third time duration is predefined or configured.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the TOF of a signal between the first node and the second node satisfies the following formula:

[0037] Among them, S`t is the moment when the second node sends the first ranging signal, S'0 is the moment when the first node receives the first ranging signal, and S' t is the time when the second node sends the second ranging signal, S″0 is the time when the first node receives the second ranging signal, R`0 is the time when the first node sends the first ranging response signal, R` 0_t is the time when the second node receives the first ranging response signal.

[0038] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the second node sending the measurement value within a third time unit, where the third time unit is included in a ranging time unit of the second node, and the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the second node receiving a control signal, where the control signal is a first bandwidth signal, and the control signal includes one or more of the following: access network time information or ranging duration information, where the ranging duration includes one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit.

[0040] Regarding the technical effects brought about by the second aspect and its possible methods, please refer to the introduction of the technical effects of the first aspect and its possible methods.

[0041] On the third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example in the first aspect or the second aspect above. The beneficial effects can be found in the description of the first aspect to the second aspect and will not be repeated here. For example, the communication device may be the first node in the first aspect, or the communication device may be a device that can support the first node to implement the functions required by the method provided in the first aspect, for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the first node. For another example, the communication device may also be the second node in the second aspect, or the communication device may be a device that can support the second node to implement the functions required by the method provided in the second aspect, for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the second node.

[0042] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding means (means) or modules for executing the method of the first aspect or the second aspect. For example, the communication device: includes a processing unit (sometimes also referred to as a processing module or processor) and / or a transceiver unit (sometimes also referred to as a transceiver module or transceiver). The transceiver unit can realize the sending function and the receiving function. When the transceiver unit realizes the sending function, it can be called a sending unit (sometimes also referred to as a sending module). When the transceiver unit realizes the receiving function, it can be called a receiving unit (sometimes also referred to as a receiving module). The sending unit and the receiving unit can be the same functional unit, which is called a transceiver unit, and the functional unit can realize the sending function and the receiving function; or, the sending unit and the receiving unit can be different functional units, and the transceiver unit is a general term for these functional units. These units (modules) can perform the corresponding functions in the method examples of any aspect of the first aspect to the second aspect above. Please refer to the detailed description in the method examples for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0043] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which may be the communication device in the third aspect of the above embodiment, or a chip or chip system provided in the communication device in the third aspect. The communication device includes a communication interface and a processor, and optionally, further includes a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs, instructions, or data, and the processor is coupled to the memory and the communication interface. When the processor reads the computer program, instructions, or data, the communication device executes the method performed by the first node in the above method embodiment. For example, the communication device may be the first node or a functional module in the first node, such as a radio frequency chip.

[0044] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and may also include a communication interface for implementing the method described in any of the first to second aspects. Optionally, the chip system also includes a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs (also referred to as codes, or instructions). The processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory so that the device equipped with the chip system executes any of the first to second aspects, and any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects. The chip system can be composed of chips, and may also include chips and other discrete devices.

[0045] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication device comprising an input / output interface and a logic circuit. The input / output interface is used to input and / or output information. The input / output interface can be an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin, or related circuits. The logic circuit is used to execute the method described in any of aspects 1 to 2.

[0046] In a specific implementation, the communication device may be a chip, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the logic circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, or various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. The input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which functions as an input circuit and an output circuit, respectively, at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the input and output interfaces and logic circuits.

[0047] In one implementation, when the communication apparatus is a wireless communication device, which may be a network device such as a base station, the interface circuit may be a radio frequency processing chip in the wireless communication device, and the processing circuit may be a baseband processing chip in the wireless communication device.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication system, comprising a first network device and a second network device for implementing the functionality of the first aspect; optionally, the communication system further comprises a terminal device. Alternatively, the communication system comprises the first network device and the second network device for implementing the functionality of the second aspect. Optionally, the communication system further comprises a terminal device.

[0049] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method of any of the above-mentioned first to second aspects is implemented.

[0050] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program code, wherein when the computer program code is executed, the method in any of the first to second aspects is executed.

[0051] The beneficial effects of the third to ninth aspects and their implementations can refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the first to second aspects, or the first to second aspects and their implementations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a distance measurement system applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the ranging principle based on UWB super frame;

[0054] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a super frame;

[0055] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a UWB frame;

[0056] FIG5 is another schematic diagram of the structure of a UWB frame;

[0057] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a chip architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of another chip architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another chip architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a chip module framework provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of another chip module framework provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of another chip module framework provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a framework of a software static policy provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a framework of a hardware time-division arbitration (PTA) strategy provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of a link establishment process according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of a narrowband-assisted broadband method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG21 is a schematic diagram of a node-to-node ranging process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG22 is a schematic diagram of CFO between nodes provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG23 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG24 is another schematic diagram of the inter-node ranging process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG25 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG26 is another structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0078] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to scenarios such as ranging and positioning, and can be applied to various communication systems. For example, the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as the long term evolution (LTE) communication system, the sixth generation (5G) mobile communication system, or can also be applied to other next generation mobile communication systems, such as the sixth generation (6G) communication system, or other similar communication systems. 5G mobile communication systems include new radio (NR) communication systems. Other similar communication systems may include wireless fidelity (WIFI), vehicle to everything (V2X), internet of things (IoT) systems, narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) systems, and the like.

[0079] For example, please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a ranging system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The ranging system may include a management node and at least one slave node. The management node is a node that sends data scheduling information. The management node can manage slave nodes that establish communication connections with the management node. The slave node is a node that receives data scheduling information and sends or receives data or performs data processing based on the received data scheduling information. A ranging process can be performed between the management node and any two nodes among the at least one slave node. The management node, as the controller in the ranging system, can control and manage all nodes in the ranging system. For example, the management node can instruct two nodes in the ranging system to perform the ranging process, configure the initiator and the responder in the two nodes, configure the network parameters of the two nodes during the ranging process, etc. At least one slave node, as a controlled end (controlee), can perform the ranging process with other nodes under the control of the management node.

[0080] The two nodes performing the ranging process are the initiator / ranging initiating device and the responder / ranging responding device of the ranging process. The ranging initiator can be a network device, and the ranging responder can be a terminal device; alternatively, both the ranging initiator and the ranging responder can be terminal devices; alternatively, both the ranging initiator and the ranging responder can be other devices capable of performing ranging, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0081] The network devices involved in the embodiments of the present application are mainly access network devices. Therefore, in the following text, unless otherwise specified, the "network devices" referred to are radio access network (RAN) devices, which can be referred to as access network devices for short. RAN can be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 5G communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system (such as a 6G communication system). RAN can also be an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (cloud radio access network, CRAN), or a virtualized radio access network (virtualized RAN, vRAN), etc. RAN can also be a communication system that is a fusion of two or more of the above systems. RAN devices can also be referred to as RAN nodes, RAN entities, or access nodes, etc.

[0082] In one possible scenario, a RAN node may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node may be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, a donor node / host node, or a wireless controller. A RAN node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or an onboard device. For example, a RAN node in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology may be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0083] In another possible scenario, the RAN node may be a module or unit that performs part of the functions of the base station; or multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively perform part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node may be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The functions of the CU may be implemented by one entity, or by different entities. For example, the functions of the CU may be further divided, that is, the control plane and the user plane may be separated and implemented by different entities, namely the control plane CU entity (i.e., CU-control plane (CP) entity) and the user plane CU entity (i.e., CU-user plane (UP) entity). The CU-CP entity and the CU-UP entity may be coupled with the DU to jointly perform the functions of the RAN node.

[0084] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0085] The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement: for example, the CU is configured to implement the functions of the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and the protocol layers above it (such as the radio resource control (RRC) layer and / or the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, etc.); the DU is configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the radio link control (RLC), the media access control (MAC) layer, and / or the physical (PHY) layer, etc.). For another example, the CU is configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer (such as the RRC layer and / or the SDAP layer), and the DU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer and the protocol layers below it (such as the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and / or the PHY layer, etc.).

[0086] When a CU includes a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the CU-CP is used to implement the control plane functions of the CU, and the CU-UP is used to implement the user plane functions of the CU. For example, when the CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer, RRC layer, and SDAP layer, the CU-CP is used to implement the RRC layer functions and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and the CU-UP is used to implement the SDAP layer functions and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer.

[0087] The CU and DU may be configured separately, or may be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU).

[0088] The above division of the processing functions of CU and DU according to the protocol layer is only an example, and they can also be divided in other ways. For example, in one design, the CU or DU can also be divided into partial processing functions of the protocol layer. In one design, part of the functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layer above the RLC layer are set in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layer below the RLC layer are set in the DU. For another example, in another design, the functions of the CU or DU can also be divided according to the service type or other system requirements, such as dividing by latency, and setting the functions whose processing time needs to meet the latency requirements in the DU, and the functions that do not need to meet the latency requirements in the CU.

[0089] In another possible design, the DU and RU cooperate to jointly implement the functions of the PHY layer, or it can be described as moving part of the PHY layer functions of the DU to the RU for implementation. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and RU can be configured in a variety of ways according to the design. For example, the DU is configured to implement the baseband function, and the RU is configured to implement the mid-RF function. For another example, the DU is configured to implement the high-layer functions in the PHY layer, and the RU is configured to implement the low-layer functions in the PHY layer or to implement the low-layer functions and the RF functions. The high-layer functions in the physical layer may include a part of the functions of the physical layer, which is closer to the MAC layer, and the low-layer functions in the physical layer may include another part of the functions of the physical layer, which is closer to the mid-RF side. This application does not limit the specific functions of the DU and RU. The interface between the DU and the RU can be called a fronthaul interface.

[0090] Terminal devices may also be referred to as terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, or mobile terminals. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D) communication, V2X communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, or smart city. The terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, an on-board device, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a hot air balloon, a robot, a robotic arm, or a smart home device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the form of the terminal device.

[0091] During a ranging process between two nodes, the transmission frame can be divided into multiple slices, or the ranging signal can be divided into multiple slices, or the ranging process can be divided into multiple time periods (or ranging rounds). For example, these multiple time periods are the ranging control phase (RCP), the ranging initialization phase (RIP), the ranging response phase (RRP), and the measurement report phase (RRP). RCP can be the first time slot of each first time period, used to send a range control message (RCM). RCM mainly includes network parameters such as the role of each node, the sequence used for ranging, and the ranging round index.

[0092] First, the management node can assign roles to each node and indicate these to the corresponding node via RCMs. For example, the management node can configure itself as the initiator of the ranging process and the slave node as the responder of the ranging process. The management node then indicates the slave node's role to a node in an RCM. The management node also configures the network parameters of the ranging process (e.g., multiple ranging phases) and indicates these to the slave node via RCMs. The management node and slave node perform the corresponding ranging steps in each ranging phase of the ranging process, according to the ranging phases configured by the management node. For example, the management node, as the initiator of the ranging process, synchronizes with the slave node before sending the ranging signal. The management node sends a registration (Poll) packet, which configures the number of fragments N of the ranging signal and the duration of each fragment. After receiving the Poll packet, the ranging responding device sends a response (RES) packet. The management node can then send each fragment of the ranging signal. For example, the management node sends the ranging signal to the responding slave node during the RIP period. The ranging signal carries the time information of the time when the management node sent the ranging signal. After receiving the ranging signal, the slave node sends back a ranging response signal to the management node. This ranging response signal carries the time information of the time when the slave node sent back the ranging response signal. After the slave node sends back the ranging response signal to the management node, the management node and the slave node can calculate the distance between the management node and the slave node based on the flight time of the ranging signal between the management node and the slave node. In addition, either the management node or the slave node can send the distance measurement value calculated by itself to the other node.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 2, which shows the ranging principle. Figure 2 uses the management node and the slave node to perform the ranging process, and takes double-sided two-way ranging (DS-TWR) as an example. DS-TWR, that is, two round-trip times are used for ranging. In the first two information interactions, the management node sends a ranging signal to the slave node at time t1, the slave node receives the ranging signal at time t2, and feeds back a ranging response signal to the management node at time t3, and the management node receives the ranging response signal at time t4. Optionally, the ranging signal sent by the management node at time t1 may carry the time information of the ranging signal (i.e., the sending time of the ranging signal). Optionally, the ranging response signal sent by the slave node at time t3 may carry the time information of the ranging response signal fed back by the slave node (i.e., the sending time of the ranging response signal). The management node can determine the round-trip time T of this interaction based on the sending time of the ranging response signal and the sending time of the ranging signal. round1 Similarly, the slave node can determine the reply time interval T based on the sending time of the ranging signal and the sending time of the ranging response signal. reply1 Similarly, in the subsequent two information interactions, the management node sends a ranging signal to the slave node at time t5, and the slave node receives the ranging signal at time t6. The management node can determine the round-trip time T of this interaction based on the sending time of the ranging response signal and the sending time of the ranging signal. round2 The slave node can determine the reply time interval T based on the sending time of the ranging signal and the sending time of the ranging response signal. reply2 In the four information interactions, the flight time T of the signal between the management node and the slave node is prop Satisfies the following formula:

[0094] The distance between the management node and the slave node is T prop Multiply by the speed of light c. It can be seen that the distance measurement between two nodes is achieved through the above ranging process. In the system shown in Figure 1, the location of the node can also be achieved by knowing the location of the node and the above ranging process.

[0095] The signal that can be transmitted between the management node and the slave nodes can be a superframe. It should be noted that the superframe refers to an information frame within a period of time, such as a synchronization frame / beacon frame, ranging frame, data frame, etc. Please refer to Figure 3, which shows the structure of a superframe. This superframe can be used in the system shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 takes the ranging system including the management node and slave nodes 1 and 2 as an example. As shown in Figure 2, the duration of the superframe is the interval between two beacons (also known as the beacon interval). When the management node sends a superframe, it can be understood that the management node sends beacons according to the beacon interval. The beacon interval includes a ranging management period and a ranging period. The ranging management period includes at least one ranging contention access period (RACP) and at least one ranging contention free period (RCFP). The ranging period includes the aforementioned multiple ranging phases, each of which includes multiple time slots (ranging slots 1 to n) used for ranging between devices.

[0096] As shown in Figure 3, the management node can send beacons at the beacon interval. Slave nodes 1 and 2 can synchronize with the management node based on the beacon frame they received earlier. After sending the beacon, the management node can send a ranging signal. Slave nodes 1 and 2 receive the ranging signal and send ranging response signals to the management node. After receiving the ranging response signals, the management node can send ranging termination signals to slave nodes 1 and 2. The management node and slave nodes 1 / 2 can calculate the distance between the management node and slave nodes 1 / 2 based on the flight time of the ranging signal.

[0097] In order to improve the accuracy of ranging, UWB technology is currently used between different nodes. Due to the characteristics of low power consumption and high time resolution, UWB technology can achieve high-precision ranging and positioning at the centimeter level and has been widely used. In the embodiment of the present application, UWB ranging refers to the measurement of the distance between nodes based on UWB communication technology between different nodes. The principle of UWB ranging is to calculate the distance between nodes based on the transmission time and speed (generally the speed of light) of the wireless signal between nodes.

[0098] Please refer to Figure 4, which shows the structure of a UWB frame. A UWB frame includes a synchronization header (SHR), a physical layer header (PHR), and a physical layer payload (PHY payload). The PHY payload includes data in the UWB frame for interaction with the receiving device. The PHY payload also includes a frame control field, which can be used to identify the UWB frame as a beacon frame, a data frame, or an acknowledgement frame (ACK) frame. A beacon frame can be considered a type of UWB frame.

[0099] Among them, the SHR can be used for the device receiving the UWB frame to perform channel estimation, synchronization between devices / nodes in the system shown in Figure 1, and positioning and ranging between devices. The SHR may include a synchronization (SYNC) field and a start-of-frame delimiter (SFD) field. The SYNC field can be used for channel estimation, synchronization between devices, positioning and ranging, etc. The SFD field can be used by the receiving device to determine the starting position of the PHR in the UWB frame. For example, when the receiving device detects the SFD field, it can be determined that the SFD field is followed by the PHR part of the UWB frame, and the receiving device can decode the PHR in the UWB frame and the PHY payload after the PHR. The PHR is located after the SHR, and the PHR can be used by the receiving device to correctly decode the UWB frame.

[0100] To further enhance the security of time measurement, the 802.15.4z standard introduces a scrambled timestamp sequence (STS). The STS is a pseudo-random sequence that can only be known by a specific receiving device (e.g., a UWB device). The receiving device uses the STS to perform a correlation operation with the received UBW frame / UWB signal and estimates the arrival time information of the UBW frame / UWB signal at the receiving device based on the peak position of the correlation result obtained by the correlation operation. Optionally, the UBW frame can include an STS, which can be placed before or after the PHY Payload, or can exist independently instead of the PHY Payload. For example, as shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(c), in Figure 5(a), the STS precedes the PHR and PHY Payload. In Figure 5(b), the STS follows the PHY Payload. In Figure 5(c), the UWB frame includes the STS but does not include the PHY Payload.

[0101] During the ranging phase of UWB technology, UWB network parameters, ranging signals, and ranging response signals are exchanged sequentially based on UWB frames. However, UWB signals take a long time to transmit and consume a lot of power. Furthermore, the limited power spectral density of UWB limits the transmit power of UWB signals, restricting the measurable distance.

[0102] In the embodiments of the present application, a narrowband signal carries the parameters used for ranging, while a wideband signal carries the sequence used for ranging. This embodiment of the present application can reduce the operating time of the wideband signal during ranging, thereby reducing node power consumption. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the terms "wideband signal" and "narrowband signal" are relative. For example, the narrowband signal can be referred to as a first bandwidth signal, and the wideband signal can be referred to as a second bandwidth signal. The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal.

[0103] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to scenarios such as synchronization, ranging, and positioning. For example, it can be applied to industrial workshop positioning, mobile phone ranging, and item search. For the convenience of description, unless otherwise specified, the following takes the application of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application to the ranging system shown in Figure 1 as an example. It should be noted that the number of nodes in the communication system shown in Figure 1 is only an example and does not serve as a limitation on this application. The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiment of the present application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiment of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiment of the present application. It is known to those skilled in the art that with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiment of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0104] For example, the solution provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applicable to SparkLink Positioning (SLP). SparkLink (or NearLink) includes at least one of SparkLink Low Energy (SLE), SparkLink Basic (SLB), or SparkLink Positioning (SLP). It is understandable that the management node in this article may be a G node in the SparkLink system, and the slave node is a T node in the SparkLink system.

[0105] In the embodiments of the present application, some UWB and SLP modules can be reused, thereby saving chip cost, area, and power consumption. Chip resources can be highly reused, and multiple chips can be quickly iterated.

[0106] UWB and SLP can share a common radio frequency architecture and pathways. Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of a chip architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, this design enables resource sharing among the central processing unit (CPU), radio frequency (RF) unit, analog baseband (ABB) unit, or modem, as well as the reuse of some modules in the media access control (MAC) layer, thereby saving chip area, reducing chip cost, and power consumption.

[0107] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another chip architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 7, the MAC units of UWB and SLP are implemented independently, while the RF units and Modem units of each mode are all shared.

[0108] As shown in Figure 8, another chip architecture diagram provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. As shown in Figure 8, the MAC units of UWB and SLP are implemented independently, and the Modems of UWB and SLP are also implemented independently, while the RF units of each mode are all shared.

[0109] SLP chips can be manufactured using 14 / 28 / 40nm processes and packaged in chip size packages (CSP), ball grid arrays (BGA), and quad flat no-lead (QFN), with either internal or external flash memory. Depending on the application scenario, at least one of the following subsystems, including a power management unit (PMU), clock management unit (CMU), active optical network (AON), wireless local area network (WLAN) or UWB, SLP, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), application (APP), and audio, can be placed on a single chip, minimizing area, maximizing functionality, and improving performance and reliability.

[0110] The present application embodiment provides a chip design method, in which the SLP and other subsystems are integrated on a single chip. The subsystems of the chip can be tailored and combined according to different products, and different subsystems are connected via a bus.

[0111] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of a chip module framework provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, for products that require functional modules such as WiFi or GNSS and have both UWB and SLP, UWB and SLP can be divided into different systems, which can then be combined with the WiFi system, GNSS system, always-on system, PMU, CMU, Flash memory, etc. on a single chip. The different subsystems are connected via a bus.

[0112] Figure 10 shows another schematic diagram of a chip module framework provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10, for devices that do not require functional modules such as WiFi or GNSS but require audio functions, in order to save area and cost, UWB and SLP can be combined into one subsystem, which can then be combined with the App System, Audio System, Always On System, PMU, CMU, Flash, etc. on a single chip. The different subsystems are connected via a bus.

[0113] Figure 11 shows another schematic diagram of a chip module framework provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 11, for devices that do not require functional modules such as WiFi or GNSS, nor audio functions, to save area and cost, UWB and SLP can be combined into one subsystem, which can then be combined with the Always On System, CMU, PMU, Flash, etc. on a single chip, with the different subsystems connected via a bus.

[0114] SLP and UWB in the same core can allocate service time slots through software scheduling, but SLP and UWB on different cores lack unified scheduling.

[0115] The embodiment of the present application provides an SLP / UWB coexistence solution. Depending on whether SLP and UWB share the same antenna, the coexistence scenarios are divided into different antenna coexistence (using different antennas) and common antenna coexistence (using the same antenna), and different coexistence strategies are given.

[0116] For heterogeneous antenna coexistence, if SLP and UWB coexist, the transmit and receive frequencies of SLP and UWB can be different (i.e., frequency division multiplexing). The software can handle this based on the frequency hopping sequence (i.e., code division multiplexing), service cycle, and interval (i.e., time division multiplexing).

[0117] For coexistence using the same antenna, either a software static strategy or a hardware packet traffic arbitration (PTA) strategy can be used. The advantages of the software static strategy include minimal hardware requirements, minimal software modifications, and no dynamic radio frequency (RF) switching (such as RF recovery). The advantages of the PTA strategy include faster service state switching and finer switching time granularity.

[0118] Taking SLP and UWB storage as an example, Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the framework of a software static policy provided in an embodiment of the present application. As can be seen from Figure 12, the software static policy may include: after SLP is started, the host (HOST) is configured through software to notify UWB to exit the current RF path. In this scenario, UWB can check the SLP startup flag, and the software can be set to switch from the current RF path to another RF path. The chip needs to support software setting switching.

[0119] For example, as shown in FIG13, a schematic diagram of the framework of a hardware arbitration time division (PTA) strategy provided in an embodiment of the present application is provided. As can be seen from FIG13, the hardware arbitration time division (PTA) strategy includes: any combination of transmission (TX) and reception (RX) of each party is time-divided, and the PTA module will transmit the occupancy status of the radio frequency channel to each party respectively, using different level signals to indicate that the radio frequency channel is occupied by SLP / UWB, and notify the software or hardware to perform corresponding processing through this signal. Different services can also set different PTA priorities, and high-priority services can seize air interface resources.

[0120] For Star Flash, the Star Flash standard defines asynchronous and synchronous data links. Asynchronous links are divided into asynchronous unicast and multicast, and synchronous links are divided into synchronous unicast, multicast and broadcast. The embodiment of this application designs a set of SLP link selection schemes based on the different real-time requirements of different product data. By connecting different devices in different scenarios, different data links can be used to support the needs of different product application scenarios.

[0121] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a link establishment process provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 14, after the T node sends a broadcast packet to the G node, the G node sends a scan access request to the T node. Furthermore, after the T node sends a scan access response to the G node, an asynchronous unicast link is established between the G node and the T node, and data is transmitted over the established asynchronous unicast link.

[0122] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 15, after the T node sends a broadcast packet to the G node, the G node sends a scan access request to the T node. Furthermore, after the T node sends a scan access response to the G node, an asynchronous multicast link is established between the G node and the T node, and data is transmitted over the established asynchronous multicast link.

[0123] For products that do not require real-time data (such as non-audio devices such as keyboards, mice, and styluses) or services (that is, the delay requirement of the product or service (or the service delay) is greater than the first value), an asynchronous unicast link as shown in Figure 14 or an asynchronous multicast link as shown in Figure 15 can be established for data transmission.

[0124] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 16, after the T node sends a broadcast packet to the G node, the G node sends a scan access request to the T node. Furthermore, after the T node sends a scan access response to the G node, the G node and the T node first establish an asynchronous unicast link, and then establish a synchronous unicast link, and data is transmitted over the established synchronous unicast link.

[0125] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 17, after the T node sends a broadcast packet to the G node, the G node sends a scan access request to the T node. Furthermore, after the T node sends a scan access response to the G node, the G node and the T node first establish an asynchronous unicast link, then establish a synchronous multicast link, and transmit data over the established synchronous multicast link.

[0126] For products (such as audio devices such as headphones and microphones) or services with real-time data requirements (that is, the delay requirement of the product or service is less than the second value), as shown in Figure 15 or Figure 16, an asynchronous unicast link can be established first, and then a synchronous unicast link or a synchronous multicast link can be established for data transmission.

[0127] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 18, after the T node sends a broadcast packet to the G node, the G node sends a scan access request to the T node. Furthermore, after the T node sends a scan access response to the G node, an asynchronous unicast link is established between the G node and the T node, and data transmission is performed after synchronization is achieved by adding timestamps to the data packets.

[0128] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of another link establishment process provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 19, after the T node sends a broadcast packet to the G node, the G node sends a scan access request to the T node. Furthermore, after the T node sends a scan access response to the G node, an asynchronous multicast link is established between the G node and the T node, and data transmission is performed after synchronization is achieved by adding timestamps to the data packets.

[0129] For products (such as audio devices such as headsets and live microphones) or services that have data real-time requirements but not particularly high real-time requirements (that is, the delay requirement of the product or service is less than the first value and greater than the second value), asynchronous unicast or asynchronous multicast links can also be established to achieve synchronization by adding timestamps to data packets.

[0130] Considering the high cost, complexity, and power consumption of current UWB chips, embodiments of the present application provide a broadband chip that is connected to a narrowband chip via an interface. The broadband chip may include at least one of a UWB chip and an SLP chip. The narrowband chip may include at least one of a Bluetooth chip, a Wi-Fi chip, an SLE chip, and an SLB chip.

[0131] As shown in Figure 20, there can be an interface between the narrowband chip and the broadband chip, such as a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) and a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface. When the narrowband chip needs the broadband chip to work, it can send an enable signal to the broadband chip. This allows the broadband chip to power on and start working. In low-power scenarios, the narrowband chip can also complete the sleep and wake-up functions of the broadband chip through the interface between them (such as the GPIO or UART interface); alternatively, the broadband chip can also complete the sleep and wake-up functions of the narrowband chip through the interface between them (such as the GPIO or UART interface).

[0132] In addition, the narrowband chip can send ranging control information to the broadband chip. Exemplarily, through inter-system negotiation (for example, the narrowband chips of the transceiver device first complete the network establishment and ranging control negotiation), the narrowband chip then sends the ranging control information to the broadband chip through the inter-chip communication interface, and the broadband chip then starts ranging. In one implementation, the ranging process of the broadband chip can be completed using a double side two way ranging (DS-TWR) method.

[0133] In one implementation, the narrowband chips of the receiving and transmitting devices (e.g., G-node and T-node) first perform signal time synchronization (which may be coarse synchronization). After the narrowband chips of the receiving and transmitting devices are synchronized, the narrowband chip of the transmitting device can send a time synchronization signal (synchronization, SYNC) to the broadband chip of the transmitting device, so as to facilitate time synchronization (which may be fine synchronization) between the broadband chip of the transmitting device and the broadband chip of the receiving device, and / or, the narrowband chip of the receiving device can send a time synchronization signal to the broadband chip of the receiving device, so as to facilitate time synchronization between the broadband chip of the receiving device and the broadband chip of the transmitting device. In this way, coarse synchronization between the transmitting and receiving devices can be first achieved through the narrowband chip, and then fine synchronization between the transmitting and receiving devices can be achieved through the broadband chip, thereby better achieving transceiver synchronization and reducing the cost of the broadband chip.

[0134] In one implementation, after the narrowband chip sends the time synchronization signal to the broadband chip, it may send a carrier frequency offset (CFO) to the broadband chip through an interface.

[0135] In one implementation, a broadband chip of a device can send measurement information to a peer device via the narrowband chip of the device. For example, the broadband chip of the transmitting device can first send the measurement information to the narrowband chip of the transmitting device via an interface. The narrowband chip of the transmitting device then sends the measurement information to the narrowband chip of the receiving device. The narrowband chip of the receiving device then sends the measurement information to the broadband chip of the receiving device. The measurement information can be information used to calculate time of flight (TOF). The measurement information can also be a time window for ranging.

[0136] In one implementation, the narrowband chip may provide a crystal oscillator (XO) signal to the broadband chip, and the XO signal may serve as a clock signal of the broadband chip.

[0137] The solutions of at least one embodiment in Figures 6 to 20 of the present application can be combined with each other, that is, there is a certain device or chip that simultaneously has or satisfies the solution of at least one embodiment in Figures 6 to 20.

[0138] The technical solution of a broadband chip designed by the above embodiment ensures the normal operation of the broadband chip through the interaction and interface design between the narrowband chip and the broadband chip. The function of the narrowband chip is borrowed in communication, and the function of the broadband chip is directly used in ranging, so that ultra-wideband applications can be turned on at any time, and the data transmission borrows the capabilities of the narrowband chip, achieving technical effects such as low complexity and low power consumption.

[0139] The device shown in at least one embodiment of Figures 6 to 20 of the present application can be applicable to measuring the distance between two nodes, and can also be applicable to measuring the distance between multiple nodes at the same time. Alternatively, the node in the embodiment of the present application may include (or be) the device shown in at least one embodiment of Figures 6 to 21. It is understandable that before different nodes perform ranging, each node can apply to join the network, compete for access to the network, and complete networking with other nodes. After multiple nodes are networked, the management node can allocate a ranging time unit to each slave node, and each slave node performs the ranging process in its respective ranging time unit. The ranging time unit can be called a ranging phase, a ranging time period, etc., and the specific name is not limited.

[0140] For ease of understanding, please refer to Figure 21, which shows a ranging system composed of node T0-node T1 and node A0-node A3. Among them, ranging can be performed between any two nodes in node T0-node T1 and node A0-node A3. For ease of description, the embodiment of the present application takes A0 as an example of a management node. Initially, node A0 can broadcast a beacon frame in the synchronization time period. Any node receives the beacon frame and realizes time synchronization with node A0 based on the beacon frame. As shown in Figure 21, node T0-node T1 and node A1-node A3 can scan the beacon frame from node A0. Any node receives the beacon frame and can determine the carrier frequency offset (CFO) between it and node A0 based on the beacon frame, and then synchronize with the time of node A0 according to the CFO time.

[0141] The CFO between two nodes can be the clock deviation between the two nodes. As shown in Figure 22, node A periodically sends beacon frames according to its own clock count and after a period of delta, node B receives beacon frames according to its own clock count and after delta, the clock deviation rate between nodes A and B is clock. freq satisfy:

[0142] The beacon frame sent by node A0 may also include network parameters, based on which other nodes can establish a network with node A0 and perform the ranging process after networking. The network parameters may include one or more of the following: network access time information or ranging duration information. The network access time information indicates the time period for competing for network access (which may be referred to as the contention access time period). This time period is the time period during which nodes requesting to join the network where node A0 is located compete for access to the network. The ranging duration information may be a ranging time period shared by multiple nodes, and the ranging duration of each node may be a portion of the ranging time period.

[0143] The duration of the synchronization time period, the contention access time period, and the ranging time period can be predefined or configured. The duration of the synchronization time period, the contention access time period, and the ranging time period are independent and have no constraints on each other. They can be determined according to actual needs. For example, if there are many nodes that need ranging, the contention access time period will be longer to ensure that the nodes that need ranging can join the network as early as possible; if there are fewer nodes that need ranging, the contention access time period will be shorter to save resources. Similarly, if there are many nodes that need ranging, the ranging time period can be longer to meet the time required for ranging of each node as much as possible; if there are fewer nodes that need ranging, the ranging time period can be shorter to save resources.

[0144] After node T0-node T1 and node A1-node A3 are synchronized with node A0 in time, they can request to join the network where node A0 is located during the contention access time period. Figure 21 takes the example of node T0 and node T1 requesting to join the network where node A0 is located. Node T0 sends an access request frame to node A0 during the contention access time period. After node A0 receives the access request frame from node T0 (or node T0 successfully competes to communicate with node A0), node A0 adds node T0 to the node list. The node list includes all the nodes in the network. Similar to node T0, node T1 also sends an access request frame to node A0 during the contention access time period. After node T1 successfully competes to communicate with node A0), node A0 adds node T1 to the node list.

[0145] Node A0 also allocates respective ranging time units to nodes T0 and T1 accessing the network. In the embodiments of the present application, a time unit refers to a period of time, and there is no limit on the size of a time unit. For example, a time unit can be at least one time slot or at least one symbol. The ranging time unit of a node refers to the time unit used for ranging by the node. Within the ranging time unit, nodes can exchange signals / information used for ranging. For ease of description, the embodiments of the present application take a ranging time unit as an example of a time slot.

[0146] For any slave node, the management node can allocate one or more idle time units in the ranging time period to the slave node. Taking nodes T0 and T1 as an example, assuming that the beacon frame includes ranging duration information, the ranging duration information may include the number N of ranging time units. Ranging time unit 0 (such as time slot 0 in Figure 21) and ranging time unit 1 (such as time slot 1 in Figure 21) of the N ranging time units are idle, node A0 can allocate time slot 0 to node T0 and time slot 1 to node T1.

[0147] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific implementation manner in which the management node allocates ranging time units to each slave node. Two possible implementation manners are listed below.

[0148] In the first implementation mode, the management node allocates a ranging time unit to a slave node through a signaling.

[0149] For each slave node, the management node sends a resource allocation frame. This frame includes the slave node's identification information and the ranging time unit allocated to it. For node T0, for example, the resource allocation frame includes information about time slot 0; for node T1, for example, the resource allocation frame includes information about time slot 1. Figure 21 uses implementation method 1 as an example.

[0150] In the second implementation mode, the management node allocates ranging time units to multiple slave nodes through a signaling.

[0151] For multiple slave nodes, the management node can allocate a shared ranging time period to the multiple slave nodes and indicate the positional relationship between the ranging time unit allocated to each slave node and the shared ranging time period, thereby indicating the ranging time unit allocated to each slave node. For example, taking node T0 as an example, the resource allocation frame sent by the management node indicates n time slots, where n is an integer greater than 1, and the n time slots are the ranging time periods shared by the multiple slave nodes; the resource allocation frame also includes the position of time slot 0 allocated to node T0 within the n time slots, thereby indicating the ranging time unit allocated to node T0.

[0152] Each slave node can perform the ranging process within the allocated ranging time unit. In an embodiment of the present application, the ranging time unit of a node can be divided into at least two parts. Taking node T0 in Figure 21 as an example, the ranging time unit of node T0 (i.e., time slot 0) can include a first time unit and a second time unit. The first time unit is configured to send a narrowband signal, and the second time unit is configured to send a broadband signal. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, broadband signal and narrowband signal are relative terms. For example, the narrowband signal can be called the first bandwidth signal, and the broadband signal can be called the second bandwidth signal. The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal. During the ranging process, node T0 can exchange parameters for ranging (such as synchronization signals) through narrowband signals in the first time unit, and carry sequences for ranging through broadband signals in the second time unit. This can reduce the working time of the broadband signal during the ranging process, thereby reducing the power consumption of node T0.

[0153] Furthermore, node T0 may also report the measurement value used to determine the distance between node T0 and node A0 to node A0 via a narrowband signal, thereby further reducing the operating time of the broadband signal and further reducing the energy consumption of node T0. For example, the ranging time unit also includes a third time unit, and node T0 sends the measurement value during the third time unit.

[0154] The management node can allocate ranging time units, including first, second, and even third time units, to each slave node. For example, the management node can send a control signal that may include one or more of the following: network access time information and ranging duration information. The ranging duration information may include one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration of the ranging time units, the duration of the first time unit, the duration of the second time unit, or the duration of the third time unit. This control signal may be a resource allocation frame as shown in Figure 21, and the control signal may be a first bandwidth signal to reduce the operating time of the broadband signal. It should be noted that the duration of the first time unit refers to the duration of the first time unit in the ranging time unit of the second node. Similarly, the duration of the second time unit refers to the duration of the second time unit in the ranging time unit of the second node. The duration of the third time unit refers to the duration of the third time unit in the ranging time unit of the second node.

[0155] Exemplarily, the management node may broadcast network access time information and ranging duration information via beacon frames in a synchronization time period, i.e., the control signal may be a beacon frame in a synchronization time period. The ranging duration information may include one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit. For example, the duration occupied by a ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, and the duration occupied by the third time unit may be predefined, and the ranging duration information may include the number N of ranging time units. For another example, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit may be predefined. The ranging duration information may include the number N of ranging time units and the duration occupied by the ranging time unit.

[0156] The following will introduce the technical solution provided by the embodiment of this application in combination with Figure 21 and the above content.

[0157] Please refer to Figure 23, which exemplifies a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication method provided in Figure 23 involves interaction between multiple communication devices, which include a ranging initiating device and at least one ranging response device. For the convenience of description, the following takes the ranging initiating device as the first node and the ranging response device as the second node as an example. The steps performed by the first node can be implemented by the first node itself, or by a component in the first node (such as a processing chip or software module, etc.). For example, if the first node is a network device, then the steps performed by the first node can be implemented by the network device itself, or by a component in the network device (such as a control board (chip), a baseband chip, or other processing units or processor modules). The steps performed by the second node can be implemented by the second node itself, or by a component in the second node (such as a processing chip or software module, etc.). For example, if the second node is a terminal device, the steps performed by the second node can be implemented by the terminal device itself, or by a component in the terminal device (such as a chip, a processing unit, or a processor module).

[0158] In the embodiments of this application, the phrases "when," "if," and "if" all imply that the device will perform a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not specify a time limit, do not require the device to perform a judgment action during implementation, and do not imply any other limitations. "If" and "if" are interchangeable. Unless otherwise specified, "when" and "under the circumstances" are interchangeable. "Sync signal" is also referred to as "sync frame / sync frame / sync sequence."

[0159] The communication method shown in FIG23 is applied to the system shown in FIG21 as an example. In FIG21 , node T1 is similar to node T0, or in other words, node T1 and node T0 play the same role with respect to node A0. The ranging process between node T1 and node A0 is similar to the ranging process between node T0 and node A0. Similarly, nodes A1-A3 play the same role as node A0. The ranging process between node T0 / node T1 and nodes A1 / A2 / A3 is similar to the ranging process between node T0 / node T1 and node A0. For node A0, node T0 and node T1 belong to the same synchronization (Sync) group. Alternatively, multiple slave nodes can form a Sync group. For this Sync group, the management node can broadcast signals to each slave node in the Sync group. Nodes A0-A3 in the network can be anchor points (nodes with known locations). The order in which nodes A0-A3 transmit signals can be predefined, for example, nodes A0-A3 transmit signals sequentially in chronological order. Thus, the system shown in FIG. 21 operates in a time division multiple access (TDMA) manner, which can prevent conflicts between the sending and receiving signals of each node.

[0160] Figure 23 takes the example where the first node is the node A0 in Figure 21 and the second node is the node T0 in Figure 21. As shown in Figure 23, the process of the communication method includes the following steps.

[0161] S2301: A second node sends a synchronization signal in a first time unit, where the synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the first node and the second node. The first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal.

[0162] As shown in the figure, the ranging time unit of the second node is time slot 0, and the first time unit is included in the ranging time unit of the second node (i.e., time slot 0). The first bandwidth signal can be called a narrowband signal. For example, the first bandwidth signal can be Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), etc. The first time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal. The second node can exchange some parameters of the ranging process with the first node through the first bandwidth signal in the first time unit. For example, the second node can send a synchronization signal to the first node within the first time unit. The first node receives the synchronization signal and synchronizes time with the second node based on the synchronization signal to improve the accuracy of ranging.

[0163] It is understood that when the second node sends a synchronization signal, multiple nodes in the network can receive the synchronization signal. Taking Figure 21 as an example, node T0 sends a synchronization signal at time St; node A0 receives the synchronization signal at time S0; node A1 receives the synchronization signal at time S1; node A2 receives the synchronization signal at time S2; and node A3 receives the synchronization signal at time S3. Nodes A0-A3 respectively achieve time synchronization with node T0 based on the received synchronization signals.

[0164] S2302: The first node sends a synchronization response signal to the second node in a first time unit in response to the synchronization signal.

[0165] Any node receives a synchronization signal from a second node and, in response to the synchronization signal, can feed back a response signal of the synchronization signal (i.e., a synchronization response signal) to the second node. Specifically, in Figure 21, the first node (i.e., node A0) sends a synchronization response signal at time R0; node A1 sends a synchronization response signal at time R1; node A2 sends a synchronization response signal at time R2; and node A3 sends a synchronization response signal at time R3. Correspondingly, node T0 receives a synchronization response signal from node A0 at time R0_t; node T0 receives a synchronization response signal from node A1 at time R1_t; node T0 receives a synchronization response signal from node A2 at time R2_t; and node T3 receives a synchronization response signal from node A3 at time R3_t.

[0166] S2303: The second node sends a first ranging signal to the first node in a second time unit.

[0167] The first ranging signal can be used to measure the distance between the second node and the first node. The first ranging signal is a second bandwidth signal. In the embodiment of the present application, the second bandwidth signal can be a signal with high multipath resolution capability, which can achieve high-precision ranging.

[0168] For example, the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal can be greater than or equal to 499.2 MHz. For example, the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal can be equal to 500 MHz. In addition, the second bandwidth signal can be a nanosecond or picosecond pulse signal. For example, the second bandwidth signal can be a UWB signal, or the second bandwidth signal can be a customized broadband signal. By customizing the second bandwidth signal, the transmission power of the second bandwidth signal can be increased, thereby meeting the ranging and positioning requirements of remote nodes.

[0169] For another example, the pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal can be located at [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz] to minimize the duration occupied by the signal with a larger bandwidth. For example, the pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal can be 16.1 MHz, 55.54 MHz, 62.4 MHz, 62.89 MHz, or 111.09 MHz.

[0170] In an embodiment of the present application, the time interval between the moment when the second node sends the first ranging signal and the moment when it sends the synchronization signal can be specified / predefined, such as a first duration. Following the example of Figure 21, node T0 sends a synchronization signal at time St and sends a first ranging signal at time St', with the first duration between St' and St. Correspondingly, the first duration is also separated from the moment when the first node receives the first ranging signal and the moment when it receives the synchronization signal. Alternatively, the first node can configure the moment when the second node sends the first ranging signal to the second node based on the moment when the synchronization signal is received. In this way, after receiving the synchronization signal, the first node can turn off the receiver, turn on the receiver at an interval of the first duration (or less than the first duration), and wait to receive the first ranging signal. In this way, the first node does not need to keep the receiver turned on, which can reduce the energy consumption of the first node.

[0171] Continuing with the example of Figure 21, node T0 sends the first ranging signal at time St`, node A0 receives the first ranging signal at time S0`, node A1 receives the first ranging signal at time S1`, node A2 receives the first ranging signal at time S2`, and node A3 receives the first ranging signal at time S3`. The first duration may be Delta_T, and when node A0 receives the synchronization signal at time S0, node A0 may turn on the receiver at S0+Delta_T. In order to prevent node A0 from missing the first ranging signal, node A0 may turn on the receiver within a preset duration before S0+Delta_T. Considering the presence of CFO between node T0 and node A0, node A0 may turn on the receiver at S0+Delta_T×CFO, or turn on the receiver within a preset duration before S0+Delta_T×CFO. Similar to node A0, node A1 can turn on the receiver during S1+Delta_T, a preset time before S1+Delta_T, S1+Delta_T×CFO, or a preset time before S1+Delta_T×CFO. Node A2 can turn on the receiver during S2+Delta_T, a preset time before S2+Delta_T, S2+Delta_T×CFO, or a preset time before S2+Delta_T×CFO. Node A3 can turn on the receiver during S3+Delta_T, a preset time before S3+Delta_T, S3+Delta_T×CFO, or a preset time before S3+Delta_T×CFO.

[0172] S2304. The first node sends a first ranging response signal to the second node in the second time unit.

[0173] The first node receives a first ranging signal from the second node, and in response to the first ranging signal, may send a first ranging response signal to the second node in a second time unit.

[0174] The time interval between the moment when the first node sends the first ranging response signal and the moment when the synchronization response signal is sent can be specified. Following the example of Figure 21, node A0 sends a synchronization response signal at moment R0 and sends the first ranging response signal at moment R0', with a second duration (e.g., Delta_R) between R0' and R0. Correspondingly, the moment when the second node receives the first ranging response signal and the moment when the synchronization response signal is received are also separated by a second duration. For example, node T0 receives the synchronization response signal at moment R0_t and receives the first ranging response signal at moment R0_t', with a second duration between R0_t' and R0_t. In this way, after receiving the synchronization response signal, the second node can turn off the receiver, turn on the receiver at a second duration (or less than the second duration), and wait to receive the first ranging response signal. In this way, there is no need for the second node to keep the receiver turned on, which can reduce the energy consumption of the second node.

[0175] Continuing with the example of FIG21 , node A0 sends a synchronization response signal at time R0 and sends a first ranging response signal at R0′, where R0′=R0+Delta_R. Node T0 turns on its receiver at R0′ or within a preset time period before R0′, and receives the first ranging response signal from node A0 at time R0_t′. Considering the presence of CFO between node T0 and node A0, node T0 can turn on its receiver at R0+Delta_R×CFO or within a preset time period before R0+Delta_R×CFO. Similarly, as shown in FIG21 , node A1 can turn on its receiver at R1+Delta_R, within a preset time period before R1+Delta_R, R1+Delta_R×CFO, or within a preset time period before R1+Delta_R×CFO, and node T0 receives the first ranging response signal from node A1 at time R1_t′. Node A2 may turn on its receiver within R2+Delta_R, a preset time period before R2+Delta_R, R2+Delta_R×CFO, or a preset time period before R2+Delta_R×CFO. Node T0 receives the first ranging response signal from node A2 at time R2_t`. Node A3 may turn on its receiver within R3+Delta_R, a preset time period before R3+Delta_R, R3+Delta_R×CFO, or a preset time period before R3+Delta_R×CFO. Node T0 receives the first ranging response signal from node A3 at time R3_t`.

[0176] S2305: The second node sends a second ranging signal to the first node in a second time unit.

[0177] Similar to the first ranging signal, the second ranging signal is also a second bandwidth signal. The time interval between the moment when the second node sends the second ranging signal and the moment when it sends the first ranging signal can be specified. Continuing with the example of Figure 21, node T0 sends the first ranging signal at time St` and sends the second ranging signal at time St``, with a third time interval (e.g., Delta_interval) between St`` and St`. Correspondingly, the moment when node A0 receives the second ranging signal and the moment when it receives the first ranging signal are also separated by a second time interval. For example, node A0 receives the second ranging signal at time S0`` and receives the first ranging signal at time S0`, with a second time interval between S0`` and S0`. In this way, after receiving the first ranging signal, node A0 can turn off the receiver, turn on the receiver after a third time interval (or less than the third time interval), and wait to receive the second ranging response signal. In this way, node A0 does not need to keep the receiver turned on, which can reduce the energy consumption of node A0.

[0178] The third duration can be Delta_interval or Delta_interval×CFO. As shown in Figure 21, node A1 can turn on the receiver within S1`+Delta_interval, the preset duration before S1`+Delta_interval, S1`+Delta_interval×CFO, or the preset duration before S1`+Delta_interval×CFO, and receive the second ranging signal at time S1``. Node A2 can turn on the receiver within S2`+Delta_interval, the preset duration before S2`+Delta_interval, S2`+Delta_interval×CFO, or the preset duration before S2`+Delta_interval×CFO, and receive the first ranging response signal from node A2 at time S2``. Node A3 may turn on the receiver within S3`+Delta_interval, a preset time period before S3`+Delta_interval, S3`+Delta_interval×CFO, or a preset time period before S3`+Delta_interval×CFO, and receive the second ranging signal at time S3``.

[0179] Node A0 and node T0 can determine the flight time TOF of the signal between node A0 and node T0, and the flight time TOF satisfies the following formula:

[0180] The distance between node A0 and node T0 is the product of the time of flight TOF and the speed of light.

[0181] It can be understood that the flight time TOF of the signal between the node T0 and the node An satisfies the following formula:

[0182] It is understandable that if the positions of any two nodes among nodes A1-A3 and the distance between node T0 and the two nodes are known, the position of node T0 can also be determined. T0～An It can be seen from the formula that the second ranging signal is sent by node T0, that is, the distance between node A0 and node T0 is calculated based on DS-TWR, without considering the clock offset between each node, which is simpler.

[0183] In the communication method shown in Figure 23, during the ranging process between nodes T0 and A0, nodes T0 and A0 exchange synchronization signals via narrowband signals within the ranging time unit and exchange ranging signals via broadband signals. Compared to exchanging broadband signals throughout the entire process, this reduces the operating time of the broadband signal during ranging, thereby reducing the power consumption of nodes T0 and A0.

[0184] Furthermore, the second node may also report a measurement value to the first node. For example, the second node may also send a measurement value within a third time unit, and the measurement value is used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node. Taking Figure 21 as an example, the first node is A0 and the second node is T0. The measurement value may include St` and R0_t`.

[0185] The third time unit is included in the ranging time unit of the second node, and the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal, as shown in Figure 24. The second node reports the measurement value through the narrowband signal, which can further reduce the working time of the broadband signal and further reduce the energy consumption of the node.

[0186] In this embodiment of the present application, a second node transmits a second ranging signal to a first node in a second time unit, and the first node calculates the flight time between the first node and the second node based on the transmission time of the second ranging signal. In a possible implementation, S2305 need not be performed, and the distance between the first node and the second node can also be calculated. Therefore, S2305 is not a required step and is indicated by a dotted line in Figure 23.

[0187] For example, node T0 sends a first ranging signal at time St`, and node A0 receives the first ranging signal at time S0`; node A0 sends a first ranging response signal at time R0`, and node T0 receives the first ranging response signal from node A0 at time R0_t`. Considering the clock offset between nodes T0 and A0, the flight time of the signal between nodes T0 and A0 is T of Satisfies the following formula:

[0188] Wherein, Tround is the interval between the time when node T0 sends the first ranging signal and the time when node T0 receives the first ranging signal, that is, Tround = R0_t`-St`; Treply is the interval between the time when node A0 receives the first ranging signal and the time when the node sends the first ranging response signal, that is, Treply = S0`-R0`; C offs is the clock deviation between nodes A0 and T0.

[0189] In the embodiments provided in the present application, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application is introduced from the perspective of the interaction between the first node and the second node. In order to implement the various functions in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first node and / or the second node may include a hardware structure and / or a software module to implement the above functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. Whether a function of the above functions is executed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0190] The following describes the communication device used to implement the above method in the embodiment of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the above contents can be used in subsequent embodiments, and repeated contents will not be repeated.

[0191] Figure 25 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2500 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 2500 can be the first node or the second node in the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the communication device 2500 can be the management node or the slave node in Figure 1. Or the communication device 2500 is a chip (system) in the first node or the second node. Or, the communication device 2500 is a software module in the first node or the second node. The communication device 2500 can implement the functions or steps implemented by the first node or the second node in the above-mentioned various method embodiments. The communication device 2500 may include a processing module 2510 and a transceiver module 2520. Optionally, it may also include a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions (code or program) and / or data. The processing module 2510 and the transceiver module 2520 can be coupled to the storage unit. For example, the processing module 2510 can read the instructions (code or program) and / or data in the storage unit to implement the corresponding method. The above-mentioned units can be set independently or partially or fully integrated.

[0192] In one possible implementation, the processing module 2510 may be a processor or controller, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processing (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, and the like. The transceiver module 2520 is a transceiver, an interface circuit, a bus, a pin, or other possible communication interface for receiving signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the transceiver module 2520 is an interface circuit for the chip to receive signals from other chips or devices, or an interface circuit for the chip to send signals to other chips or devices.

[0193] The communication device 2500 may further include a storage unit, which may be, for example, a memory. The processing module 2510 may execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage unit. When the communication device 2500 is a chip used in the first node or the second node, the storage unit may be a storage unit within the chip, such as a register, a cache, etc. For example, the storage unit may also be a storage unit located outside the chip within the first node or the second node, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0194] In some possible implementations, the communication device 2500 can implement the behavior and functions of the first node in the above-mentioned method embodiment, for example, the method executed by the first node in the embodiment of Figure 23. The communication device 2500 can be a first node, or a component (such as a chip or circuit) applied to the first node, or a chip or chipset in the first node or a part of the chip used to perform the relevant method function, or a software module that can implement the method executed by the first node in Figure 23, without limitation. For example, the transceiver module 2520 can be used to execute S2301-S2304, S2305 in the embodiment shown in Figure 23, and / or other processes for supporting the technology described herein; the processing module 2510 is used to execute other processes of the technology described herein.

[0195] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 2520 is configured to receive a synchronization signal from the second node in a first time unit, send a synchronization response signal in response to the synchronization signal in the first time unit, and receive a first ranging signal from the second node in a second time unit, and send a first ranging response signal in response to the first ranging signal in the second time unit. The synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the communication device 2500 and the second node. The first ranging signal is used to measure the distance between the communication device 2500 and the second node. The first time unit and the second time unit are both included in the ranging time unit of the second node. The first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal, and the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal. The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal. The processing module 2510 is configured to determine the time of receiving the first ranging signal.

[0196] As an optional implementation, the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than or equal to 500 MHz, and the second bandwidth signal is a nanosecond or picosecond pulse signal.

[0197] As an optional implementation, the pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal is located at [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz].

[0198] As an optional implementation, the time S0′ when the transceiver module 2520 receives the first ranging signal and the time S0 when the synchronization response signal is received are separated by a first time length, and the first time length is predefined or configured.

[0199] As an optional implementation manner, the sending time R0′ of the first ranging response signal and the sending time R0 of the synchronization response signal are separated by a second time length, and the second time length is predefined or configured.

[0200] As an optional implementation manner, the transceiver module 2520 is further configured to receive a second ranging signal from a second node in a second time unit.

[0201] As an optional implementation, the time S0 ″ when the transceiver module 2520 receives the second ranging signal is separated from the time S0 ′ when the transceiver module 2520 receives the first ranging signal by a third time period, and the third time period is predefined or configured.

[0202] As an optional implementation, the TOF of the signal between the communication device 1000 and the second node satisfies the following formula:

[0203] Among them, S` t is the time when the second node sends the first ranging signal, S'0 is the time when the communication device 2500 receives the first ranging signal, and S' t is the time when the second node sends the second ranging signal, S″0 is the time when the communication device 2500 receives the second ranging signal, R`0 is the time when the communication device 2500 sends the first ranging response signal, and R` 0_t is the time when the second node receives the first ranging response signal.

[0204] As an optional implementation, the transceiver module 2520 is further used to receive a measurement value from the second node in a third time unit, where the third time unit is included in the ranging time unit of the second node, and the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal, and the measurement value includes the reception time of the second ranging response signal.

[0205] As an optional implementation method, the transceiver module 2520 is also used to send a control signal, which is a first bandwidth signal. The control signal includes one or more of the following: access network time information or ranging duration information, and the ranging duration includes one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit.

[0206] In some possible implementations, the communication device 2500 can implement the behavior and functions of the second node in the above-mentioned method embodiment, for example, the method executed by the second node in the embodiment of Figure 23. The communication device 2500 can be a second node, or a component (such as a chip or circuit) applied to the second node, or a chip or chipset in the second node or a part of the chip used to perform the relevant method function, or a software module that can implement the method executed by the second node in Figure 23, without limitation. For example, the transceiver module 2520 can be used to execute S2301-S2304, S2305 in the embodiment shown in Figure 23, and / or other processes for supporting the technology described herein; the processing module 2510 is used to execute other processes of the technology described herein.

[0207] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 2520 is configured to send a synchronization signal in a first time unit and receive a synchronization response signal from the first node in the first time unit; and to send a first ranging signal in a second time unit and receive a first ranging response signal from the first node in the second time unit. The synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the first node and the communication device 2500. The first ranging signal is used to measure the distance between the first node and the communication device 2500. The first time unit and the second time unit are both included in the ranging time unit of the second node. The first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal, and the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal. The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal. The processing module 2510 is configured to determine the time to receive the first ranging response signal.

[0208] As an optional implementation, the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than or equal to 500 MHz, and the second bandwidth signal is a nanosecond or picosecond pulse signal.

[0209] As an optional implementation, the pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal is located at [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz].

[0210] As an optional implementation manner, the sending time St' of the first ranging signal and the sending time St of the synchronization signal are separated by a first time length, and the first time length is predefined or configured.

[0211] As an optional implementation, the time R0_t' when the transceiver module 2520 receives the first ranging response signal and the time R0_t when the synchronization response signal is received are separated by a second time period, and the second time period is predefined or configured.

[0212] As an optional implementation manner, the transceiver module 2520 is further configured to send a second ranging signal to the first node in a second time unit.

[0213] As an optional implementation manner, the sending time St' of the second ranging signal is separated from the sending time St' of the first ranging signal by a third time length, and the third time length is predefined or configured.

[0214] As an optional implementation, the time of flight TOF of the signal between the first node and the communication device 2500 satisfies the following formula:

[0215] Among them, S` t is the time when the second node sends the first ranging signal, S'0 is the time when the first node receives the first ranging signal, and S' t is the time when the second node sends the second ranging signal, S″0 is the time when the first node receives the second ranging signal, R`0 is the time when the first node sends the first ranging response signal, R` 0_t is the time when the second node receives the first ranging response signal.

[0216] As an optional implementation, the transceiver module 2520 is further configured to send the measurement value within a third time unit, where the third time unit is included in the ranging time unit of the second node, and the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal.

[0217] As an optional implementation method, the transceiver module 2520 is also used to receive a control signal, which is a first bandwidth signal. The control signal includes one or more of the following: access network time information or ranging duration information, and the ranging duration includes one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit.

[0218] When the communication device 2500 is a chip-type device or circuit, the transceiver module may be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing module may be an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit.

[0219] Figure 26 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2600 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 2600 can be the first node or the second node in the above embodiment. For example, the communication device 2600 can be the management node or the slave node in Figure 1. Or the communication device 2600 is a chip (system) in the first node or the second node. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices. For specific functions, please refer to the description in the above method embodiment.

[0220] The communication device 2600 includes one or more processors 2601, which are used to implement or support the communication device 2600 in implementing the functions of the first node or the second node in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Please refer to the detailed description in the method example for details, which will not be repeated here. The processor 2601 can also be called a processing unit or a processing module, which can implement certain control functions. The processor 2601 can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, it includes: a baseband processor, a central processing unit, an application processor, a modem processor, a graphics processor, an image signal processor, a digital signal processor, a video codec processor, a controller, a memory, and / or a neural network processor. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit can be used to control the communication device 2600 (for example, the first node or the second node), execute software programs and / or process data. Different processors can be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors, for example, integrated into one or more special-purpose integrated circuits.

[0221] In one design, the processor 2601 may include a program 2603 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which may be executed on the processor 2601 to cause the communication device 2600 to perform the methods described in the following embodiments. In another possible design, the communication device 2600 includes a circuit (not shown in FIG26 ) configured to implement the functions of the first node or the second node in the above embodiments.

[0222] In one design, the communication device 2600 may include one or more memories 2602 on which a program 2604 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions) is stored. The program 2604 can be run on the processor 2601, so that the communication device 2600 performs the method described in the above method embodiment, such as the process shown in Figure 23.

[0223] In one design, the processor 2601 and / or the memory 2602 may include an artificial intelligence (AI) module 2607 and an AI module 2608, each configured to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​module may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI ​​module may include a RAN intelligent controller (RIC) module. For example, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0224] In a possible design, data may also be stored in the processor 2601 and / or the memory 2602. The processor and memory may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0225] In one possible design, the communication device 2600 may further include a transceiver 2605 and / or an antenna 2606. The processor 2601 may also be sometimes referred to as a processing unit, which controls the communication device 2600. The transceiver 2605 may also be sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, and is configured to implement the transceiver function of the communication device through the antenna 2606.

[0226] In one possible design, the communication device 2600 may further include one or more of the following components: a wireless communication module, an audio module, an external memory interface, an internal memory, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a power management module, an antenna, a speaker, a microphone, an input / output module, a sensor module, a motor, a camera, or a display screen, etc. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the communication device 2600 may include more or fewer components, or some components may be integrated or separated. These components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0227] In one possible design, the communication device 2600 may include (or be) the device shown in at least one of the embodiments in Figures 6 to 20.

[0228] The communication device in the above embodiments can be a terminal device (or network device), a circuit, a chip used in a terminal device (or network device), or other combined devices or components with the above terminal device (or network device). When the communication device is a terminal device (or network device), the transceiver module can be a transceiver, which can include an antenna and a radio frequency circuit, etc., and the processing module can be a processor, such as a CPU. When the communication device is a component with the functions of the above terminal device (or network device), the transceiver module can be a radio frequency unit, and the processing module can be a processor. When the communication device is a chip system, the communication device can be an FPGA, a dedicated ASIC, a system on chip (SoC), a CPU, a network processor (NP), a DSP, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated circuit. The processing module can be the processor of the chip system. The transceiver module or communication interface can be the input / output interface or interface circuit of the chip system. For example, the interface circuit can be a code / data read / write interface circuit. The interface circuit can be used to receive code instructions (the code instructions are stored in a memory and can be read directly from the memory or read from the memory via another device) and transmit them to the processor; the processor can be used to execute the code instructions to perform the method in the above method embodiment. For example, the interface circuit can also be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver.

[0229] The present application also provides a communication system. Specifically, the communication system includes at least two nodes. Exemplarily, the communication system includes a first node for implementing the functions associated with FIG. 23 and a second node for implementing the functions associated with FIG. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the above method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0230] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, including instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method executed by the first node or the second node in Figure 23.

[0231] A computer program product is also provided in an embodiment of the present application, including a computer program code. When the computer program code is run, the method executed by the first node or the second node in Figure 23 is executed.

[0232] The embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and may also include a memory, for implementing the functions of the first node or the second node in the aforementioned method. The chip system can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0233] To implement the functions of the communication device shown in Figures 25 and 26, embodiments of the present application further provide a chip including a processor for supporting the communication device in implementing the functions of the first node or the second node in the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the chip is connected to or includes a memory, which is used to store computer programs, instructions, and data necessary for the communication device.

[0234] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0235] In the embodiments of the present application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, means "singular noun or plural noun", that is, "one or more". "Multiple" means two or more. In view of this, in the embodiments of the present application, "multiple" can also be understood as "at least two". "At least one" can be one or more, for example, at least one is one, two or more. For example, including at least one means including one, two or more, and there is no limit on which ones are included. For example, including at least one of A, B and C, then A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C can be included. Similarly, the understanding of descriptions such as "at least one" is also similar. "At least one of the following items (individuals)" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items (individuals) or plural items (individuals). For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. "And / or" describes the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / ", unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0236] Unless otherwise specified, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to define the order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. Furthermore, the descriptions of "first" and "second" do not necessarily define the objects to be different. For example, "first node" and "second node" represent two nodes, but do not define the priority or importance of the two nodes.

[0237] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0238] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0239] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interface, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0240] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0241] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the part that essentially contributes to the technical solution of the present application or the part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0242] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving a synchronization signal from a second node in a first time unit, the synchronization signal being used for time synchronization between the first node and the second node, the first time unit being configured to send a first bandwidth signal; In response to the synchronization signal, sending a synchronization response signal in the first time unit; receiving a first ranging signal from the second node in a second time unit, where the first ranging signal is used to measure the distance between the first node and the second node, where the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal, where the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal, and where both the first time unit and the second time unit are included in the ranging time unit of the second node; In response to the first ranging signal, a first ranging response signal is sent in the second time unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than or equal to 500 MHz, and the second bandwidth signal is a nanosecond-level pulse signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal is located at [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz].

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A first time duration is separated from a time point of receiving the first ranging signal and a time point of receiving the synchronization response signal, and the first time duration is predefined or configured.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The sending time of the first ranging response signal and the sending time of the synchronization response signal are separated by a second time length, and the second time length is predefined or configured.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A second ranging signal is received from the second node in the second time unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that A third duration is between a time point at which the second ranging signal is received and a time point at which the first ranging signal is received, and the third duration is predefined or configured.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A measurement value is received from the second node within a third time unit, the third time unit is included in the ranging time unit of the second node, the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal, and the measurement value includes the time when the second node receives the first ranging response signal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: A broadcast control signal, wherein the control signal is the first bandwidth signal, and the control signal includes one or more of the following: access network time information or ranging duration information, and the ranging duration information includes one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit.

10. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending a synchronization signal in a first time unit, the synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the first node and the second node, the first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal; receiving a synchronization response signal from the first node during the first time unit; sending a first ranging signal in a second time unit, where the first ranging signal is used to measure the distance between the first node and the second node, the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal, the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal, and the first time unit and the second time unit are both included in the ranging time unit of the second node; A first ranging response signal is received from the first node in the second time unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than or equal to 500 MHz, and the second bandwidth signal is a nanosecond-level pulse signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal is located at [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz].

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: The sending time of the first ranging signal is separated from the sending time of the synchronization signal by a first time length, and the first time length is predefined or configured.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that: A second time period is separated from a time point of receiving the first ranging response signal and a time point of receiving the synchronization response signal, and the second time period is predefined or configured.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A second ranging signal is sent to the first node in the second time unit.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The sending time of the second ranging signal is separated from the sending time of the first ranging signal by a third time length, and the third time length is predefined or configured.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A measurement value is sent within a third time unit, wherein the third time unit is included in a ranging time unit of the second node, the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal, and the measurement value includes a time when the second node receives the first ranging response signal.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A control signal is received, where the control signal is the first bandwidth signal, and the control signal includes one or more of the following: access network time information or ranging duration information, where the ranging duration includes one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A transceiver module, configured to receive a synchronization signal from a second node in a first time unit, and send a synchronization response signal in the first time unit in response to the synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the communication device and the second node, and the first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal; and to receive a first ranging signal from the second node in a second time unit, and send a first ranging response signal in the second time unit in response to the first ranging signal, wherein the first ranging signal is used to measure the distance between the communication device and the second node, and the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal, wherein the bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal, and both the first time unit and the second time unit are included in the ranging time unit of the second node; The processing module is used to determine the time of receiving the synchronization signal.

20. The device according to claim 19, characterized in that The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than 500 MHz, and the second bandwidth signal is a nanosecond-level pulse signal.

21. The device according to claim 20, characterized in that The pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal is located at [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz].

22. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that A first time duration is separated from a time point of receiving the first ranging signal and a time point of receiving the synchronization response signal, and the first time duration is predefined or configured.

23. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 22, characterized in that The sending time of the first ranging response signal and the sending time of the synchronization response signal are separated by a second time length, and the second time length is predefined or configured.

24. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 23, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: A second ranging signal is received from the second node in the second time unit.

25. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that A third duration is between a time point at which the second ranging signal is received and a time point at which the first ranging signal is received, and the third duration is predefined or configured.

26. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 25, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: A measurement value is received from the second node within a third time unit, wherein the third time unit is included in a ranging time unit of the second node, the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal, and the measurement value includes a reception time of the first ranging response signal.

27. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 26, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: A broadcast control signal, wherein the control signal includes one or more of the following: access network time information or ranging duration information, wherein the ranging duration includes one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit, wherein the control signal is the first bandwidth signal.

28. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver module, configured to send a synchronization signal in a first time unit and receive a synchronization response signal from a first node, wherein the synchronization signal is used for time synchronization between the first node and the communication device, and the first time unit is configured to send a first bandwidth signal; and for sending a first ranging signal in a second time unit, and receiving a first ranging response signal from the first node, wherein the first ranging signal is used to measure the distance between the first node and the communication device, and the second time unit is configured to send a second bandwidth signal, The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the first bandwidth signal, and the first time unit and the second time unit are both included in the ranging time unit of the second node; The processing module is used to determine the time of receiving the first ranging response signal.

29. The device according to claim 28, characterized in that The bandwidth occupied by the second bandwidth signal is greater than 500 MHz, and the second bandwidth signal is a nanosecond-level pulse signal.

30. The device according to claim 29, characterized in that The pulse repetition frequency of the second bandwidth signal is located at [16.1 MHz, 111.09 MHz].

31. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 30, characterized in that The sending time of the first ranging signal is separated from the sending time of the synchronization signal by a first time length, and the first time length is predefined or configured.

32. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 31, characterized in that A second time period is separated from a time point of receiving the first ranging response signal and a time point of receiving the synchronization response signal, and the second time period is predefined or configured.

33. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 32, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: A second ranging signal is sent to the first node in the second time unit.

34. The device according to claim 33, characterized in that The sending time of the second ranging signal is separated from the sending time of the first ranging signal by a third time length, and the third time length is predefined or configured.

35. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 34, characterized in that The transceiver module is also used for: A measurement value is sent within a third time unit, wherein the third time unit is included in a ranging time unit of the second node, the third time unit is configured to send the first bandwidth signal, and the measurement value includes a time for receiving the first ranging response signal.

36. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 35, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive a control signal, where the control signal includes one or more of the following: access network time information or ranging duration information, where the ranging duration includes one or more of the following: the number N of ranging time units, the duration occupied by the ranging time unit, the duration occupied by the first time unit, the duration occupied by the second time unit, or the duration occupied by the third time unit, wherein the control signal is the first bandwidth signal.

37. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 18 through a logic circuit or by executing code instructions.

38. The device according to claim 37, characterized in that The device is connected to a narrowband chip via an interface, and the device includes an ultra-wideband UWB chip and / or a star flash positioning SLP chip.

39. A communication system, characterized in that: include: A first node and a second node, wherein the first node is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the second node is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 10 to 18.

40. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 10 to 18 is implemented.

41. A computer program product, characterized in that The device comprises a computer program or an instruction, and when the computer program or the instruction is executed by the device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 10 to 18 is executed.

Images