Ranging-based localization method, apparatus and system

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a ranging-based localization method, apparatus and system. The method comprises: a first device receiving first configuration information, second configuration information and third configuration information by means of a first communication frequency band, and receiving first ranging information, second ranging information and third ranging information by means of a second communication frequency band, wherein a bandwidth used in the second communication frequency band is greater than a bandwidth used in the first communication frequency band; after completing, on the basis of the first configuration information, time synchronization on the first communication frequency band with a first terminal device, the first device determining and receiving an arrival moment of the first ranging information; and on the basis of arrival time differences between the first ranging information, the second ranging information and the third ranging information, determining the position of the first device. The method can reduce the operation power consumption of a receiving device, and improve the cruising ability of the device.

Description

A ranging and positioning method, device and system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on August 29, 2023, with application number 202311097513.4, and priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “A Ranging and Positioning Method, Device and System”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a ranging and positioning method, device, and system. Background Art

[0003] With the advancement of technology, the application of ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging and positioning technology is becoming increasingly widespread. UWB communication systems use nanosecond pulse widths as their fundamental signals. They occupy a large bandwidth and offer high transmission rates and large system capacity. They can achieve ranging and positioning in complex multipath environments and exhibit strong multipath robustness, making them a research hotspot.

[0004] When using UWB ranging, the receiving device needs to continuously receive ultra-wideband signals. Due to the large bandwidth of UWB signals, the receiving device's chip power consumption is high and the device's battery life is short. Furthermore, since the UWB standard stipulates that the power spectral density cannot exceed -41.3dBm / MHz, the transmitting device's transmission power and transmission distance are limited.

[0005] Therefore, how to reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a ranging and positioning method, device, and system that can reduce the operating power consumption of a receiving device and improve the endurance of the device.

[0008] In a first aspect, a ranging and positioning method is provided. A first device receives first configuration information, second configuration information, and third configuration information via a first communication frequency band, and receives first ranging information, second ranging information, and third ranging information via a second communication frequency band. The bandwidth used in the second communication frequency band is greater than the bandwidth used in the first communication frequency band. After the first device completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first configuration information, it determines the arrival time of the first ranging information and receives it. The position of the first device is determined based on the arrival time difference of the first ranging information, the second ranging information, and the third ranging information.

[0009] Based on this technical solution, the first device receives configuration information through the first communication frequency band and receives ranging information through the second communication frequency band. The first device can complete time synchronization in the first communication frequency band according to the configuration information and the corresponding terminal device that sends the configuration information, thereby determining the moment when the ranging information is received through the second communication frequency band. There is no need to perform time synchronization again in the second communication frequency band, which can reduce the operating power consumption of the first device and improve the battery life of the device.

[0010] It should be understood that the first device includes a device that needs to be located and measured, that is, a receiving device in the ranging system. In some embodiments, it includes a mobile phone, a vehicle, or a terminal device marked with a tag, etc. This application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0011] It should be understood that in an optional embodiment, the first terminal device sends first configuration information, which includes broadcast information, the first device receives the first configuration information, and completes time synchronization with the first terminal device through the first configuration information; the second terminal device sends second configuration information, which includes broadcast information, the first device receives the second configuration information, and completes time synchronization with the second terminal device through the second configuration information; the third terminal device sends third configuration information, which includes broadcast information, the first device receives the third configuration information, and completes time synchronization with the third terminal device through the third configuration information.

[0012] It should be understood that the first communication frequency band includes a narrowband communication frequency band, and the second communication frequency band includes a broadband communication frequency band. The broadband communication frequency band includes a communication frequency band greater than or equal to 499.2 MHz.

[0013] It should be understood that configuration information is also referred to as narrowband signal, narrowband information, narrowband frame, etc. in some embodiments; ranging information is also referred to as broadband signal, broadband information, broadband frame, etc. in some embodiments; these are only references in name, and the specific scope of protection shall be subject to the claims, and this application does not limit this.

[0014] It should be understood that the positions of the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the third terminal device are known or set in advance. The first device calculates the distance difference between the first device and the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the distance difference between the first device and the second terminal device, the third terminal device based on the arrival time difference of the received first ranging information, the second ranging information, and the third ranging information, and calculates the distance and relative position of the first device from the three terminal devices based on the distance difference. The calculation of the distance difference based on the time difference to determine the positioning solution disclosed here is only a specific implementation method for determining the position of the first device. This application does not make any special restrictions on this. The specific scope of protection shall be subject to the claims.

[0015] It should be understood that the position of the first device can be calculated based on the distance difference ranging and positioning, and the first device can also send the ranging information to other computing engine devices for ranging and positioning solution. This application does not impose any special restrictions on this.

[0016] It should be understood that the ranging and positioning method provided in this application may also include multiple first devices, and perform ranging and positioning on multiple first devices. Among them, the remaining first devices may also be called second devices, third devices, etc., and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0017] It should be understood that the ranging and positioning method provided in this application may also include multiple terminal devices. The more terminal devices with known positions, the higher the solution accuracy of the device to be measured and the larger the ranging range. This application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, after the first device determines the moment when the first ranging information arrives, the first device turns on the second communication frequency band to receive the first ranging information, and after receiving the first ranging information, turns off the second communication frequency band.

[0019] Based on this technical solution, the second communication frequency band can be kept in a normally closed state, opening it for receiving ranging information before receiving ranging information and closing it after receiving ranging information. Due to the wide bandwidth of the second communication frequency band, keeping it in a normally closed state can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0020] It should be understood that in an optional embodiment, after the first device receives the first configuration information, it completes time synchronization with the first terminal device and determines the time when the first ranging information arrives. Before this time, the second communication frequency band is turned on in advance to receive the first ranging information; after receiving the first ranging information, the second communication frequency band is turned off. After the first device receives the second configuration information, it completes time synchronization with the second terminal device and determines the time when the second ranging information arrives. Before this time, the second communication frequency band is turned on in advance to receive the second ranging information; after receiving the second ranging information, the second communication frequency band is turned off again. After the first device receives the third configuration information, it completes time synchronization with the third terminal device and determines the time when the third ranging information arrives. Before this time, the second communication frequency band is turned on in advance to receive the third ranging information; after receiving the third ranging information, the second communication frequency band is turned off again.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first device determines, according to the first configuration information, arrival times of the second ranging information and the third ranging information.

[0022] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of ranging information sent by other terminal devices based on the first configuration information. The first device can estimate the reception time based on the determined arrival time, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the second communication frequency band for receiving the ranging information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0023] It should be understood that in an optional implementation, the first configuration information sent by the first terminal device includes a data field for determining the time when the remaining terminal devices send ranging information. When the remaining terminal devices send configuration information, the configuration information may no longer carry the data field for determining the time when the ranging information arrives, which can save signaling overhead.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, after the first device receives the first configuration information, it turns off the first communication frequency band, determines the time when the second configuration information arrives based on the first configuration information, and turns on the first communication frequency band again to receive the second configuration information.

[0025] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of configuration information sent by other terminals based on the first configuration information, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the first communication frequency band for receiving the configuration information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0026] It should be understood that in an optional implementation, after the first device receives the first configuration information, it turns off the first communication frequency band, determines the arrival time of the second configuration information sent by the second terminal device based on the first configuration information, and then turns on the first communication frequency band again for receiving the second configuration information. After the first device receives the second configuration information, it turns off the first communication frequency band again, determines the arrival time of the third configuration information sent by the third terminal device based on the first configuration information, and then turns on the first communication frequency band again for receiving the third configuration information. After the first device receives the third configuration information, it turns off the first communication frequency band again.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a device synchronization signal, time setting information, and a data field. The first ranging information includes a ranging frame but does not include a data field.

[0028] Based on this technical solution, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a synchronization signal between the first terminal device and the first device, other configuration information or information setting the timing for sending other ranging information, data fields, etc. The first ranging information does not repeat the data fields already included in the first configuration information and primarily includes a ranging frame. Reducing the field length of the ranging information can reduce signaling overhead, shorten the time period during which the first device receives ranging information, reduce the time period during which the second communication frequency band is enabled, further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device, and improve the device's battery life.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first device estimates first carrier frequency offset (CFO) information relative to the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, and completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first CFO information. The first device determines, based on the first CFO information, a time to receive first ranging information via the second communication frequency band.

[0030] Based on this technical solution, the first device completes the estimation of the CFO information between it and the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, thereby completing time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the CFO information. Because the first device and the first terminal device have completed time synchronization on the first communication frequency band, the first terminal device does not need to perform time synchronization when sending information to the first device via the second communication frequency band. The first device directly determines the time to open the second communication frequency band for receiving the first ranging information based on the CFO information. This further reduces the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improves the device's battery life.

[0031] It should be understood that in an optional implementation, the first device completes time synchronization with the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, thereby determining the time to turn on the second communication frequency band for receiving the first ranging information in combination with the time when the first ranging information arrives. The first device completes time synchronization with the second terminal device based on the second configuration information, thereby determining the time to turn on the second communication frequency band for receiving the second ranging information in combination with the time when the second ranging information arrives. The first device completes time synchronization with the third terminal device based on the third configuration information, thereby determining the time to turn on the second communication frequency band for receiving the third ranging information in combination with the time when the third ranging information arrives.

[0032] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before the first terminal device sends the first configuration information, the first terminal device completes time synchronization with other terminal devices that send configuration information.

[0033] Based on this technical solution, before sending the first configuration information, the first terminal device completes time synchronization with the second terminal device and the third terminal device, so that all terminal devices used to send configuration information and ranging information are under the same clock source. The arrival time difference of the ranging time can be used more accurately to solve the ranging positioning, thereby improving the accuracy of ranging positioning.

[0034] In a second aspect, a ranging and positioning method is provided. A first terminal device sends first configuration information via a first communication frequency band and first ranging information via a second communication frequency band. The first device receives the first configuration information, synchronizes time with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first configuration information, determines the arrival time of the first ranging information, and receives it. The bandwidth used in the second communication frequency band is greater than the bandwidth used in the first communication band. A second terminal device sends second configuration information via the first communication frequency band and second ranging information via the second communication frequency band. The first device receives the second configuration information, synchronizes time with the second terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the second configuration information, determines the arrival time of the second ranging information, and receives it. A third terminal device sends third configuration information via the first communication frequency band and third ranging information via the second communication frequency band. The first device receives the third configuration information, synchronizes time with the third terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the third configuration information, determines the arrival time of the third ranging information, and receives it. The position of the first device is determined based on the arrival time difference of the first, second, and third ranging information.

[0035] Based on this technical solution, a terminal device sends configuration information via a first communication frequency band and sends ranging information via a second communication frequency band. A first device receives the configuration and ranging information on the corresponding frequency band and synchronizes time with the corresponding terminal device based on the configuration information. The first device also determines, based on the configuration information, when to activate the second communication frequency band to receive the corresponding ranging information. This eliminates the need for the first device to perform time synchronization again on the second communication frequency band, reducing its operating power consumption and improving its battery life.

[0036] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, after the first device determines the arrival time of the first ranging information, it turns on the second communication frequency band for receiving the first ranging information, and after receiving the first ranging information, it turns off the second communication frequency band.

[0037] Based on this technical solution, the second communication frequency band can be kept in a normally closed state, opening it for receiving ranging information before receiving ranging information and closing it after receiving ranging information. Due to the wide bandwidth of the second communication frequency band, keeping it in a normally closed state can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0038] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first device determines, based on the first configuration information, arrival times of the second ranging information and the third ranging information.

[0039] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of ranging information sent by other terminal devices based on the first configuration information. The first device can estimate the reception time based on the determined arrival time, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the second communication frequency band for receiving the ranging information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0040] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, after the first device receives the first configuration information, it turns off the first communication frequency band, determines the time when the second configuration information arrives based on the first configuration information, and turns on the first communication frequency band to receive the second configuration information.

[0041] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of configuration information sent by other terminals based on the first configuration information, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the first communication frequency band for receiving the configuration information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0042] In conjunction with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a device synchronization signal, time setting information, and a data field. The first ranging information includes a ranging frame but does not include a data field.

[0043] Based on this technical solution, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a synchronization signal between the first terminal device and the first device, other configuration information or information setting the timing for sending other ranging information, data fields, etc. The first ranging information does not repeat the data fields already included in the first configuration information and primarily includes a ranging frame. Reducing the field length of the ranging information can reduce signaling overhead, shorten the time period during which the first device receives ranging information, reduce the time period during which the second communication frequency band is enabled, further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device, and improve the device's battery life.

[0044] In conjunction with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first device estimates first carrier frequency offset (CFO) information relative to the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, and completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first CFO information. The first device determines, based on the first CFO information, a time point for receiving the first ranging information via the second communication frequency band.

[0045] Based on this technical solution, the first device completes the estimation of the CFO information between it and the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, thereby completing time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the CFO information. Because the first device and the first terminal device have completed time synchronization on the first communication frequency band, the first terminal device does not need to perform time synchronization when sending information to the first device via the second communication frequency band. The first device directly determines the time to open the second communication frequency band for receiving the first ranging information based on the CFO information. This further reduces the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improves the device's battery life.

[0046] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, before the first terminal device sends the first configuration information, time synchronization is completed among the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the third terminal device.

[0047] Based on this technical solution, before sending the first configuration information, the first terminal device completes time synchronization with the second terminal device and the third terminal device, so that all terminal devices used to send configuration information and ranging information are under the same clock source. The arrival time difference of the ranging time can be used more accurately to solve the ranging positioning, thereby improving the accuracy of ranging positioning.

[0048] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a first communication module, a second communication module, a control module, and a calculation module. Specifically, the first communication module is used to receive first configuration information, second configuration information, and third configuration information transmitted on a first communication frequency band. The second communication module is used to receive first ranging information, second ranging information, and third ranging information transmitted on a second communication frequency band. The bandwidth used in the second communication frequency band is greater than the bandwidth used in the first communication frequency band. The control module is used to determine the arrival time of the first ranging information and control the second communication module to receive it after completing time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band according to the first configuration information. The calculation module is used to determine the location of the first device based on the arrival time difference of the first ranging information, the second ranging information, and the third ranging information.

[0049] Based on this technical solution, the first device receives configuration information through the first communication module and receives ranging information through the second communication module. The first device can complete time synchronization in the first communication frequency band according to the configuration information and the corresponding terminal device that sends the configuration information, thereby determining the moment when the ranging information is received through the second communication module. There is no need to perform time synchronization again in the second communication frequency band, which can reduce the operating power consumption of the first device and improve the battery life of the device.

[0050] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, after the control module determines the time when the first ranging information arrives, the control module controls the second communication module to start receiving the first ranging information. After receiving the first ranging information, the control module controls the second communication module to shut down.

[0051] Based on this technical solution, the second communication module can remain in a normally closed state, turning on to receive ranging information before receiving it and then turning off after receiving it. Because the second communication module uses a wider bandwidth, it consumes more power; keeping it in a normally closed state can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve its battery life.

[0052] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the control module is configured to determine arrival times of the second ranging information and the third ranging information according to the first configuration information.

[0053] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of ranging information sent by other terminal devices based on the first configuration information. The first device can estimate the reception time based on the determined arrival time, thereby controlling the activation or deactivation of the second communication module to receive the ranging information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0054] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, after the first communication module receives the first configuration information, the control module controls the first communication module to shut down. The control module determines, based on the first configuration information, when the second configuration information arrives, and controls the first communication module to turn on and receive the second configuration information.

[0055] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of configuration information sent by other terminals based on the first configuration information, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the first communication module to receive the configuration information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0056] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a device synchronization signal, time setting information, and a data field. The first ranging information includes a ranging frame but does not include a data field.

[0057] Based on this technical solution, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a synchronization signal between the first terminal device and the first device, other configuration information or information setting the timing for sending other ranging information, data fields, etc. The first ranging information does not repeat the data fields already included in the first configuration information and mainly includes a ranging frame. Reducing the field length of the ranging information can reduce certain signaling overhead, shorten the time period during which the first device receives ranging information, reduce the time period during which the second communication module is enabled, further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device, and improve the device's battery life.

[0058] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the control module is configured to estimate, based on the first configuration information, first carrier frequency offset (CFO) information relative to the first terminal device, and complete time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first CFO information. The control module determines, based on the first CFO information, a time to enable the second communication module to receive the first ranging information.

[0059] Based on this technical solution, the first device completes the estimation of the CFO information between it and the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, thereby completing time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the CFO information. Because the first device and the first terminal device have completed time synchronization on the first communication frequency band, the first terminal device does not need to perform time synchronization when sending information to the first device via the second communication module. The first device directly determines the time to turn on the second communication module to receive the first ranging information based on the CFO information. This further reduces the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improves the battery life of the device.

[0060] In a fourth aspect, a ranging and positioning method is provided. The second terminal device sends the second configuration information through the first communication frequency band, and sends the second ranging information through the second communication frequency band. The bandwidth used in the second communication frequency band is greater than the bandwidth used in the first communication frequency band. Before the second configuration information is sent, the first terminal device sends the first configuration information through the first communication frequency band, and sends the first ranging information through the second communication frequency band. After the second ranging information is sent, the third terminal device sends the third configuration information through the first communication frequency band, and sends the third ranging information through the second communication frequency band. Among them, the first configuration information includes information for determining the time of sending the first ranging information, and the first configuration information also includes information for completing time synchronization with the first terminal device. The position of the receiving device is determined based on the arrival time difference of the received first ranging information, the second ranging information, and the third ranging information.

[0061] Based on this technical solution, a terminal device sends configuration information via a first communication frequency band and sends ranging information via a second communication frequency band. A receiving device receives the configuration and ranging information on the corresponding frequency bands and synchronizes time with the corresponding terminal device based on the configuration information. The receiving device also determines, based on the configuration information, when to activate the second communication frequency band to receive the corresponding ranging information. This eliminates the need for the receiving device to perform time synchronization again on the second communication frequency band, reducing the operating power consumption of the first device and improving its battery life.

[0062] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first device receives the first ranging information, determines the arrival time of the first ranging information, and then turns on the second communication frequency band for receiving the first ranging information. After receiving the first ranging information, the first device turns off the second communication frequency band.

[0063] Based on this technical solution, the second communication frequency band can be kept in a normally closed state, opening it for receiving ranging information before receiving ranging information and closing it after receiving ranging information. Due to the wide bandwidth of the second communication frequency band, keeping it in a normally closed state can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0064] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first device determines, based on the first configuration information, arrival times of the second ranging information and the third ranging information.

[0065] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of ranging information sent by other terminal devices based on the first configuration information. The first device can estimate the reception time based on the determined arrival time, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the second communication frequency band for receiving the ranging information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0066] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, after the first device receives the first configuration information, it turns off the first communication frequency band, determines the time when the second configuration information arrives based on the first configuration information, and turns on the first communication frequency band to receive the second configuration information.

[0067] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of configuration information sent by other terminals based on the first configuration information, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the first communication frequency band for receiving the configuration information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0068] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a device synchronization signal, time setting information, and a data field. The first ranging information includes a ranging frame but does not include a data field.

[0069] Based on this technical solution, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a synchronization signal between the first terminal device and the first device, other configuration information or information setting the timing for sending other ranging information, data fields, etc. The first ranging information does not repeat the data fields already included in the first configuration information and primarily includes a ranging frame. Reducing the field length of the ranging information can reduce signaling overhead, shorten the time period during which the first device receives ranging information, reduce the time period during which the second communication frequency band is enabled, further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device, and improve the device's battery life.

[0070] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first device estimates first carrier frequency offset (CFO) information relative to the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, and completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first CFO information. The first device determines, based on the first CFO information, a time to receive the first ranging information via the second communication frequency band.

[0071] Based on this technical solution, the first device completes the estimation of the CFO information between it and the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, thereby completing time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the CFO information. Because the first device and the first terminal device have completed time synchronization on the first communication frequency band, the first terminal device does not need to perform time synchronization when sending information to the first device via the second communication frequency band. The first device directly determines the time to open the second communication frequency band for receiving the first ranging information based on the CFO information. This further reduces the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improves the device's battery life.

[0072] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, before the first terminal device sends the first configuration information, time synchronization is completed among the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the third terminal device.

[0073] Based on this technical solution, before sending the first configuration information, the first terminal device completes time synchronization with the second terminal device and the third terminal device, so that all terminal devices used to send configuration information and ranging information are under the same clock source. The arrival time difference of the ranging time can be used more accurately to solve the ranging positioning, thereby improving the accuracy of ranging positioning.

[0074] In a fifth aspect, a transmitting device is provided. The transmitting device includes a first terminal device, a second terminal device, and a third terminal device. Each terminal device includes a first communication module and a second communication module. Specifically, the first communication module of the second terminal device is used to send second configuration information, and the second communication module of the second terminal device is used to send second ranging information. The bandwidth used by the second communication module is greater than the bandwidth used by the first communication module. Before the second configuration information is sent, the first communication module of the first terminal device sends the first configuration information, and the second communication module of the first terminal device sends the first ranging information. After the second ranging information is sent, the first communication module of the third terminal device sends the third configuration information, and the second communication module of the third terminal device sends the third ranging information. The first configuration information includes information for determining the time of sending the first ranging information, and the first configuration information also includes information for achieving time synchronization with the first terminal device. The location of the receiving device is determined based on the arrival time difference of the received first ranging information, second ranging information, and third ranging information.

[0075] Based on this technical solution, a terminal device sends configuration information via a first communication module and sends ranging information via a second communication module. A receiving device receives the configuration and ranging information on the corresponding frequency band and synchronizes time with the corresponding terminal device based on the configuration information. The receiving device also determines, based on the configuration information, when to activate the second communication module to receive the corresponding ranging information. This eliminates the need for the receiving device to perform time synchronization again on the second communication frequency band, reducing the operating power consumption of the first device and improving its battery life.

[0076] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the first device receives the first ranging information, determines the arrival time of the first ranging information, and then enables the second communication module of the first device to receive the first ranging information. After receiving the first ranging information, the first device disables the second communication module.

[0077] Based on this technical solution, the second communication module can remain in a normally closed state, turning on to receive ranging information before receiving ranging information and turning off after receiving ranging information. Because the second communication module utilizes a wider bandwidth, this normally closed state can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0078] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the first device determines the arrival times of the second ranging information and the third ranging information according to the first configuration information.

[0079] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of ranging information sent by other terminal devices based on the first configuration information. The first device can estimate the reception time based on the determined arrival time, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the second communication frequency band for receiving the ranging information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0080] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, after the first device receives the first configuration information, it turns off the first communication module, determines the time when the second configuration information arrives based on the first configuration information, and turns on the first communication module to receive the second configuration information.

[0081] Based on this technical solution, the first device can also determine the arrival time of configuration information sent by other terminals based on the first configuration information, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the first communication module to receive the configuration information. This can further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's battery life.

[0082] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a device synchronization signal, time setting information, and a data field. The first ranging information includes a ranging frame but does not include a data field.

[0083] Based on this technical solution, the first configuration information includes device information of the first terminal device, a synchronization signal between the first terminal device and the first device, other configuration information or information setting the timing for sending other ranging information, data fields, etc. The first ranging information does not repeat the data fields already included in the first configuration information and primarily includes a ranging frame. Reducing the field length of the ranging information can reduce signaling overhead, shorten the time period during which the first device receives ranging information, reduce the time period during which the second communication frequency band is enabled, further reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device, and improve the device's battery life.

[0084] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the first device estimates first carrier frequency offset (CFO) information relative to the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, and completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first CFO information. The first device determines, based on the first CFO information, a time to receive the first ranging information via the second communication frequency band.

[0085] Based on this technical solution, the first device completes the estimation of the CFO information between it and the first terminal device based on the first configuration information, thereby completing time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the CFO information. Because the first device and the first terminal device have completed time synchronization on the first communication frequency band, the first terminal device does not need to perform time synchronization when sending information to the first device via the second communication frequency band. The first device directly determines the time to open the second communication frequency band for receiving the first ranging information based on the CFO information. This further reduces the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improves the device's battery life.

[0086] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, before the first communication module of the first terminal device sends the first configuration information, time synchronization is completed among the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the third terminal device.

[0087] Based on this technical solution, before sending the first configuration information, the first terminal device completes time synchronization with the second terminal device and the third terminal device, so that all terminal devices used to send configuration information and ranging information are under the same clock source. The arrival time difference of the ranging time can be used more accurately to solve the ranging positioning, thereby improving the accuracy of ranging positioning. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0088] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a ranging and positioning system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0089] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a TDOA uplink ranging and positioning system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0090] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a distance measurement based on a hyperbola positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0091] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a signal timing arrangement of a TDOA downlink ranging and positioning system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0092] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging frame format provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0093] FIG6 is a detailed schematic diagram of a UWB frame provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0094] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a signal timing arrangement of a ranging and positioning system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0095] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of communication between devices in a ranging and positioning system provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0096] FIG9 is a schematic block diagram of the communication device 100 provided in this application.

[0097] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of the communication device 10 provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0098] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0099] The technical solution of this application can be applied to wireless personal area networks (WPANs). Currently, WPANs adopt the IEEE 802.15 standard. WPANs can be used for communication between digital auxiliary devices within a small range, such as phones, computers, and accessories. Technologies supporting WPANs include Bluetooth, ZigBee, ultra-wideband (UWB), infrared data association (IrDA) connectivity, and home radio frequency (HomeRF). From a network perspective, WPANs are located at the bottom layer of the overall network architecture and are used for wireless connections between devices within a small range, i.e., point-to-point short-range connections. They can be considered short-range wireless communication networks. Depending on the application scenario, WPANs are divided into high-rate (HR) WPANs and low-rate (LR) WPANs. HR WPANs can be used to support various high-rate multimedia applications, including high-quality audio and video distribution, multi-megabyte music and image file transfer, and more. LR-WPAN can be used for general services in daily life.

[0100] In a WPAN, devices can be divided into full-function devices (FFDs) and reduced-function devices (RFDs) based on their communication capabilities. FFDs can communicate with each other, as well as with each other. RFDs cannot communicate directly with each other and can only communicate with each other or forward data outward through an FFD. The FFD associated with an RFD is called the coordinator of that RFD. RFD devices are mainly used for simple control applications, such as light switches and passive infrared sensors. The amount of data transmitted is small, and the transmission and communication resources occupied are not large, resulting in a low RFD cost. Among them, the coordinator can also be called a personal area network (PAN) coordinator or central control node. The PAN coordinator is the master control node of the entire network, and there is generally only one PAN coordinator in each ad hoc network. It has membership management, link information management, and packet forwarding functions.

[0101] Optionally, the device in the embodiment of the present application (e.g., a sending device or a receiving device) may be a device supporting the 802.15 series, for example, a device supporting 802.15.4a and 802.15.4z, as well as multiple WPAN standards currently under discussion or subsequent versions.

[0102] In the embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned devices may be communication servers, routers, switches, bridges, computers or mobile phones, smart home devices, vehicle-mounted communication devices, etc.

[0103] In an embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned device includes a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU) and a memory (also called main memory). The operating system can be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, such as a Linux operating system, a Unix operating system, an Android operating system, an iOS operating system or a Windows operating system. The application layer includes applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software. In addition, the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, for example, the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be an FFD or RFD, or a functional module in the FFD or RFD that can call and execute a program.

[0104] In addition, various aspects or features of the present application can be implemented as methods, apparatuses, or articles of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used in this application encompasses a computer program that can be accessed from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes, etc.), optical disks (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). In addition, the various storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0105] The technical solution of the present application can also be applied to wireless local area network systems such as the Internet of Things (IoT) network or the Vehicle to X (V2X) network. Of course, the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other possible communication systems, such as the long term evolution (LTE) system, the LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, the LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, the universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), the world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, the fifth generation (5G) communication system, and the future sixth generation (6G) communication system.

[0106] The above-mentioned communication systems applicable to this application are merely examples, and the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited thereto. They are described here as a unified description and will not be repeated hereafter. In the embodiments of this application, the term "wireless communication" may also be referred to as "communication," and the term "communication" may also be described as "data transmission," "information transmission," or "transmission."

[0107] With the development of science and technology, the application of UWB ranging and positioning technology is becoming increasingly widespread. UWB is an ultra-wideband communication system that uses pulses with pulse widths in the nanosecond (ns) or even picosecond (ps) range as its basic signal. UWB has a bandwidth of hundreds of megabits, or even up to 1GHz, in the spectrum. For example, a 2ns pulse signal has a bandwidth of 500MHz. Therefore, UWB has the characteristics of large bandwidth, high transmission rate, and large system capacity. Based on these characteristics, UWB can achieve higher ranging and positioning accuracy than existing wireless positioning technologies, reaching centimeter-level positioning accuracy. In addition, its high time resolution gives it excellent anti-multipath capabilities, allowing ranging and positioning to be achieved in complex multipath environments. It has become a current research hotspot.

[0108] In order to facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, some terms or concepts involved in the embodiments of the present application are first briefly described.

[0109] 1. UWB technology: A wireless carrier communication technology that transmits data using nanosecond-level, non-sinusoidal narrow pulses, thus occupying a wide spectrum. Due to its narrow pulses and extremely low radiation spectral density, UWB systems offer advantages such as strong multipath resolution, low power consumption, and high confidentiality. This facilitates coexistence with other systems, thereby improving spectrum utilization and system capacity.

[0110] 2. Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA): This positioning technology measures the time difference between signal arrivals. It determines the location of a signal source based on the differences in the times at which multiple receivers receive the same signal. By measuring the time difference between arrival signals at different base stations or receivers, the location of a mobile device can be determined. TDOA positioning technology is applicable to wireless communications, radar, acoustics, and positioning systems.

[0111] 3. UWB ranging and / or positioning: With the development of indoor positioning technology, UWB ranging and / or positioning technology is becoming increasingly widely used. UWB uses pulses with nanosecond or even picosecond pulse widths as its basic signal. It features high transmission rates, large system capacity, and wide spectrum bandwidth. Its extremely low power spectrum density allows it to coexist with existing short-range communication systems. These characteristics of UWB enable high temporal resolution, strong multipath resistance, and high ranging and positioning accuracy, reaching the centimeter level. Ranging and positioning in complex multipath environments has become a research hotspot.

[0112] 4. TDOA Ranging and Positioning System: This system can be applied to high-capacity real-time location systems (RTLS), such as those found in shopping malls, factories, and workshops. In a TDOA positioning system, fixed or known terminal devices are required. Using these locations as a reference, the system measures and calculates the distance between the terminal device at the target location and the known location, thereby determining the specific location of the target terminal device.

[0113] In some embodiments, a terminal device with a known location is also referred to as an anchor point, a base station, etc.; a terminal device at a location to be measured is also referred to as a tag, a located device, etc.; these are merely designations and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0114] The device involved in this application can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor or a wireless communication terminal. For example, a user terminal, a user device, an access device, a subscriber station, a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a user agent, and a user equipment that support Wi-Fi communication functions, wherein the user terminal can include various handheld devices with wireless communication functions, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, as well as various forms of user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), terminal, terminal equipment, portable communication devices, handheld devices, portable computing devices, entertainment devices, gaming devices or systems, global positioning system devices or any other suitable devices configured to communicate over a wireless medium. In addition, the device can support 802.15.4ab standard or the next generation standard of 802.15.4ab. The device can also support multiple standards such as 802.15.4a, 802.15.4-2011, 802.15.4-2015, and 802.15.4z. It can also support various wireless local area network (WLAN) standards in the 802.11 family, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11be next generation.

[0115] For ease of understanding, the TDOA ranging and positioning system used in the above-mentioned ranging technology is briefly introduced in conjunction with Figure 1.

[0116] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a ranging and positioning system provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, it includes anchor points with known positions and tags at positions to be measured. These anchor points need to be in the same time system, that is, time synchronization between anchor points is achieved through a clock source. The TDOA ranging and positioning system distinguishes between uplink and downlink modes. In the uplink mode, the uplink TDOA is broadcast by the tag as a UWB signal, which is received by the anchor point. The position of the tag is calculated based on the arrival time difference of the signals received by different anchor points and the position of the anchor point. The downlink TDOA is broadcast by the anchor point as a UWB signal in chronological order and is received by the tag. The tag in the downlink TDOA ranging and positioning system is always in a receiving state, constantly searching for the UWB signal broadcast by the anchor point, and calculating the position of the tag based on the arrival time difference of the signals broadcast by different anchor points and the position of the anchor point.

[0117] In a TDOA ranging positioning system, at least two anchor points with known locations are required to measure and locate tags. When a TDOA ranging positioning system has only two anchor points, the system can measure and locate tags located on one side of a line connecting the two anchor points. When a TDOA ranging positioning system has three anchor points, the system can measure and locate tags anywhere within the communication range of an anchor point. The more anchor points a TDOA ranging positioning system has, the wider the system's ranging and positioning range and the higher its accuracy.

[0118] It should be understood that within the detection area of ​​the anchor point, this application does not impose any special limitation on the number of detectable tags.

[0119] 5. TDOA uplink ranging and positioning: For ease of understanding, the following briefly introduces a UWB ranging method based on TDOA uplink in conjunction with Figure 2.

[0120] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a TDOA uplink ranging and positioning system, provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the figure, a clock source is used to provide time synchronization between anchor points, and a positioning engine is used to receive timestamps sent by anchor points and calculate tag locations. The specific ranging and positioning steps are as follows.

[0121] Step 1: Time synchronization between anchor points. The clock source periodically sends time synchronization signals to anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4. In one possible approach, the time synchronization signal is first sent to anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4, resetting all of their clocks. Subsequently, the time synchronization signal is sent to anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4 every second. This means that the anchor points adjust their clocks every second, synchronizing the time systems of all anchor points based on the clock source.

[0122] Step 2: Prevent uplink signal collisions. Tags 0, 1, and 2 are in the receiving state, performing carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA / CA) detection to prevent signal collisions.

[0123] Step 3: The tag broadcasts a signal to the anchor point. Tags 0, 1, and 2 all have UWB signal broadcasting capabilities, so this description uses tag 0 as an example. Tag 0 sends a UWB signal to anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4. The UWB signal carries basic information such as the device address.

[0124] Step 4: Anchor point receives and sends timestamp. Anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4 are always in the receiving state. After receiving the UWB signal from tag0, they record the received timestamp and send timestamps 1, 2, 3, and 4 to the positioning engine respectively.

[0125] Step 5: Ranging and Positioning. After receiving the timestamps sent by the anchor points, the positioning engine converts the time difference into the distance between the tag and each anchor point. It then locates the tag using the hyperbolic positioning method. For ease of understanding, the hyperbolic positioning method is described below with reference to Figure 3.

[0126] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a distance measurement based on a hyperbola positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The figure takes the calculation of the distance between three anchor points and a tag as an example for description. The coordinate positions of the three anchor points at known positions in the figure are (x1, y1), (x2, y2), and (x3, y3), and the coordinates of the tag at the position to be measured are (x, y). The distances between the tag and the three anchor points are r1, r2, and r3, respectively. The values ​​of r1, r2, and r3 are obtained by calculation. Combined with the coordinate positions of the three anchor points, the specific coordinate position of the tag can be obtained. The specific solution formula includes:

[0127] Here, |r1-r2| represents the distance difference between the signal broadcast by the tag at (x, y) and the anchor point at (x1, y1) and the anchor point at (x2, y2). This distance difference can be calculated by multiplying the time difference between the timestamps recorded between the two anchor points by the speed of light.

[0128] In summary, the positioning engine completes the calculation of the tag position and obtains the tag's ranging positioning information.

[0129] 6. TDOA downlink ranging and positioning: In the downlink ranging and positioning system, the anchor point sends a UWB signal to the tag, the tag records the received timestamp, and solves it based on the time difference.

[0130] It should be understood that in the downlink mode, after the tag records the received timestamp, the timestamp information can be sent to the positioning engine for position solution. Alternatively, the solution module can be integrated into the tag to directly perform distance solution based on the recorded timestamp information. This application does not specifically limit this. This application uses the example of integrating the solution module into the tag to describe TDOA downlink ranging positioning.

[0131] For ease of understanding, the following briefly describes a UWB ranging method based on TDOA downlink, using Figures 1 and 4. In Figure 1, the tag is constantly receiving, constantly searching for UWB signals broadcast by anchor points. The tag's position is calculated based on the arrival time differences between signals broadcast by different anchor points and the anchor point locations. The specific ranging and positioning steps are as follows.

[0132] Step 1: Anchor point time synchronization. The clock source synchronizes the time of anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4, making the time systems of all anchor points based on the clock source. The specific synchronization steps can be referred to the time synchronization steps in TDOA uplink ranging positioning, and this application will not repeat them here.

[0133] Step 2: Anchors broadcast signals to tags. Anchors 1, 2, 3, and 4 broadcast UWB signals to tags in chronological order. The UWB signals carry basic information such as the device address. For ease of understanding, the following describes the signal transmission from anchors to tags, with reference to Figure 4.

[0134] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the signal timing arrangement for a TDOA downlink ranging positioning system provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the figure, A1, A2, A3, and A4 represent anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. In a TDOA downlink ranging positioning system, there is no specific limit on the number of tags to be measured; multiple tags can be ranged and located. Figure 4 uses tag0 and tag1 as examples for illustration.

[0135] Anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4 broadcast UWB signals to tag0 and tag1 at intervals of delta duration. The delta duration can be adjusted according to actual conditions and is generally in the order of microseconds to milliseconds.

[0136] Step 3: Tag receives and records the timestamp. Tag0 and tag1 are always in the receiving state, receiving UWB signals from anchor points 1, 2, 3, and 4. When tag0 receives a UWB signal from anchor point 1, it records the reception timestamp tag0_A1. When it receives a UWB signal from anchor point 2, it records the reception timestamp tag0_A2. Similarly, when a tag receives a UWB signal from an anchor point, it records the reception timestamp tag*_A*.

[0137] Step 4: Ranging and Positioning Solution. The tag contains a solution module that calculates the distance difference between the tag and each anchor point based on the recorded timestamp. It then uses the hyperbolic positioning method to perform ranging and positioning of the tag. For details on the hyperbolic positioning method and calculations, refer to the solution steps in TDOA uplink ranging and positioning, and this application will not elaborate on them here.

[0138] Specifically, UWB technology does not require the use of carrier waves in traditional communication systems, but transmits data by sending and receiving extremely narrow pulses of nanoseconds or less. Therefore, the synchronization of transceiver devices is crucial in UWB technology. The so-called synchronization of transceiver devices can be understood as the physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) being sent in the form of a pulse signal, and the receiving end determines which of the multiple pulse signals received is the PPDU it wants to receive. Currently, the synchronization of transceiver devices is mainly achieved through the synchronization header (SHR) in the PPDU. Specifically, the receiving end can determine which of the multiple pulse signals received is the PPDU it wants to receive based on correlation detection with the synchronization header. For example, the form of the ranging frame in the UWB signal can be one of the four types shown in Figure 5.

[0139] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the UWB ranging frame format provided by an embodiment of the present application. Among them, the ranging frame shown in type one is composed of a synchronization header (SHR), a physical header (PHR) and a payload (payload), wherein the SHR includes a synchronization (SYNC) field and a start frame delimiter (SFD) field. On the basis of type one, the security of the ranging can be enhanced by adding a scrambled timestamp sequence (STS) during the ranging process. For example, type two and type three are composed of SHR, PHR, payload and STS. The specific composition order is shown in Figure 5. Type four is composed of SHR and STS.

[0140] Figure 6 is a detailed schematic diagram of the UWB frame, that is, the detailed composition of the payload in Figure 5. The UWB frame consists of three parts: the Media Access Control Header (MHR), the Media Access Control Load (MAC payload), and the Media Access Control Footer (MFR). Among them, the MHR is used to control and manage the information of the Media Access Control (MAC) layer. The MHR determines the specific field structure and bit allocation according to the specifications of the UWB protocol. The MAC payload is the actual data carried in the MAC frame, which can be the transmitted application data, such as files, audio, video, etc. The MFR contains the tail information of the MAC frame, which is usually some fields used for checksum, error detection or encryption integrity verification. The specific content and use of the MFR vary according to the requirements of the UWB protocol and application.

[0141] The MHR contains information such as the Frame Control, Sequence Number, Destination Address, and Source Address. The Frame Control also includes the Frame Type, with different Frame Types identifying different fields. The Frame Control typically uses three bits (bit 2, bit 1, and bit 0) as flags to determine the frame type. Table 1 shows the corresponding identifiers for some common Frame Types.

[0142] Table 1

[0143] In the UWB-based TDOA ranging and positioning solutions shown in Figures 1 and 2, the UWB signal receiver must remain powered on and continuously receive the UWB signal. Due to the large bandwidth of UWB signals and the high power consumption of the chip, the battery life of the receiving device is limited. Furthermore, the transmission power of UWB signals is limited, thus limiting the transmission distance, thus limiting the range of ranging and positioning.

[0144] In view of this, the present application proposes a ranging and positioning method that can reduce the operating power consumption of the receiving device and improve the device's endurance and ranging range.

[0145] It should be understood that in a TDOA positioning system, ranging can be accomplished based on both uplink and downlink methods, and this application does not specifically limit this. To clearly describe this solution, TDOA downlink ranging positioning is used as an example for description, which does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0146] It should be understood that the description of the embodiments of the present application is carried out by taking the architecture of the TDOA positioning system shown in FIG1 as an example, which does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of the present application.

[0147] Taking anchor points 1, 2, 3 and tag0 and tag1 shown in FIG1 as an example, the ranging and positioning method proposed in this application specifically includes the following steps.

[0148] Step 1: Anchor point time synchronization. The clock source synchronizes the time of anchor points 1, 2, and 3, making the time systems of all anchor points based on the clock source. The specific synchronization steps can be referred to the time synchronization steps in TDOA uplink ranging positioning, and this application will not repeat them here.

[0149] Step 2: Anchor point 1 broadcasts a signal. At time t1, anchor point 1 sends a narrowband frame. This narrowband frame contains the anchor point's device information, along with synchronization signals, deltaT1, deltaT2, and deltaT3 timing information. At time t1 + deltaT2, anchor point 1 sends a wideband ranging frame. This wideband ranging frame does not need to carry device information or a payload, effectively reducing broadband operation time. For ease of understanding, the following describes the signaling from an anchor point to a tag, with reference to Figure 7.

[0150] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the signal timing arrangement of a ranging and positioning system provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the figure, A1, A2, and A3 represent anchor points 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In the ranging and positioning method provided by this application, there is no specific limit on the number of tags, and multiple tags can be ranged and positioned.

[0151] Step 3: The tag receives the signal from anchor point 1. The narrowband communication system of tag0 is always in the on state, and the broadband communication system of tag0 is in the off state. After tag0 receives the narrowband frame sent by A1, it is recorded as NB_tag0_A1. After tag0 receives the narrowband frame signal, it completes the time synchronization with the anchor point 1 device based on the device information and synchronization signal carried by the narrowband frame signal. Tag0 estimates the carrier frequency offset (CFO) information based on the narrowband frame signal. The CFO information can be positive or negative. Based on the CFO information, tag0 calculates the startup time of the broadband communication system to start the broadband communication system to receive the broadband ranging frame sent by A1. The startup time of tag0 starting the broadband communication system includes:

[0152] NB_tag0_A1+deltaT2·(1-CFO tag0_A1 ) (3)

[0153] Among them, CFO tag0_A1Represents the CFO of A1 relative to tag0 predicted at the time when tag0 records the timestamp NB_tag0_A1.

[0154] After tag0 receives the wideband ranging frame, it records the timestamp as WB_tag0_A1. Because the narrowband and wideband communication systems share the same clock source, after achieving narrowband time synchronization with the anchor device, the wideband coarse synchronization step can be omitted, reducing the power consumed by the tag searching for wideband signals. Tag1 receives narrowband and wideband ranging frames sent by anchor 1 in the same manner as tag0, and this application will not elaborate on this further.

[0155] Step 4: Anchor 2 broadcasts a signal. Anchor 2 sends a narrowband frame at time t2. Because the anchors are synchronized and share the same clock source, t2 = t1 + deltaT1. Similar to anchor 1, this narrowband frame contains the anchor's device information and carries timing information such as the synchronization signal, deltaT1, deltaT2, and deltaT3. Anchor 2 broadcasts a wideband ranging frame at time t2 + deltaT2. This wideband ranging frame does not need to carry the device information or payload.

[0156] Step 5: The tag receives the signal from anchor point 2. Tag0 starts receiving based on the time NB_tag0_A1+deltaT2-delta and performs a coarse search for the narrowband signal sent by A2.

[0157] It should be understood that the delta value here is set according to the actual system conditions to ensure that tag0 can start receiving in advance and can receive the narrowband signal sent by A2. The specific delta value is related to the electrical characteristics of the device and signal propagation, etc., and this application does not make any special limitations here.

[0158] When tag0 receives the narrowband signal sent by A2, it records the timestamp as NB_tag0_A2 and completes the CFO estimation between tag0 and A2. The moments when tag0 starts the broadband communication system to receive the broadband ranging frame from A2 include:

[0159] NB_tag0_A2+deltaT2·(1-CFO tag0_A2 ) (4)

[0160] Among them, CFO tag0_A2 Represents the CFO of A2 relative to tag0 predicted at the time when tag0 records the timestamp NB_tag0_A2.

[0161] After tag0 receives the wideband ranging frame from A2, it records the timestamp as WB_tag0_A2. The way tag1 receives the narrowband and wideband ranging frames sent by anchor point 2 is the same as tag0, and this application will not repeat it here.

[0162] Step 6: Anchor point 3 broadcasts a signal. Anchor point 3 sends a narrowband frame at time t3. The specific sending process can refer to the sending process of anchor point 2 in step 4, and this application will not repeat it here.

[0163] Step 7: Tag receives the signal from anchor point 3. Tag0 and tag1 receive the signal sent by A3. The specific receiving process can refer to the tag receiving process in steps 3 and 5, and this application will not repeat it here.

[0164] Step 8: Ranging and Positioning Solution. The tag contains a solution module that calculates the distance difference between the tag and each anchor point based on the recorded timestamp. It then uses the hyperbolic positioning method to perform ranging and positioning of the tag. For details on the hyperbolic positioning method and calculations, refer to the solution steps in TDOA uplink ranging and positioning, and this application will not elaborate on them here.

[0165] The arrival time differences between anchor points A1, A2, A3 and tag0 include:

[0166] ΔtimeA1A2_tag0=WB_tag0_A2-WB_tag0_A1-deltaT3·(1-CFO tag0_A2 ) (5)

[0167] ΔtimeA2A3_tag0=WB_tag0_A3-WB_tag0_A2-deltaT3·(1-CFO tag0_A3 ) (6)

[0168] Among them, ΔtimeA1A2_tag0 represents the time difference between A1 and A2 arriving at tag0, and ΔtimeA2A3_tag0 represents the time difference between A2 and A3 arriving at tag0. Through the time difference, the distance difference between tag0 and A1 and A2, as well as the distance difference between tag0 and A2 and A3 can be calculated. Based on the distance difference, combined with the hyperbolic positioning method described in Figure 3, the distance between tag0 and A1, A2, and A3 can be calculated, thereby calculating the position of tag0. The method for calculating the position of tag1 can refer to the method for calculating tag0, and this application will not repeat it here.

[0169] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the wideband ranging frame is also referred to as a wideband frame, a wideband signal, a wideband ranging signal, etc. It should be understood that this is only a name reference, and the signal described should be the same signal. This application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0170] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the narrowband frame is also referred to as a narrowband signal, a narrowband communication and synchronization frame, a narrowband communication and synchronization signal, etc. It should be understood that this is only a name reference, and the signal described should be the same signal. This application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0171] The above describes in detail the ranging and positioning method provided by the present application. The following describes the communication device provided by the present application.

[0172] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of inter-device communication in a ranging and positioning system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The ranging and positioning system includes at least two transmitting devices, namely anchor points. The ranging and positioning system includes at least one receiving device, namely a tag. Taking the communication between an anchor point and a tag as an example, device 1 and device 2 in the figure may be the anchor point and tag, respectively, involved in the embodiments of the present application. Each device includes at least a broadband communication module and a narrowband communication module. The broadband communication modules of device 1 and device 2 can perform positioning and / or ranging, and the narrowband communication modules of device 1 and device 2 can transmit data via a wireless link. Device 2, as a receiving module, may also include a control module and a calculation module. The control module is used to synchronize time with the anchor point based on the received narrowband signal and to determine the time of receiving the broadband signal. The calculation module is used to calculate the tag's location based on the arrival time difference between the received narrowband signals. The control module is also used to control the activation and / or deactivation of the narrowband and broadband communication modules.

[0173] In this application, the broadband communication module can be understood as a device, chip or system that implements broadband communication wireless communication technology; accordingly, the narrowband communication module can be understood as a device, chip or system that implements narrowband communication technology (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee (Purple Bee Protocol)). In a device, the broadband communication module and the narrowband communication module can be different devices or chips. Of course, the broadband communication module and the narrowband communication module can also be integrated on a device or chip. The embodiment of this application does not limit the implementation method of the broadband communication module and the narrowband communication module in the device. Broadband communication technology can enable the communication device to have high data throughput and enable the device positioning to have high precision. Narrowband communication provides a more accurate startup time for the broadband communication system, so that the broadband communication system does not need coarse synchronization and can directly perform fine synchronization. It can further save power consumption and extend the battery life of the receiving device.

[0174] It should be understood that both Device 1 and Device 2 can represent anchor points or tags. Data transmission between the anchor point and the tag occurs via a narrowband communication system, while positioning and / or ranging is performed via a broadband communication system. Devices 1 and 2 can have built-in calculation modules for positioning and / or ranging, or they can send timestamps to independent calculation modules for positioning and / or ranging. This application does not impose any specific limitations on this.

[0175] In this application, broadband communication signals include signals with a bandwidth greater than or equal to 499.2 MHz.

[0176] It should be understood that the broadband communication signal emitted by the broadband communication module includes a UWB signal and also includes other signals with a bandwidth greater than or equal to 499.2 MHz.

[0177] In the ranging and positioning system of the present application, the receiving system of the receiving device does not need to be kept turned on all the time. After receiving the narrowband signal sent by the sending device 1 at time t1, the sending time of the broadband signal of the sending device 1 can be predicted based on the synchronization signal and time setting information carried by the narrowband signal, and the broadband receiving system can be turned on before the predicted time to receive the broadband signal. It is also possible to predict the sending time of the narrowband signal and broadband signal sent by the sending device 2, sending device 3 and other sending devices based on the synchronization signal and time setting information carried by the narrowband signal sent by the sending device 1, and turn on the corresponding receiving system before the predicted time. This can reduce the power consumption of the receiving device and improve the endurance of the receiving device.

[0178] It should be understood that in the ranging and positioning methods provided herein, transmitting devices include anchor points, tags, and the like; receiving devices include tags, anchor points, and the like. Whether the transmitting and receiving devices are anchor points or tags depends on whether TDOA uplink or downlink ranging is used. In uplink ranging, the transmitting device is the tag, and the receiving device is the anchor point. In downlink ranging, the transmitting device is the anchor point, and the receiving device is the tag.

[0179] In the ranging and positioning method provided in the present application, the number of anchor points should be greater than or equal to 2. When there are only two anchor points with known positions in the ranging and positioning system, when the hyperbola positioning method is used to solve the position coordinates of the tag, two tag positions will appear, located on both sides of the line connecting the two anchor points, and symmetrical along the line connecting the anchor points. As a non-limiting embodiment, if there are only two anchor points, the two anchor points are generally installed on the same side of the ranging edge, and the tag located on one side is measured and positioned. For example, if the two anchor points are fixed to the same inner wall of a building, the position of the tag located inside the building can be measured and positioned.

[0180] The communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 9 and 10. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for matters not described in detail, reference can be made to the method embodiment above. For the sake of brevity, some contents will not be repeated.

[0181] In the embodiment of the present application, the anchor point or tag can be divided into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above-mentioned integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0182] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, the device 100 may include a transceiver unit 110 and a processing unit 120. The transceiver unit 110 can communicate with the outside world, and the processing unit 120 is used for data processing. The transceiver unit 110 may also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0183] Optionally, the device 100 may further include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 120 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit so that the device implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0184] The device 100 can be used to execute the actions performed by the transceiver device (such as tag and anchor point) in the above method embodiment. In this case, the device 100 can be a transceiver device or a component that can be configured in the transceiver device. The transceiver unit 110 is used to execute the transceiver-related operations of the transceiver device in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 120 is used to execute the processing-related operations of the transceiver device in the above method embodiment.

[0185] Optionally, the transceiver unit 110 in the apparatus 100 can communicate on two frequency bands of different bandwidths. The transceiver unit 110 can transmit and receive information on a narrowband frequency band and also on a wideband frequency band. The processing unit 120 is used to control the transceiver unit 110 to transmit information on different frequency bands and to process information received by the transceiver unit 110 on different frequency bands.

[0186] As a design, the device 100 is used to execute the actions performed by the anchor point in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver unit 110 includes the broadband communication module and the narrowband communication module in the embodiment.

[0187] As another design, the device 100 is used to execute the action performed by the tag in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver unit 110 includes the broadband communication module and the narrowband communication module in the embodiment.

[0188] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0189] The processing unit 120 in the above embodiment may be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuits. The transceiver unit 110 may be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuits. The storage unit may be implemented by at least one memory.

[0190] As shown in Figure 10, an embodiment of the present application further provides an apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 includes a processor 11 and may also include one or more memories 12. The processor 11 is coupled to the memory 12, which is used to store computer programs, instructions, and / or data. The processor 11 is used to execute the computer programs, instructions, and / or data stored in the memory 12, so that the method in the above method embodiment is executed. Optionally, the apparatus 10 includes one or more processors 11.

[0191] Optionally, the memory 12 may be integrated with the processor 11 or provided separately.

[0192] Optionally, as shown in Figure 10, the device 10 may further include a transceiver 13, which is used to receive and / or send signals. For example, the processor 11 is used to control the transceiver 13 to receive and / or send signals.

[0193] As a solution, the apparatus 10 is used to implement the operations performed by the transceiver devices (such as anchor points and tags) in the above method embodiments.

[0194] In addition, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are run on a computer, the methods in the various method embodiments of the present application are executed.

[0195] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code or instructions. When the computer program code or instructions are run on a computer, the methods in the various method embodiments of the present application are executed.

[0196] In addition, the present application further provides a chip, the chip including a processor. A memory for storing a computer program is provided independently of the chip, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program stored in the memory so that the method in each method embodiment of the present application is executed.

[0197] Furthermore, the chip may further include a communication interface. The communication interface may be an input / output interface, or an interface circuit, etc. Furthermore, the chip may further include a memory.

[0198] In addition, the present application also provides a communication system, including the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application.

[0199] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with the ability to process signals. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor or instructions in the form of software. The processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), or it can be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware coding processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the coding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0200] The memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DRRAM).

[0201] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0202] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to comprise, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0203] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, 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. Professional and technical personnel can 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.

[0204] 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.

[0205] 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 schematic. 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. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0206] 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.

[0207] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0208] 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 technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several 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 ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0209] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A ranging and positioning method, characterized in that: include: The first device receives the first configuration information, the second configuration information, and the third configuration information through the first communication frequency band, and receives the first ranging information, the second ranging information, and the third ranging information through the second communication frequency band, wherein the bandwidth used in the second communication frequency band is greater than the bandwidth used in the first communication frequency band; After the first device completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first configuration information, the first device determines the arrival time of the first ranging information and receives it, The location of the first device is determined according to the arrival time difference of the first ranging information, the second ranging information, and the third ranging information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that include: After the first device determines the time when the first ranging information arrives, it turns on the second communication frequency band to receive the first ranging information, and after receiving the first ranging information, it turns off the second communication frequency band.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: include: The first device determines, according to the first configuration information, arrival times of the second ranging information and the third ranging information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that include: After receiving the first configuration information, the first device turns off the first communication frequency band, determines the time when the second configuration information arrives based on the first configuration information, and turns on the first communication frequency band again to receive the second configuration information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first configuration information includes device information, a device synchronization signal, time setting information, and a data field of the first terminal device; The first ranging information includes a ranging frame but does not include the data field.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first device estimates, based on the first configuration information, first carrier frequency offset CFO information with the first terminal device, and completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band according to the first CFO information; The first device determines a time to receive the first ranging information through the second communication frequency band according to the first CFO information.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that include: Before the first terminal device sends the first configuration information, the first terminal device completes time synchronization with other terminal devices that send configuration information.

8. A ranging and positioning system, characterized in that: include: The first terminal device sends first configuration information through the first communication frequency band, and sends first ranging information through the second communication frequency band; The first device receives the first configuration information, completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the first configuration information, determines the arrival time of the first ranging information and receives it, and the bandwidth used in the second communication frequency band is greater than the bandwidth used in the first communication frequency band; The second terminal device sends second configuration information through the first communication frequency band, and sends second ranging information through the second communication frequency band; The first device receives the second configuration information, completes time synchronization with the second terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the second configuration information, determines the arrival time of the second ranging information, and receives it; The third terminal device sends third configuration information through the first communication frequency band, and sends third ranging information through the second communication frequency band; The first device receives the third configuration information, completes time synchronization with the third terminal device on the first communication frequency band based on the third configuration information, determines the arrival time of the third ranging information, and receives it; The location of the first device is determined according to the arrival time difference of the first ranging information, the second ranging information, and the third ranging information.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that include: After the first device determines the time when the first ranging information arrives, it turns on the second communication frequency band to receive the first ranging information, and after receiving the first ranging information, it turns off the second communication frequency band.

10. The system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that include: The first device determines, according to the first configuration information, arrival times of the second ranging information and the third ranging information.

11. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that include: After receiving the first configuration information, the first device turns off the first communication frequency band, determines the time when the second configuration information arrives based on the first configuration information, and turns on the first communication frequency band to receive the second configuration information.

12. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that The first configuration information includes device information, a device synchronization signal, time setting information, and a data field of the first terminal device; The first ranging information includes a ranging frame but does not include the data field.

13. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that The first device estimates, based on the first configuration information, first carrier frequency offset CFO information with the first terminal device, and completes time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band according to the first CFO information; The first device determines a time to receive the first ranging information through the second communication frequency band according to the first CFO information.

14. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that include: Before the first terminal device sends the first configuration information, time synchronization is completed among the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the third terminal device.

15. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A first communication module, configured to receive first configuration information, second configuration information, and third configuration information transmitted on a first communication frequency band; A second communication module, configured to receive first ranging information, second ranging information, and third ranging information transmitted on a second communication frequency band, wherein a bandwidth used in the second communication frequency band is greater than a bandwidth used in the first communication frequency band; a control module, configured to determine a time when the first ranging information arrives and control the second communication module to receive the first ranging information after completing time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band according to the first configuration information; A calculation module is used to determine the position of the first device according to the arrival time difference of the first ranging information, the second ranging information, and the third ranging information.

16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that include: After determining the time when the first ranging information arrives, the control module controls the second communication module to start receiving the first ranging information. After receiving the first ranging information, the control module controls the second communication module to close.

17. The device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that include: The control module is used to determine the arrival time of the second ranging information and the third ranging information according to the first configuration information.

18. The device according to any one of claims 16 to 17, characterized in that include: After the first communication module receives the first configuration information, the control module controls the first communication module to be turned off; The control module determines a time when the second configuration information arrives based on the first configuration information, and controls the first communication module to start and receive the second configuration information.

19. The device according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that The first configuration information includes device information, a device synchronization signal, time setting information, and a data field of the first terminal device; The first ranging information includes a ranging frame but does not include the data field.

20. The device according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that The control module is used to estimate the first carrier frequency offset CFO information with the first terminal device according to the first configuration information, and complete the time synchronization with the first terminal device on the first communication frequency band according to the first CFO information; The control module determines a time to start the second communication module to receive the first ranging information according to the first CFO information.

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