Method and apparatus for providing ultra-wideband service by using bluetooth low power communication

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method for operating a plurality of UWB channels. A method for a first electronic device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, comprises the steps of: receiving, from a second electronic device, information regarding an advertisement interval related to the second electronic device; receiving, from a user, an input for instructing a search for the second electronic device; in response to the input, scanning a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertisement message related to ultra-wideband (UWB) multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging of the second electronic device; and when having failed to receive the BLE advertisement message from the second electronic device for a time corresponding to a real multiple of the advertisement interval, stopping the operation of scanning the BLE advertisement message.

Description

Method and device for providing ultra-wideband service using Bluetooth low energy communication

[0001] The present disclosure relates to UWB communication, and more particularly, to a method and device for providing UWB service using BLE communication.

[0002] The Internet is evolving from a human-centric network where humans create and consume information to an Internet of Things (IoT) network where information is exchanged and processed between distributed components such as objects. The Internet of Everything (IoE) technology, which combines IoT technology with big data processing technology through connections to cloud servers, is also emerging. To implement the IoT, technological elements such as sensing technology, wired and wireless communication and network infrastructure, service interface technology, and security technology are required. Recently, technologies such as sensor networks for connecting objects, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, and Machine-Type Communication (MTC) are being researched.

[0003] In an IoT environment, intelligent IT (Internet Technology) services can be provided that collect and analyze data generated from connected objects, creating new value in human life. IoT, through the convergence and integration of existing IT (information technology) technologies with various industries, can be applied to fields such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart or connected cars, smart grids, healthcare, smart appliances, and advanced medical services.

[0004] As wireless communication systems advance, the ability to provide a variety of services increases, leading to a growing demand for effective solutions. For example, ranging technology can be used to measure the distance between electronic devices using Ultra Wide Band (UWB). UWB is a wireless communication technology that utilizes a very wide frequency band, from baseband to several gigahertz, without the use of a radio carrier.

[0005] The present disclosure proposes a method for providing an ultra-wideband (UWB) service. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and device for providing an ultra-wideband (UWB) multi-milisecond (MMS) ranging service using Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of a first electronic device includes the steps of: receiving, from a second electronic device, information about an advertisement interval related to the second electronic device; receiving, from a user, an input instructing a search for the second electronic device; scanning, in response to the input, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertisement message related to ultra-wide band (UWB) multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging of the second electronic device; and stopping an operation of scanning the BLE advertisement message if the BLE advertisement message is not received from the second electronic device for a time corresponding to a real multiple of the advertisement interval.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of a second electronic device includes the steps of: transmitting, to a first electronic device, information about an advertisement interval related to the second electronic device; and transmitting, to the first electronic device, a BLE (Bluetooth low energy) advertisement message related to ultra-wide band (UWB) multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging; wherein, when a time corresponding to a real number multiple of the advertisement interval has exceeded, scanning of the BLE advertisement message is stopped.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first electronic device includes a transceiver; and at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive, from a second electronic device, information about an advertisement interval related to the second electronic device, receive an input from a user instructing a search for the second electronic device, scan a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertisement message related to ultra-wide band (UWB) multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging of the second electronic device in response to the input, and stop an operation of scanning the BLE advertisement message if the BLE advertisement message is not received from the second electronic device for a time corresponding to a real multiple of the advertisement interval.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a second electronic device includes a transceiver; and at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit information about an advertisement interval related to the second electronic device to the first electronic device, and to transmit a BLE (Bluetooth low energy) advertisement message related to ultra-wide band (UWB) multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging to the first electronic device, and when a time corresponding to a real number multiple of the advertisement interval has exceeded, scanning of the BLE advertisement message is stopped.

[0010] The service can be efficiently provided through a method of providing a UWB (ultra-wideband) MMS ranging service using the BLE communication of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1a illustrates an exemplary architecture of a UWB device.

[0012] Figure 1b illustrates an exemplary configuration of a communication system including a UWB device.

[0013] Figure 2 shows an exemplary structure of a frame used for UWB communication.

[0014] Figure 3 illustrates how two UWB devices perform UWB communication.

[0015] Figure 4 illustrates how two UWB devices perform UWB ranging.

[0016] Figure 5 shows the structure of ranging blocks and rounds used for UWB ranging.

[0017] FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a multi-milisecond (MMS) ranging operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 6b illustrates an operation of performing an MMS ranging operation using a BLE channel and a UWB channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a central device and a peripheral device performing BLE-based UWB MMS ranging according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an MMS ranging operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 9 illustrates creating a terminal-to-terminal connection for a report operation in a BLE channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure and performing the report operation after UWB MMS ranging.

[0022] FIG. 10 illustrates creating a terminal-to-terminal connection in a BLE channel and performing a repetitive UWB MMS ranging operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 11 illustrates performing a UWB MMS ranging operation without creating a terminal-to-terminal connection for a report operation in a BLE channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 12 illustrates an implicit termination operation in BLE-based MMS ranging according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIGS. 13a and 13b are flowcharts illustrating the operation of a central device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIGS. 14a and 14b illustrate a BLE coded PHY used in BLE-based MMS ranging according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 15 shows a structural diagram of a first electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 16 illustrates a structural diagram of a second electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0030] In describing the embodiments, descriptions of technical details that are well known in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains and are not directly related to the present disclosure will be omitted. This is to more clearly convey the gist of the present disclosure without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations.

[0031] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Furthermore, the dimensions of each component do not entirely reflect its actual size. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing are assigned the same reference numbers.

[0032] The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments of the present disclosure are provided only to make the present disclosure complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

[0033] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the processing flowchart drawings and combinations of the flowchart drawings can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be installed in a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create a means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the functions in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item that includes an instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). Since the computer program instructions may be installed on a computer or other programmable data processing device, a series of operational steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-executable process, so that the instructions that cause the computer or other programmable data processing device to perform the steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s) may also be able to provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0034] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation examples, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on their respective functions.

[0035] Here, the term '~ unit' used in the present embodiment means software or hardware components such as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the '~ unit' performs certain roles. However, the '~ unit' is not limited to software or hardware. The '~ unit' may be configured to be on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to play one or more processors. Accordingly, according to some embodiments, the '~ unit' includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and '~ units' may be combined into a smaller number of components and '~ units' or further separated into additional components and '~ units'. Additionally, the components and '~parts' may be implemented to activate one or more CPUs within the device or secure multimedia card. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the '~parts' may include one or more processors.

[0036] The term 'terminal' or 'device' used herein may refer to a mobile station (MS), user equipment (UE), user terminal (UT), wireless terminal, access terminal (AT), terminal, subscriber unit (SS), subscriber station (SS), wireless device, wireless communication device, wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile node, mobile, or other terms. Various embodiments of the terminal may include a cellular telephone, a smart phone having a wireless communication function, a personal digital assistant (PDA) having a wireless communication function, a wireless modem, a portable computer having a wireless communication function, a photographing device such as a digital camera having a wireless communication function, a gaming device having a wireless communication function, a music storage and playback home appliance having a wireless communication function, an internet home appliance capable of wireless internet access and browsing, as well as portable units or terminals integrating combinations of such functions. In addition, the terminal may include, but is not limited to, an M2M (Machine to Machine) terminal, an MTC (Machine Type Communication) terminal / device. In this specification, the terminal may also be referred to as an electronic device or simply a device.

[0037] The operating principles of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description of the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations will be omitted if they are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined based on the functions of the present disclosure and may vary depending on the intent or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the overall content of this specification.

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below using a communication system utilizing UWB as an example, the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems with similar technical backgrounds or characteristics. For example, these may include communication systems utilizing Bluetooth or Zigbee. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems with some modifications, as determined by a person skilled in the art, without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0039] Additionally, when describing the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of related functions or configurations will be omitted if they are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined based on the functions of the present disclosure and may vary depending on the intent or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the contents of this specification.

[0040] Generally, wireless sensor network technologies are broadly categorized into Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) technologies based on their sensing range. WLAN is a technology based on IEEE 802.11 that allows access to a backbone network within a radius of approximately 100 meters. WPAN, on the other hand, is a technology based on IEEE 802.15, and includes technologies such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and ultra-wideband (UWB). A wireless network implementing these wireless network technologies may consist of multiple electronic devices.

[0041] UWB can refer to a short-range, high-speed wireless communication technology that utilizes a wide frequency band exceeding several GHz in baseband mode, low spectral density, and short pulse widths (1 to 4 nanoseconds). UWB can also refer to the band itself in which UWB communications are applied. UWB enables secure and accurate ranging between devices. This allows for relative positioning based on the distance between two devices, or precise positioning of a device based on the distance from fixed devices (whose locations are known).

[0042] Certain terms used in the following description are provided to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and the use of such specific terms may be changed to other forms without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

[0043] An "Application Dedicated File (ADF)" may be, for example, a data structure within an Application Data Structure that can host an application or application specific data.

[0044] "Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU)" may be a command and response used when communicating with the Application Data Structure within a UWB device.

[0045] The "application specific data" may be a file structure having a root level and an application level, for example, containing UWB control information and UWB session data required for a UWB session.

[0046] A "Controller" may be a Ranging Device that defines and controls Ranging Control Messages (RCM) (or control messages).

[0047] A "Controllee" may be a Ranging Device that utilizes the ranging parameters within the RCM (or control message) received from the Controller.

[0048] Unlike "Static STS," "Dynamic STS (Scrambled Timestamp Sequence) mode" can be an operating mode in which STS is not repeated during a ranging session. In this mode, STS is managed by the ranging device, and the ranging session key that generates the STS can be managed by the Secure Component.

[0049] An "Applet" may be, for example, an applet running on a Secure Component that includes UWB parameters and service data. In the present disclosure, the Applet may be a FiRa Applet defined by FiRa.

[0050] A "Ranging Device" may be a device capable of performing UWB ranging. In the present disclosure, the Ranging Device may be an Enhanced Ranging Device (ERDEV) defined in IEEE 802.15.4z or a FiRa Device defined by FiRa. The Ranging Device may be referred to as a UWB device.

[0051] A "UWB-enabled Application" may be an application for UWB services. For example, a UWB-enabled Application may be an application that utilizes a framework API for configuring an OOB Connector, a Secure Service, and / or a UWB service for a UWB session. In the present disclosure, a "UWB-enabled Application" may be abbreviated as an application or a UWB application. A UWB-enabled Application may be a FiRa-enabled Application defined by FiRa.

[0052] A "Framework" may be a component that provides access to a Profile, individual UWB settings, and / or notifications. A "Framework" may be a collection of logical software components, including, for example, a Profile Manager, an OOB Connector, a Secure Service, and / or a UWB Service. In the present disclosure, the Framework may be a FiRa Framework defined by FiRa.

[0053] An "OOB Connector" may be a software component for establishing an out-of-band (OOB) connection (e.g., a BLE connection) between Ranging Devices. In the present disclosure, the OOB Connector may be a FiRa OOB Connector defined by FiRa.

[0054] A "Profile" may be a predefined set of UWB and OOB configuration parameters. In the present disclosure, the Profile may be a FiRa Profile defined by FiRa.

[0055] A "Profile Manager" may be a software component that implements a profile available to a Ranging Device. In the present disclosure, the Profile Manager may be a FiRa Profile Manager defined by FiRa.

[0056] A "Service" could be an implementation of a use case that provides a service to the end-user.

[0057] A "Smart Ranging Device" may be a Ranging Device capable of implementing an optional Framework API. In the present disclosure, the Smart Ranging Device may be a FiRa Smart Device defined by FiRa.

[0058] A "Global Dedicated File (GDF)" may be the root level of application specific data containing the data required to establish a USB session.

[0059] The "Framework API" may be an API used by a UWB-enabled Application to communicate with the Framework.

[0060] An "Initiator" may be a Ranging Device that initiates a ranging exchange.

[0061] "Object Identifier (OID)" can be an identifier of ADF within the application data structure.

[0062] "Out-Of-Band (OOB)" may be data communication that does not use UWB as the underlying wireless technology.

[0063] "Ranging Data Set (RDS)" may be data (e.g., UWB session key, session ID, etc.) required to establish a UWB session whose confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity need to be protected.

[0064] A "Responder" may be a Ranging Device that responds to an Initiator in a ranging exchange.

[0065] "STS" may be a ciphered sequence to enhance the integrity and accuracy of ranging measurement timestamps. The STS may be generated from a ranging session key.

[0066] A "Secure Channel" may be a data channel that prevents overhearing and tampering.

[0067] A "Secure Component" may be an entity (e.g., an SE or TEE) with a defined security level that interfaces with the UWBS for the purpose of providing RDS to the UWBS, for example, when dynamic STS is used.

[0068] A "Secure Element (SE)" may be a tamper-resistant secure hardware component that can be used as a Secure Component within a Ranging Device.

[0069] "Secure Ranging" may be ranging based on STS generated through strong cryptographic operations.

[0070] A "Secure Service" may be a software component for interfacing with a Secure Component, such as a Secure Element or a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE).

[0071] A "Service Applet" may be an applet on a Secure Component that handles service-specific transactions.

[0072] "Service Data" may be data defined by the Service Provider that needs to be passed between two ranging devices to implement the service.

[0073] A "Service Provider" may be an entity that defines and provides the hardware and software required to provide a specific service to an end-user.

[0074] "Static STS mode" is an operating mode in which STS repeats during a session and does not need to be managed by the Secure Component.

[0075] The "Secure UWB Service (SUS) Applet" may be an applet on the SE that communicates with other ranging devices to retrieve the data necessary to enable a secure UWB session. The SUS Applet may also forward this data (information) to the UWB Service.

[0076] A "UWB Service" may be a software component that provides access to UWBS.

[0077] A "UWB Session" can be the period from when the Controller and Controllee start communicating via UWB until they stop communicating. A UWB Session can include ranging, data transfer, or both ranging and data transfer.

[0078] "UWB Session ID" may be an ID (e.g., a 32-bit integer) that identifies a UWB Session shared between the controller and the controller.

[0079] The "UWB Session Key" may be a key used to protect a UWB session. The UWB Session Key may be used to generate an STS. In the present disclosure, the UWB Session Key may be a UWB Ranging Session Key (URSK), and may be abbreviated as a session key.

[0080] The "UWB Subsystem (UWBS)" may be a hardware component implementing the UWB PHY and MAC specifications. The UWBS may have an interface to the Framework and an interface to the Secure Component for discovering the RDS. In the present disclosure, the UWB PHY and MAC specifications may be, for example, the FiRa PHY and FiRa MAC specifications defined by FiRa, which references IEEE 802.15.4 / 4z.

[0081] In addition, when explaining the present disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of a related public notice function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description is omitted.

[0082] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0083] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary architecture of a UWB device.

[0084] The UWB device (electronic device) of FIG. 1 may be a Ranging Device that supports UWB ranging (e.g., UWB secure ranging). In one embodiment, the Ranging Device may be an Enhanced Ranging Device (ERDEV) defined in IEEE 802.15.4z or a FiRa Device defined by FiRa.

[0085] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a UWB device can interact with another UWB device through a UWB session.

[0086] Additionally, the UWB device may implement a first interface (Interface #1), which is an interface between a UWB-enabled application and the Framework, wherein the first interface allows the UWB-enabled application on the UWB device to use the UWB capabilities of the UWB device in a predetermined manner. In one embodiment, the first interface may be, but is not limited to, a Framework API or a proprietary interface.

[0087] Additionally, the UWB device may implement a second interface (Interface #2), which is an interface between the Framework and the UWB subsystem (UWBS). In one embodiment, the second interface may be, but is not limited to, the UWB Command Interface (UCI) or a proprietary interface.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 1, a UWB device may include a UWB-enabled Application, Framework, and / or UWBS including a UWB MAC Layer and a UWB Physical Layer. Depending on the embodiment, some entities may not be included in the UWB device, or additional entities (e.g., a security layer) may be included.

[0089] A UWB-enabled application can use the first interface to trigger the establishment of a UWB session by a UWBS. Furthermore, the UWB-enabled application can use one of the predefined profiles. For example, the UWB-enabled application can use one of the profiles defined in FiRa or a custom profile. The UWB-enabled application can use the first interface to handle relevant events such as service discovery, ranging notifications, and / or error conditions.

[0090] The Framework may provide access to Profiles, individual UWB configurations, and / or notifications. The Framework may be a collection of software components. As described above, a UWB-enabled Application may interface with the Framework via a first interface, and the Framework may interface with the UWB via a second interface. The software components of the Framework may include, for example, a Profile Manager, an OOB Connector, a Secure Service, and / or a UWB Service.

[0091] The Profile Manager may be responsible for managing profiles available on a UWB device. A profile may be a set of parameters required to establish communication between UWB devices. For example, a profile may include parameters indicating which OOB secure channel is used, UWB / OOB configuration parameters, parameters indicating whether the use of a particular security component is mandatory, and / or parameters related to the file structure of the ADF.

[0092] The OOB Connector can be used to establish an OOB connection between UWB devices. The OOB Connector can handle the OOB phase, including the discovery phase and the connection phase. The OOB phase is described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0093] A Secure Service may interface with a Secure Component such as an SE or TEE.

[0094] The UWB Service can manage UWBS. By implementing a second interface, the UWB Service can provide access to UWBS from the Profile Manager.

[0095] A UWBS may be a hardware component that includes a UWB MAC Layer and a UWB Physical Layer. It can perform UWB session management and communicate with UWBSs of other UWB devices. It can interface with the Framework through a second interface and obtain RDS from the Secure Component.

[0096] Figure 1b illustrates an exemplary configuration of a communication system including a UWB device.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 1B, a communication system includes a first UWB device and a second UWB device. In one embodiment, the first UWB device and the second UWB device may be, for example, the UWB device of FIG. 1 or an electronic device including the UWB device of FIG. 1.

[0098] A first UWB device may host one or more UWB-enabled Applications that can be installed, for example, by a user (e.g., a mobile phone). These may be based on, for example, a Framework API. A second UWB device may not provide a Framework API, but may, for example, utilize a proprietary interface to implement a specific UWB-enabled Application. Alternatively, and not as depicted, depending on the embodiment, both the first UWB device and the second UWB device may be Ranging Devices utilizing the Framework API, or both the first UWB device and the second UWB device may be Ranging Devices utilizing a proprietary interface.

[0099] The first UWB device and the second UWB device may include a UWB-enabled Application Layer, a Framework, an OOB component, a Secure Component, and / or a UWBS. Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, the OOB component and / or the Secure Component are optional components and may not be included in the UWB device depending on the embodiment.

[0100] The Framework may provide access to profiles, individual UWB settings, and / or notifications. The Framework is a collection of software components, including, for example, a Profile Manager, an OOB Connector, a Secure Service, and / or a UWB Service. For a description of each component, see the preceding description.

[0101] The OOB component may be a hardware component including a MAC Layer and / or Physical Layer for OOB communication (e.g., BLE communication). The OOB component may communicate with an OOB component of another device. In one embodiment, the first UWB device and the second UWB device may create an OOB connection (channel) using the OOB component and exchange parameters for establishing a UWB session through the OOB channel. In the present disclosure, the OOB component may be referred to as an OOB subsystem.

[0102] The UWBS may be a hardware component including a UWB MAC Layer and a UWB Physical Layer. It may perform UWB session management and communicate with the UWBS of another UWB device. In one embodiment, the first UWB device and the second UWB device may perform UWB ranging and service data transactions through a UWB session established via the UWBS using parameters exchanged with each other.

[0103] A Secure Component may be a hardware component that interfaces with the framework and / or UWBS to provide RDS.

[0104] In the present disclosure, the UWB-enabled Application Layer and / or Framework may be implemented by an application processor (AP) (or processor). Therefore, in the present disclosure, the operation of the UWB-enabled Application Layer and / or Framework may be understood to be performed by the AP (or processor).

[0105] Figure 2 shows an exemplary structure of a frame used for UWB communication.

[0106] Figure 2 (a) shows an exemplary structure of a frame to which STS packet settings are not applied, and Figure 2 (b) shows an exemplary structure of a frame to which STS packet settings are applied. In one embodiment, the frame may be a ranging frame (RFRAME) for transmitting ranging data (e.g., ranging initiation / response / final message, etc.) or a data frame for transmitting other data (e.g., service data, etc.).

[0107] Referring to (a) of FIG. 2, a frame or a PHY PDU (PPDU) for transmitting a frame may include a synchronization header (SHR), a PHY header (PHR), and a PHY payload (PSDU). The PSDU includes a MAC frame, and the MAC frame may include a MAC header (MHR), a MAC payload, and / or a MAC footer (MFR). The synchronization header of the PPDU may include a SYNC field and a start-of-frame delimiter (SFD). The SFD field may be a field indicating the end of the SHR and the start of the data field. For a description of each element / field included in the PPDU and the MAC frame, refer to the description defined in IEEE 802.15.4 / 4z and / or FiRa.

[0108] Meanwhile, the PHY layer of a UWB device may include an optional mode to provide reduced on-air time for high-density / low-power operation. In this case, the frame may include an encrypted sequence (i.e., STS) to increase the integrity and accuracy of the ranging measurement timestamp. This STS can be used for secure ranging.

[0109] The structure of a PPDU (or frame) when the STS packet setting is applied (supported) may be as shown in Fig. 3b.

[0110] Referring to (b) of FIG. 2, when the STS packet (SP) setting is 0 (SP0), the STS field is not included in the PPDU (SP0 packet). When the SP setting is 1 (SP1), the STS field is located immediately after the Start of Frame Delimiter (SFD) field and before the PHR field (SP1 packet). When the SP setting is 2 (SP2), the STS field is located after the PHY payload (SP2 packet). When the SP setting is 3 (SP3), the STS field is located immediately after the SFD field, and the PPDU does not include the PHR and data fields (PHY payload) (SP3 packet). That is, in the case of SP3, the frame (or, UWB message) does not include the PHR and PHY payload.

[0111] Meanwhile, SP0, SP1, and SP3 are mandatory settings that must be supported when STS packet settings are supported, and SP2 may be optionally supported.

[0112] Figure 3 illustrates how two UWB devices perform UWB communication.

[0113] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the first UWB device can perform the role of a controller (or controllery), and the second UWB device can perform the role of a controller (or controller), which is the opposite role of the first UWB device. Additionally, the first UWB device can perform the role of an initiator (or responder), and the second UWB device can perform the role of a responder (or initiator), which is the opposite role of the first UWB device.

[0114] (1) Referring to FIG. 3, the first UWB device and the second UWB device may optionally perform an OOB step prior to the UWB step. In the present disclosure, the OOB step may be referred to as an OOB connection step.

[0115] The OOB phase may be a phase performed to discover a UWB device through an OOB channel (e.g., a BLE channel) and establish and control a UWB session.

[0116] In one embodiment, the OOB step may include at least one of the following steps:

[0117] - Steps for discovering UWB devices and profiles (device and profile discovery)

[0118] - Steps to set up OOB connection (channel)

[0119] - Steps to establish a secure channel to secure messages and data

[0120] - A step for exchanging parameters for establishing a UWB session through a secure channel (e.g., UWB performance parameters (controller performance parameters), UWB configuration parameters, and / or session key related parameters) (parameter exchange step)

[0121] In one embodiment, the parameter exchange step may include a step for the controller to pass a controller performance parameter / message (UWB_CAPABILITY), a step for the controller to pass a UWB configuration parameter / message (UWB_CONFIGURATION) to the controller, and / or a step for one UWB device to pass a session key related parameter / message (SESSION_KEY_INFO) for securing a UWB session to another UWB device.

[0122] In one embodiment, the controller (UWB) performance parameters and / or session key parameters may be transmitted in a controller information message (CONTROLEE_INFO), which is an OOB message transmitted from the controller to the controller. In one embodiment, the UWB configuration parameters and / or session key parameters may be transmitted in a session data message (SESSION_DATA), which is an OOB message transmitted from the controller to the controller.

[0123] The controller performance parameter (UWB_CAPABILITY) may include at least one parameter that provides information about the device performance of the controller. For example, the controller performance parameter may include a parameter for support of the device's role (Initiator or Responder), a parameter for multi-node support, a parameter for support of STS configuration, a parameter for support of ranging methods, a RFRAME feature performance parameter, a parameter for support of Angle of Arrival (AoA), and / or a parameter for support of Scheduled Mode.

[0124] The UWB configuration parameter (UWB_CONFIGURATION) may include at least one parameter used for establishing a UWB session. For example, the UWB configuration parameter may include a UWB session ID parameter, a ranging method parameter, a multi-node configuration parameter, an STS configuration parameter, a Scheduled Mode parameter, a time-of-flight (ToF) report parameter, an AoA-related parameter, a parameter indicating the number of slots per ranging round, a slot duration parameter, a responder slot index parameter, a MAC address mode parameter, a device MAC address parameter, a parameter indicating the number of controllers, and / or a destination (DST) MAC address parameter.

[0125] The session key related parameters (SESSION_KEY_INFO) may include session key related parameters for Dynamic STS and / or session key related parameters for Static STS. For example, the session key related parameters for Dynamic STS may include data exchanged to generate a UWB session key or data directly used as a UWB session key. For example, the Static STS may include the ID of the vendor that provides the UWB-enabled application (Vendor ID) and a predefined random value (Static STS IV) selected by the UWB-enabled application for the UWB device. The Vendor ID may be used to set the phyVupper64 parameter for Static STS, and the Static STS IV may be used to set the vUpper64 parameter.

[0126] (2) The first UWB device and the second UWB device can perform a UWB step. In the present disclosure, the UWB step may be referred to as a UWB connection step.

[0127] The UWB phase may be a phase performed to perform UWB ranging and transmit service data through a UWB session.

[0128] In one embodiment, the UWB step may include at least one of the following steps:

[0129] - Steps to start a UWB session (UWB Trigger)

[0130] - A step for performing UWB ranging to obtain the distance / location between two UWB devices.

[0131] - Step for exchanging service data (transaction)

[0132] Meanwhile, as described above, the OOB step is an optional step and may be omitted depending on the embodiment. For example, if the discovery of a UWB device and / or the establishment and control of a UWB session are performed via a UWB channel (in-band), the OOB step may be omitted. For example, if in-band discovery is performed, the OOB step for performing OOB discovery may be omitted. In this case, the UWB step may further perform operations for discovering a UWB device via a UWB channel and exchanging parameters for UWB session establishment.

[0133] Figure 4 illustrates how two UWB devices perform UWB ranging.

[0134] Fig. 4 (a) shows an embodiment in which a first UWB device operates as a controller / initiator and a second UWB device operates as a controller / responder, and Fig. 4 (b) shows an embodiment in which a first UWB device operates as a controller / responder and a second UWB device operates as a controller / initiator.

[0135] Referring to FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the controller can transmit a control message for UWB ranging to the controller. The ranging control message can be used to carry ranging parameter(s) for controlling and setting the ranging procedure. In one embodiment, the control message can include information about the role of the ranging device (e.g., initiator or responder), ranging slot index information, and / or address information of the ranging device.

[0136] The initiator can transmit a ranging initiation message to the responder to initiate UWB ranging. In one embodiment, the initiator can transmit the ranging initiation message via an SP1 packet or an SP3 packet. When transmitting the ranging initiation message via an SP1 packet, a control message can be transmitted as included in the PHY payload of the ranging initiation message. When transmitting the ranging initiation message via an SP3 packet, the ranging initiation message does not include a PHR and a PHY payload.

[0137] The responder may transmit a ranging response message to the initiator in response to the ranging initiation message. In one embodiment, the responder may transmit the ranging response message via an SP1 packet or an SP3 packet. When transmitting the ranging response message via an SP1 packet, a first Measurement Report Message may be transmitted in the PHY payload of the ranging response message. In one embodiment, the first Measurement Report Message may include an AoA measurement, a reply time measured by the responder, and / or a list of responder addresses and round-trip time measurements for the responders. The reply time field may indicate a time difference between the reception time of the ranging initiation message and the transmission time of the ranging response message on the responder side. Based on this, single-sided two-way ranging (SS-TWR) may be performed. The calculation of ToF via SS-TWR follows the method defined in IEEE 802.15.4z or FiRa.

[0138] For DS-TWR (Double-sided two-way ranging), the initiator may further transmit a Ranging Final Message to the responder to complete the ranging exchange. When transmitting the Ranging Final Message via an SP1 packet, a second Measurement Report Message may be transmitted in the PHY payload of the Ranging Final Message. In one embodiment, the second Measurement Report Message may include an AoA measurement, a round-trip time for the first responder, and / or a list of responder addresses and reply time measurements for the responders. When the sender of the Measurement Report Message is the initiator, the First round-trip time field may indicate the time difference between the Ranging Initiation message from the initiator and the first Ranging Response message from the first responder. Alternatively, if the sender of the Measurement Report Message is a responder, the First round-trip time field may indicate the time difference between the ranging response message from the responder and the ranging final message from the initiator. Based on this, DS-TWR can be performed. The calculation of time-of-flight (ToF) through DS-TWR follows the method defined in IEEE 802.15.4z or FiRa.

[0139] Meanwhile, depending on the embodiment, the first measurement report message and / or the second measurement report message described above may not be included in the ranging response message and / or the ranging final message, but may be transmitted via a separate message. For example, if the non-deferred mode is applied, the measurement report message may be transmitted via a data frame after the ranging exchange.

[0140] Meanwhile, the initiator and responder can perform UWB ranging according to a predefined schedule mode. For example, in time-scheduled ranging mode, the controller knows the IDs of all controllers and can precisely schedule ranging transmissions. In another example, in contention-based ranging mode, the controller does not know the number or IDs of the controllers, and thus UWB devices compete with each other. This can lead to collisions between responding devices.

[0141] Figure 5 shows the structure of ranging blocks and rounds used for UWB ranging.

[0142] In the present disclosure, a ranging block refers to a time period for ranging. A ranging round may be a period of sufficient duration to complete one entire ranging-measurement cycle involving a set of UWB devices participating in a ranging exchange. A ranging slot may be a period of sufficient duration to transmit at least one ranging frame (RFRAME) (e.g., ranging initiation / response / final message, etc.).

[0143] As in FIG. 5, one ranging block may include at least one ranging round, and each ranging round may include at least one ranging slot.

[0144] When the ranging mode is block-based, the mean time between consecutive ranging rounds can be constant. Alternatively, when the ranging mode is interval-based, the time between consecutive ranging rounds can be dynamically changed. That is, the interval-based mode can adopt a time structure with adaptive spacing.

[0145] The number and duration of slots included in a ranging round can be changed between ranging rounds. This can be set via control messages from the controller.

[0146] The UWB protocol is applicable to use cases that handle multiple users and provide high-speed authentication or payment. For example, the UWB protocol can be applied to gate services, allowing users with UWB devices (e.g., smartphones) to pass through a UWB-based gate system for authentication or payment without interacting with the UWB device.

[0147] The present disclosure presents an exemplary system architecture, exemplary OOB procedures (e.g., BLE procedures), ranging procedures, and transaction procedures for providing UWB services for multiple users, such as this gate service.

[0148] Additionally, the present disclosure proposes a method of operating multiple UWB channels to reduce service delay.

[0149] Hereinafter, each embodiment is described focusing on a gate service (smart gate service). However, this is merely an example, and the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to various types of services (e.g., PoS payment services) that require high-speed authentication or payment processing for multiple users. In this case, the exemplary system architecture, exemplary OOB procedures (e.g., BLE procedures), ranging procedures, and transaction procedures for providing such services can be referenced from the descriptions above in FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0150] FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a multi-millisecond (MMS) UWB ranging operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0151] MMS UWB may be a mode defined in IEEE 802.15.4ab that transmits multiple fragments / packets over UWB at regular intervals (e.g. 0.5 ms, 1 ms, etc.) to improve link budget and time of flight (ToF) accuracy.

[0152] "Link budget" refers to the sum of the power and loss factors required for data transmission between a transmitter and a receiver. The link budget considers all losses and gains that occur between the time a signal is transmitted and when it is received by the receiver. The link budget can be calculated by considering factors such as transmit power, receiver sensitivity, transmission distance, transmission medium (atmosphere, obstacles, etc.), antenna gain, and loss factors. In UWB systems, performance can be improved by considering the link budget to select appropriate antennas, transmit power, receivers, and transmitters.

[0153] Here, the transmission interval of multiple fragments / packets is not limited to a specific length. For example, each fragment (or UWB packet containing each fragment) can be multiplexed via UWB at 1 ms intervals. These multiple fragments / packets can be used for UWB ranging (e.g., SS-TWR, DS-TWR, etc.). UWB systems must adhere to the maximum transmit power limits defined by regulatory agencies to avoid causing unnecessary interference to other wireless systems. To this end, the transmittable data length per transmission may need to be maintained at 1 ms.

[0154] Referring to FIG. 6A, a first UWB device can transmit an OOB packet (e.g., a BLE packet) (600) to a second UWB device via an OOB channel (e.g., a BLE channel) and a plurality of UWB fragments (601, 602, 603, ...) via a UWB channel. The OOB packet (600) can provide initial time and frequency synchronization for the UWB fragments (601, 602, 603, ...), thereby enabling the UWB device to combine multiple 1 ms fragments to improve the link budget. In addition, the OOB packet (600) can convey transmission start point and period information for the UWB fragments (601, 602, 603, ...), and can minimize the UWB packet length by performing data offloading.

[0155] FIG. 6b illustrates an operation of communicating using a BLE channel and a UWB channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0156] Referring to FIG. 6b, the first UWB device (610) and the second UWB device (620) can transmit / receive BLE packets (640, 645) through the BLE channel (630), as an example of an OOB channel. Thereafter, the first UWB device (610) and the second UWB device (620) can transmit / receive multiple UWB fragments / packets (650, 651, 652, 655, 656, 657, ...) through the UWB channel (635) that is time / frequency synchronized by the BLE packets (640, 645). In this case, reception of multiple UWB fragments / packets (650, 651, 652, 655, 656, 657, ...) in the UWB channel can be scheduled by the BLE packets (640, 645). Thereafter, the first UWB device (610) and the second UWB device (620) can perform status signaling between each other.

[0157] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a central device and a peripheral device performing BLE-based UWB MMS ranging according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0158] Referring to FIG. 7, the central device (700) may include a device currently in the possession of a user, for example, a cellular telephone, a smart phone having a wireless communication function, a personal digital assistant (PDA) having a wireless communication function, a wireless modem, a portable computer having a wireless communication function, a photographing device such as a digital camera having a wireless communication function, a gaming device having a wireless communication function, a music storage and playback home appliance having a wireless communication function, an Internet home appliance capable of wireless Internet access and browsing, as well as portable units or terminals that integrate combinations of such functions.

[0159] Additionally, the peripheral device (710) may include a device that the user wants to find a location of, for example, a location tracker, or a separate terminal connected to the central device (700) using short-range wireless communication.

[0160] In one embodiment, a central device (700) and a peripheral device (710) can establish an initial connection. In one embodiment, the peripheral device (710) can act as an advertiser and periodically transmit an advertisement message (ADV-IND). In one embodiment, the central device (700) can act as a scanner and, upon a user's instruction to find a peripheral device (710), perform a scanning operation and then transmit a CONNECT-IND to the peripheral device (710) to initiate a connection event.

[0161] As an example, examples of information included in ADV-IND are as shown in Table 1 or Table 2 below. ADV-IND can be transmitted in cascade, including the information in Table 1 and Table 2 below, or can be transmitted separately.

[0162] ParameterSize (octets)NotesValue (hex)Length1Length of AD Type0x03AD Type116-bit service UUID0x03AD Data2BLE based MMS Ranging Service UUIDTBD

[0163] ParameterSize (octets)NotesValue (hex)Length1Length of AD Type0x15AD Type1Service data - 128-bit UUID0x21AD Data16Service Protocol UUIDTBDAD Data4Advertisement Interval value(N)Advertisement Interval = N * 0.625 ms0x0000 - 0xFFFF

[0164] Referring to Table 1 above, the central device (700) can filter the ADV_IND it is looking for by utilizing the BLE based MMS Ranging Service UUID (universally unique identifier) ​​among the information included in ADV_IND. In one embodiment, the central device (700) and the peripheral device (710) use a random address such as a resolvable private address (RPA) for anonymity, and can secure a shared key that can identify each other's random address by using BLE pairing bonding or another method. Referring to Table 2 above, the peripheral device (710) can transmit ADV-IND including Advertisement Interval information. In one embodiment, the central device (700) may include the Advertisement Interval in ADV_IND, but may also obtain it through data communication or a GATT (generic attribute) profile after connection setup.

[0165] The central device (700) operates as a scanner and can scan the ADV_IND including the BLE based MMS Ranging Service UUID described in Table 1 above, utilizing the information (shared key) obtained when establishing a connection with the peripheral device in order to identify the peripheral device to be found.

[0166] In this case, the central device (700) can perform a connection by utilizing the CONNECT_IND message when it finds the ADV_IND of the peripheral device (710) to be found. In one embodiment, if the central device (700) does not receive the ADV_IND including the BLE based MMS Ranging Service UUID of the peripheral device to be found even though it has scanned the Advertisement Interval value acquired before scanning or a (pre-set) real number multiple of this value, it can notify the user that the corresponding device is not nearby (i.e., it can notify the user by determining in advance that the corresponding device is not present before the scan timeout).

[0167] In one embodiment, if the central device (700) does not receive ADV_IND including the BLE based MMS Ranging Service UUID of the peripheral device to be found even after scanning for the Advertisement Interval value acquired prior to scanning or a (pre-set) multiple of this value, the central device (700) may notify the user to move to another location so that the peripheral device can be found.

[0168] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an MMS ranging operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0169] Referring to FIG. 8, an initiator (800) and a responder (810) are illustrated performing a UWB MMS ranging operation. The central device (700) of the UWB MMS ranging illustrated in FIG. 7 can operate as the initiator (800), and the peripheral device (710) can operate as the responder (810). In one embodiment, the central device (700) of the UWB MMS ranging illustrated in FIG. 7 can operate as the responder (810), and the peripheral device (710) can operate as the initiator (800).

[0170] In Fig. 8, the initiator (800) and the responder (810) can perform UWS MMS ranging operation by transmitting and receiving ranging sequence fragments (RSF) (820, 821, 822, 823, ...) and ranging integrity fragments (RIF) (830, 831, 832, 833, ...). The RSF (820, 821, 822, 823, ...) is for ToA (time of arrival), and the RIF (830, 831, 832, 833, ...) is intended to prevent errors in distance measurement.

[0171] FIG. 9 illustrates creating a terminal-to-terminal connection for a report operation in a BLE channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure and performing the report operation after UWB MMS ranging.

[0172] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a peripheral device (900) as a responder and a central device (910) as an initiator in a BLE channel (930) for UWB MMS ranging (960) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0173] Referring to FIG. 9, the central device (910) may be an initiator that initiates a ranging exchange, and the peripheral device (900) may be a responder that responds to the initiator during the ranging exchange. The BLE channel (930) may be implemented as an initialization channel, a discovery channel, or a coordination channel for UWB MMS ranging (960). The ranging channel may include a UWB channel (935) on which UWB MMS ranging (960) is performed.

[0174] In operation 940, the central device (910) scans for ADV_IND messages within a set time interval within the BLE channel, and may not receive an ADV_IND message. In one embodiment, the central device (910) may scan the ADV_IND of a device including a BLE-based MMS Ranging Service UUID by utilizing information (shared key) with which a connection was previously established to identify a peripheral device (900) to be found.

[0175] In operation 942, the peripheral device (900) may transmit (or broadcast) an ADV_IND message on a BLE channel. According to one embodiment, the ADV_IND message may include information as illustrated in Table 1 or Table 2.

[0176] In operation 944, the central device (910) can scan for an ADV_IND message within a set time period within the BLE channel. In operation 946, the peripheral device (900) can transmit (or broadcast) an ADV_IND message, and the central device (910) can receive the ADV_IND message transmitted by the peripheral device (900) based on the scan result. In operation 948, the central device (910) can transmit a CONNECT_IND message corresponding to the ADV_IND message to the corresponding peripheral device (900) within the BLE channel.

[0177] In operation 950, the central device (910) may transmit a POLL message to the peripheral device (900) as an initiator. In one embodiment, the POLL message may include at least one of the following fields.

[0178] - Time Offset (4 Octets): The time from when the Poll Message is received until MMS Ranging occurs (in 1 / 499.2MHz resolution)

[0179] - UWB PHY Configuration (3 Octets)

[0180] - UWB MAC Configuration (2 Octets)

[0181] - NB MAC Configuration (4 Octets)

[0182] Additionally, the NB MAC Configuration (4 Octets) included in the POLL message may include the following information.

[0183] - Ranging Slot Duration index (3 bit): 0 - 8 (matched with {300, 600, ... , 2400} RSTUs

[0184] - Ranging Round Duration (8 bit): 0 - 255 ranging slots

[0185] - Ranging Block Duration (8bit): 0 - 255 ranging slots

[0186] - Report mode (2bit): 0 - None, 1 - Initiator only, 2 - Responder only, 3 - Initiator and Responder

[0187] - Reserved for future use (3bit)

[0188] - RSF offset (4 bit) - Offset of MMS ranging (RpRsfOffset in below figure)

[0189] - RIF offset (4 bit) - Offset of MMS ranging (RpRifOffset in below figure)

[0190] In one embodiment, in case of the Report mode (2 bits), in the subsequent operation 970, the peripheral device (900) and the central device (910) may indicate a method for exchanging reports (970, 975) for UWB MMS ranging (960). In one embodiment, when the Report mode is 0 ('00'), the Report mode may indicate that neither the initiator nor the responder transmits a report. In one embodiment, when the Report mode is 1 ('01'), the Report mode may indicate that only the initiator transmits a report. In one embodiment, when the Report mode is 2 ('10'), the Report mode may indicate that only the responder transmits a report. In one embodiment, when the Report mode is 3 ('11'), the Report mode may indicate that both the initiator and the responder transmit a report.

[0191] In operation 955, the peripheral device (900) can transmit a RESP message to the central device (910) as a responder. If the central device (910) receives the RESP message during a preset time offset (957), in operation 960, the central device (910) can perform UWB MMS ranging with the peripheral device (920), which is a responder (925), as an initiator (920) on the UWB channel (935).

[0192] In operation 970, the peripheral device (900) and the central device (910) can exchange reports (970, 975) regarding UWB MMS ranging (960). After performing UWB MMS ranging, the ranging results can be transmitted to each other via a Report Message. In this case, the process of exchanging reports according to the value indicated by the 'Report mode' field included in the POLL message of operation 950 can be omitted, and unidirectional transmission from Central → Peripheral / Peripheral → Central is also possible.

[0193] In one embodiment, the Report of operation 970 may be transmitted after UWB MMS Ranging, when the next BLE communication becomes possible.

[0194] In one embodiment, the Report Message may contain at least one of the following information, and may be included in the form of a List:

[0195] - Block Index (2 Octets): Block index corresponding to the current report

[0196] - Round Index (2 Octets): Round index corresponding to the current report

[0197] - Number of Reply Time (2 Octets): The number of Reply Times included in the report.

[0198] - Reply Time ((N + 1) * 5 Octets): The time between RSF / RIF reception (from Initiator) and RSF / RIF transmission (from Responder) in UWB MMS Ranging.

[0199] FIG. 10 illustrates creating a device-to-device connection in a BLE channel and performing repetitive UWB MMS ranging operations according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0200] Figure 10 illustrates a similar procedure to Figure 9, but shows that UWB MMS ranging is performed repeatedly for each Block Duration after a connection is established using CONNECT_IND transmitted by a central device upon receiving ADV_IND transmitted by a specific peripheral device.

[0201] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a peripheral device (1000) as a responder and a central device (1010) as an initiator in a BLE channel (1030) for UWB MMS ranging (1060, 1070, 1080) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0202] Referring to FIG. 10, a central device (1010) may be an initiator that initiates a ranging exchange, and a peripheral device (1000) may be a responder that responds to the initiator during the ranging exchange. A BLE channel (1030) may be implemented as an initialization channel, a discovery channel, or a coordination channel for UWB MMS ranging (1060, 1070, 1080). The ranging channel may include a UWB channel (1035) on which UWB MMS ranging (1060) is performed.

[0203] The description of operations 1040 to 1160 may be replaced with the description of operations 940 to 960 of FIG. 9.

[0204] In operation 1055, the peripheral device (1000) can transmit a RESP message to the central device (1010) as a responder. If the central device (1010) receives the RESP message during a preset time offset (1057), in operation 1060, the central device (1010) can perform UWB MMS ranging with the peripheral device (1020), which is a responder (1025), as an initiator (1020) on the UWB channel (1035).

[0205] In one embodiment, in a UWB channel (1035), an initiator (1020) and a responder (1025) can perform UWB MMS ranging (1060, 1070, 1080) multiple times until termination (1090) signaling occurs with a block duration as a cycle. A central device (1010) operating as an initiator (1020) and a peripheral device (1000) operating as a responder (1025) in a UWB channel (1035) can transmit and receive reports (1065, 1067, 1075, 1077, 1085, 1087) after completing each UWB MMS ranging (1060, 1070, 1080).

[0206] FIG. 11 illustrates performing a UWB MMS ranging operation without creating a device-to-device connection for a report operation on a BLE channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0207] Fig. 11 illustrates a case where the initiator and responder do not transmit reports after a UWB MMS ranging operation. As an example, Fig. 11 illustrates a case where, in the process of establishing a connection by successfully searching for a peripheral device (1100) in a BLE channel (1130), the REPORT MODE set through the SCAN_REQ message indicates that neither the initiator nor the responder transmit reports after UWB MMS ranging.

[0208] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a peripheral device (1100) as a responder and a central device (110) as an initiator in a BLE channel (1030) for UWB MMS ranging (1160) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0209] Referring to FIG. 11, a central device (1110) may be an initiator that initiates a ranging exchange, and a peripheral device (1100) may be a responder that responds to the initiator during the ranging exchange. A BLE channel (1130) may be implemented as an initialization channel, a discovery channel, or a coordination channel for UWB MMS ranging (1160). The ranging channel may include a UWB channel (1135) on which UWB MMS ranging (1160) is performed.

[0210] The description of operations 1140 to 1146 may be replaced with the description of operations 940 to 946 of FIG. 9.

[0211] When the central device (1110) discovers ADV_IND transmitted by the device to be searched in operation 1144, the central device (1110) can transmit UWB MMS ranging information using a SCAN_REQ message in operation 1150. In one embodiment, the SCAN_REQ message may include at least one of the information in Table 3.

[0212] ParameterSize (octets)NotesValue (hex)Length1Length of AD Type0x1AAD Type1Service data - 128-bit UUID0x25AD Data16Service Protocol UUIDTBDAD Data4Time OffsetAD Data3UWB PHY ConfigurationAD Data2UWB MAC ConfigurationAD Data4NB MAC Configuration

[0213] Referring to Table 3, the SCAN_REQ message may include at least one of a UWB PHY configuration, a UWB MAC Configuration, and an NB MAC Configuration field. In addition, the NB MAC Configuration field may include information on a Report mode (2 bits), like the NB MAC Configuration field included in the Poll message of FIG. 9. In one embodiment, the Report mode (2 bits) may indicate a method in which a peripheral device (1100) and a central device (1110) exchange reports for UWB MMS ranging (1160), and in the embodiment of FIG. 11, the Report mode may be set to 0 ('00') to indicate that neither the initiator nor the responder transmits reports. In operation 1155, the peripheral device (1100) may transmit a SCAN_RSP message. When the central device (1110) receives the SCAN-RSP message during the time offset (1157), it can perform UWB MMS ranging with the peripheral device (1100), which is the responder (1125), as the initiator (1120) on the UWB channel (1135) in operation 1160. In one embodiment, when the central device (1110) has not received the ADV_IND even though scanning has been performed by the previously acquired Advertisement Interval value or a (predetermined) real number multiple of this value, it can notify the user that there is no corresponding device nearby (i.e., it can notify the user by determining in advance that there is no corresponding device before the scan timeout).

[0214] In one embodiment, if the central device (1110) does not receive an ADV_IND including a BLE based MMS Ranging Service UUID of a peripheral device to be found even after scanning for the Advertisement Interval value acquired prior to scanning or a (pre-set) real number multiple of this value, the central device may notify the user to move to another location so that the peripheral device can be found.

[0215] FIG. 12 illustrates an implicit termination operation in BLE-based MMS ranging according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0216] FIG. 12 illustrates a case where there is no report operation after UWB MMS ranging, as in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, and the description of operations 1240 to 1260 can be replaced with the description of operations 1140 to 1160.

[0217] Referring to FIG. 12, when the central device (1210) receives a SCAN-RSP message during the time offset (1257), in operation 1260, the central device (1210) performs UWB MMS ranging with the peripheral device (1200), which is the responder (1225), as the initiator (1220) on the UWB channel (1235), and can then perform repetitive UWB MMS ranging (1270, 1280). In this case, since the central device (1210) and the peripheral device (1200) did not perform BLE channel connection for reporting, there is no data channel (e.g., BLE channel) to notify termination after performing UWB MMS ranging. Accordingly, in the UWB channel (1235), the central device (1240) can implicitly convey the termination intent by not transmitting the RSF or RIF included in the MMS ranging operation as an initiator (1220).

[0218] FIGS. 13a and 13b are flowcharts illustrating the operation of a central device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0219] The central device and peripheral device in FIGS. 13a and 13b may include the central device (700) and peripheral device (710) illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0220] At step 1300, the central device may initiate a device search for the peripheral device. In one embodiment, at step 1300, if the central device receives a device search input from a user, the central device may initiate a device search for the peripheral device.

[0221] At step 1310, the central device can start scanning for ADV_INDs transmitted by peripheral devices.

[0222] In step 1320, the central device can determine whether it has received the ADV_IND of the peripheral device to be found. If it is determined in step 1320 that the central device has not received the ADV_IND of the peripheral device to be found, in step 1330, the central device can determine whether the scan time exceeds the Advertisement interval or a real multiple of the Advertisement interval. In one embodiment, the Advertisement interval information may be included in the ADV_IND received when performing an initial connection with the peripheral device to be found. In one embodiment, the Advertisement interval information may also be obtained from the peripheral device to be found through data communication or GATT Profile after connection setup with the peripheral device to be found.

[0223] If the central device determines in step 1330 that the scan time has exceeded the Advertisement interval, the central device may display a device search failure notification in step 1333. Thereafter, in step 1335, the central device may terminate the device search for the peripheral device.

[0224] If at step 1330 the central device determines that the scan time does not exceed the Advertisement interval, it may perform another ADV_IND scan at step 1310.

[0225] If the central device determines in step 1320 that it has received an ADV_IND from the peripheral device it is searching for, then in step 1340, the central device can determine whether a report is necessary after MMS ranging. In one embodiment, whether a report is necessary may be preset, and the central device can indicate to the peripheral device whether a report is necessary in the 'REPORT MODE' field included in the POLL message or SCAN_REQ to be transmitted to the peripheral device it is searching for.

[0226] In step 1340, if the central device determines that a report is required after MMS ranging, the central device may transmit a CONNECT_IND to the peripheral device in step 1350. In step 1352, the central device may determine whether the connection was successful. If the central device determines in step 1352 that the connection was successful, the central device may transmit a Poll message in step 1354. In step 1356, the central device may determine whether a response was received from the peripheral device. If the central device determines in step 1356 that no response was received from the peripheral device, the central device may transmit a Poll message to the peripheral device in step 1354.

[0227] If the central device determines in step 1356 that a response has been received from the peripheral device, the central device may perform UWB MMS ranging in step 1358. In step 1360, the central device may transmit and receive reports with the peripheral device. In step 1362, the central device may determine whether termination of UWB MMS ranging is required. If termination is not required in step 1362, the central device may perform UWB MMS ranging with the peripheral device in step 1358. Accordingly, the central device may repeatedly transmit and receive UWB MMS ranging and reports with the peripheral device until it determines in step 1362 that termination of UWB MMS ranging is required.

[0228] If the central device determines that termination of UWB MMS ranging is necessary in step 1362, it may transmit a termination message to the peripheral device in step 1364 and terminate device search in step 1366. In one embodiment, the termination message may be transmitted on an OOB channel including a BLE channel other than a channel performing UWB ranging.

[0229] If the central device determines at step 1352 that the connection was not successful, it may initiate an ADV_IND scan at step 1310 and perform subsequent actions.

[0230] If the central device determines in step 1340 that a report is unnecessary after MMS ranging, it may transmit a SCAN_REQ to the peripheral device in step 1370. In step 1372, the central device may determine whether it has received a SCAN_RSP. If the central device determines in step 1372 that it has not received a SCAN_RSP from the peripheral device, it may initiate an ADV_IND scan in step 1310 and perform subsequent operations.

[0231] If the central device determines in step 1372 that it has received a SCAN_RSP, it may perform UWB MMS ranging in step 1374. In step 1376, the central device may determine whether termination of UWB MMS ranging is necessary. If the central device determines in step 1376 that termination is not necessary, it may perform UWB MMS ranging with the peripheral device in step 1374. Accordingly, the central device may repeatedly perform UWB MMS ranging with the peripheral device until it determines in step 1376 that termination of UWB MMS ranging is necessary. If the central device determines in step 1376 that termination of UWB MMS ranging is necessary, the central device may not transmit a UWB MMS ranging-related message in step 1378 and may terminate device search in step 1380.

[0232] FIGS. 14a and 14b illustrate a BLE coded PHY used in BLE-based MMS ranging according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0233] In FIGS. 14a and 14b, it is explained that in the case of BLE-based MMS ranging operation, since the communication range of MMS Ranging is longer than the communication range of existing BLE (1 M / 2 M PHY), BLE Coded PHY can be used to cover the distance that can be discovered by MMS ranging.

[0234] To enable peripheral devices to use Coded PHY, existing messages can be replaced with the following messages:

[0235] - ADV_IND → AUX_ADV_IND

[0236] - CONNECT_IND → AUX_CONNECT_REQ

[0237] - SCAN_REQ → AUX_SCAN_REQ

[0238] - SCAN_RSP → AUX_SCAN_RSP

[0239] Figure 14a illustrates an example of a peripheral device transmitting a message using Coded PHY. When an advertising event and an extended advertising event are initiated (1400), the peripheral device may transmit ADV_EXT_IND in operation 1410. In operations 1412 and 1414, the peripheral device may transmit ADV_EXT_IND periodically until the advertising event ends (1420). In operation 1430, the peripheral device may transmit AUX_ADV_IND periodically until the extended advertising event ends (1435).

[0240] Figure 14b illustrates an example of a BLE Coded PHY packet.

[0241] FIG. 15 shows a structural diagram of a first electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0242] In the embodiment of FIG. 15, the first electronic device may be an electronic device corresponding to a UWB device, including a UWB device, or including a part of a UWB device.

[0243] In the embodiment of FIG. 15, the first electronic device may include a central device as illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 14.

[0244] Referring to FIG. 15, the electronic device may include a transceiver (1510), a control unit (1520), and a storage unit (1530). In the present disclosure, the control unit may be defined as a circuit or an application-specific integrated circuit or at least one processor.

[0245] The transceiver (1510) can transmit and receive signals with other entities. The transceiver (1510) can transmit and receive data with other devices using, for example, UWB communication and / or OOB communication (e.g., BLE).

[0246] The control unit (1520) includes at least one processor and can control the overall operation of the electronic device according to the embodiments proposed in the present disclosure. For example, the control unit (1520) can control the signal flow between each block to perform operations according to the flowchart described above. Specifically, the control unit (1520) can control the operation of the electronic device (e.g., the operation of the framework) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14 , for example.

[0247] At least one processor may be controlled to receive an input from a user instructing a search for a second electronic device. At least one processor may be controlled to scan for a BLE (Bluetooth low energy) advertisement message related to UWB (ultra-wide band) MMS (multi-millisecond) ranging of the second electronic device. If the BLE advertisement message is not received from the second electronic device, the at least one processor may be controlled to determine whether a time corresponding to a real multiple of an advertisement interval related to the second electronic device has exceeded. If the time corresponding to a real multiple of the advertisement interval has exceeded, the at least one processor may be controlled to stop scanning the BLE advertisement message. In one embodiment, information regarding the advertisement interval may be received from the second electronic device.

[0248] The at least one processor may be controlled to determine whether a report on the UWB MMS ranging is required based on a predetermined setting when a BLE advertisement message is received from the second electronic device. If a report on the UWB MMS ranging is required, the at least one processor may be controlled to transmit a CONNECT_IND message to the second electronic device.

[0249] The at least one processor may control to transmit a SCAN_REQ message to the second electronic device when a report on the UWB MMS ranging is not required. The at least one processor may control to transmit a Poll message to the second electronic device after transmitting the CONNECT_IND message. The at least one processor may control to perform UWB MMS ranging with the second electronic device when a Response message is received from the second electronic device. The at least one processor may control to perform at least one of transmitting a report to the second electronic device or receiving a report from the second electronic device on a BLE channel based on a predetermined setting. In one embodiment, the Poll message may include an indicator indicating a method for reporting on the UWB MMS ranging.

[0250] The storage unit (1530) can store at least one of the information transmitted and received through the transmission and reception unit (1510) and the information generated through the control unit (1520). For example, the storage unit (1530) can store information and data required for the method described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15 . In one embodiment, the storage unit can include the security component described above.

[0251] FIG. 16 illustrates a structural diagram of a second electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0252] In the embodiment of FIG. 16, the second electronic device may be an electronic device corresponding to a UWB device, including a UWB device, or including a part of a UWB device.

[0253] In the embodiment of FIG. 16, the second electronic device may include a peripheral device as illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 14.

[0254] Referring to FIG. 16, the electronic device may include a transceiver (1610), a control unit (1620), and a storage unit (1630). In the present disclosure, the control unit may be defined as a circuit or an application-specific integrated circuit or at least one processor.

[0255] The transceiver (1610) can transmit and receive signals with other entities. The transceiver (1610) can transmit and receive data with other devices using, for example, UWB communication and / or OOB communication (e.g., BLE).

[0256] The control unit (1620) includes at least one processor and can control the overall operation of the electronic device according to the embodiments proposed in the present disclosure. For example, the control unit (1620) can control the signal flow between each block to perform operations according to the flowchart described above. Specifically, the control unit (1620) can control the operation of the electronic device (e.g., the operation of the framework) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14, for example.

[0257] At least one processor may control the first electronic device to transmit information regarding an advertisement interval associated with a second electronic device. The at least one processor may control the first electronic device to transmit a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertisement message associated with ultra-wide band (UWB) multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging. In one embodiment, when a time corresponding to a real multiple of the advertisement interval associated with the second electronic device has exceeded, scanning of the BLE advertisement message may be stopped.

[0258] The at least one processor may be configured to control to receive a CONNECT_IND message from the first electronic device when a report on the UWB MMS ranging is required. The at least one processor may be configured to control to receive a SCAN_REQ message from the first electronic device when a report on the UWB MMS ranging is not required. The at least one processor may be configured to control to receive a Poll message from the first electronic device after receiving the CONNECT_IND message. The at least one processor may transmit a Response message to one electronic device. The at least one processor may perform UWB MMS ranging with the first electronic device. In one embodiment, the Poll message may include an indicator indicating a method for reporting on the UWB MMS ranging. The at least one processor may be configured to control to perform at least one of transmitting a report to the first electronic device or receiving a report from the first electronic device on a BLE channel based on the indicator.

[0259] The storage unit (1630) can store at least one of the information transmitted and received through the transmission and reception unit (1610) and the information generated through the control unit (1620). For example, the storage unit (1630) can store information and data required for the method described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 16. In one embodiment, the storage unit can include the security component described above.

[0260] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, components included in the present disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural form, depending on the specific embodiment presented. However, the singular or plural expressions are selected to suit the presented situation for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components. Components expressed in the plural form may be composed of singular elements, or components expressed in the singular form may be composed of plural elements.

[0261] While the detailed description of this disclosure has described specific embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the scope of the claims described below, but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. In the method of the first electronic device, A step of receiving, from a second electronic device, information about an advertisement interval associated with the second electronic device; A step of receiving an input from a user instructing a search for the second electronic device; In response to the input, a step of scanning a BLE (Bluetooth low energy) Advertisement message related to UWB (ultra-wide band) MMS (multi-millisecond) ranging of the second electronic device; and A method characterized by comprising the step of: stopping an operation of scanning the BLE advertisement message when the BLE advertisement message is not received from the second electronic device for a time corresponding to a real multiple of the advertisement interval.

2. In paragraph 1, A step of determining whether reporting on the UWB MMS ranging is required based on a predetermined setting when the BLE advertising message is received from the second electronic device; and A method characterized by further comprising the step of transmitting a CONNECT_IND message to the second electronic device when reporting on the UWB MMS ranging is required.

3. In paragraph 2, A method characterized by further comprising the step of transmitting a SCAN_REQ message to the second electronic device when reporting on the UWB MMS ranging is not required.

4. In paragraph 2, After transmitting the CONNECT_IND message, a step of transmitting a Poll message to the second electronic device; and When receiving a Response message from the second electronic device, performing UWB MMS ranging with the second electronic device; and Further comprising the step of performing at least one of transmitting a report to the second electronic device or receiving a report from the second electronic device on a BLE channel based on a predetermined setting; A method characterized in that said Poll message includes an indicator indicating a manner for reporting on said UWB MMS ranging.

5. In the method of the second electronic device, A step of transmitting information about an advertisement interval related to a second electronic device to a first electronic device; and A step of transmitting a BLE (Bluetooth low energy) Advertisement message related to UWB (ultra-wide band) MMS (multi-millisecond) ranging to the first electronic device; A method characterized in that when a time corresponding to a real number multiple of the above advertisement interval has exceeded, scanning of the BLE advertisement message is stopped.

6. In paragraph 5, A method characterized by further comprising the step of receiving a CONNECT_IND message from the first electronic device when reporting on the UWB MMS ranging is required.

7. In paragraph 6, A method characterized by further comprising the step of receiving a SCAN_REQ message from the first electronic device, if reporting on the UWB MMS ranging is not required.

8. In paragraph 6, After receiving the CONNECT_IND message, a step of receiving a Poll message from the first electronic device, the Poll message including an indicator indicating a manner for reporting on the UWB MMS ranging; A step of transmitting a Response message to the first electronic device; A step of performing UWB MMS ranging with the first electronic device; and A method further comprising the step of performing at least one of transmitting a report to the first electronic device or receiving a report from the first electronic device on a BLE channel based on the above instruction.

9. In the first electronic device, Transmitter and receiver; and comprising at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor comprises: Receive information about an advertisement interval associated with the second electronic device from the second electronic device; Receiving an input from a user instructing a search for said second electronic device, In response to the above input, scan for a BLE (Bluetooth low energy) Advertisement message related to UWB (ultra-wide band) MMS (multi-millisecond) ranging of the second electronic device, and If the BLE advertising message is not received from the second electronic device for a time corresponding to a real multiple of the advertisement interval, the operation of scanning the BLE advertising message is configured to stop. A first electronic device characterized by:

10. In the 11th paragraph, at least one processor, When a BLE advertisement message is received from the second electronic device, determining whether reporting on the UWB MMS ranging is required based on a predetermined setting, and A first electronic device further configured to transmit a CONNECT_IND message to the second electronic device when reporting on the UWB MMS ranging is required.

11. In the 12th paragraph, at least one processor, A first electronic device further characterized in that the first electronic device is configured to transmit a SCAN_REQ message to the second electronic device when reporting for said UWB MMS ranging is not required.

12. In the 12th paragraph, at least one processor, After transmitting the above CONNECT_IND message, a Poll message is transmitted to the second electronic device, When receiving a Response message from the second electronic device, perform UWB MMS ranging with the second electronic device, and configured to perform at least one of transmitting a report to the second electronic device or receiving a report from the second electronic device on a BLE channel based on a predetermined setting; A first electronic device, characterized in that said Poll message includes an indicator indicating a manner for reporting on said UWB MMS ranging.

13. In the second electronic device, Transmitter and receiver; and comprising at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor comprises: Transmitting information about an advertisement interval related to a second electronic device to a first electronic device, and The first electronic device is configured to transmit a BLE (Bluetooth low energy) Advertisement message related to UWB (ultra-wide band) MMS (multi-millisecond) ranging, A second electronic device, characterized in that when a time corresponding to a real number multiple of the above advertisement interval has exceeded, scanning of the BLE advertisement message is stopped.

14. In paragraph 13, at least one processor, When reporting on the above UWB MMS ranging is required, a CONNECT_IND message is received from the first electronic device, and A second electronic device configured to receive a SCAN_REQ message from the first electronic device when reporting on said UWB MMS ranging is not required.

15. In paragraph 14, at least one processor, After receiving the CONNECT_IND message, receiving a Poll message from the first electronic device, the Poll message including an indicator indicating a method for reporting on the UWB MMS ranging, To the above first electronic device, transmit a Response message, Performing UWB MMS ranging with the above first electronic device, and A second electronic device characterized in that it is configured to perform at least one of transmitting a report to the first electronic device or receiving a report from the first electronic device on a BLE channel based on the above instruction.

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