Ranging method and apparatus, and UWB device and UWB system

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a ranging method and apparatus, and a UWB device and a UWB system. In the ranging method provided in the embodiments of the present application, in a ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, a first UWB device and a second UWB device exchange, starting from a first segment, one or more SYNC+SFD segments, e.g., exchanging a SYNC+SFD segment, such that SYNC and SFD are exchanged between the first UWB device and the second UWB device for UWB ranging, without affecting the performance of UWB ranging, thereby ensuring precise time synchronization and correct data frame identification, and thus ensuring the precision and reliability of UWB ranging.

Description

Ranging methods, devices, UWB equipment, and UWB systems Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to, but is not limited to, ranging methods, apparatus, UWB equipment, and UWB systems. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology is a wireless carrier communication technology that uses an extremely wide frequency bandwidth. Due to its unique advantages such as wide bandwidth, high-precision positioning capabilities, and low power consumption, it is widely used in fields such as the Internet of Things (IoT), indoor positioning, wireless data transmission, and radar. The Fira Consortium (Fine Ranging Consortium) is an alliance of multiple companies focused on promoting the development and standardization of UWB precise positioning technology. Both the Fira protocol and the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) protocol include UWB ranging procedures.

[0003] In a UWB ranging system, the two parties are typically referred to as the UWB device (the first UWB device) and the ranging device / device (the second UWB device), also known as the initiator and the responder during the ranging phase. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of UWB ranging, time synchronization between the UWB device and the ranging device is essential.

[0004] Invention Overview

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a ranging method, comprising:

[0006] The first UWB device in UWB MMS ranging sends one or more SYNC+SFD segments to the second UWB device to achieve time synchronization between the first and second UWB devices.

[0007] This application provides a ranging device, including a synchronization module, used to: send one or more SYNC+SFD segments from a first UWB device to a second UWB device during UWB MMS ranging, so as to achieve time synchronization.

[0008] This application provides a UWB device, including the ranging device described in any of the above claims.

[0009] This application provides a UWB system, including at least one first UWB device and two or more second UWB devices;

[0010] The first UWB device is used to send one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging in order to achieve time synchronization with the second UWB device.

[0011] The second UWB device is used to send one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, in order to achieve time synchronization with the first UWB device.

[0012] This application provides a ranging method, which sets a ranging segment period, each ranging segment period includes two or more sub-periods, and uses one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0013] The data transmission and reception by the initiator of the ranging operation within a ranging segment period includes:

[0014] Within each sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times.

[0015] This application provides a ranging method, which sets a ranging segment period, each ranging segment period includes two or more sub-periods, and uses one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0016] The data transmission and reception of the ranging response within a ranging segment period includes:

[0017] Within each sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while some responders send data to the initiator at different times.

[0018] This application provides a ranging method, including a first UWB device as the initiator of ranging and n second UWB devices as the responders of ranging, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; a ranging segment period is set to include two sub-periods, and data is transmitted and received using one or more UWB MMS segments in each sub-period;

[0019] Data transmission and reception within a ranging segment period includes:

[0020] During one sub-cycle, the first UWB device sends data once and receives data from a subset of the second UWB devices at different times; n second UWB devices receive data from the first UWB device once, and the subset of second UWB devices sends data to the first UWB device at different times.

[0021] In another sub-cycle, the first UWB device sends data once and receives data from the remaining second UWB devices at different times; n second UWB devices receive data from the first UWB device once, and the remaining response directions send data to the first UWB device at different times.

[0022] This application provides a ranging device, including: a setting module and a ranging module; wherein,

[0023] When the ranging device is located at the initiator of the ranging:

[0024] The configuration module is used to set a ranging segment period, including a first sub-period and a second sub-period, and to use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0025] The ranging module is used to send data once in the first sub-cycle and receive data from some responders at different times; in the second sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from the remaining responders at different times; the responders include two or more.

[0026] For the case where the ranging device is positioned on the responder side of the ranging operation:

[0027] The configuration module is used to set a ranging segment period, including a first sub-period and a second sub-period, and to use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0028] The ranging module is used to have some responders receive data from the initiator once during the first sub-cycle and send data to the initiator at different times; during the second sub-cycle, the remaining responders receive data from the initiator once and send data to the initiator at different times; the responders include two or more.

[0029] This application provides a ranging method applied to a UWB ranging system, wherein the UWB ranging system includes an initiator and a responder, and the initiator and the responder store the same multiple short-term operation parameter sets;

[0030] During the ranging session, the initiator and responder negotiate the same short-lived operational parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interactions. This same short-lived operational parameter set, negotiated by the UWB initiator and responder for at least one round of UWB ranging interactions, includes:

[0031] The initiator indicates a short-term operational parameter set to the responder; and / or,

[0032] The response requests a short-lived operation parameter set from the initiator, or short-lived operation parameters that conform to at least one of the short-lived operation parameter sets.

[0033] This application provides a ranging method, including:

[0034] During the ranging control phase, the initiator and the responder negotiate the same short-term operation parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interactions. This negotiation includes: the initiator indicating a short-term operation parameter set to the responder; and / or the responder requesting a short-term operation parameter set from the initiator, or short-term operation parameters conforming to at least one short-term operation parameter set. The initiator and the responder store the same multiple short-term operation parameter sets.

[0035] During the ranging phase, the first interaction packet sent by the initiator to the responder carries one or more SYNC+SFD fragments to achieve time synchronization between the initiator and the responder.

[0036] This application provides a ranging method, including: setting a ranging segment period, each ranging segment period including two or more sub-periods, and using one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period;

[0037] During the ranging control phase, the initiator and the responder negotiate the same short-term operation parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interactions. This negotiation includes: the initiator indicating a short-term operation parameter set to the responder; and / or the responder requesting a short-term operation parameter set from the initiator, or short-term operation parameters conforming to at least one short-term operation parameter set. The initiator and the responder store the same multiple short-term operation parameter sets.

[0038] During the ranging phase, the first interaction packet sent by the initiator to the responder carries one or more SYNC+SFD fragments to achieve time synchronization between the initiator and the responder.

[0039] The subsequent sending and receiving of interaction packets during the ranging phase includes:

[0040] Within each sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times.

[0041] And / or,

[0042] Within each sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while some responders send data to the initiator at different times.

[0043] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the application. The objectives and other advantages of this application may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings.

[0044] Overview of the attached figures

[0045] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the technical solutions of this application and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain the technical solutions of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of this application.

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the application scenarios of UWB technology in automobiles;

[0047] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the application scenarios of BLE and UWB in CCC Digital Key 3.0;

[0048] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram comparing the link budget of different ranging methods under different conditions;

[0049] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the ranging cycle in UWB MMS ranging in the embodiments of this application;

[0050] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of UWB MMS ranging transmission in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 6(a) is a schematic diagram of MMS ranging transmission driven by UWB in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 6(b) is a schematic diagram of OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging transmission in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of each stage of BLE-assisted UWB MMS ranging in the embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the ranging method in this application.

[0055] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of segment transmission during the UWB MMS ranging stage in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the second embodiment of the ranging method in this application.

[0057] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the third embodiment of the ranging method in this application.

[0058] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the ranging device in the embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the DS-TWR process;

[0060] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the ess-TWR process;

[0061] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging process in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of an MMS format in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of packet transmission and reception during a UWB ranging process based on DS-TWR in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating another ranging method in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 20 is a flowchart illustrating another ranging method in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 21(a) is a schematic diagram of the data transmission and reception process within one ranging cycle including four anchor points in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 21(b) is a schematic diagram of the data transmission and reception process within one ranging cycle including two anchor points in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 21(c1) is a schematic diagram of a data transmission and reception process within a ranging cycle including 3 anchor points in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 21(c2) is a schematic diagram of another data transmission and reception process in a ranging cycle including 3 anchor points in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 21(d) is a schematic diagram of the data transmission and reception process within one ranging cycle including 5 anchor points in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 21(e) is a schematic diagram of the data transmission and reception process within one ranging cycle including 6 anchor points in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of the process of repeatedly sending and receiving data in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram of the data transmission and reception method of TxTxRx-RxRxTx in the embodiment of this application for transmitting and receiving ranging data;

[0075] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of DS-TWR one-to-many MMS ranging based on RSF in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 25 is a schematic diagram of DS-TWR one-to-many MMS ranging based on RSF and RIF in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 26 is a schematic diagram showing the location of the idle segment in the DS-TWR ranging of RSF and RIF in the embodiments of this application;

[0078] Figure 27 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the ranging device in the embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 28 is a flowchart illustrating another ranging method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0080] Figure 29 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UWB network provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 30 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the integrated circuit provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 31 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an SP3 packet used in a UWB ranging interaction in an embodiment of this application;

[0083] Figure 32 is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging interaction timing in an embodiment of this application;

[0084] Figure 33 is a schematic diagram of another UWB ranging interaction timing in an embodiment of this application;

[0085] Figure 34 is a schematic diagram of the negotiation timing of multiple short-term operating parameter sets in an embodiment of this application;

[0086] Figure 35 is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging interaction timing in an embodiment of this application;

[0087] Figure 36 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a short-term operation parameter set in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0088] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0089] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this application will be thorough and complete.

[0090] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0091] It is understood that the terms "first" and "second" used in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0092] It is understood that the term "connection" in the following embodiments should be understood as "electrical connection," "communication connection," etc., if the connected circuits, modules, units, etc., have electrical signal or data transmission with each other.

[0093] When used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” may also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising / including” or “having,” etc., specify the presence of the stated features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Meanwhile, the term “and / or” as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0094] The automotive industry is one of the main markets for UWB technology. Figure 1 illustrates the application scenarios of UWB technology in automobiles. A common configuration involves 5 to 6 UWB anchor points: 4 external and 1 to 2 internal. Typically, UWB anchor points also have BLE functionality, i.e., UWB+BLE anchor points. UWB and BLE have independent local clocks, and the CCC and ICCE (China) digital key standards are used during distance measurement session setup and the distance measurement process. BLE plays a crucial role in CCC / ICCE digital key (Car Key) applications, used for owner pairing, passive entry, and setting up UWB distance measurement sessions.

[0095] As shown in Figure 2, in the application scenario of BLE and UWB in CCC Digital Key 3.0, the BLE connection is mainly used to establish a secure channel between the vehicle and the car key, realize two-way authentication between the vehicle and the car key, and set up the UWB session. The BLE connection for UWB session setup includes: exporting and negotiating the Ultra Wideband Ranging Session Key (URSK), exchanging UWB capabilities, providing coarse time synchronization information to the UWB MAC time grid (assuming the UWB and BLE chipsets have independent local clocks), and setting up the UWB ranging session. In one embodiment, CCC uses Double-Sided Two-Way Ranging (DS-TWR), with a maximum of 10 anchor points in each ranging round. Typically, the number of anchor points in a car is 5 or 6. CCC implements UWB ranging data packet exchange based on the 802.15.4z standard. SP0 is used for ranging control messages (pre-polling) and ranging report messages (final data), while SP3 is used for RFRAMEs (polling / response / final). A pair of initiators and responders exchange RFRAMEs three times. The transmission time, communication delay, and synchronization accuracy of the SP0 signal are all key factors affecting ranging accuracy, making SP0 a bottleneck for ranging distance.

[0096] In modern automotive UWB ranging, it is common to implement 5 or 6 UWB+BLE anchor points in a car. The CCC standard is widely used, and DS-TWR is applied for one initiator (car key) and multiple (usually 5) responders (anchor points). BLE is used for UWB ranging session setup and auxiliary coarse time synchronization. The BLE and UWB chips in the anchor points usually have independent local clocks.

[0097] If multi-millisecond (MMS) is introduced into automotive applications, it is expected that NBA-MMS can improve the link budget by 18dB. Figure 3 shows a comparison of the link budget under different conditions for three methods: Orthogonal Phase Shift Keying (O-QPSK), Ultra-Wideband BPRF without data (UWB BPRF ND), and Narrowband Assisted Millisecond (NBA-MMS), particularly highlighting the performance improvement when MMS is introduced. In Figure 3, TxPwr represents the transmit power in dBm; Theoretical Sensitivity in dBm; Implementation Loss in dB; Actual Sensitivity in dBm; Path Loss in dB; and Link Budget in dB. As shown in Figure 3, the 18dB link budget improvement mainly targets RFRAME without data. However, in CCC scenarios, SP0 control and reporting messages with data must be exchanged during ranging rounds. With the NBA-MMS time increased from 1ms to 8ms, the link budget improved significantly, increasing from 99.6dB to 108.2dB. Compared with O-QPSK and UWB BPRF ND, NBA-MMS significantly improved sensitivity, achieving a higher link budget despite its lower transmit power, indicating that this improvement is particularly pronounced with the introduction of MMS.

[0098] If SP0 is used for control and reporting messages in the control and reporting phase, calculations show that only a data rate of 110kbps can satisfy a 1ms MMS gain. In other words, the link budget gain of UWB-driven MMS is limited by the control and reporting phase. Methods utilizing MMS gain include, but are not limited to, NBA-MMS and OOB-assisted MMS; OOB-assisted MMS means transferring the link overhead of the control and reporting phase to OOB (such as BLE). However, due to the unclear spectrum policies of UNII-3 and UNII-5 (e.g., in China), NBA-MMS does not yet have a mature market, and it requires support from both the user end (car key or smartphone) and the vehicle end. Given the relatively long technology upgrade process for automakers, NBA-MMS may take longer to become practical, while BLE already exists. Therefore, OOB-assisted MMS will play a very important role in achieving MMS link budget gain in ranging distance.

[0099] Since UWB is a power-limited system, its maximum transmit power is -41.3 dBm / MHz. This means that within a 1 MHz bandwidth, the maximum transmit power of a UWB device is -41.3 dBm. dBm is a unit of power, representing decibels based on milliwatts (mW). Therefore, within a 500 MHz bandwidth, the maximum transmit power of a UWB device is -14.3 dBm, or -14.3 dBm / 500 MHz. The test uses a 1 ms period to statistically analyze the received power. Therefore, within 1 ms, the energy transmitted by -14.3 dBm of power is 37 nanojoules (nJ), i.e., -14.3 dBm * 1 ms = 37 nJ. For a power-limited UWB system, the number of pulses and the power output are both limited.

[0100] To improve sensitivity, the IEEE 802.15.4ab protocol mentions a strategy of transmitting a fragment every 1200 RSTU (1 millisecond) and multiple fragments every 1 millisecond (ms), known as multi-millisecond (MMS) UWB technology. In UWB systems, due to power limitations, the power of each transmitted fragment is also limited. This means that a single fragment may not provide sufficient signal strength for high-precision distance measurement. Therefore, to improve system sensitivity, the number of fragments or the repetition frequency of fragments can be increased to increase the received signal energy. For example, transmitting a fragment every 1 ms, or multiple fragments every 1 ms, and then combining the channel impulse response (CIR) can improve sensitivity.

[0101] In the positioning implementation of the CCC protocol, UWB MMS technology distributes the UWB ultra-wideband signal across multiple 1ms short pulses (i.e., fragments). UWB MMS improves UWB ranging sensitivity by combining multiple ranging sequence fragments (RSFs) and / or multiple ranging integrity fragments (RIFs).

[0102] The exchange of time synchronization (SYNC) signals and start-of-frame (SFD) symbols between the first and second UWB ranging devices ensures accurate time synchronization and correct identification of data frames. The purpose of the SYNC signal is to synchronize the clocks of the first and second UWB devices before UWB ranging begins, while the SFD allows the second UWB device to correctly identify and locate the start of a data frame for accurate decoding and processing of received data. How to exchange SYNC signals and SFDs between the first and second UWB ranging devices without affecting UWB ranging performance is a crucial technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0103] To ensure the accuracy and reliability of UWB ranging, this application provides a ranging method that involves exchanging time synchronization (SYNC) signals and start-of-frame (SFD) symbols between a first UWB device and a second UWB device for UWB ranging. This achieves ultra-wideband signal synchronization, ensuring accurate time synchronization and correct identification of data frames. The ranging method provided in this application may include:

[0104] The first UWB device in UWB MMS ranging sends one or more SYNC+SFD segments to the second UWB device to achieve time synchronization between the first and second UWB devices.

[0105] The ranging method provided in this application, without affecting the UWB ranging performance, performs SYNC and SFD exchanges between the first and second UWB devices for UWB ranging, ensuring accurate time synchronization and correct identification of data frames, thereby guaranteeing the accuracy and reliability of UWB ranging.

[0106] In one exemplary instance, during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, the first UWB device acting as the initiator and the second UWB device acting as the responder exchange one or more SYNC signals and SFDs (hereinafter referred to as SYNC+SFD segments) starting from the first segment to achieve time synchronization between the initiator and the responder. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of UWB ranging.

[0107] In one embodiment, during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging as shown in Figure 4, the initiator and responder of UWB ranging continuously interact with one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment, with each segment including one SYNC+SFD segment.

[0108] In one embodiment, during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator and responder of UWB ranging exchange a SYNC+SFD segment as the first segment. That is, during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator sends the SYNC+SFD segment as the first segment to the responder; the responder sends the SYNC+SFD segment as the first segment to the initiator, thus achieving the exchange of the SYNC signal and the start-of-frame (SFD) between the initiator and responder. In this way, without affecting UWB ranging performance, the exchange of SYNC and SFD between the initiator and responder ensures accurate time synchronization and correct identification of data frames, guaranteeing the accuracy and reliability of UWB ranging.

[0109] In one exemplary instance, the UWB MMS ranging is a UWB-driven MMS.

[0110] In one exemplary instance, UWB MMS ranging is out-of-band (OOB) assisted UWB MMS ranging. OOB-assisted UWB MMS means that the control and reporting phases are implemented in the OOB. In UWB ranging systems, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging can communicate on frequency bands outside the UWB channel, such as Bluetooth (BLE), to enhance ranging performance and link budget. To fully utilize the link budget gain of UWB MMS, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging will play a significant role in markets such as the automotive industry, where UWB MMS is prevalent.

[0111] The ranging method provided in this application embodiment achieves the exchange of SYNC and SFD between the initiator and responder in the UWB ranging stage by exchanging one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment, such as the first segment exchanging SYNC+SFD segments. This ensures accurate time synchronization and correct identification of data frames, thereby ensuring the accuracy and reliability of UWB ranging.

[0112] In one exemplary instance, the ranging method provided in this application embodiment may further include:

[0113] In the control phase of UWB MMS ranging, as shown in Figure 4, the initiator and responder of UWB ranging interact through OOB to assist the initiator and responder in determining the auxiliary information to receive the SYNC+SFD segment from each other during the ranging phase.

[0114] In one exemplary instance, the auxiliary information may include one or any combination of the following:

[0115] Time offset information is used to determine the time offset by which the initiator and responder begin receiving the first segment after entering the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging.

[0116] Sequence configuration information is used to determine the length of the SYNC+SFD segment, i.e., the duration of the SYNC+SFD segment. Sequence configuration information can also be used to determine the SYNC length or the SFD length. It should be noted that the SYNC length is determined based on the configuration information, and the SFD length can be calculated from the SYNC length. Therefore, it can be assumed that the SFD length and the length of the SYNC+SFD segment are also determined based on the configuration information.

[0117] In one embodiment, the sequence configuration information may include, but is not limited to, the sequence length, which determines the duration of the SYNC+SFD segment, and may also include, a spreading factor that affects the signal's anti-interference capability and ranging accuracy. The sequence length refers to the total length of the signal sequence constituting the SYNC segment, expressed in the number of chips or bits. For example, if the SYNC segment has a sequence length of N chips and the SFD segment has a sequence length of M chips, then the total length of the SYNC+SFD segment is N+M chips. The spreading factor determines how the signal spreads in the frequency domain. By configuring the spreading factor, the system can adjust the anti-interference capability of the SYNC+SFD segment. For instance, a higher spreading factor will spread the signal across a wider frequency band, thereby enhancing anti-interference capability and enabling the system to detect and synchronize signals more reliably in noisy or heavily interfered environments.

[0118] The time domain correspondence is used because the control phase of UWB MMS ranging is transmitted through OOB such as BLE signals, and the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging is based on UWB signals. Therefore, the time domain correspondence is used to represent the time correspondence between the control phase and the ranging phase in different time domains. In one embodiment, the time domain correspondence is the correspondence between BLE time and UWB time.

[0119] In one exemplary instance, after time synchronization is completed during the ranging phase, the process may further include:

[0120] The initiator and responder interact with each other through ranging segments to achieve ranging.

[0121] In one exemplary instance, after all segments have been sent and received in a ranging polling round, i.e., after the ranging phase has ended, the reporting phase may also include, if it has been enabled:

[0122] The initiator and responder will enter the Report Phase as shown in Figure 4, sending / receiving the corresponding ranging reports.

[0123] In one embodiment, if the reporting phase is not enabled, such as when ranging reports are transmitted via an OOB mechanism, a round of ranging polling will end after all segments have been sent and received.

[0124] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG5, the ranging method provided in this application uses a High Data Rate High-Speed ​​Physical Layer Ultra-Wideband (HRP UWB PHY) Advanced Response Provider (HRP-ADEV) to support UWB MMS packet mode, thereby improving UWB ranging sensitivity. The HRP UWB PHY MMS packet (UWB Packet) includes a SYNC+SFD segment in the first segment, with a time interval A of 1ms. This time interval A is the time interval between the start of the control phase packet and the start of the ranging phase MMS packet. If other PHYs are used for control and reporting, the UWB MMS ranging transmission should follow the UWB driving pattern shown in FIG4, where the HRP UWB PHY MMS packet includes a SYNC+SFD segment in the first segment. In FIG5, X represents the number of RSF segments, Y represents the number of RIF segments, and the values ​​of X and / or Y can be zero.

[0125] In one embodiment, Figure 6(a) is a schematic diagram of UWB-driven MMS ranging transmission in this embodiment. For UWB MMS ranging, as shown in Figure 6(a), UWB PHY's UWB Packet is used for control and ranging. In another embodiment, Figure 6(b) is a schematic diagram of OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging transmission in this embodiment. For UWB MMS ranging, as shown in Figure 6(b), OOB PHY is used, such as Bluetooth (BLE Packet) using BLE PHY, for control. When ranging is required, it switches to UWB PHY-based UWB MMS packet mode. Whether it is UWB-driven MMS ranging or OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging, as shown in the dashed box in the figure, the first segment of the ranging stage will be interactive SYNC+SFD segment according to the embodiment of this application.

[0126] In one exemplary instance, taking BLE-assisted UWB MMS as an example, the OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging follows the phases of UWB-driven MMS ranging, as shown in Figure 7. The compact frames used for the initialization phase, control phase, and reporting phase of UWB MMS are implemented using BLE connections. A ranging block may include several ranging cycles. Figure 7 uses two ranging cycles (e.g., ranging cycle 0 and ranging cycle 1) as an example. Each ranging cycle includes a control phase, a ranging phase, and a reporting phase. In one embodiment, the initialization phase is used to start the UWB MMS ranging session, including but not limited to, exchanging compact frames to configure the MMS ranging session, indicating the start offset of the control phase, etc. The compact frames involved in the initial phase may include, for example, a set of broadcast compact frames (ADV) for initial communication and discovery between devices, and a ranging start (SOR) compact frame for indicating the formal start of the ranging session, etc. Private fields may include, for example, coarse time synchronization information. In one embodiment, the control phase is used to renegotiate the UWB MMS ranging period, including but not limited to: exchanging compact frames to configure short-term operating parameters (optional), exchanging compact frames to transmit private address generation parameters, scheduling multiple responders in one-to-many MMS ranging, etc. The compact frames involved in the control phase may include, for example, a set of one-to-one compact frames, a set of one-to-many compact frames, etc. In one embodiment, the ranging phase is used to interact MMS segments in the UWB channel. In one embodiment, the reporting phase is used to exchange measurement reports between the initiator and the responder, and the compact frames involved in the reporting phase may include, for example, a set of one-to-one reporting compact frames, a set of one-to-many reporting compact frames, etc.

[0127] In one exemplary instance, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging may include, but is not limited to, OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB-driven UWB MMS ranging, OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB-driven UWB MMS ranging, and OOB-assisted time-efficient one-to-many UWB-driven UWB MMS ranging. An implementation of OOB-assisted time-efficient one-to-many UWB MMS ranging can be seen in Figure 18.

[0128] In this paper, in order to distinguish between OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging and OOB-assisted high-time-efficiency one-to-many UWB MMS ranging, OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging is referred to as the first OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging, and OOB-assisted high-time-efficiency one-to-many UWB MMS ranging is referred to as the second OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging.

[0129] The following section uses the SYNC+SFD segment as an example to describe in detail how to achieve broadband signal synchronization in different OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging scenarios.

[0130] In one embodiment, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is an OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging process. In this OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging process, the two devices, i.e., the initiator and the responder, typically use a BLE connection to carry data packets and signaling packets for the UWB MMS control and reporting phases. In actual deployments, the timing of the BLE and UWB chips in the two devices is usually relatively independent, and the timing accuracy (microsecond level) required for UWB MMS ranging is much higher than the timing accuracy (millisecond level) required for BLE connections. Therefore, in the OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging process, a time synchronization mechanism as described in this application is needed to ensure that the two devices performing UWB MMS ranging establish time synchronization in the UWB time domain, thereby ensuring accurate time synchronization and correct identification of data frames, thus ensuring the accuracy and reliability of UWB ranging.

[0131] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the ranging method in this application. In the first embodiment, the OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is an OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging. As shown in Figure 8, the processing of the initiator and / or responder may include the following:

[0132] Step 803: During the ranging phase, the initiator transmits the first SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment to the responder.

[0133] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the first segment is a preset duration, such as 1200 RSTU (1ms), starting from the ranging phase. The initiator sends the first SYNC+SFD segment to the responder at the beginning of the first segment.

[0134] Step 804: During the ranging phase, the responder transmits the second SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment to the initiator.

[0135] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the first segment is within 1200 RSTU (1 ms) from the start of the ranging phase. The responder sends the second SYNC+SFD segment to the initiator at 0.5 times the preset duration, such as 600 RSTU (0.5 ms), after the start of the first segment.

[0136] In this embodiment, during the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging process, both devices send a SYNC+SFD segment to each other through the first segment they interact with after entering the ranging phase, thereby establishing time synchronization between the two devices.

[0137] In one exemplary instance, after time synchronization is completed during the ranging phase, the method further includes:

[0138] Step 805: The initiator and the responder interact with the ranging segment to achieve ranging.

[0139] In one exemplary instance, for the initiator, the interaction of ranging segments may include:

[0140] As shown in Figure 9, starting from the second segment of the ranging phase, i.e., the distance ranging phase, after a preset duration such as 1200 RSTU, the initiator sends one RSF segment every 1200 RSTU until the first preset number of RSF segments (phyUwbMmsRsfNumberFrags) are sent (X RSF segments in Figure 9). That is, the first RSF segment is sent 1200 RSTU after the start of the ranging phase, and then each RSF segment starts from the previous RSF segment and is sent every 1200 RSTU until the first preset number of RSF segments are sent.

[0141] Starting at twice the preset duration (e.g., 2400 RSTU, 2 milliseconds) after the start of the last RSF segment transmission, the initiator sends one RIF segment every 1200 RSTU until the second preset number of RIF segments (phyUwbMmsRifNumberFrags) are sent (as shown by Y RIF segments in Figure 7). In other words, the first RIF segment is sent 2400 RSTU after the start of the last RSF segment transmission, and then each RIF segment starts from the previous RIF segment and is sent every 1200 RSTU until the second preset number of RIF segments are sent.

[0142] In one embodiment, if there is no RSF segment, the initiator can start from the second segment of the ranging phase, i.e., 1200 RSTU from the start of the ranging phase, and send one RIF segment every 1200 RSTU until the second preset number of RIF segments have been sent.

[0143] It should be noted that the values ​​of the first preset quantity and / or the second preset quantity can be zero.

[0144] In one exemplary instance, for the responder, performing a ranging fragment interaction may include:

[0145] As shown in Figure 9, starting from the second segment of the ranging phase, i.e., 1.5 times the preset duration (e.g., 1200 + 600 RSTU, 1.5 milliseconds) after the start of the distance ranging phase, the responder sends an RSF segment every 1200 RSTU until the first preset number of RSF segments (X RSF segments in Figure 9) have been sent. In other words, the first RSF segment is sent 1200 + 600 RSTU after the start of the ranging phase. Afterward, each RSF segment starts from the previous RSF segment and is sent every 1200 RSTU until the first preset number of RSF segments have been sent.

[0146] Starting 2400 RSTU after the last RSF segment begins transmission, the responder sends one RIF segment every 1200 RSTU until the second preset number of RIF segments (Y RIF segments in Figure 7) have been sent. That is, the first RIF segment is sent 2400 RSTU after the last RSF segment begins transmission, and then each RIF segment starts from the previous RIF segment and is sent every 1200 RSTU until the second preset number of RIF segments have been sent.

[0147] In one embodiment, if there is no RSF segment, the responder may start from the second segment of the ranging phase, i.e., 1200+600 RSTU from the start of the ranging phase, and send one RIF segment every 1200 RSTU until the second preset number of RIF segments have been sent.

[0148] In Figure 9, the total duration (RpDuration) of the UWB MMS ranging phase is macMmsRpDuration slots. In one embodiment, macMmsRpDuration can be set to at least the duration required to transmit and receive all RSF and RIF segments, but it can also be larger to allow for flexibility in scheduling the reporting phase and / or to allow additional time after the last segment.

[0149] For UWB-driven MMS or OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging, during the ranging phase, if only RSF fragments are available, the initiator can send a SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment at the start of the ranging phase and continue sending subsequent RSF fragments at fixed intervals of 1200 RSTUs. If only RIF fragments are used, the initiator can send a SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment at the start of the ranging phase and continue sending subsequent RIF fragments at fixed intervals of 1200 RSTUs.

[0150] Taking a scenario with two responders as an example, a responder with the time shift indicator field set to 0 can send a SYNC+SFD segment in the first segment 400 RSTU after entering the ranging phase. If only RSF segments are available, subsequent RSF segments will continue to be sent at fixed intervals of 1200 RSTU. If only RIF segments are used, the responder can send a SYNC+SFD segment in the first segment 400 RSTU after entering the ranging phase and continue sending subsequent RIF segments at fixed intervals of 1200 RSTU. For a responder with the time shift indicator field set to 1, a responder can send a SYNC+SFD segment in the first segment 800 RSTU after entering the ranging phase. If only RSF segments are available, subsequent RSF segments will continue to be sent at fixed intervals of 1200 RSTU. If only RIF segments are used, the responder can send a SYNC+SFD segment in the first segment 800 RSTU after entering the ranging phase and continue sending subsequent RIF segments at fixed intervals of 1200 RSTU.

[0151] In one embodiment, when time synchronization is required between the initiator and the responder, the OOB mechanism should closely follow the UWB-driven MMS range phase.

[0152] In one exemplary instance, after macMmsRpDuration and the sending and receiving of all segments, if the reporting phase is enabled, the initiator and responder will enter the reporting phase to send / receive the corresponding ranging report. If the reporting phase is not enabled, such as when the ranging report is transmitted via an OOB mechanism, ranging polling will be completed after macMmsRpDuration and the sending and receiving of all segments.

[0153] In one exemplary instance, before the initiator sends the SYNC+SFD segment to the responder using the first segment sent at the start of the ranging phase, the initiator and / or responder may also include the following processing:

[0154] Step 801: During the control phase, the initiator transmits the first auxiliary information to the responder.

[0155] In one exemplary instance, the initiator sends first auxiliary information (also known as UWB time synchronization auxiliary information) to the responder via an OOB such as a BLE connection. This information is used to help the responder determine whether it has received the first SYNC+SFD segment from the initiator during the ranging phase.

[0156] Step 802: During the control phase, the responder transmits the second auxiliary information to the initiator.

[0157] In one exemplary instance, the responder sends second auxiliary information (also known as UWB time synchronization auxiliary information) to the initiator via an OOB such as a BLE connection. This information is used to help the initiator determine whether a second SYNC+SFD segment has been received from the responder during the ranging phase.

[0158] In this embodiment of the application, during the control phase of UWB MMS ranging, the two devices interact with UWB time synchronization auxiliary information through BLE connection. Thus, during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, the two devices can interact with SYNC+SFD segments based on the obtained UWB time synchronization auxiliary information to establish time synchronization between the two devices in the UWB time domain.

[0159] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the second embodiment of the ranging method in this application. In the second embodiment, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is an OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging. In the second embodiment, the basic OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging process can be decomposed into multiple OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging processes described in the first embodiment. For each one-to-one UWB MMS ranging process, as described in the first embodiment, in the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging process, a SYNC+SFD segment is sent to the other party through the first segment interacted after entering the ranging phase, thereby establishing time synchronization between the two devices. As shown in Figure 10, the processing of the initiator and / or responder may include the following:

[0160] Steps 1001-1002: During the control phase, the initiator transmits the first auxiliary information to the first responder, and the first responder transmits the second auxiliary information to the initiator.

[0161] Steps 1003-1004: During the control phase, the initiator transmits the first auxiliary information to the second responder, and the second responder transmits the third auxiliary information to the initiator.

[0162] In other words, during the control phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator exchanges auxiliary information with multiple responders sequentially via Bluetooth connection.

[0163] Through steps 1001-1004, the initiator interacts with the first and second responders via OOB (such as BLE) connections to obtain auxiliary information for UWB time synchronization. In this embodiment, during the control phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator and each responder interact with UWB time synchronization auxiliary information via BLE connections. Thus, during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator and each responder can interact with SYNC+SFD segments based on the obtained UWB time synchronization auxiliary information to establish time synchronization between the initiator and each responder in the UWB time domain.

[0164] Step 1005: The initiator and the first responder interact via the SYNC+SFD segment, the first segment after entering the ranging phase.

[0165] Step 1006: The initiator and the second responder interact via the SYNC+SFD segment, the first segment after entering the ranging phase.

[0166] In other words, during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator sequentially interacts with multiple responders through the SYNC+SFD fragment, which is the first fragment after entering the ranging phase.

[0167] In this embodiment, during the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging process, the initiator and each responder can respectively send a SYNC+SFD segment to each other based on the obtained UWB time synchronization auxiliary information and the first segment exchanged after entering the ranging phase, thereby realizing the establishment of time synchronization between the initiator and each responder.

[0168] In one exemplary instance, in the OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging scenario of the second embodiment, the responders may include two or more. The first and second responders shown in Figure 8 are hypothetical responders selected from multiple responders as the current UWB ranging responders.

[0169] Step 1007: The initiator interacts with the first responder and the second responder respectively to perform ranging segment interactions in order to achieve ranging.

[0170] After time synchronization is completed, the initiator interacts with the first responder and the second responder on the ranging segment. The ranging segment interaction process between the initiator and each responder is consistent with the ranging segment interaction between the initiator and the responder in the one-to-one UWB MMS ranging process in the first embodiment, and will not be described again here.

[0171] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the third embodiment of the ranging method in this application. In this third embodiment, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is a time-efficient one-to-many UWB MMS ranging method assisted by OOB. In the third embodiment, during the OOB-assisted time-efficient one-to-many UWB MMS ranging process, the initiator groups multiple responders to obtain one or more sub-range groups. Each sub-range group includes one initiator and one or more responders (e.g., one, two, or more responders). For each sub-range group, in the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging process, one initiator and one or more responders interact with the SYNC+SFD segment through the first segment they interact with after entering the ranging phase, to establish time synchronization between the initiator and each responder in the sub-range group. As shown in Figure 11, taking a sub-range group including a first responder and a second responder as an example, the processing of the initiator and / or responders can include the following:

[0172] Step 1101: During the current control phase of the sub-range wheel, the initiator broadcasts its first auxiliary information via an OOB such as a BLE connection.

[0173] Step 1102: The first responder transmits the second auxiliary information to the initiator.

[0174] Step 1103: The second responder transmits the third auxiliary information to the initiator.

[0175] Through steps 1102-1103, the initiator broadcasts auxiliary information for UWB time synchronization to the first and second responders in the same sub-ranger wheel via an OOB or BLE connection, while the first and second responders in the sub-ranger wheel send their own auxiliary information back to the initiator.

[0176] Thus, during the control phase of the current sub-ranger wheel in UWB MMS ranging, the initiator and each responder exchanged UWB time synchronization auxiliary information via BLE connection. In this way, during the ranging phase of the current sub-ranger wheel in UWB MMS ranging, the initiator and each responder can exchange SYNC+SFD segments based on the obtained UWB time synchronization auxiliary information to establish time synchronization between the initiator and each responder in the UWB time domain.

[0177] Step 1104: The initiator sends a SYNC+SFD segment to all responders in the current sub-ranger wheel (including the first and second responders in this embodiment) through the first segment after entering the ranging phase of the current sub-ranger wheel.

[0178] Steps 1105-1106: The first responder transmits the second SYNC+SFD segment to the initiator as the first segment after entering the ranging phase of the current sub-ranging wheel, and the second responder transmits the third SYNC+SFD segment to the initiator as the first segment after entering the ranging phase of the current sub-ranging wheel.

[0179] In this embodiment, during the ranging phase of the current sub-ranging wheel in the UWB MMS process, the initiator and the first and second responders in the current sub-ranging wheel respectively send a SYNC+SFD segment to each other based on the UWB time synchronization auxiliary information obtained during the control phase of the current sub-ranging wheel, and the first segment exchanged between each responder after entering the ranging phase, thereby establishing time synchronization between the initiator and each responder.

[0180] Step 1107: The initiator interacts with the first and second responders in the current sub-range measurement wheel to perform range measurement segments.

[0181] After time synchronization is completed, the initiator interacts with the first and second responders in the current sub-range wheel to perform range segment interactions. The range segment interaction process between the initiator and each responder in the current sub-range wheel is consistent with the range segment interaction between the initiator and the responder in the one-to-one UWB MMS range measurement process in the first embodiment, and will not be described again here.

[0182] In one exemplary instance, during the ranging phase of a UWB MMS process in a ranging group, the initiator interacts with each responder in the sub-ranging wheel with one or two ranging segments, which may be RSF segments and / or RIF segments.

[0183] In one exemplary instance, the number of sub-range wheels can be one or more.

[0184] This application provides a ranging device, as shown in FIG12, including a synchronization module, used for:

[0185] The synchronization module is used to enable time synchronization by allowing the initiator and responder of UWB MMS ranging to exchange one or more SYNC+SFD segments.

[0186] In one exemplary instance, the ranging device provided in this application embodiment further includes: a control module, configured to send auxiliary information via OOB during the control phase of UWB MMS ranging to assist both devices in determining whether to receive SYNC+SFD segments from each other during the ranging phase.

[0187] In one exemplary instance, the ranging device provided in this application embodiment further includes: a ranging module for performing ranging segment interaction to achieve ranging.

[0188] In one embodiment, the synchronization module can be used to:

[0189] During the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, starting from the first segment, one or more SYNC+SFD segments are sent consecutively, with each segment including one SYNC+SFD segment.

[0190] In one embodiment, the synchronization module can be used to:

[0191] During the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, the SYNC+SFD segment is sent through the first segment.

[0192] In one exemplary instance, UWB MMS ranging is either UWB-driven MMS ranging or out-of-band OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging.

[0193] In one embodiment, when UWB MMS ranging is out-of-band OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging, the OOB band is Bluetooth.

[0194] In one exemplary instance, UWB-driven MMS ranging includes: UWB-driven one-to-one UWB MMS ranging, UWB-driven one-to-many UWB MMS ranging, or UWB-driven high-time-efficiency one-to-many UWB MMS ranging.

[0195] In one exemplary instance, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging includes: OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging, OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging, or OOB-assisted high-time-efficiency one-to-many UWB MMS ranging.

[0196] In one embodiment, the OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is an OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging, the ranging device is the initiator / responder of the UWB MMS ranging, and the synchronization module can be used for:

[0197] During the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, the first SYNC+SFD fragment is sent as the first fragment to the responder / initiator.

[0198] Accordingly, the control module can be used to: during the control phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator / responder transmits the first auxiliary information / second auxiliary information to the responder / initiator via Bluetooth connection.

[0199] In one embodiment, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging. The basic OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging process includes multiple OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging processes. The ranging device is the initiator / responder of the UWB MMS ranging, and the synchronization module can be used for:

[0200] For each one-to-one UWB MMS ranging process, the first SYNC+SFD segment is transmitted as the first segment to the responder / initiator.

[0201] Accordingly, the control module can be used for:

[0202] During the control phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator / responder transmits the first auxiliary information / second auxiliary information to the responder / initiator via Bluetooth connection.

[0203] In one embodiment, OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is OOB-assisted high-time-efficiency one-to-many UWB MMS ranging, wherein the ranging device is the initiator / responder of UWB MMS ranging, and the synchronization module can be used for:

[0204] For each sub-range wheel, during the ranging phase of the current sub-range wheel in the UWB MMS ranging process, the initiator sends a SYNC+SFD segment to all responders in the current sub-range wheel through the first segment; each responder in the current sub-range wheel transmits its own SYNC+SFD segment as the first segment to the initiator; wherein, each sub-range wheel includes one initiator and one or more responders.

[0205] Accordingly, the control module can be used for:

[0206] For each sub-ranger wheel, during the control phase of UWB MMS ranging, the initiator broadcasts its first auxiliary information via Bluetooth connection; each responder in the current sub-ranger wheel sends its own auxiliary information to the initiator.

[0207] In one exemplary instance, the ranging device is the initiator, and the ranging module can be used to:

[0208] Starting 1 millisecond after the start of the distance measurement phase, an RSF segment is sent every 1 millisecond until the first preset number of RSF segments are sent; starting 2 milliseconds after the start of the transmission of the last RSF segment, an RIF segment is sent every 1 millisecond until the second preset number of RIF segments are sent.

[0209] Alternatively, starting 1 millisecond from the start of the distance measurement phase, send one RIF segment every 1 millisecond interval until the second preset number of RIF segments have been sent.

[0210] In one exemplary instance, the ranging device is the responder, and the ranging module can be used to:

[0211] Starting 1.5 milliseconds after the start of the distance measurement phase, an RSF segment is sent every 1 millisecond until the first preset number of RSF segments are sent; starting 2 milliseconds after the start of the transmission of the last RSF segment, an RIF segment is sent every 1 millisecond until the second preset number of RIF segments are sent.

[0212] Alternatively, starting 1.5 milliseconds from the start of the distance ranging phase, send one RIF segment every 1 millisecond until the second preset number of RIF segments have been sent.

[0213] This application also provides a UWB device, including any of the ranging devices provided in this application.

[0214] This application provides another UWB system, including at least one first UWB device and one or more second UWB devices;

[0215] The first UWB device is used to send one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging in order to achieve time synchronization with the second UWB device.

[0216] The second UWB device is used to send one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, in order to achieve time synchronization with the first UWB device.

[0217] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the Double-Sided Two-Way Ranging (DS-TWR) process. As shown in Figure 13, Device A (e.g., a UWB tag) sends a ranging frame to Device B (e.g., a UWB anchor point). After receiving the ranging frame sent by Device A, Device B replies with a ranging frame to Device A after a Treply1 time interval. After receiving the ranging frame replied by Device B, Device A sends the last ranging frame to Device B after a Treply2 time interval, completing the ranging process.

[0218] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the Enhanced Symmetrical Two-Way Ranging (ess-TWR) process. Ess-TWR is a ranging procedure defined in the FiRa protocol. As shown in Figure 14, device C sends a ranging frame to device D. After receiving the ranging frame sent by device C, device D replies with the first ranging frame to device A after Treply1 time, and replies with the second ranging frame to device C after Treply2 time. When device C receives the two ranging frames replied by device D, the ranging procedure is completed.

[0219] Both DS-TWR and ess-TWR complete the ranging process using three ranging frames, and the error ranges of the two ranging processes are basically the same. Alternatively, the two responders can complete the ranging process by each sending one ranging frame to the other; this method, which uses two ranging frames, is also known as one-sided ranging. The errors of DS-TWR and ess-TWR are smaller than those of one-sided ranging.

[0220] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a UWB ranging process. In one example, Figure 15 illustrates the UWB ranging process based on Double-Sided Two-Way Ranging (DS-TWR) in the CCC (Car Connectivity Consortium) protocol. In Figure 15, the Initiator (i.e., the party initiating the ranging) corresponds to the UWB tag (e.g., a car key) in DS-TWR ranging, and the Responder x corresponds to the UWB anchor point in DS-TWR ranging, such as the xth anchor point configured on the vehicle, where x = 1, 2, ..., N.

[0221] In Figure 15, taking N=7 as an example, T1 is the control data packet, which carries the parameters for subsequent ranging; T2-T10 are ranging data packets; and T11 is the ranging time result data packet. Within the ranging period t, the car key, acting as the initiator, sends two data packets, T2 and T10, and receives seven data packets, R3-R9. As for the vehicle anchor point x, it receives two data packets, R2 and R10. Each responder vehicle anchor point sends one data packet, T3-T9. Thus, for each one-to-one combination of the car key and each vehicle anchor point, three data packets are used for positioning to complete the DS-TWR.

[0222] In the CCC protocol, UWB ranging can be achieved by configuring four or more on-vehicle anchor points as responders and the car key as an initiator, implementing DS-TWR ranging in a one-to-many manner. This allows obtaining the distance between the car key and each anchor point, and calculating the relative three-dimensional spatial position parameters based on these distances. In DS-TWR, device A sends a ranging frame to device B. Subsequently, device B replies with a ranging frame to device A after a Treply1 time interval. Finally, after receiving the test frame from device B, device A sends a final ranging frame to device B after a Treply2 time interval. The round-trip time is used to calculate the distance to complete the ranging process. In other words, in UWB ranging based on DS-TWR in CCC, for any Responder, the Initiator's packet sending and receiving process includes TxRxTx, and the Responder's packet sending and receiving process includes RxTxRx. The data sending and receiving method of DS-TWR can be represented as TxRxTx-RxTxRx, where Tx represents sending data and Rx represents receiving data. In another example, Enhanced Symmetrical Two-Way Ranging (Ess-TWR) is a ranging method that uses round-trip time to calculate distance. Ess-TWR also uses three packets for positioning to complete the process. In Ess-TWR-based UWB ranging, for any Responder, the Initiator's packet transmission process includes TxRxRx, and the Responder's packet transmission process includes RxTxTx. The data transmission and reception method of Ess-TWR can be represented as TxRxRx-RxTxTx. The positioning errors of Ess-TWR and DS-TWR are basically the same.

[0223] Since UWB is a power-limited system, its maximum transmit power is -41.3 dBm / MHz. This means that within a 1 MHz bandwidth, the maximum transmit power of a UWB device is -41.3 dBm. dBm is a unit of power, representing decibels based on milliwatts (mW). Therefore, within a 500 MHz bandwidth, the maximum transmit power of a UWB device is -14.3 dBm, or -14.3 dBm / 500 MHz. The test uses a 1 ms period to statistically analyze the received power. Therefore, within 1 ms, the energy transmitted by -14.3 dBm of power is 37 nanojoules (nJ), i.e., -14.3 dBm * 1 ms = 37 nJ. For a power-limited UWB system, the number of pulses and the power output are both limited.

[0224] To improve sensitivity, the IEEE 802.15.4ab protocol mentions a strategy of transmitting one fragment per 1 millisecond, and multiple fragments transmitted at 1 millisecond intervals, known as multi-millisecond (MMS) UWB technology. In UWB systems, due to power limitations, the power of each transmitted fragment is also limited. This means that a single fragment may not provide sufficient signal strength for high-precision distance measurement. Therefore, to improve system sensitivity, the number of fragments or the repetition frequency of fragments can be increased to increase the received signal energy. For example, transmitting one fragment per 1 millisecond, or multiple fragments transmitted at 1 millisecond intervals, and then combining the channel impulse response (CIR) can improve sensitivity.

[0225] In the positioning implementation of the CCC protocol, multi-millisecond (MMS) UWB technology distributes the UWB ultra-wideband signal across multiple 1-millisecond short pulses (i.e., fragments). MMS UWB improves UWB ranging sensitivity by combining multiple ranging sequence fragments (RSFs) and / or multiple ranging integrity fragments (RIFs), as shown in Figure 16. The MMS format first involves synchronization (SYNC), obtaining synchronization and frequency offset, followed by RSFs within 1ms and RIFs within 1ms, as shown in Figure 16 as RSF1, RSF2…RSFx, RIF1, RIF2…RSFy.

[0226] Referring to Figure 17, which illustrates the packet transmission and reception process in a DS-TWR-based UWB ranging process, if UWB MMS technology is simply applied to a CCC (Car Key Control Center), as shown in Figure 17, taking an example of configuring 4 Responders on the vehicle, generating a total of 6 data packets, with each data packet configured with x = 4 RSFs and y = 4 RIFs, then it would take a total of 6 * 8 ms = 48 ms to complete the ranging. In related technologies, the ranging period is generally configured to 96 ms. During distance measurement, this can lead to one or more of the following problems: Firstly, the long total ranging time results in excessive power consumption for UWB devices, such as the car key in this embodiment. Secondly, during the idle time between Tx (i.e., sending data) and Rx (i.e., receiving data), the CPU cannot sleep, and the high-precision timing PLL cannot be turned off, leading to high power consumption for the UWB device. Thirdly, due to the long time span, if there is angular movement of the human body, it may cause signal changes, resulting in inaccurate ranging and reduced accuracy.

[0227] For some power-sensitive applications, such as distance measurement between car keys and vehicles, car keys need to conserve power, thus requiring more sleep time and less distance measurement time. To shorten the distance measurement time and reduce the power consumption of UWB devices, this application provides a method for implementing distance measurement processing in UWB distance measurement. This is a high-time-efficiency one-to-many UWB MMS distance measurement method, comprising: setting a distance measurement segment period, each distance measurement segment period including two or more sub-periods, and using one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data within each sub-period;

[0228] The data transmission and reception by the initiator of the ranging operation within a ranging segment period includes:

[0229] Within each sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times.

[0230] The sub-cycle here is equivalent to the sub-ranging round mentioned above.

[0231] In one exemplary instance, before high-time-efficiency one-to-many UWB MMS ranging, any one of the methods provided in this application embodiment for the interaction of one or more SYNC+SFD segments between the initiator and the responder in UWB MMS ranging is executed to achieve time synchronization between the initiator and the responder.

[0232] In one embodiment, all responders include two or more.

[0233] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 18, in this embodiment, taking each ranging segment period as an example, which includes two sub-periods, the method may include:

[0234] Step 1800: Set a ranging fragment period consisting of two sub-periods, and use one or more UWB MMS fragments to transmit and receive data within each sub-period.

[0235] Step 1801: The data transmission and reception by the initiator of the ranging operation within a ranging segment period includes:

[0236] In one sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times; in another sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from the remaining responders at different times.

[0237] In one embodiment, during one sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from m responders at different times; during another sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from the remaining (nm) responders at different times.

[0238] In one embodiment, n is the number of responders, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

[0239] The ranging method provided in this application effectively applies UWB MMS technology to a ranging process involving multiple responder devices, reducing the ranging time required in the ranging stage and thus reducing the power consumption of UWB devices.

[0240] In one exemplary instance, the ranging method provided in this application embodiment may further include:

[0241] During the ranging initialization phase, the initiator carries one or more of the following information in the ranging initialization message:

[0242] The number of responders is set to n;

[0243] The start slot index is set as the starting slot index for the ranging phase.

[0244] The list of responders includes the address of each responder and a sequence number indicating the order in which each responder sent data packets.

[0245] This application embodiment also provides a method for implementing ranging processing in UWB positioning, including: setting a ranging segment period, each ranging segment period including two or more sub-periods, and using one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period;

[0246] The data transmission and reception of the ranging response within a ranging segment period includes:

[0247] Within each sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while some responders send data to the initiator at different times; there are two or more responders.

[0248] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating another ranging method in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 19, in this embodiment, taking each ranging segment period as an example, which includes two sub-periods, it may include:

[0249] Step 1900: Set a ranging segment period consisting of two sub-periods, and use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0250] Step 1901: The data transmission and reception of the ranging response within a ranging segment period includes:

[0251] In one sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while some responders send data to the initiator at different times; in another sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while the remaining responders send data to the initiator at different times.

[0252] In one exemplary instance, during one sub-cycle, n responders receive data from the initiator once, and m responders send data to the initiator at different times; during another sub-cycle, n responders receive data from the initiator once, and (nm) responders send data to the initiator at different times.

[0253] In one embodiment, n is the number of responders, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

[0254] The ranging method provided in this application effectively applies UWB MMS technology to a ranging process involving multiple responder devices, reducing the ranging time required in the ranging stage and thus reducing the power consumption of UWB devices.

[0255] In one exemplary instance, the ranging method provided in this application embodiment may further include:

[0256] During the ranging initialization phase, the responder receives a ranging initialization message from the initiator and sends data to the initiator at the corresponding time according to the starting time slot index and sequence number carried in the ranging initialization message.

[0257] In one exemplary instance, a ranging segment period may include one or more; one or more ranging segment periods constitute a ranging phase.

[0258] In one exemplary instance, a ranging segment period can be defined as a ranging slot, or a sub-period can be defined as a ranging slot.

[0259] In one embodiment, the ranging segment period may include one or more ranging time slots.

[0260] In one embodiment, a sub-cycle may include a ranging time slot and the ranging time slot is configurable.

[0261] In one exemplary instance, the ranging segment period may include a ranging sequence segment period and / or a ranging integrity segment period.

[0262] In one embodiment, the ranging method provided in this application further includes:

[0263] The ranging segment period comprises multiple segments, and the initiator performs channel impulse response combining based on the ranging sequence segments it receives from the same responder in multiple ranging sequence segment periods; and / or,

[0264] The ranging integrity fragment period consists of multiple fragments. The initiator performs channel impulse response merging based on the ranging integrity fragments (RIFs) sent by the same responder that it receives in multiple ranging integrity fragment periods.

[0265] In one embodiment, the ranging method provided in this application further includes:

[0266] The ranging segment period comprises multiple segments, and the responder performs channel impulse response combining based on the ranging sequence segment RSFs (RSFs) received by the responder from the same initiator in the multiple ranging sequence segment periods; and / or,

[0267] The ranging integrity fragment period consists of multiple fragments, and the responder performs channel impulse response merging based on the ranging integrity fragments (RIFs) sent by the same initiator that it receives in multiple ranging integrity fragment periods.

[0268] In one exemplary instance, within a sub-cycle, the UWB MMS fragment is an RSF and / or a RIF. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG21(a), each sub-cycle includes 3 RSFs and / or RIFs. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG21(b), one sub-cycle includes 3 RSFs and / or RIFs, and another sub-cycle includes 1 RSF and / or RIF.

[0269] In this embodiment, the ranging segment period can also be referred to as the RSF / RIF period. The RSF / RIF period includes a first part (1 st part) that is, one sub-period and the second part (2) nd (Part) refers to another sub-cycle. In one embodiment, the first part and the second part have the same duration.

[0270] In one exemplary instance, a sub-period is greater than or equal to 1 millisecond (ms). In one embodiment, the duration of the first or second portion can be configured to 1200 RSTUs (i.e., 1 ms). In one embodiment, if the number of responses is too large, i.e., the number of responders is too large to be inserted into a 2 ms RSF / RIF period, then the duration of the first or second portion can be configured to be an integer multiple of 1200 RSTUs (1 ms).

[0271] In one embodiment, the ranging segment period is 2 ms, and the sub-period is 1 ms. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG21(a), 3 RSFs and / or RIFs occupy 1 ms. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG21(b), 3 RSFs and / or RIFs occupy 1 ms in one sub-period, and 1 RSF and / or RIF occupies 1 ms in another sub-period.

[0272] In one exemplary instance, the initiator sends data once at the indicated 1ms start point within a sub-cycle.

[0273] The ranging method provided in this application effectively applies UWB MMS technology to a ranging process involving multiple responder devices, reducing the ranging time required in the ranging stage and thus reducing the power consumption of UWB devices.

[0274] This application embodiment provides another method for implementing ranging processing in UWB positioning. In a UWB positioning system including a first UWB device as the initiator of ranging and n second UWB devices as the responders of ranging, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; a ranging segment period is set to include two sub-periods, and one or more UWB MMS segments are used to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0275] Data transmission and reception within a ranging segment period includes:

[0276] During one sub-cycle, the first UWB device sends data once and receives data from some of the second UWB devices at different times; n second UWB devices receive data from the first UWB device once, and some of the second UWB devices send data to the first UWB device at different times.

[0277] In another sub-cycle, the first UWB device sends data once and receives data from the remaining second UWB devices at different times; n second UWB devices receive data from the first UWB device once, and the remaining response directions send data to the first UWB device at different times.

[0278] Figure 20 is a flowchart illustrating another ranging method in this application embodiment. In this embodiment, taking each ranging segment period as an example, which includes two sub-periods, as shown in Figure 20, in a UWB positioning system including a first UWB device as the ranging initiator and n second UWB devices as the ranging responders, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; data transmission and reception within a ranging segment period t may include:

[0279] Step 2000: Set a ranging segment period to include two sub-periods, and use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0280] Step 2001: In one sub-cycle, the first UWB device sends data once and receives data from m second UWB devices at different times; n second UWB devices receive data from the first UWB device once, and m second UWB devices send data to the first UWB device at different times.

[0281] In one exemplary instance, during one sub-cycle, the first UWB device transmits and receives ranging data with m second UWB devices using the DS-TWR data transceiver method, where m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

[0282] In one exemplary instance, for any one of the m second UWB devices, the DS-TWR data transmission and reception method in this application embodiment for transmitting and receiving ranging data may include:

[0283] Within a ranging segment period t, when the first UWB device sends first ranging data, the second UWB device (i.e., any one of the m second UWB devices) receives the first ranging data and responds with ranging data to the first UWB device, which then receives the responding ranging data. When the first UWB device sends second ranging data, the second UWB device receives the second ranging data. This is a standard TxRxTx-RxTxRx DS-TWR, where Tx represents transmitted data and Rx represents received data. A schematic diagram of transmitting and receiving ranging data can be seen in Figure 13.

[0284] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 21(a), the first UWB device is used as the car key (Initiator in Figure 21(a)). The second UWB device includes four Responders configured in the vehicle (Responder1, Responder2, Responder3, and Responder4 in Figure 21(a), i.e., n = 4 in this embodiment, where n is an even number greater than 2. Therefore, The first m second UWB devices are Responder1 and Responder2, as shown in Figure 21(a). The Initiator and Responder1 / Responder2 use the DS-TWR data transmission and reception method to transmit and receive ranging data.

[0285] Step 2002: In another sub-cycle, the first UWB device sends data once and receives data replies from the remaining (nm) second UWB devices at different times; n second UWB devices receive data from the first UWB device once, and (nm) response directions send data from the first UWB device at different times; where m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

[0286] In one exemplary instance, during another sub-cycle, the first UWB device transmits and receives ranging data with the remaining (nm) second UWB devices using a TxTxRx-RxRxTx data transmission and reception method, where m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3; Tx represents sending data, and Rx represents receiving data.

[0287] In one exemplary instance, for any of the remaining (nm) second UWB devices, the TxTxRx-RxRxTx data transceiver method in this embodiment of the application for transmitting and receiving ranging data may include:

[0288] Within a ranging segment period t, when the first UWB device transmits first ranging data, the second UWB device (i.e., any one of the remaining (nm) second UWB devices) receives the first ranging data; when the first UWB device transmits second ranging data, the second UWB device receives the second ranging data and responds with ranging data to the first UWB device, which then receives the responding ranging data. A schematic diagram of the ranging data transmission and reception using the TxTxRx-RxRxTx data transmission and reception method can be seen in Figure 11.

[0289] Generally, in distance measurement between a car key and a vehicle, the car key acts as the initiator, and 4-7 UWB anchor points are set on the vehicle side as the responders. In one embodiment, taking the embodiment shown in Figure 21(a) as an example, in this embodiment n = 4, where n is an even number greater than 2. Therefore, The remaining (nm) second UWB devices are the two remaining devices besides the first two second UWB devices, namely Responder3 and Responder4, as shown in Figure 21(a). The Initiator and Responder2 / Responder3 use the TxTxRx-RxRxTx data transmission and reception mode to transmit and receive ranging data.

[0290] In one exemplary instance, the ranging segment period t is 2 milliseconds, and one sub-period is 1 ms. Since the first UWB device, such as the car key initiator, which is mainly responsible for initiating ranging, sends a large number of data packets, this embodiment of the application needs to ensure that the two data packets sent by the first UWB device within a ranging segment period do not appear in the same sub-period, i.e., within 1 ms. This makes the ranging method provided in this embodiment consistent with the idea of ​​MMS, that is, ensuring that only one data packet is sent in one 1 ms. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 21(a), the two data packets sent by the initiator within the ranging segment period t are located in two sub-periods (1 ms) of the ranging segment period t.

[0291] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, data transmission and reception within a ranging segment period t may include:

[0292] Within a sub-period of the ranging segment period t, the first UWB device sends first ranging data and receives ranging data from m second UWB devices respectively; all n second UWB devices receive the first ranging data sent by the first UWB device, and each of the m second UWB devices responds with a ranging data to the first UWB device.

[0293] During another sub-period of the ranging segment period t, the first UWB device sends the second ranging data and receives ranging data from the remaining (nm) second UWB devices respectively; n second UWB devices all receive the second ranging data sent by the first UWB device, and the remaining (nm) second UWB devices respectively respond with a ranging data to the first UWB device.

[0294] In one embodiment, taking the embodiment shown in Figure 21(a) as an example, the first UWB device is the car key (Initiator in Figure 21(a)), and the second UWB device includes four Responders configured in the vehicle (Responder1, Responder2, Responder3, and Responder4 in Figure 21(a). That is, in this embodiment, n = 4, where n is an even number greater than 2. Therefore, The m second UWB devices are Responder1 and Responder2, and the remaining (nm) second UWB devices are the two remaining devices besides the two second UWB devices mentioned above, namely Responder3 and Responder4. Within one sub-period of the ranging segment period t, the Initiator sends first ranging data and receives ranging data in response from Responder1 and Responder2 respectively; Responder1, Responder2, Responder3, and Responder4 all receive the first ranging data sent by the Initiator, and Responder1 and Responder2 each respond with a ranging data to the Initiator; Within another sub-period of the ranging segment period t, the Initiator sends second ranging data and receives ranging data in response from Responder3 and Responder4 respectively; Responder1, Responder2, Responder3, and Responder4 all receive the second ranging data sent by the Initiator, and Responder3 and Responder4 each respond with a ranging data to the first UWB device. In this embodiment, within one ranging segment period t, the Initiator completes two repetitions of the TxRxRx transmit / receive mode using two sub-cycles. To align with the MMS concept—ensuring only one data packet is sent per 1ms—the ranging segment period t in this embodiment can be set to 2ms, with one sub-cycle being 1ms. Thus, within 1ms, there are three UWB MMS segments (i.e., RSF and / or RIF). The Initiator sends data once, and the other two Responders each send data once. Taking a configuration of 4 RSFs and 4 RIFs per data packet as an example, in this embodiment, the 3 RSFs occupy 1ms. Therefore, a total of 2 * 8ms = 16ms is needed to complete the ranging, significantly shortening the ranging time.

[0295] The ranging method provided in this application effectively applies UWB MMS technology to a ranging process involving multiple responder devices, reducing the ranging time required in the ranging stage and thus reducing the power consumption of UWB devices.

[0296] In one exemplary instance, when there are two responders, the initiator includes RSF / RIF in one sub-period of the ranging segment period, and the other sub-period is an idle segment. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 21(b), the first UWB device is used as the car key (Initiator in Figure 21(b), and the second UWB device includes two Responders configured on the vehicle (Responder1 and Responder2 in Figure 21(b). That is, n=2 in this embodiment, therefore, m=n=2, and m second UWB devices are Responder1 and Responder2, with no remaining second UWB devices. In this embodiment, the Initiator's transmit and receive modes in the two sub-periods are TxRxRx and TxDD, respectively. For a ranging segment period t of 2ms and a sub-period of 1ms, the three RSFs occupy 1ms, where D represents dummy, i.e., idle, as shown in the small blank box in Figure 21(b). Taking a configuration of 4 RSFs and 4 RIFs for each data packet as an example, the ranging can be completed in a total of 2*8ms=16ms, which greatly shortens the ranging time.

[0297] In one exemplary instance, when the number of responders is odd, the initiator includes one more RSF / RIF in one sub-period of the ranging segment period than in another sub-period, and the other sub-period includes an idle segment, for example, the last segment is an idle segment. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG21(c1), the first UWB device is used as the car key (Initiator in FIG21(c1), and the second UWB device includes three Responders configured on the vehicle (Responder1, Responder2, and Responder3 in FIG21(c1), i.e., n=3 in this embodiment, which is an odd number. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first UWB device is used as the car key (Initiator in FIG21(c1)). For example, m second UWB devices are Responder1 and Responder2, and the remaining (nm) second UWB devices are the remaining one device (Responder3) among the three second UWB devices excluding the two mentioned above. In this embodiment, the Initiator's transmission and reception methods in the two sub-cycles are TxRxRx and TxRxD, respectively. For a ranging segment period t of 2ms and a sub-cycle of 1ms, the three RSFs occupy 1ms. Taking a configuration of 4 RSFs and 4 RIFs per data packet as an example, the ranging can be completed in a total of 2*8ms = 16ms, greatly shortening the ranging time. As shown in the example of Figure 21(c1), when there is an odd number of responders, the response cannot be divided into two parts equally. In one embodiment, the initiator can include one more response segment in the first half of the ranging segment period (the previous sub-cycle) than in the second half (the next sub-cycle), and a dummy segment time will be added at the last segment in the second half.

[0298] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 21(c2), the first UWB device is used as the car key (Initiator in Figure 21(c2)). The second UWB device includes three Responders configured in the vehicle (Responder1, Responder2, and Responder3 in Figure 21(c2)). Therefore, in this embodiment, n=3, which is an odd number. For example, m second UWB devices are Responder1, and the remaining (nm) second UWB devices are the two remaining devices besides the aforementioned second UWB device, namely Responder2 and Responder3. In this embodiment, the Initiator's transmission and reception methods in the two sub-cycles are TxRxD and TxRxRx, respectively. For a ranging segment period t of 2ms and a sub-cycle of 1ms, the 3 RSFs occupy 1ms. Taking the configuration of 4 RSFs and 4 RIFs per data packet as an example, the ranging can be completed in a total of 2*8ms = 16ms, which greatly shortens the ranging time. As shown in the example of Figure 21(c1), when there is an odd number of responders, the response cannot be divided into two parts equally. In one embodiment, the initiator can include one less response segment in the first half of the ranging segment period, i.e., the previous sub-cycle, than in the second half, i.e., the next sub-cycle. The first half will add a dummy segment time at the last segment.

[0299] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 21(d), the first UWB device is used as the car key (Initiator in Figure 21(d)). The second UWB device includes five Responders configured in the vehicle (Responder1, Responder2, Responder3, Responder4, and Responder5 in Figure 21(d), i.e., n=5 in this embodiment, which is an odd number greater than 3. The m second UWB devices are Responder1, Responder2, and Responder3. The remaining (nm) second UWB devices are the two remaining devices (Responder4 and Responder5) from the five second UWB devices excluding the three mentioned above. In this embodiment, the Initiator's transmit and receive modes in the two sub-cycles are TxRxRxRx and TxRxRxD, respectively. With a ranging segment period t of 2ms and a sub-cycle of 1ms, the three RSFs occupy 1ms. Taking a configuration of 4 RSFs and 4 RIFs per data packet as an example, the ranging can be completed in a total of 2*8ms = 16ms, significantly shortening the ranging time.

[0300] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 21(e), the first UWB device serves as the car key (Initiator in Figure 21(e)). The second UWB device includes six Responders configured in the vehicle (Responder1, Responder2, Responder3, Responder4, Responder5, and Responder6 in Figure 21(e). That is, in this embodiment, n = 6, which is an even number greater than 2. Therefore, The m second UWB devices are Responder1, Responder2, and Responder3. The remaining (nm) second UWB devices are the three remaining devices from the six second UWB devices excluding the three mentioned above, namely Responder4, Responder5, and Responder6. In this embodiment, the Initiator's transmit / receive mode in the two sub-cycles is TxRxRxRx and TxRxRxRx. With a ranging segment period t of 2ms and a sub-cycle of 1ms, the three RSFs occupy 1ms. Taking a configuration of 4 RSFs and 4 RIFs per data packet as an example, the ranging can be completed in a total of 2*8ms = 16ms, significantly shortening the ranging time.

[0301] In one exemplary instance, data transmission and reception within a ranging segment period t in this application embodiment employs UWB MMS segment transmission, where the transmission period of the segment is the ranging segment period. In one embodiment, the segment transmission is repeated once or more, as shown in Figure 22, which illustrates an example of four repeated transmissions. In this case, four ranging segment periods constitute one ranging phase. By repeatedly transmitting multiple segments and merging their channel impulse responses at the receiving end, the sensitivity of the UWB system is increased, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of distance measurement.

[0302] As shown in Figure 22, taking the process of 1 initiator device and 4 responder devices in 4 ranging segment periods as an example, the RSF data transmission and reception process between the Initiator and responder1 is as follows: each ranging segment period t is configured to be 2 milliseconds, each ranging segment period t includes 6 fragments, each fragment is 1 / 3 of the ranging time slot, and each ranging time slot is configured to be 1 millisecond.

[0303] Initiator sends RSF segments in the first and fourth segments of the first and second ranging segments (RSF ranging segment period), respectively. Responder1 sends RSF segments to Initiator in the second segment of the first and second ranging segments (RSF ranging segment period). Initiator and Responder1 perform DS-TWR twice in the first and second ranging segments (RSF ranging segment period).

[0304] The initiator performs channel impulse response combining based on the RSF segment received by Responder1 in the second segment of the first and second ranging segment periods. This process continues as long as the number of ranging segment periods (RSF ranging segment periods) exceeds two.

[0305] Responder1 performs channel impulse response combining based on the RSF segment received by the Initiator in the first segment of the first ranging segment period and the first segment of the second ranging segment period; and also performs channel impulse response combining based on the RSF segment received by the Initiator in the fourth segment of the first ranging segment period and the fourth segment of the second ranging segment period. This process continues as long as the number of ranging segment periods (RSF ranging segment periods) exceeds two.

[0306] Furthermore, the channel impulse response merging process of Initiator and Respnder2 is similar to that of Respnder1, and will not be elaborated here.

[0307] As shown in Figure 22, taking the process of 1 initiator device and 4 responder devices in 4 ranging segment periods as an example, the RSF data transmission and reception process between the Initiator and the responder3 is as follows: each ranging segment period t is configured to be 2 milliseconds, each ranging segment period t includes 6 fragments, each fragment is 1 / 3 of the ranging time slot, and each ranging time slot is configured to be 1 millisecond.

[0308] Initiator sends RSF segments in the first and fourth segments of the first and second ranging segments (RSF ranging segment period), respectively. Responder3 sends RSF segments to Initiator in the fifth segment of the first and second ranging segments (RSF ranging segment period). Initiator and Responder3 perform ess-TWR twice in the first and second ranging segments (RSF ranging segment period), with Initiator sending two RSF segments in each ranging segment period.

[0309] The initiator performs channel impulse response combining based on the RSF segment received by Responder3 in the fifth segment of the first and second ranging segment periods. This process continues as long as the number of ranging segment periods (RSF ranging segment periods) exceeds two.

[0310] Responder3 performs channel impulse response combining based on the RSF segment received by the Initiator in the first segment of the first ranging segment period and the second ranging segment period; and also performs channel impulse response combining based on the RSF segment received by the Initiator in the fourth segment of the first ranging segment period and the second ranging segment period. This process continues as long as the number of ranging segment periods (RSF ranging segment periods) exceeds two.

[0311] Furthermore, the channel impulse response merging process of Initiator and Respnder4 is similar to that of Respnder4, and will not be elaborated here.

[0312] The ranging method provided in this application effectively applies UWB MMS technology to a ranging process involving multiple responder devices. By combining channel impulse responses through UWB MMS technology, ranging accuracy is improved. At the same time, the ranging time required in the ranging stage is reduced, thereby reducing the power consumption of UWB devices.

[0313] In some embodiments, the ranging phase, ranging segment period, ranging sequence segment period, ranging integrity segment period, sub-period, ranging time slot, and segment length can all be configured. For example, the length of each segment (i.e., the length of each RSF / RIF) can be configured in the range of 64 microseconds to 512 microseconds. Taking a segment configured as 250 microseconds and a ranging time slot configured as 1 millisecond as an example, a ranging time slot can include a maximum of 4 segments. If a ranging segment period is configured to include 2 ranging time slots, then the ranging segment period can include a maximum of 8 segments, that is, in the case of 1 initiator, a maximum of 5 responders can be supported for ranging.

[0314] The ranging method provided in this application embodiment can flexibly configure the ranging stage, ranging segment period, ranging sequence segment period, ranging integrity segment period, sub-period, ranging time slot, and segment length. While reducing the power consumption of UWB devices, it can also be applied to different scenarios with varying numbers of responding devices.

[0315] In one exemplary instance, as shown in FIG20, the embodiments of this application further include:

[0316] Step 2003: Perform ranging based on the flight time determined by the time information of transmitting and receiving ranging data.

[0317] In one exemplary instance, as shown in Figure 13, for the data transmission and reception portion of the DS-TWR ranging method, the first flight time T... prop1 It can be calculated according to formula (1):

[0318] In formula (1), the first time difference T reply1 The second time difference T represents the time from when Device B receives the first ranging data to when it responds with ranging data to Device A; reply2 The third time difference T represents the time from when Device A receives the ranging data from Device B to when it sends the second ranging data to Device B; round1 The fourth time difference T represents the time between Device A sending the first ranging data and receiving the ranging data from Device B's response; round2This indicates the time between Device B responding to Device A with ranging data and receiving the second ranging data sent from Device A.

[0319] As shown in Figure 13, in formula (1), the first UWB device (Device A in Figure 13) sends the first ranging data to the second UWB device (Device B in Figure 1). Subsequently, after a first time difference Treply1, Device B responds with ranging data to Device A. Finally, after receiving the responding ranging data, Device A sends the second ranging data to Device B after a second time difference Treply2, thus completing one ranging cycle.

[0320] In one exemplary instance, as shown in Figure 23, for the improved ess-TWR in this embodiment of the invention, which uses the TxTxRx-RxRxTx data transmission and reception method to transmit and receive ranging data, the second flight time T prop2 It can be calculated according to formula (2):

[0321] Referring to Figure 23, in formula (2), As shown in Figure 23, the fifth time difference T reply3 This represents the time from when Device B receives the first ranging data to when it responds with ranging data to Device A; the sixth time difference T reply4 This represents the time from when Device B receives the second ranging data to when it responds with ranging data to Device A; the seventh time difference T round3 The eighth time difference T represents the time between Device A sending the first ranging data and receiving the ranging data from Device B in response; round4 This indicates the time between Device B sending the second ranging data and receiving the ranging data from Device B's response.

[0322] The ranging method provided in this application effectively applies UWB MMS technology to a ranging process involving multiple responder devices, reducing the ranging time required in the ranging stage and thus reducing the power consumption of UWB devices.

[0323] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing the UWB ranging method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0324] This application further provides a computer device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores the following instructions executable by the processor: steps for performing the UWB ranging method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0325] In one exemplary instance, for some time-sensitive applications, such as distance measurement between a car key and a vehicle, the car key needs to conserve power, thus requiring more sleep time and less distance measurement time. Normally, the car key acts as the initiator, and there are 4-7 UWB anchor points on the vehicle side as responders, performing DS-TWR distance measurement. The control and reporting phases are similar to SS-TWR, but the number of responders is greater than or equal to 2. In one embodiment, OOB such as BLE is used to transmit auxiliary information during the control phase.

[0326] During the ranging phase, they are different. When MMS is applied to DS-TWR, within 2ms, the initiator Tx is performed twice and Rx is performed once for each responder, as shown in Figure 24. 2ms is one RSF cycle, consisting of the first part (1 st part) and the second part (2) nd The system consists of two parts, each lasting 1 ms. Each Tx from the initiator occurs at the beginning of the first and second parts, respectively. Figure 24 shows a scenario with four responders and four RSF cycles. In the first part, some responders (the first two in Figure 24) perform standard DS-TWR with the initiator. In the second part, the remaining responders (the last two in Figure 24) perform the improved eSS-TWR of this embodiment, similar to the eSS-TWR defined in Fira. As shown in Figure 24, the initiator and respond1 perform TxRxTx ranging, i.e., standard DS-TWR; the initiator and respond2 also perform standard DS-TWR ranging. However, for responder3 or responder4, as shown in Figure 23, the initiator and responder3 or responder4 perform TxTxRx ranging, i.e., eSS-TWR ranging, as defined in Fira.

[0327] It should be noted that when RIF is applied to DS-TWR ranging, its Tx and Rx ranging are similar to RSF. Figure 25 shows an example applied to four responders, with the data packet including two RSFs and two RIFs.

[0328] In one exemplary instance, when there is an odd number of responders, the responders cannot be divided into two equal parts. In this case, the initiator may include one more response segment in the first part (i.e., one sub-period) of the RSF / RIF period (i.e., the ranging segment period) than in the second part (i.e., another sub-period). The second part adds an idle segment at the last segment. The ranging shown in Figure 26 includes 5 responders. As shown in Figure 26, the position of the idle segment is shown in the last segment of the second part of the RSF / RIF period. The first part of the RSF / RIF period has one more RSF / RIF segment than the second part.

[0329] In one embodiment, each RSF / RIF cycle includes a first part and a second part, both of which have the same duration, the same as the normal ranging time slot. Typically, the first / second part can be configured to 1200 RSTUs (1 ms). If the number of responders is too large to complete the response within 2 ms, the time slot can be configured as an integer multiple of 1200 RSTUs (1 ms).

[0330] In one exemplary instance, a Poll Compact frame with its message control field set to 0xB0 or ​​0xC0, used as a ranging initialization message, enables efficient one-to-many DS-TWR from the initiator to two or more responders. As shown in Table 1, the number of responders is set to two or more in the message content field, and the starting timeslot index is set to the starting timeslot index of the ranging phase. The responder list contains detailed information for multiple responders, including their addresses and sequence numbers, where the sequence number indicates the order of the responder's Tx packets. As shown in Table 1:

[0331] Table 1

[0332] In one exemplary instance, the entire RSF period comprises two time slots (i.e., ranging time slots), which are averaged into [ceil(1 + number of responders) / 2]*2 segments, where ceil represents rounding up. In one embodiment, when ranging is performed by 1 initiator and 4 responders, the two time slots of the RSF period are averaged into [ceil(1+4) / 2]*2 = 6 segments, each segment being 1 / 3 of a time slot and divided into 6 segments. In one embodiment, when ranging is performed by 1 initiator and 5 responders, each segment is 1 / 4 of a time slot. During the above ranging process, each response needs to be sent according to the sequence number assigned in the responder list, and the ranging method (DS-TWR or eSS-TWR) is determined based on the sequence number. If the sequence number is less than or equal to ceil(number of responders / 2), then DS-TWR should be used; otherwise, eSS-TWR should be used.

[0333] In one exemplary instance, for a one-to-many Poll Compact frame, when the value of the message control field is 0xA0, the message content is the same as when the value of the message control field is 0x90, except that the one-to-many Poll Compact frame indicates that both the initiating and responding devices must send measurement reports.

[0334] When the value of the message control field is 0xB0, the format of the responder list in the message content field is shown in Table 2.

[0335] Table 2

[0336] Figure 27 is a schematic diagram of the composition of the ranging device in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, taking each ranging segment period as an example including two sub-periods, as shown in Figure 27, it includes: a setting module and a ranging module; wherein,

[0337] In the case where the ranging device in this application embodiment is located at the initiator of the ranging:

[0338] The configuration module is used to set a ranging segment period to include two sub-periods, and to use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0339] The ranging module is used to: in one sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data replies from m responders at different times; in another sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data replies from the remaining (nm) responders at different times; where n is the number of responders, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

[0340] In the case where the ranging device in the embodiments of this application is located on the responder side of the ranging:

[0341] The configuration module is used to set a ranging segment period to include two sub-periods, and to use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period.

[0342] The ranging module is used to handle a situation where, in one sub-cycle, m responders receive data from the initiator once and send data back to the initiator at different times; in another sub-cycle, (nm) responders receive data from the initiator once and send data back to the initiator at different times; where n is the number of responders, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

[0343] The ranging device provided in this application embodiment effectively applies UWB MMS technology to a ranging process that includes multiple responder devices, reducing the ranging time required in the ranging stage and thus reducing the power consumption of the UWB device.

[0344] In one exemplary instance, the ranging device provided in this application embodiment may further include: a processing module, used to perform ranging based on the flight time determined by the time information of transmitting and receiving the ranging data.

[0345] This application also provides a UWB device, including any of the ranging devices provided in this application.

[0346] This application provides another UWB system, including at least one initiator and two or more responders;

[0347] The initiator's data transmission and reception within a ranging segment period includes: in each sub-period, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times;

[0348] The data transmission and reception of the responders within a ranging segment period includes: in each sub-period, all responders receive data from the initiator once, and some responders send data to the initiator once at different times;

[0349] Each ranging segment period includes two or more sub-periods, and one or more UWB MMS segments are used to transmit and receive data within each sub-period.

[0350] In the field of UWB car keys, car keys can help users locate their cars in underground parking garages using UWB technology. Specifically, the car key can be equipped with a human-machine interface (HMI). As the user approaches the car using this HMI, the car key continuously sends and receives UWB signals with relevant devices on the car, enabling distance / positioning based on Time of Flight (ToF). This determines the car's real-time position relative to the user until the user locates the car. During this process, the UWB configuration will switch multiple times as the position of the car key changes relative to the car to improve distance and positioning. However, current UWB configuration switching suffers from low efficiency and high power consumption.

[0351] In one exemplary instance, the ranging process between UWB devices involves multiple ranging interactions according to pre-configured UWB ranging configuration parameters (also known as short-term operating parameters). For example, UWB ranging interactions are performed by transmitting UWB ranging frames to obtain the measurement data required for UWB ranging. This method achieves good ranging results and the expected ranging accuracy in a relatively stable radio environment. However, in some scenarios, such as when the efficiency of current UWB configuration switching is low, the ranging effect between UWB devices becomes unstable.

[0352] It should be noted that the "distance measurement" mentioned in this embodiment covers the measurement of at least one of the distance, angle, and position between multiple UWB devices using UWB ranging technology.

[0353] Taking UWB ranging interaction between UWB devices using the SP0 format as an example, Table 3 shows the three rates in the SP0 format and their corresponding sensitivities. As shown in Table 3, it illustrates some of the ranging interaction performance when transmitting SP0 format data packets using different configuration parameters. The SP0 format mainly defines the three rates and their corresponding sensitivities as shown in Table 3 below:

[0354] Table 3

[0355] As shown in Table 3, the lower the data rate, the better the sensitivity and the longer the coverage distance. However, for the same data transmission, the longer the packet length, the greater the power consumption of the transmitting antenna (TX) and receiving antenna (RX).

[0356] For the positioning process, UWB devices mainly use SP3 packets, as shown in Figure 31. The preamble code duration has 12 configurations: 3*4. The longer the preamble code duration, the farther the coverage distance, but the greater the power consumption of the same transmit and receive antennas.

[0357] In other words, the longer the SP3 packet length, the higher the power consumption and the better the sensitivity, but the more susceptible it is to interference. Furthermore, the channel's frequency band may also be affected by electromagnetic interference. Therefore, different configuration parameters can adapt to different ranging needs. In other words, different ranging requirements allow for the selection of suitable short-term operating parameters, thus balancing ranging success rate and ranging time / power consumption.

[0358] To adapt to environments where multiple UWB devices interact with each other in UWB ranging mode, the configuration parameters required for ranging interaction can be changed between these devices. For example, before UWB ranging interaction occurs between devices, a ranging session is established via BLE communication, and a set of short-term operating parameters is determined for UWB interaction. If the short-term operating parameters do not meet certain ranging conditions, a new Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection is established to update the short-term operating parameters, and the above process is repeated. This process of configuring short-term operating parameters multiple times, due to repetitive operations based on considerations such as transmission integrity, prolongs the overall ranging time between multiple UWB devices. Furthermore, frequent changes to short-term operating parameters can lead to low UWB configuration switching efficiency and high power consumption. Additionally, negotiating new short-term operating parameters each time can result in a large data volume, causing the ranging success rate to be limited by the data transmission success rate.

[0359] To address at least one of the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a ranging method. By pre-storing multiple short-term operating parameter sets in multiple UWB devices participating in ranging, the UWB devices can use at least one of these short-term operating parameter sets for UWB ranging interaction within multiple ranging rounds during a ranging session. This achieves flexible adjustment of short-term operating parameters without requiring multiple short-term operating parameter negotiations during the ranging session. This results in higher ranging efficiency, lower power consumption, reduced failure rate, and increased configuration flexibility.

[0360] This application provides a ranging method applicable to ranging scenarios between multiple UWB devices. These multiple UWB devices are categorized into initiator (the party initiating the ranging) and responder (the party responding to the ranging).

[0361] In some embodiments, due to the characteristics of the actual application, such as in factory-configured vehicles and car keys, each UWB device on both sides pre-stores multiple short-term operation parameter sets with default configurations. These multiple short-term operation parameter sets can be used for UWB ranging interaction between the vehicle and car key during a ranging session. In other embodiments, the initiating or responding device among the multiple UWB devices does not have multiple short-term operation parameter sets pre-configured. For example, between a mobile phone and a vehicle sharing a digital key, multiple short-term operation parameter sets applicable during a ranging session can be determined through negotiation between the mobile phone (or vehicle) and the peer device.

[0362] By employing any of the methods described above, multiple UWB devices can flexibly configure the same or different short-term operating parameter sets for ranging interaction during a ranging session, in accordance with the ranging rounds. This effectively shortens the overall duration of multiple effective ranging rounds while ensuring ranging accuracy. The pre-stored sets of short-term operating parameters include any parameters that support the UWB communication protocol.

[0363] In some examples, the short-term operating parameter set includes at least one or any combination of the following short-term operating parameters: configuration parameters configurable for at least one of the control phase, ranging phase, and reporting phase during a ranging session. Each of these phases may employ the same communication mechanism to perform data transmission for that phase; or different communication mechanisms may be used to perform data transmission for the corresponding phases. Examples of such communication mechanisms include UWB narrowband communication, Bluetooth communication, or UWB ranging interaction.

[0364] For example, during a ranging session, multiple UWB devices communicate data with each other using the UWB ranging interaction protocol in the control, ranging, and reporting phases. Each short-term operating parameter set can then be used for data communication in each phase within a single ranging cycle.

[0365] For example, during a ranging session, multiple UWB devices use the UWB NB communication protocol to perform data transmission during the control phase, and the UWB ranging interaction protocol to perform data transmission during the ranging and reporting phases. Each short-term operating parameter set is applicable to the execution of UWB NB communication and UWB ranging communication between multiple UWB devices in each phase within a ranging round. For instance, each short-term operating parameter set is applicable to the execution of UWB NB communication between multiple UWB devices during the control phase within a ranging round; and to the execution of UWB ranging interaction during the ranging and reporting phases.

[0366] It should be noted that the communication mechanisms used in the above stages are merely examples. Except for the ranging stage which uses the UWB ranging interaction mechanism, the control and / or reporting stages may employ other communication mechanisms (such as BLE communication) for data transmission. The control and / or reporting stages may also provide multi-round ranging services.

[0367] In some examples that consider compatibility with multiple communication mechanisms, one short-term operating parameter set includes at least one or any combination of the following: a UWB narrowband channel list, a configuration of the management physical layer of UWB ranging interaction, a ranging configuration of the physical layer of UWB ranging interaction, a configuration of the management MAC layer of UWB ranging interaction, and a ranging configuration of the MAC layer of UWB ranging interaction.

[0368] As shown in Figure 36, according to the field settings, 0 to n parameter values ​​are configured for the same type of parameter field in multiple short-term operation parameter sets, where n>1. This allows for the combination of different parameter values ​​in the fields to obtain multiple short-term operation parameter sets. The UWB narrowband channel list includes: NB CHANNEL SEED and NB CHANNEL MAP. The management physical layer configuration of the UWB ranging channel includes modulation schemes such as QPSK PHY. The ranging configuration of the physical layer of UWB ranging interaction includes UWB ranging methods such as SS-TWR and DS-TWR. Examples of the management MAC layer configuration for UWB ranging interaction include: the number of RSFs and the number of RIFs.

[0369] For example, in Figure 36, the NB CHANNEL SEED field can use an identifier to indicate whether NB channel parameters are provided. If NB CHANNEL SEED is set to yes, the configured NB channel parameter values, such as NULL, channel 1, and channel 9, can be found through the NB CHANNEL MAP. These three parameters allow multiple UWB devices to choose whether to use UWB NB channel 1 or channel 9, or not to use NB channels, to transmit UWB ranging interaction-related data frames during the same ranging session.

[0370] For example, the Management PHY Configuration field contains various parameters used in the Range PHY Configuration, managed in a short-term (or long-term) manner to distinguish the effective duration / round of the PHY parameters in a set of UWB ranging parameters. The Range PHY Configuration includes, but is not limited to, the following parameter types: Sequence Code Index, MMRS complementary set zeros, N_MSR, STS Segment Length, UWB channel, Reserved, etc. Each parameter type can be configured with 1 to n parameter values, allowing multiple UWB devices to select during the same ranging session.

[0371] For example, the Management MAC Configuration field contains various parameters used in the Range MAC Configuration, which are managed in a short-term (or long-term) manner to distinguish the effective duration / round of the MAC parameter portion in a set of UWB ranging parameters. Range MAC Configuration includes, but is not limited to, the following types: number of RSFs, number of RIFs, reserved, etc. Each parameter type can be configured with 1 to n parameter values, allowing multiple UWB devices to select during the same ranging session.

[0372] Examples of combined NB communication and UWB ranging interaction mechanisms, including but not limited to those described above, include short-term operating parameters in each set, such as at least one of the following: channel identifier, ranging data packet configuration parameters, etc. Depending on the protocol used during the ranging session, the short-term operating parameters may also include at least one of the following: transmit power, payload rate, number of RSFs, number of RIFs, etc.

[0373] The channel identifier is used to indicate the channel number used for performing ranging interactions.

[0374] Transmit power indicates information related to the power at which the device transmits UWB signals. This includes whether the transmit power has been adjusted, the transmit power currently used, and the difference between the current transmit power and the maximum transmit power. For example, configuration parameters may include whether to submit a transmit power headroom report (PHR).

[0375] The payload rate represents the rate at which data packets are used in ranging interactions.

[0376] In addition, each short-term operating parameter set is also related to the ranging interaction method.

[0377] In some examples, as shown in Figure 32, the ranging method between two UWB devices is to perform a ranging interaction once within the same ranging round 1 in the same ranging block 1. Ranging accuracy can be improved by selecting a ranging round from multiple ranging blocks for the ranging interaction. During these multiple ranging rounds, the UWB devices may need to use various configuration parameters for ranging data packets, such as the preamble code and the number of symbols (N_sync). Therefore, before ranging, the UWB devices negotiate multiple short-term operational parameter sets that include the aforementioned parameters.

[0378] In other examples, the sequential transmit / receive operations performed by two UWB devices can be referred to as segment operations performed according to the ranging sequence. The operation of two UWB devices cooperating to transmit and receive UWB signals during a single ranging interaction is simply called executing a phase. To reduce UWB electromagnetic radiation, as shown in Figure 33, an example of a round of ranging interaction between two UWB devices is as follows: Segment RSF1 indicates the following interaction process: within a set time segment, the initiator sends a first UWB signal, and the responder sends back a second UWB signal. Thus, according to the segment sequence set for a single ranging interaction, the initiator and responder sequentially execute segment operations to obtain the measurement data required for ranging calculation. To improve UWB ranging sensitivity, the two UWB devices perform N rounds of ranging interaction. To enhance information security, the two UWB devices also perform M rounds of ranging interaction. Here, M rounds of ranging are a number set based on the communication security of the two UWB devices. N and M can be the same or different. For ease of distinction, the segments involved in the M-wheel ranging interaction are called Ranging Integrity Fragments (RIF).

[0379] To perform the ranging interaction in the example above, the configuration parameters of the ranging data packets involved in different RSFs or RIFs, the number of RSFs, or the number of RIFs can be configured in multiple short-term operation parameter sets.

[0380] The ranging data packet may contain multiple Multi-Millisecond Ranging Sequence (MMRS) symbols. Each MMRS includes a clock synchronization symbol (or simply SYNC) and a Start Frame Delimiter (SFD). The clock synchronization symbol contains multiple preambles. Therefore, each short-term operational parameter set may also include configuration parameters for the ranging data packet, such as the number of MMRS symbols, the selected preambles in each MMRS, and their quantity.

[0381] The above is only an exemplary description of short-term operating parameters. In some embodiments, the required UWB parameters and parameter selection ranges for a short-term operating parameter set can be determined according to the scenario, requirements, etc., such as power and its value range.

[0382] To facilitate the identification of different short-term operating parameter sets from multiple short-term operating parameter sets, each short-term operating parameter set is also associated with at least one index. Each index can be associated with one or more short-term operating parameter sets. For example, an index can be associated with a short-term operating parameter set in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0383] In some examples, the same short-lived operating parameter set can be configured across multiple UWB devices with a small amount of data by using a transport index. For instance, the index is described using data structures such as arrays or tree structures according to the parameter types involved in each short-lived operating parameter set, to associate a short-lived operating parameter set, or even the parameters in a short-lived operating parameter set. Another example is grouping parameters according to pre-stored types and their values, with each group constituting a short-lived operating parameter set, and each short-lived operating parameter set associated with an index.

[0384] In other examples, each index is associated with multiple short-term operation parameter sets, and multiple UWB devices can combine strategies such as timing to select the same short-term operation parameter set for UWB ranging interaction.

[0385] In other words, each short-lived operation parameter set is associated with at least one index, and the indices associated with different short-lived operation parameter sets are not exactly the same. Thus, the UWB initiating device and / or the UWB responding device can negotiate the short-lived operation parameter sets needed for at least one round by exchanging the indices of the short-lived operation parameter sets (an index associated with a short-lived operation parameter set, or a set of indices of short-lived operation parameter sets contained within a short-lived operation parameter set), and / or the indices of the short-lived operation parameters themselves. The set of indices of short-lived operation parameter sets contained within a short-lived operation parameter set can be represented using an array, a tree structure, or similar methods.

[0386] It should be noted that some parameters in multiple short-run operation parameter sets may be shared by different short-run operation parameter sets or may be default values. In this case, these parameters may not need to be negotiated or may be provided through one of the short-run operation parameter sets. That is to say, the parameter types and values ​​in a short-run operation parameter set may include those that have been negotiated and confirmed, or they may include default configurations, etc.

[0387] To enable multiple UWB devices to negotiate and determine multiple short-term operating parameter sets and flexibly configure them in a ranging session, Figure 28 illustrates a ranging method in an embodiment of this application. It should be noted that if multiple UWB devices have pre-stored multiple short-term operating parameter sets with default configurations, step 2801 below can be omitted.

[0388] Step 2801: Negotiate and determine multiple short-term operating parameter sets.

[0389] Step 2802: During multiple ranging rounds in a ranging session, perform UWB ranging interaction using at least one of the short-term operating parameter sets.

[0390] In one exemplary instance, multiple UWB devices determine and store long-term parameters to maintain the same ranging session during the initialization phase of the ranging session. These long-term parameters may include, for example, device information from the peer device. Each UWB device can negotiate multiple short-term operation parameter sets to be stored during the ranging session initialization phase or after the ranging session is established, thereby obtaining at least two short-term operation parameter sets for each device. Thus, if it is necessary to change the current short-term operation parameter set during a ranging session, a switch can be made directly from the negotiated multiple short-term operation parameter sets, or other control strategies can be adopted, thereby improving the handover success rate and efficiency of UWB configuration.

[0391] In some embodiments, long-term parameters and multiple short-term operating parameter sets can be negotiated via out-of-band (OOB) communication, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), local area networks, etc., to save power and achieve high data transmission efficiency. In other embodiments, long-term parameters and multiple short-term operating parameter sets can also be negotiated via UWB ranging interaction or UWB narrowband (i.e., UWB NB) communication to reduce device costs. This eliminates the need to rely on other communication modules for ranging and data transmission, simplifying the structure of the device or equipment and making it more suitable for application scenarios such as car keys where device size is a constraint.

[0392] In order to negotiate and determine the same short-term operating parameter set, one UWB device may inform the other device of multiple short-term operating parameter sets through broadcasting or point-to-point communication; or multiple UWB devices to be measured may determine whether they are available to both parties by means of a request-response method, initiated by one end and filtered by the other end.

[0393] Taking UWB narrowband communication as an example for negotiation, as shown in Figure 34, among (n+1) UWB devices, the initiator establishes ranging session connections between the initiator and each of the n responders (Responder1, ..., Responder n) to configure multiple short-term operation parameter sets for the corresponding ranging session.

[0394] For example, the initiating device is configured to support higher-level functions, acquire information such as the UWB narrowband communication method, start time, and interval for performing negotiations, and broadcasts an Advertising Poll Compact frame (ADV POLL frame) to one or more responding devices expecting a response. The ADV POLL frame sets the number of slots for the Access Term (CAP) starting from its end. A CAP consists of multiple initialization slots, the duration of which is specified in the ADV POLL frame. After sending the ADV POLL frame, the initiating device listens for one or more incoming Broadcast Response Compact frames (ADV RESP frames) in subsequent CAPs. For one or more responding devices out of n configured to interact with the initiating device for ranging, upon receiving a Broadcast Poll Compact frame, it randomly selects one of the initialization slots in the CAP and sends an ADV RESP frame at the beginning of the selected initialization slot. When the CAP ends, the initiating device sends either a Broadcast Acknowledgment Compact frame (ADV CONF frame) or a Ranging Start Compact frame (SOR frame).

[0395] During the aforementioned interactions, the initiating device and each responding device can negotiate multiple short-term operation parameter sets using at least one of the ADV RESP frame, ADV CONF frame, or SOR frame. For example, a field containing multiple short-term operation parameter sets can be configured in the ADV RESP frame to request the use of those short-term operation parameters during the ranging session. This request can be acknowledged or modified by the peer device. Similarly, a field containing the relevant information from multiple short-term operation parameter sets can be configured in the ADV CONF frame to confirm the use of multiple short-term operation parameter sets during the ranging session. And again, a field as shown in Figure 36 can be configured in the SOR frame to confirm the use of multiple short-term operation parameter sets during the ranging session.

[0396] It should be noted that Figure 34 also illustrates other operations performed by the Initiator and Responders during the time slots for sending and receiving different data frames, such as the Responder's scan operation (SCAN), which indicates the reception of ADV POLL frames by scanning the UWB NB channel to establish UWB NB communication between the Initiator and Responders. The above scanning scheme can be replaced by other response methods, such as a default configuration specifying an initialization channel for establishing UWB NB data frame interaction. Different communication establishment mechanisms are related to the protocol used.

[0397] Using the aforementioned data frames, multiple UWB devices in the same ranging session can use various negotiation methods to obtain multiple short-term operating parameter sets.

[0398] In some examples, the initiating device and each responding device may use a unilaterally configured negotiation method. For example, at least one of the responding devices may send a desired set of short-term operating parameters to the initiating device via an ADV RESP frame, and the initiating device may accept and perform subsequent UWB ranging interactions according to the desired set of short-term operating parameters.

[0399] In other examples, multiple responding devices send ADV RESP frames to request multiple short-term operating parameter sets. The initiating device selects at least two short-term operating parameter sets available during the ranging session and sends them to the corresponding responding device via ADV CONF frames (or SOR frames). Examples of selection methods include: based on detected channel quality; positional relationships obtained using other measurement methods with accuracy not exceeding UWB ranging accuracy; or measurement strategies from upper-layer applications, at least one of the following. Examples of channel quality include: channel noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and transmitted / received signal energy. Examples of positional relationships include those using Bluetooth or cellular networks for positioning. Examples of measurement strategies from upper-layer applications include: the number of measurements or measurement frequency set based on a preset area inside or outside the welcoming zone.

[0400] In other examples, the initiating device and each responding device may use a mutually agreed-upon negotiation method. For instance, one of the responding devices sends available or unavailable short-term operating parameters to the initiating device via an ADV RESP frame; the initiating device, based on the collected available or unavailable short-term operating parameters, determines at least two sets of short-term operating parameters for subsequent ranging interactions and sends them to the corresponding responding device via an ADV CONF frame (or SOR frame).

[0401] It should be noted that the various short-term operation parameters transmitted in the above examples can be represented by identifier indexes or compressed encoding to reduce the amount of data exchanged.

[0402] Considering that there is at least partial overlap in frequency bands for different radio communication mechanisms, such as UWB narrowband communication and Wi-Fi, in order to prevent mutual interference, the process of negotiating and determining the multiple short-term operating parameter sets also includes the step of performing Clear Channel Assessment (CCA).

[0403] For example, when an initiating or responding device uses a UWB NB channel to transmit multiple short-term operating parameter sets, its channel duty cycle per unit duration may be large, such as >2.5% for 1 second. For NB channels that share frequency bands with Wi-Fi, transmitting such data frames may result in channel usage conflicts. Therefore, the initiating or responding device performs CCA (Continuous Channel Assessment) detection on the channel before transmitting signal frames. CCA detection includes, but is not limited to, evaluating at least one or a combination of the following parameters reflecting channel / signal conditions: signal strength of data packets transmitted in the channel, estimated device spacing based on the energy of transmitted and received data packets, ambient noise intensity, occupancy of synchronization symbols in data packets, and time slice allocation on the channel.

[0404] Compared to negotiating one short-term operating parameter set at a time, this scheme reduces the frequency of CCA detection. Specifically, as wireless communication networks expand their coverage, the likelihood of channel collisions increases with each negotiation of a short-term operating parameter set. This leads to more frequent CCA detection, increasing the probability of retransmissions and missed transmissions during the negotiation process. Therefore, utilizing a single negotiation opportunity to transmit at least two short-term operating parameter sets improves the transmission efficiency of the short-term operating parameters required for the ranging session. Furthermore, since multiple short-term operating parameter sets can be replaced by indices with less data, using indices in subsequent ranging interactions effectively reduces the amount of data transmitted, thereby reducing the chance of channel collisions.

[0405] When multiple UWB devices in a ranging session are configured with multiple short-term operating parameter sets, each participating UWB device uses one of these short-term operating parameter sets for UWB ranging interaction within any ranging round during a ranging session. The short-term operating parameter sets used in different ranging rounds can be the same or different. The short-term operating parameter set used in one ranging round can be determined using an index carried in any previous communication. The index can be configured in any of the following example data frames: ADV CONF frame of UWB NB communication, SOR frame of UWB NB communication; Pre Poll frame of UWB ranging interaction, Poll frame of UWB ranging interaction, Final Data frame of UWB ranging interaction, Final frame, RIM (ranging initiation message) of UWB ranging interaction, RRM (ranging response message) of UWB ranging interaction, RFM (ranging final message) of UWB ranging interaction, MRM (measurement report message) of UWB ranging interaction, RRRM (ranging result report message) of UWB ranging interaction; or data frames with similar functions to the above data frames provided by other communication methods such as BLE communication.

[0406] In some embodiments, the short-term operating parameter sets used in different ranging rounds may be pre-defined in a default order. During the negotiation operation in step 2801 or in the default settings, the responding device and the initiating device also agree on a strategy for switching between different short-term operating parameter sets. Thus, according to the strategy, the responding device and the initiating device use matching short-term operating parameters in different ranging rounds during a ranging session. This strategy may include, for example, setting the same switching period, the same switching order, or configuring an index generation algorithm.

[0407] In other embodiments, the short-term operating parameters used in different ranging rounds can be negotiated between the responding device and the peer device via instructions. In this way, the initiating device or responding device sends a data packet carrying the switched short-term operating parameter set or corresponding index to the other party for subsequent switching.

[0408] That is, during the ranging session, the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device negotiate the same short-term operating parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interaction. The negotiation of the same short-term operating parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interaction includes: the UWB initiating device indicating a short-term operating parameter set to the UWB responding device; and / or, the UWB responding device requesting a short-term operating parameter set from the UWB initiating device, or short-term operating parameters that conform to at least one short-term operating parameter set.

[0409] Taking the transmission of an index using UWB ranging interaction between the initiating and responding devices as an example, the initiating device uses a start frame (such as a Pre-Poll frame, Poll frame, or RIM frame) and / or an end frame (such as a Final data frame or MRM frame) to carry the configuration index in the i-th ranging round, informing the responding device to use the corresponding short-term operation parameters in the (i+j)-th ranging round. Upon receiving this index, the responding device performs UWB ranging interaction according to the short-term operation parameter set corresponding to that index in the (i+j)-th ranging round. Here, i is the index of the ranging round, j is the offset of the ranging round, and j≥1. Utilizing UWB ranging interaction can reduce the time spent switching communication modes and improve ranging efficiency.

[0410] In some other examples, after receiving an index from the peer device, the responding or initiating device can further confirm whether it needs to switch to the peer's recommended short-term operating parameter set for bidirectional negotiation.

[0411] To this end, the ranging method further includes the following steps: responding to a request from the peer to determine another short-term operating parameter set; or sending an index of each available or unavailable short-term operating parameter set to the peer so that the peer device can re-provide one of the short-term operating parameter sets to be used in subsequent ranging rounds.

[0412] For example, as shown in Figure 35, before a UWB ranging interaction, the initiating device uses UWB NB communication to send a start frame (POLL) to inform each responding device of the short-term operating parameter set (or its index) to be used in this UWB ranging interaction. Correspondingly, the responding devices (Responder1, ..., Responder n) send a ranging response frame (RESP) to acknowledge this. In this way, the initiating device and each responding device perform UWB ranging interaction (UWB Ranging) using the same UWB configuration parameters. After the ranging interaction, the initiating device and each responding device use UWB NB to complete the exchange of ranging data, that is, to exchange data using REPORT frames. Using UWB NB communication offers the advantage of reduced power consumption.

[0413] To allow both ranging parties to use the modified short-term operating parameter set, the UWB responding device feeds back the short-term operating parameter set during the reporting phase for use in subsequent corresponding rounds of UWB ranging interactions; or the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device negotiate and determine it during the control phase of the ranging session. The transmission methods used in the reporting and / or control phases can refer to the methods mentioned above.

[0414] Understandably, since the amount of information in the index is less than that in the short-term operation parameter set itself, the way the index is transmitted needs to transmit less information. This is especially suitable for the communication method of UWB ranging interaction technology, which carries less information, and does not require additional power consumption.

[0415] During a ranging session, in addition to periodically changing the short-term operating parameter set or negotiating to change the short-term operating parameter set, to avoid inconsistent configuration parameters between the two ranging devices due to the timing of the switching between different devices, the initiating device and the responding device can also reserve a delay period for using the switched short-term operating parameter set to ensure that both devices use the same short-term operating parameter set in the same subsequent ranging round.

[0416] To address the aforementioned issues, the ranging method in this application further includes receiving or sending the effective time of one of the short-term operation parameter sets. This ensures that both the initiating and responding devices have adopted the same short-term operation parameter set during subsequent ranging interactions by reserving a delay for asynchronous switching operations, thus avoiding ranging failures caused by inconsistent switching. Examples of the effective time include any of the following: a delay duration (offset) determined by a reference time, a round value, or the start time.

[0417] For example, the data frame sending the index may also include a subsequently specified ranging block index and ranging round index to indicate that ranging interaction should be performed using the short-term operation parameter set corresponding to the index within the corresponding ranging round. Alternatively, it may send or receive a default or specified delay duration or a start time determined based on a synchronous clock system, so that the initiating and responding devices can complete the configuration operation of switching the short-term operation parameter set within the delay duration or before the start time, and perform ranging interaction using the updated short-term operation parameters after the delay duration expires or when the start time arrives. Alternatively, it may be used in the next ranging interaction round.

[0418] In situations affected by environmental or equipment limitations, the transmission and reception of indexed data frames may fail. The ranging method further includes the following step: retransmitting data frames. This retransmission ensures that both ranging devices perform a handover operation, further improving the handover success rate. For example, when the initiating device times out receiving a response message, it retransmits the data frame. Alternatively, when the responding device detects that its current short-term operating parameter set does not match the current environment and has not received a data frame from the initiating device, it can send a handover request to facilitate data frame retransmission.

[0419] The decision to change the short-term operating parameter set can be based on the detection that some or all of the current short-term operating parameters are unsuitable for ranging, or it can be changed periodically. The detection method for changing the current short-term operating parameters is related to at least one aspect, such as communication security, environmental interference, improving ranging efficiency, and saving power. For example, as mentioned in the previous example, the handover operation is performed based on at least one of the following: periodic handover; responding to a request from the peer device; based on the transmission and reception of UWB data packets and / or the allocation of UWB resources; and based on a handover command from the data interface, to switch to the other set of short-term operating parameters. These will be explained one by one below. Periodic handover means switching according to the period duration or the number of periodic ranging interactions, etc.

[0420] A request message from a peer device indicates that when the peer device detects the need to switch to another short-term operating parameter set, it sends a request message to trigger the handover. This request message can be, for example, the aforementioned instruction or information used to request the handover.

[0421] Based on the transmission and reception of UWB data packets and / or the allocation of UWB resources, check whether the current short-term operating parameters match the current ranging environment.

[0422] The transmission and reception of UWB data packets includes at least one of the following: the signal strength of the received UWB data packet, the distance between the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device determined based on the transmitted and received UWB data packets, the ambient noise intensity determined based on the transmitted and received UWB data packets, and the power consumption of the transmitted UWB data packets. The UWB data packet includes any UWB signal frame required for the ranging interaction process, examples of which include, but are not limited to: ranging start frame, ranging response frame, and ranging end frame. The ranging start frame indicates the start of ranging calculation, and according to different UWB ranging protocols, examples include at least one of the following: Pre-Poll frame, Poll frame, RIM frame, etc. The ranging response frame is a signal frame responding to the ranging start frame for ranging calculation, such as a respond frame. The ranging end frame informs the peer device that the ranging interaction has ended, such as a Final data frame, Final frame, MRM, RRRM, CRUM frame, etc. Any UWB device involved in ranging can use signal processing to detect the transmission and reception of UWB data packets, and evaluate whether to switch over based on the detected data indicating the transmission and reception status.

[0423] The allocation of UWB resources includes at least one of the following: channel allocation, preamble allocation on the channel, and time slice allocation on the channel. Of course, the above is only an example and does not mean that the transmission and reception of UWB data packets or the allocation of UWB resources can only include or must include the above information; these will not be elaborated upon here. Unlike transmission and reception, UWB devices participating in ranging can also detect the channel to be used, the occupancy of other channels, channel quality, etc., during the intervals of ranging interactions or without a necessary temporal relationship to ranging interactions, and can even detect whether there is a time slice conflict between their own device and multiple peer devices during ranging interactions, and trigger a handover operation in a timely manner based on the detection results.

[0424] Based on a switching instruction from the data interface, the device switches to another short-term operation parameter set. This switching instruction typically originates from an upper-layer application on the UWB device. Examples of upper-layer applications include those for locating lost devices or setting access permissions. The switching instruction is generated according to the scheduling strategy implemented by the upper-layer application. Upon detecting this switching instruction, the UWB device sends an identifier for the other device to utilize the switched short-term operation parameters for the next round of ranging interaction.

[0425] In addition, when a UWB device interacts with multiple peer devices for ranging, the UWB device can use positioning methods such as triangulation to achieve positioning, which will not be elaborated here.

[0426] The steps of the various methods described above are only for clarity. In practice, they can be combined into one step or some steps can be split into multiple steps. As long as they include the same logical relationship, they are all within the scope of protection of this patent. Adding insignificant modifications or introducing insignificant designs to the algorithm or process, but without changing the core design of the algorithm and process, are also within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0427] Another embodiment of this application provides a UWB network, as shown in FIG29, including: a UWB initiating device 2901 and at least one UWB responding device 2902, wherein the UWB initiating device 2901 and the UWB responding device 2902 are used to cooperate to implement the ranging method as described in any embodiment of this application.

[0428] It is not difficult to see that this embodiment is a network embodiment corresponding to the method embodiment, and this embodiment can be implemented in conjunction with the method embodiment. The relevant technical details mentioned in the method embodiment are still valid in this embodiment, and will not be repeated here to reduce repetition. Correspondingly, the relevant technical details mentioned in this embodiment can also be applied to the method embodiment.

[0429] Another embodiment of this application provides an integrated circuit, as shown in FIG30, including a communication module 3001 and a ranging module 3002. The communication module 3001 is connected to the ranging module 3002.

[0430] The communication module 3001 negotiates and determines long-term parameters and multiple short-term operating parameter sets for a ranging session. The ranging module 3002, coupled to the communication module 3001, uses at least one of the short-term operating parameter sets for UWB ranging interaction during multiple ranging rounds within a ranging session. The long-term parameters are those necessary to maintain a ranging session, such as device information of the participating UWB devices. The multiple short-term operating parameter sets are used selectively by multiple UWB devices during UWB ranging interaction in different rounds within the ranging session. The long-term parameters and the multiple short-term operating parameter sets are shared with the local ranging module 3002.

[0431] Depending on the data interaction method used by the communication module and the ranging module, the communication module and the ranging module can be separate radio frequency chips, or the communication module and the ranging module can share a common UWB transceiver circuit.

[0432] Optionally, the integrated circuit may also include a data processing module for further processing the received digital signal to obtain measurement results. Optionally, the integrated circuit may be a UWB chip.

[0433] It should be noted that the above is only an illustrative example. In some embodiments, the communication module and the ranging module can be integrated into the same module. For example, the data transmission involved in the aforementioned steps is implemented using UWB transceiver circuits, which will not be described in detail here.

[0434] This embodiment is a circuit embodiment corresponding to the method embodiment, and can be implemented in conjunction with the method embodiment. The relevant technical details mentioned in the method embodiment remain valid in this embodiment, and will not be repeated here to avoid repetition. Correspondingly, the relevant technical details mentioned in this embodiment can also be applied to the method embodiment.

[0435] It is worth mentioning that all modules involved in this embodiment are logical modules. In practical applications, a logical unit can be a physical unit, a part of a physical unit, or a combination of multiple physical units. Furthermore, to highlight the innovative aspects of this application, this embodiment does not introduce units that are not closely related to solving the technical problems proposed in this application; however, this does not mean that other units are absent in this embodiment.

[0436] Furthermore, in order to highlight the innovative aspects of this application, no units that are not closely related to solving the technical problems proposed in this application are introduced in this embodiment, but this does not mean that there are no other units in this embodiment.

[0437] Another embodiment of this application relates to an electronic device, including: an antenna, and an integrated circuit as described above. The integrated circuit is connected to the antenna for ranging, or for positioning via ranging.

[0438] When the antenna and integrated circuit are not integrated into a single device, the integrated circuit is connected to the antenna via a first transmission line, which can be a printed circuit board (PCB) trace. The carrier can be a printed circuit board (PCB), such as a development board, data acquisition board, or the motherboard of a device, etc., which will not be elaborated on here.

[0439] Since the structure and working principle of the integrated circuits included in the UWB device have been described in detail in the above embodiments, they will not be repeated here.

[0440] The radio can also be mounted on equipment, specifically the equipment itself.

[0441] In some embodiments, the electronic device may be disposed outside the device body; in other embodiments, the electronic device may be disposed inside the device body; and in still other embodiments, the electronic device may be partially disposed inside the device body and partially disposed outside the device body. This application does not limit the scope of the embodiments; the specific method depends on the circumstances.

[0442] It should be noted that electronic devices can achieve functions such as target detection by transmitting and receiving radio signals, providing measurement information of the detected target to the device itself, thereby assisting or even controlling the operation of the device. Examples of measurement information include at least one of relative distance, relative speed, and relative angle.

[0443] In some embodiments, the device body described above can be a component or product applied in fields such as transportation, consumer electronics, monitoring, in-cabin detection, and healthcare. For example, the device body can be intelligent transportation equipment (such as automobiles, motorcycles, ships, subways, trains, etc.), security equipment (such as cameras), liquid level / flow rate detection equipment, smart wearable devices (such as wristbands, glasses, etc.), smart home devices (such as robot vacuum cleaners, door locks, televisions, air conditioners, smart lights, etc.), various communication devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, etc.), as well as devices such as barriers, intelligent traffic lights, intelligent signs, traffic cameras, and various industrial robotic arms (or robots). It can also be various instruments used to detect vital signs parameters and various devices equipped with such instruments, such as in-cabin detection in automobiles, indoor personnel monitoring, intelligent medical devices, and consumer electronic devices.

[0444] In some embodiments, when the aforementioned device body is applied to an Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS), the electromagnetic wave electronic device, as an in-vehicle electronic device, can provide various functional safety guarantees for the ADAS system, such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Changing Assist (LCA), and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA).

[0445] To facilitate a better understanding of the combination of method embodiments and network, circuit, and other embodiments by those skilled in the art, examples will be provided below.

[0446] First, after an initiating device (a car key equipped with the integrated circuit described above) enters the UWB network of an underground parking garage, it will establish a BLE connection with the corresponding responding device installed in the car (equipped with the integrated circuit described above) through their respective communication modules. Then, through a session created based on this BLE connection, at least two short-lived operation parameter sets will be negotiated. Each short-lived operation parameter set is locally configured with an index, and the same index can be mapped between UWB devices with different roles.

[0447] The communication module of the responding device (or initiating device) sends one or more negotiated short-term operating parameter sets to the ranging module, allowing each ranging module of both the responding and initiating devices to perform a ranging interaction using one of these short-term operating parameter sets. Over time, changes in signal quality, distance between the initiating and responding devices, environmental interference, and power consumption optimization requirements may occur, leading to mismatches between the short-term operating parameters and the default values. In such cases, both the responding and initiating devices can adjust their configurations based on detection and select a suitable configuration according to the current situation.

[0448] For example, if the distance is short and the signal is good, choosing a configuration with a short preamble can save power.

[0449] For example, in situations where channel interference is strong and the distance is short, a frequency with less interference can be selected, and a short preamble configuration can be chosen to avoid interference.

[0450] For example, consider an initiating device that acts as a controller. If the initiating device sends an index to the responding device, the responding device, after parsing the index and the future effective time, will switch to the short-term operating parameters recommended by the initiating device when the future effective time arrives. If the responding device sends an index to the initiating device, the initiating device will also verify the short-term operating parameter set recommended by the responding device and return the verification result to the responding device via the UWB connection. For example, it might return the index of the new recommended short-term operating parameters, a short response frame, or the index recommended by the responding device.

[0451] Therefore, it can be seen that the embodiments of this application, through the provided ranging method, UWB network, integrated circuit, and electronic device, can distribute multiple configurations to UWB devices at one time, supporting UWB devices to quickly switch configurations according to the needs of signal energy, interference level, and power consumption optimization. This enables UWB devices to quickly adapt to changes in environment, power consumption, signal, etc., thereby achieving benefits such as improved positioning success rate, reduced power consumption, and improved system stability.

[0452] The examples disclosed in this application are summarized below:

[0453] In some embodiments, a ranging method is provided for a UWB device, wherein the UWB device stores a plurality of short-term operating parameter sets; one of the short-term operating parameter sets is used by the UWB device during a round of UWB ranging interaction in a ranging session; the method includes: performing UWB ranging interaction using at least one of the short-term operating parameter sets in the plurality of ranging rounds during the ranging session.

[0454] In some embodiments, each of the short-term operating parameter sets is associated with at least one index.

[0455] In some embodiments, the short-term operation parameter set and index are associated one-to-one.

[0456] In some embodiments, the method further includes obtaining the plurality of short-term operating parameter sets by negotiating using UWB narrowband communication, UWB communication, or out-of-band communication; or storing the plurality of short-term operating parameter sets by default.

[0457] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting, during a ranging session, the effective time of a short-term operating parameter set therein.

[0458] In some embodiments, the method further includes: during at least one control phase or reporting phase of a ranging session, transmitting an index using UWB narrowband communication, out-of-band communication, or UWB communication, so that the UWB device can perform UWB ranging interaction using the short-term operating parameter set corresponding to the index in at least one subsequent ranging round.

[0459] In some embodiments, at least one set of short-term operating parameters is determined based on at least one of the following: periodic replacement; in response to requests from peer devices; based on the transmission and reception of UWB packets and / or the allocation of UWB resources; and based on instructions from the data interface.

[0460] In some embodiments, the transmission and reception status of the UWB data packets includes at least one of the following: the signal strength of the received UWB data packets, the distance between the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device determined based on the transmitted and received UWB data packets, the ambient noise intensity determined based on the transmitted and received UWB data packets, and the power consumption of transmitting UWB data packets; and / or, the allocation status of the UWB resources includes at least one of the following: the allocation status of channels, the allocation status of preambles on channels, and the allocation status of time slices on channels.

[0461] In some embodiments, at least one of the short-term operating parameter sets is used to configure parameters required for at least one of the control phase, ranging phase, or reporting phase during a ranging session.

[0462] In some embodiments, at least one of the short-term operating parameter sets includes at least one or a combination of the following: a UWB narrowband channel list, a configuration of the management physical layer of UWB ranging interaction, a ranging configuration of the physical layer of UWB ranging interaction, a configuration of the management MAC layer of UWB ranging interaction, and a ranging configuration of the MAC layer of UWB ranging interaction.

[0463] In some embodiments, at least one of the short-term operating parameter sets includes at least one of the following or a combination of at least one of the following: channel identifier, configuration parameters of ranging data packets, data rate, transmit power, number of RSFs, and number of RIFs.

[0464] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting instructions for indicating switching so as to perform UWB ranging interaction using at least two short-term operating parameter sets in different ranging rounds.

[0465] In some embodiments, the method further includes: performing an idle channel assessment.

[0466] In some embodiments, the UWB device also stores long-term parameters for maintaining the ranging session.

[0467] In some embodiments, a UWB network is provided, comprising: a UWB initiating device and a UWB responding device, wherein, during a UWB ranging session, one of the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device performs the ranging method as described in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0468] In some embodiments, an integrated circuit is provided, comprising: a communication module and a ranging module, the communication module being connected to the ranging module; the communication module being configured to negotiate and determine a plurality of short-term operating parameter sets during a ranging session, and to transmit the plurality of short-term operating parameter sets to the ranging module; the ranging module being coupled to the communication module, and performing UWB ranging interaction using at least one of the short-term operating parameter sets during a plurality of ranging rounds in the ranging session.

[0469] In some embodiments, the communication module and the ranging module include a shared UWB transceiver circuit.

[0470] In some embodiments, an electronic device is provided, comprising: an antenna; and an integrated circuit as described in any of the preceding embodiments, connected to the antenna.

[0471] In some embodiments, a ranging method is also provided for a UWB initiating device and a UWB responding device to perform UWB ranging interactions, wherein the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device store the same multiple short-term operation parameter sets; during a ranging session, the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device negotiate the same short-term operation parameter set to be used in at least one subsequent round of UWB ranging interactions, comprising: the UWB initiating device indicating one of the short-term operation parameter sets to the UWB responding device; and / or, the UWB responding device requesting one of the short-term operation parameter sets, or short-term operation parameters conforming to at least one of the short-term operation parameter sets, from the UWB initiating device.

[0472] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the UWB responding device providing feedback on a short-term set of operating parameters that can be used to confirm their use in subsequent corresponding rounds of UWB ranging interactions.

[0473] In some embodiments, each of the short-term operating parameter sets is associated with at least one index, and the UWB initiating device and / or UWB responding device uses the index to replace the transmitted short-term operating parameters and / or short-term operating parameter sets.

[0474] In some embodiments, the method further includes: utilizing an SOR frame sent by the initiating device and / or a RESP frame sent by the receiving device, so that the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device obtain the same set of multiple short-term operating parameters.

[0475] In some embodiments, the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device perform the above negotiation using UWB narrowband communication, UWB communication, or out-of-band communication.

[0476] In some embodiments, the single short-term operating parameter set includes parameters used by the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device when interacting during at least one of the control phase, ranging phase, and reporting phase during a ranging session.

[0477] In some embodiments, the negotiation process between the UWB initiating device and the UWB responding device is carried out during the control phase described above in the ranging session.

[0478] In some embodiments, the UWB response device provides feedback on a short-term set of operating parameters used during the reporting phase to confirm their use in subsequent corresponding rounds of UWB ranging interactions.

[0479] In some embodiments, the aforementioned subsequent at least one round of UWB ranging interaction is the next round of ranging interaction.

[0480] This application also provides a ranging method, including any combination of the following:

[0481] I. Configuring short-term operating parameters during the ranging control phase, including:

[0482] The initiator and responder negotiate the same short-term operating parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interactions, including:

[0483] The initiator indicates a short-term operational parameter set to the responder; and / or,

[0484] The response direction requests a short-term operation parameter set from the initiator, or short-term operation parameters that conform to at least one short-term operation parameter set;

[0485] The initiator and the responder store the same set of short-term operation parameters.

[0486] II. The first communication packet in the ranging phase is the communication packet between the SYNC signal and the SFD, including:

[0487] The first interaction packet sent by the initiator to the responder carries one or more SYNC+SFD fragments to achieve time synchronization between the initiator and the responder.

[0488] III. The subsequent sending and receiving of interaction packets during the ranging phase includes:

[0489] Set a ranging segment period, each ranging segment period includes two or more sub-periods, and use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period;

[0490] Within each sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times.

[0491] And / or,

[0492] Within each sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while some responders send data to the initiator at different times.

[0493] Although the embodiments disclosed in this application are as described above, the content described is merely for the purpose of understanding this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any person skilled in the art to which this application pertains may make any modifications and changes in the form and details of the implementation without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed in this application; however, the scope of patent protection of this application shall still be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A distance measurement method, comprising: The first UWB device in UWB MMS ranging sends one or more SYNC+SFD segments to the second UWB device to achieve time synchronization between the first and second UWB devices.

2. The ranging method according to claim 1, wherein, Sending one or more SYNC+SFD segments includes: During the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging, the first UWB device as the initiator and the second UWB device as the responder continuously interact with one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment, with each segment including one SYNC+SFD segment.

3. The ranging method according to claim 1, wherein, Sending one or more SYNC+SFD segments includes: During the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging, the first UWB device, acting as the initiator, and the second UWB device, acting as the responder, interact with the SYNC+SFD segment through the first segment.

4. The ranging method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein, The UWB MMS ranging is either UWB-driven MMS ranging or out-of-band OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging.

5. The ranging method according to claim 4 further includes: During the control phase of the UWB MMS ranging, the first UWB device and the second UWB device interact via OOB to assist the first UWB device and the second UWB device in determining auxiliary information for receiving SYNC+SFD segments from each other during the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging.

6. The ranging method according to claim 5, wherein, The auxiliary information includes one or any combination of the following: Time offset information is used to determine the time offset by which the first UWB device and the second UWB device begin receiving the first segment after entering the ranging phase. Sequence configuration information is used to determine the SYNC length, SFD length, or the length of the SYNC+SFD segment; The time domain correspondence is used to represent the time correspondence between the control phase and the ranging phase in different time domains.

7. The ranging method according to claim 6, wherein, The sequence configuration information includes sequence length and spreading factor.

8. The ranging method according to claim 4, wherein, The OOB band is for Bluetooth.

9. The ranging method according to claim 4, wherein, The OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging includes: One-to-one UWB MMS ranging assisted by OOB, one-to-many UWB MMS ranging assisted by the first OOB, or one-to-many UWB MMS ranging assisted by the second OOB.

10. The ranging method according to claim 3, wherein, The OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is a one-to-one UWB MMS ranging assisted by the first OOB. The initiator and the responder interact with the SYNC+SFD fragment through the first fragment, including: During the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging, the initiator transmits the first SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment to the responder; The responder transmits the second SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment to the initiator.

11. The ranging method according to claim 10, further comprising: During the control phase of the UWB MMS ranging, the initiator transmits first auxiliary information to the responder via Bluetooth connection, and the responder transmits second auxiliary information to the initiator.

12. The ranging method according to claim 3, wherein, The OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is a one-to-many UWB MMS ranging assisted by the first OOB. The first OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging process includes multiple OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging processes; For each one-to-one UWB MMS ranging process, the interaction of the SYNC+SFD segment through the first segment includes: The initiator transmits the first SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment to the responder; The responder transmits the second SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment to the initiator.

13. The ranging method according to claim 12, further comprising: During the control phase of the UWB MMS ranging, the initiator transmits first auxiliary information to the responder via Bluetooth connection, and the responder transmits second auxiliary information to the initiator.

14. The ranging method according to claim 3, wherein, The OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is a one-to-many UWB MMS ranging assisted by the second OOB. For each sub-range measuring wheel, the interaction of the SYNC+SFD segment through the first segment includes: In the ranging phase of the current sub-ranging wheel in the UWB MMS ranging process, the initiator sends a SYNC+SFD segment to all responders in the current sub-ranging wheel through the first segment; Each responder in the current sub-range measuring wheel transmits its own SYNC+SFD fragment as the first fragment to the initiator. Each of the sub-range wheels includes an initiator and one or more responders.

15. The ranging method according to claim 14, further comprising, for each sub-ranging wheel: During the control phase of the UWB MMS ranging, the initiator broadcasts its first auxiliary information via Bluetooth connection. Each responder in the current sub-range wheel sends its own auxiliary information to the initiator.

16. The ranging method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising, after achieving time synchronization between the first UWB device and the second UWB device: The first UWB device, acting as the initiator, and the second UWB device, acting as the responder, interact to perform ranging segments in order to achieve ranging.

17. The ranging method according to claim 16, wherein, For the initiator, the interaction of the ranging segment includes: Starting from a preset time interval after the distance measurement phase begins, the initiator sends an RSF segment at preset time intervals until a first preset number of RSF segments are sent; starting from twice a preset time interval after the last RSF segment transmission begins, the initiator sends an RIF segment at preset time intervals until a second preset number of RIF segments are sent. Alternatively, starting from a preset time interval from the beginning of the ranging phase, the initiator sends one RIF segment at preset time intervals until a second preset number of RIF segments have been sent.

18. The ranging method according to claim 16, wherein, For the responder, the step of performing ranging segment interaction includes: Starting from 1.5 times the preset time from the beginning of the ranging phase, the responder sends an RSF fragment at preset time intervals until the first preset number of RSF fragments are sent; starting from 2 times the preset time after the last RSF fragment transmission begins, the responder sends an RIF fragment at preset time intervals until the second preset number of RIF fragments are sent. Alternatively, starting from 1.5 times the preset time from the beginning of the ranging phase, the responder sends one RIF segment at preset time intervals until a second preset number of RIF segments have been sent.

19. A ranging device, comprising a synchronization module, for: In UWB MMS ranging, the first UWB device sends one or more SYNC+SFD segments to the second UWB device to achieve time synchronization.

20. The ranging device according to claim 19, wherein the synchronization module is used for: During the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging, starting from the first segment, one or more SYNC+SFD segments are continuously transmitted, each segment including one SYNC+SFD segment.

21. The ranging device according to claim 19, wherein the synchronization module is used for: During the ranging phase of the UWB MMS ranging, the SYNC+SFD segment is sent via the first segment.

22. The ranging device according to claim 19, wherein the UWB MMS ranging is UWB-driven MMS ranging, or out-of-band OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging.

23. The ranging device according to claim 19, further comprising: The control module is used to send auxiliary information via OOB during the control phase of the UWB MMS ranging to assist both devices in determining whether to receive SYNC+SFD segments from each other during the ranging phase.

24. The ranging device according to claim 19, further comprising: The ranging module is used for distance measurement segment interaction to achieve distance measurement.

25. The ranging device according to claim 23, wherein, The OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is an OOB-assisted one-to-one UWB MMS ranging, and the ranging device is the initiator / responder of the UWB MMS ranging; The synchronization module is used to: send the first SYNC+SFD segment as the first segment to the initiator / responder during the ranging phase; The control module is used to: transmit first auxiliary information / second auxiliary information to the responder / initiator via Bluetooth connection during the control phase.

26. The ranging device according to claim 23, wherein, The OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is a one-to-many UWB MMS ranging assisted by the first OOB; the ranging device is the initiator / responder of the UWB MMS ranging; The synchronization module is used for: For each one-to-one UWB MMS ranging process, the first SYNC+SFD segment is transmitted as the first segment to the responder / initiator; wherein, each one-to-one UWB MMS ranging includes the initiator and one of the responders; The control module is used for: During the control phase, the first auxiliary information / second auxiliary information is transmitted to the responder / initiator via Bluetooth connection.

27. The ranging device according to claim 23, wherein, The OOB-assisted UWB MMS ranging is a second OOB-assisted one-to-many UWB MMS ranging, and the ranging device is the initiator / responder of the UWB MMS ranging; The synchronization module is used for: For each sub-ranger wheel, during the ranging phase of the current sub-ranger wheel in the UWB MMS ranging process, the initiator sends a SYNC+SFD segment to all responders in the current sub-ranger wheel through the first segment; each responder in the current sub-ranger wheel transmits its own SYNC+SFD segment as the first segment to the initiator; wherein, each sub-ranger wheel includes one initiator and one or more responders. The control module is used for: During the control phase, for each sub-ranger wheel, the initiator broadcasts its first auxiliary information via Bluetooth connection; each responder in the current sub-ranger wheel sends its own auxiliary information to the initiator.

28. The ranging device according to claim 24, wherein, The ranging device is the initiator, and the ranging module is used for: Starting from a preset time interval after the distance measurement phase begins, an RSF segment is sent at preset time intervals until the first preset number of RSF segments are sent; starting from twice the preset time interval after the last RSF segment transmission begins, an RIF segment is sent at preset time intervals until the second preset number of RIF segments are sent. Alternatively, starting from a preset time interval at the beginning of the distance measurement phase, a RIF segment is sent at preset time intervals until a second preset number of RIF segments are sent.

29. The ranging device according to claim 24, wherein, The ranging device is the responder, and the ranging module is used for: Starting from 1.5 times the preset time from the beginning of the ranging phase, an RSF segment is sent at preset time intervals until the first preset number of RSF segments are sent; starting from 2 times the preset time after the last RSF segment transmission begins, a RIF segment is sent at preset time intervals until the second preset number of RIF segments are sent. Alternatively, starting from 1.5 times the preset time from the beginning of the ranging phase, a RIF segment is sent at preset time intervals until a second preset number of RIF segments are sent.

30. A UWB device comprising the ranging device according to any one of claims 19-29.

31. A UWB system comprising at least one first UWB device and two or more second UWB devices; The first UWB device is used to send one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging in order to achieve time synchronization with the second UWB device. The second UWB device is used to send one or more SYNC+SFD segments starting from the first segment during the ranging phase of UWB MMS ranging, in order to achieve time synchronization with the first UWB device.

32. A ranging method, wherein a ranging segment period is set, each ranging segment period includes two or more sub-periods, and data is transmitted and received using one or more UWB MMS segments in each sub-period; The data transmission and reception by the initiator of the ranging operation within a ranging segment period includes: Within each sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times.

33. The ranging method according to claim 32, wherein, All responders include two or more.

34. The ranging method according to claim 33, wherein, Each of the ranging segment periods comprises two sub-periods; The data transmission and reception by the initiator of the ranging within a ranging segment period includes: In one sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times; in another sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from the remaining responders at different times.

35. The ranging method according to claim 34, wherein, The partial responders include m responders; the remaining responders include (nm) responders; Where n is the number of responders; m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

36. The ranging method according to any one of claims 32-35, wherein, The ranging segment period includes one or more; one or more ranging segment periods constitute a ranging phase.

37. The ranging method according to any one of claims 32-35, wherein, The UWB MMS fragment includes a ranging sequence fragment (RSF) and / or a ranging integrity fragment (RIF).

38. The ranging method according to any one of claims 32-35, wherein, The ranging segment period includes the ranging sequence segment period and / or the ranging integrity segment period.

39. The ranging method according to claim 38 further includes: The ranging segment period includes multiple segments, and the initiator performs channel impulse response combining based on the ranging sequence segments sent by the same responder that it receives in multiple ranging sequence segment periods; and / or, The ranging integrity fragment period includes multiple fragments, and the initiator performs channel impulse response merging based on the ranging integrity fragments (RIFs) sent by the same responder that it receives in multiple ranging integrity fragment periods.

40. The ranging method according to claim 37, wherein, When the number of responders is odd, the initiator includes one more RSF / RIF in one sub-period of the ranging segment period than in the other sub-period, and one segment in the other sub-period is an idle segment.

41. The ranging method according to any one of claims 32-35, wherein, The ranging segment period is one or more ranging time slots.

42. The ranging method according to any one of claims 32-35, wherein, One of the sub-cycles is a ranging time slot and the length of the ranging time slot is configurable.

43. The ranging method according to claim 42, wherein, The sub-period is greater than or equal to 1 millisecond.

44. The ranging method according to claim 43, wherein, The ranging segment period is 2 milliseconds; the sub-period is 1 millisecond.

45. The ranging method according to claim 44, wherein, Within the sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once at the indicated 1ms start point.

46. ​​The ranging method according to any one of claims 32-35, further comprising: During the ranging initialization phase, the initiator carries one or more of the following information in the ranging initialization message: the number of responders; The starting timeslot index is set as the starting timeslot index for the ranging phase; the responder list includes the address of each responder and a sequence number indicating the order in which each responder sends data packets.

47. A ranging method, wherein a ranging segment period is set, each ranging segment period includes two or more sub-periods, and one or more UWB MMS segments are used to transmit and receive data in each sub-period; The data transmission and reception of the ranging response within a ranging segment period includes: Within each sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while some responders send data to the initiator at different times.

48. The ranging method according to claim 47, wherein, All responders include two or more.

49. The ranging method according to claim 48, wherein, Each of the ranging segment periods comprises two sub-periods; The data transmission and reception of the ranging response within a ranging segment period includes: In one sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while some responders send data to the initiator at different times; in another sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while the remaining responders send data to the initiator at different times.

50. The ranging method according to claim 48, wherein, The partial responders include m responders; the remaining responders include (nm) responders; Where n is the number of responders; m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

51. The ranging method according to claim 48 or 49, wherein, The ranging segment period includes one or more; one or more ranging segment periods constitute a ranging phase.

52. The ranging method according to claim 48, 49 or 50, wherein, The UWB MMS fragment includes a ranging sequence fragment (RSF) and / or a ranging integrity fragment (RIF).

53. The ranging method according to any one of claims 47-49, wherein, The ranging segment period includes the ranging sequence segment period and / or the ranging integrity segment period.

54. The ranging method according to claim 53 further includes: The ranging segment period includes multiple segments, and the responder performs channel impulse response combining based on the ranging sequence segment RSFs (RSFs) it receives from the same initiator in the multiple ranging sequence segment periods; and / or, The ranging integrity fragment period includes multiple fragments, and the responder performs channel impulse response merging based on the ranging integrity fragments (RIFs) sent by the same initiator that it receives in multiple ranging integrity fragment periods.

55. The ranging method according to any one of claims 48-50, wherein, The ranging segment period is one or more ranging time slots.

56. The ranging method according to any one of claims 48-50, wherein, One of the sub-cycles is a ranging time slot and the length of the ranging time slot is configurable.

57. The ranging method according to claim 56, wherein, The sub-period is greater than or equal to 1 millisecond.

58. The ranging method according to claim 57, wherein, The ranging segment period is 2 milliseconds; the sub-period is 1 millisecond.

59. The ranging method according to claim 48 or 49, further comprising: During the ranging initialization phase, the responder receives a ranging initialization message from the initiator and sends data to the initiator at the corresponding time according to the starting time slot index and sequence number carried in the ranging initialization message.

60. A ranging method, comprising a first UWB device as the initiator of ranging and n second UWB devices as the responders of ranging, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; setting a ranging segment period comprising two sub-periods, wherein one or more UWB MMS segments are used to transmit and receive data in each sub-period; Data transmission and reception within a ranging segment period includes: During one of the sub-cycles, the first UWB device sends data once and receives data from some of the second UWB devices at different times; n second UWB devices receive data from a first UWB device once, and the second UWB devices send data to the first UWB device at different times; In another sub-cycle, the first UWB device sends data once and receives data from the remaining second UWB devices at different times; n second UWB devices receive data from the first UWB device once, and the remaining response directions send data to the first UWB device at different times.

61. The ranging method according to claim 60, wherein, The partial responders include m responders; the remaining responders include (nm) responders; Where m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

62. The ranging method according to claim 60, wherein, During one of the sub-cycles, the first UWB device and the m second UWB devices transmit and receive ranging data using a bilateral bidirectional ranging DS-TWR data transmission and reception method; During the other sub-cycle, the first UWB device and the remaining (nm) second UWB devices transmit and receive ranging data using the ess-TWR data transmission and reception method.

63. The method according to claim 62, wherein, For any one of the m second UWB devices, the DS-TWR data transmission and reception method for transmitting and receiving ranging data includes: The first UWB device sends first ranging data, the second UWB device receives the first ranging data and responds with ranging data to the first UWB device, and the first UWB device receives the responding ranging data; the first UWB device sends second ranging data, and the second UWB device receives the second ranging data; For any of the remaining (nm) second UWB devices, the ess-TWR data transmission and reception method for transmitting and receiving ranging data includes: The first UWB device sends first ranging data, and the second UWB device receives the first ranging data; the first UWB device sends second ranging data, the second UWB device receives the second ranging data and responds with ranging data to the first UWB device, and the first UWB device receives the responding ranging data.

64. The method according to claim 63, wherein, The data transmission and reception include: Within a sub-period of the ranging segment period, the first UWB device sends first ranging data and receives ranging data from the m second UWB devices respectively; each of the n second UWB devices receives the first ranging data sent by the first UWB device, and each of the m second UWB devices responds with a ranging data to the first UWB device. During another sub-period of the ranging segment period, the first UWB device sends second ranging data and receives ranging data from the remaining (nm) second UWB devices respectively; all n second UWB devices receive the second ranging data sent by the first UWB device, and the remaining (nm) second UWB devices respectively respond with a ranging data to the first UWB device.

65. The ranging method according to any one of claims 60-64, wherein, The ranging segment period includes one or more; one or more ranging segment periods constitute a ranging phase.

66. The ranging method according to claim 65, wherein, The ranging segment period is one or more ranging time slots, or a sub-period is one ranging time slot and the ranging time slot is configurable.

67. The ranging method according to claim 66, wherein, The ranging segment period is 2 milliseconds; the sub-period is 1 millisecond.

68. The ranging method according to claim 63 or 64 further includes: performing ranging based on the flight time determined by time information of transmitting and receiving the ranging data.

69. The ranging method according to claim 68, wherein, For the portion of ranging data transmitted and received using the TxTxRx-RxRxTx data transmission and reception method, the second flight time T prop2 Calculate according to the following formula: in, Fifth time difference T reply3 The sixth time difference T represents the time from when the second UWB device receives the first ranging data to when it responds with ranging data to the first UWB device; reply4 This represents the time from when the second UWB device receives the second ranging data to when it responds to the first UWB device with ranging data; the seventh time difference T round3 The eighth time difference T represents the time between the first UWB device sending the first ranging data and receiving the ranging data in response from the second UWB device. round4 This indicates the time between the second UWB device sending the second ranging data and receiving the ranging data in response from the second UWB device.

70. A ranging device, comprising: The module includes a settings module and a distance measurement module; among them... When the ranging device is located at the initiator of the ranging: The configuration module is used to set a ranging segment period, including a first sub-period and a second sub-period, and to use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period. The ranging module is used to send data once in the first sub-cycle and receive data from some responders at different times; in the second sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from the remaining responders at different times; the responders include two or more. For the case where the ranging device is located on the responder side of the ranging: The configuration module is used to set a ranging segment period, including a first sub-period and a second sub-period, and to use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period. The ranging module is used to have some responders receive data from the initiator once during the first sub-cycle and send data to the initiator at different times; during the second sub-cycle, the remaining responders receive data from the initiator once and send data to the initiator at different times; the responders include two or more.

71. The ranging device according to claim 70, wherein, The partial responders include m responders; the remaining responders include (nm) responders; Where n is the number of responders; m = n and n = 2, or And n is an even number greater than 2, or or And n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3.

72. The ranging device according to claim 70 or 71, further comprising: The processing module is used to perform ranging based on the flight time determined by the time information of transmitting and receiving the ranging data.

73. A UWB device, characterized in that, Includes the ranging device according to any one of claims 70-72.

74. A UWB system, characterized in that, It includes at least one initiator and two or more responders; The initiator's data transmission and reception within a ranging segment period includes: in each sub-period, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times; The data transmission and reception of the responders within a ranging segment period includes: in each sub-period, all responders receive data from the initiator once, and some responders send data to the initiator once at different times; Each ranging segment period includes two or more sub-periods, and one or more UWB MMS segments are used to transmit and receive data within each sub-period.

75. A ranging method applied to a UWB ranging system, wherein, UWB ranging systems include an initiator and a responder, and both the initiator and the responder store the same set of short-term operating parameters. During the ranging session, the initiator and responder negotiate the same short-lived operational parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interactions. This same short-lived operational parameter set, negotiated by the UWB initiator and responder for at least one round of UWB ranging interactions, includes: The initiator indicates a short-term operational parameter set to the responder; and / or, The response requests a short-lived operation parameter set from the initiator, or short-lived operation parameters that conform to at least one of the short-lived operation parameter sets.

76. The method of claim 75, further comprising: The responder provides feedback information indicating the available short-term operating parameter set to confirm the use of the negotiated short-term operating parameter set in the corresponding round of UWB ranging interaction.

77. The method according to claim 76, wherein, The responder provides feedback during the reporting phase of the ranging session to indicate the available short-term operating parameter set, confirming the use of the negotiated short-term operating parameter set in the corresponding round of UWB ranging interaction.

78. The method according to claim 75, wherein, Different short-term operation parameter sets are associated with different indexes, and the initiator and / or the responder negotiate by interacting with the indexes of the short-term operation parameter sets.

79. The method according to claim 75, wherein, Different short-term operation parameters are associated with different indexes, and the initiator and / or the responder negotiate by exchanging the indexes of the short-term operation parameters or the indexes of the short-term operation parameters included in the short-term operation parameter set.

80. The method of claim 75, further comprising: The initiator and the responder may use SOR frames sent by the initiator and / or RESP frames sent by the responder to acquire and store the same set of short-term operating parameters.

81. The method according to claim 75, wherein, The initiator and the responder negotiate the short-term operating parameter set using UWB narrowband communication, UWB communication, or out-of-band communication.

82. The method according to claim 75, wherein, The single set of short-term operational parameters includes: short-term operational parameters used by the initiator and the responder when interacting during at least one of the control phase, ranging phase, and reporting phase during a ranging session.

83. The method according to claim 75, wherein, The initiator and the responder negotiate the short-term operating parameter set during the control phase of the ranging session.

84. The method according to claim 75, wherein, The at least one round of UWB ranging interaction is the next round of UWB ranging interaction.

85. A distance measurement method, comprising: During the ranging control phase, the initiator and the responder negotiate the same short-term operation parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interactions. This negotiation includes: the initiator indicating a short-term operation parameter set to the responder; and / or the responder requesting a short-term operation parameter set from the initiator, or short-term operation parameters conforming to at least one short-term operation parameter set. The initiator and the responder store the same multiple short-term operation parameter sets. During the ranging phase, the first interaction packet sent by the initiator to the responder carries one or more SYNC+SFD fragments to achieve time synchronization between the initiator and the responder.

86. A distance measurement method, comprising: Set a ranging segment period, each ranging segment period includes two or more sub-periods, and use one or more UWB MMS segments to transmit and receive data in each sub-period; During the ranging control phase, the initiator and the responder negotiate the same short-term operation parameter set used in at least one round of UWB ranging interactions. This negotiation includes: the initiator indicating a short-term operation parameter set to the responder; and / or the responder requesting a short-term operation parameter set from the initiator, or short-term operation parameters conforming to at least one short-term operation parameter set. The initiator and the responder store the same multiple short-term operation parameter sets. During the ranging phase, the first interaction packet sent by the initiator to the responder carries one or more SYNC+SFD fragments to achieve time synchronization between the initiator and the responder. The subsequent sending and receiving of interaction packets during the ranging phase includes: Within each sub-cycle, the initiator sends data once and receives data from some of the responders at different times. And / or, Within each sub-cycle, all responders receive data from the initiator once, while some responders send data to the initiator at different times.

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