Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communications, and in particular to a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: a third node sends a first message, and correspondingly, a first node receives the first message, the first message comprising first sequence information, the first sequence information indicating a first sequence, and the first sequence being used for ultra-wideband measurement of a second node; and the first node sends a second message, the second message comprising second sequence information, the second sequence information indicating a second sequence, and the first sequence and the second sequence being different. The present application can support an IEEE protocol, such as an IEEE 802.11be protocol, an IEEE 802.11bn protocol, an IEEE integrated millimeter wave protocol, an IEEE 802.15 protocol, or an IEEE 802.11bf / sensing protocol. The technical solution provided in embodiments of the present application can also be applied to a NearLink system and supports a NearLink standard protocol.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411441986.6, filed on October 15, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and communication device. Background Technology

[0003] With the continuous development of global communication technologies, the development speed and application of wireless communication technology have surpassed those of wired communication technology, showing a booming development trend. Intelligent transportation equipment, smart home devices, robots, and other intelligent devices are gradually entering people's daily lives. Based on wireless communication technology, wireless measurement, sensing, and positioning can be realized, and applied to wireless positioning and navigation, keyless entry and start, asset positioning and management, human presence detection, and motion perception.

[0004] Ultra-wideband (UWB) signals are increasingly being used in wireless communication systems. For example, two nodes in a wireless communication system can exchange UWB measurement frames to complete bidirectional measurements. However, with the increasing number of communication nodes, in densely deployed scenarios, the UWB signals of different nodes interfere with each other, leading to a decrease in measurement accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and a communication device that can avoid codeword conflicts between nodes, thereby improving measurement accuracy.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a first node. This method can be executed by the first node itself, or by components of the first node (such as chips or circuits), without limitation. The method includes:

[0007] Receive a first message, the first message including first sequence information, the first sequence information indicating a first sequence, the first sequence being used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second node; send a second message, the second message including second sequence information, the second sequence information indicating a second sequence, the second sequence being different from the first sequence.

[0008] In this embodiment, the second sequence is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the first node or its associated nodes. After receiving the first message, the first node can learn about the first sequence used by the second node for ultra-wideband communication or measurement through the first message, thereby avoiding the use of the same sequence as the first sequence, avoiding codeword conflicts between nodes, and thus avoiding mutual interference of ultra-wideband signals between different nodes, improving measurement accuracy.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first sequence information includes at least one of the following: the length of the first sequence, the index of the first sequence, and information of a first sequence set; wherein the first sequence set includes the first sequence, the first sequence set is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of multiple nodes, and the multiple nodes include the second node or an associated node of the second node.

[0010] In this embodiment, the first sequence can be indicated by its length and / or index, enabling the first node to clearly identify the first sequence. Alternatively, the first sequence set can be used for multiple nodes in a first communication domain to perform ultra-wideband communication or measurement. The first communication domain includes a second sequence. By indicating the first sequence set, the first node can learn about the sequences used by nodes in the first communication domain, thereby avoiding conflicting sequences used by nodes in the first communication domain, preventing mutual interference of ultra-wideband signals between different nodes, and improving measurement accuracy.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the second sequence is not included in the first sequence set.

[0012] In this embodiment of the application, the second sequence is not included in the first sequence set, that is, the second sequence is different from any sequence in the first sequence set. The sequence used by the first node or the associated node of the first node is different from the sequence used by the nodes in the first communication domain, which can avoid codeword conflicts.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message includes a first field, which carries the first sequence information, and k bits in the first field are used to indicate the length of the first sequence.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the n bits in the first field are used to indicate the index of the first sequence shown.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the data type corresponding to the first field includes ultra-wideband data types.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the length of the first sequence is 31, 63, 91, 127, or 133.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the lengths of the first sequence and the second sequence are not the same, or the second sequence is not a cyclically shifted sequence, a reversed sequence, or a reversed sequence of the first sequence.

[0018] In this embodiment, the first sequence and the second sequence have different lengths, and sequences of different lengths have good cross-correlation, which can avoid codeword conflicts. Alternatively, the second sequence is not a cyclic shift sequence, inverted sequence, or reversed sequence of the first sequence, which can ensure the cross-correlation between the first sequence and the second sequence.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the second message also includes channel information of the channel through which the first node or its associated node conducts ultra-wideband communication or measurement.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, sending the second message includes: sending the second message via a narrowband channel, the channel bandwidth of which is less than the channel bandwidth measured by the ultra-wideband of the second node.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first node can save power consumption by using narrowband ultra-wideband communication or measurement-related information (such as second sequence information or channel information).

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message is a broadcast message.

[0023] In this embodiment, the first message originates from a third node, and the second node is an associated node of the third node, or the third node and the second node are the same node. The first sequence is used for the ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second node, that is, the first sequence is used for the ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the third node or its associated node, or the first sequence is used for the ultra-wideband communication or measurement of nodes in the communication domain where the third node is located. The third node broadcasts the sequence used by the nodes in its communication domain for ultra-wideband communication or measurement, which can avoid codeword conflicts between other nodes and nodes in that communication domain.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message is a broadcast frame (including a basic broadcast frame or an extended broadcast frame) of StarSpark Low Power Access Technology (SLE) or a system message of StarSpark Basic Access Technology (SLB).

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0026] The second sequence is determined based on the first sequence information, and the second sequence is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the first node or its associated nodes.

[0027] In this embodiment of the application, after the first node receives the first message, it determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information, which can avoid the second sequence from conflicting with the first sequence, that is, avoid codeword conflicts between nodes.

[0028] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message further includes channel information of the second node, the channel information being used for the ultra-wideband communication or measurement, and determining the second sequence based on the first sequence information includes: determining the second sequence based on the first sequence information if the channel indicated by the channel information is the same as or partially overlaps in frequency with the channel used by the first node or an associated node of the first node for ultra-wideband communication or measurement.

[0029] In this embodiment, channel information is used to indicate the channel on which the second node performs ultra-wideband communication or measurement (also based on what is called the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node). When the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node is the same as or partially overlaps in frequency with the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the first node or its associated node, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information to avoid mutual interference between the ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the first node or its associated node and the second node. When the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node is different from or does not overlap in frequency range with the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the first node or its associated node, the first node does not need to determine the second sequence based on the first sequence information, thus avoiding unnecessary sequence changes. That is, when the first node and the second node perform ultra-wideband communication or measurement on different channels, the first sequence and the second sequence can be the same or different.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, determining the second sequence based on the first sequence information includes:

[0031] The second sequence is determined based on the cross-correlation between the first sequence and the sequence.

[0032] In this embodiment, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence and the cross-correlation between the sequences, which can guarantee the cross-correlation between the first node and the second node.

[0033] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message further includes a first address identifier, and determining the second sequence based on the first sequence information includes:

[0034] The second sequence is determined based on the address identifier of the first node, the first address identifier, and the first sequence information.

[0035] In this embodiment, when codewords conflict between two nodes, the node with the larger or smaller address identifier can change the sequence, thereby reducing unnecessary sequence changes and avoiding communication interruptions caused by sequence changes. Therefore, the first node determines the second sequence based on the address identifier of the first node, the size relationship between the first address identifiers, and the first sequence information, which can avoid codeword conflicts while reducing unnecessary sequence changes.

[0036] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first broadcast message further includes indication information for instructing the second node to support ultra-wideband measurements and / or indication information for instructing the second node to allow reception or association for ultra-wideband measurements.

[0037] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a third node. This method can be executed by the third node itself, or by components of the third node (such as chips or circuits), without limitation. The method includes:

[0038] Determine the first sequence;

[0039] Send a first message, the first message including the first sequence information, the first sequence information indicating the first sequence, the first sequence being used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second node.

[0040] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first sequence information includes at least one of the following: the length of the first sequence, the index of the first sequence, and information of a first sequence set; wherein the first sequence set includes the first sequence, the first sequence set is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of multiple nodes, and the multiple nodes include the second node or an associated node of the second node.

[0041] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message includes a first field, which carries the first sequence information, and k bits in the first field are used to indicate the length of the first sequence.

[0042] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the n bits in the first field are used to indicate the index of the first sequence shown.

[0043] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the data type corresponding to the first field includes ultra-wideband data types.

[0044] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the length of the first sequence is 31, 63, 91, 127, or 133.

[0045] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message also includes the second node performing ultra-wideband communication or measuring the corresponding channel information.

[0046] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0047] A second message is received, the second message including second sequence information, the second sequence information indicating a second sequence that is different from the first sequence.

[0048] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the lengths of the first sequence and the second sequence are not the same, or the second sequence is not a cyclically shifted sequence, a reversed sequence, or a reversed sequence of the first sequence.

[0049] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, receiving the second message includes:

[0050] The second message is transmitted via a narrowband channel, the bandwidth of which is less than the bandwidth of the ultra-wideband communication or measurement channel of the second node.

[0051] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message is a broadcast message.

[0052] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message is a broadcast frame (including a basic broadcast frame or an extended broadcast frame) of the StarSpark Low Power Access Technology (SLE) or a system message of the StarSpark Basic Access Technology (SLB).

[0053] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first message further includes indication information for instructing the third node to support ultra-wideband measurements and / or indication information for instructing the third node to allow association for ultra-wideband measurements.

[0054] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for executing the methods in any one of the first to second aspects or any possible implementations thereof. The first communication device includes a module having the function of executing the methods in any one of the first to second aspects or any possible implementations thereof.

[0055] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes a processor and a transceiver. The processor is used to execute the processing steps in the method described in any of the first or second aspects or any possible implementation thereof, and the transceiver is used to execute the sending and receiving steps in the method described in any of the first or second aspects or any possible implementation thereof.

[0056] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including a logic circuit and an interface, wherein the logic circuit and the interface are coupled; the interface is used to input and / or output information, and the logic circuit is used to perform processing steps in the method described in any one of the first or second aspects or any possible implementation thereof.

[0057] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the methods described in any of the first to second aspects or any possible implementation thereof to be executed.

[0058] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the methods described in any of the first to second aspects or any possible implementations described above to be executed.

[0059] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system comprising a first node and a third node, the first node being configured to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and the third node being configured to perform the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle positioning system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an inter-node interaction provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an ultra-wideband signal measurement frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 5A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 5B is an example of message interaction of a first node on the air interface provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0069] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are only used to distinguish different objects and not to limit the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects. In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. Additionally, the character " / ," unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0070] The term "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0071] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, "more than one" means two or more, "at least two (items)" means two or three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0072] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0073] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0074] The communication systems and service scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0075] The methods provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Internet of Things (IoT) systems, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, short-range wireless communication network systems, such as SparkLink communication network systems (including SparkLink Basic (SLB) and SparkLink Low Energy (SLE)), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), 5th-generation (5G) communication systems, and new communication systems emerging in future communication development (such as 6G). Specifically, SparkLink's SLB is also known as "Technical Requirements and Test Methods for Vehicle-Mounted Short-Range Wireless Communication," and SparkLink's SLE is also known as "Technical Requirements and Test Methods for Low-Power Air Interface of SparkLink Wireless Communication System Access Layer."

[0076] The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to machine-type communication (MTC), long-term evolution-machine (LTE-M) technology, device-to-device (D2D) networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) networks, Internet of Things (IoT) networks, or other networks. Among these, IoT networks may include, for example, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. The communication methods in V2X systems are collectively referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X), where X can represent anything. For example, V2X may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, etc.

[0077] In the aforementioned communication systems, devices with communication capabilities can be called nodes or communication nodes. For example, a node can include independent devices such as handheld terminals, vehicles, in-vehicle equipment, network-side equipment, user equipment, access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote terminals, wireless communication equipment, user agents, or user devices. It can also be a component (such as a chip or integrated circuit) contained within an independent device. A node can be any possible intelligent terminal device (such as a mobile phone), intelligent transportation equipment (such as vehicles, drones, etc.), intelligent manufacturing equipment, smart home devices (such as large screens, speakers, etc.), etc.

[0078] The nodes in this application embodiment can be applied to a variety of application scenarios, such as the following: mobile internet (MI), industrial control, self-driving, transportation safety, internet of things (IoT), smart city, or smart home, etc.

[0079] In certain application scenarios or network types, devices with similar communication capabilities may not be called nodes, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0080] For example, in Figures 1 and 2 shown below, nodes can communicate with each other through D2D, M2M or V2X technologies.

[0081] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a possible communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0082] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system may include at least one master node (e.g., a base station) and at least one slave node (e.g., a UE).

[0083] The descriptions of the master node and the master node are as follows:

[0084] For example, a master node can be a master device, specifically a next-generation node B (gNB), a next-generation evolved node B (ng-eNB), a node in a short-range wireless communication network system (e.g., a master node, management node, or G node in a Starlight communication network system), or an access network device in future 6G communication. The master device can be any device with wireless transceiver capabilities. This master device can be an access node, wireless relay node, or wireless backhaul node in a wireless local area network (WiFi) system. This master device can be a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. This master device can be a wearable device or a vehicle-mounted device. This master device can also be a small cell, a transmission reception point (TRP) (or a transmission point), etc.

[0085] For example, a slave node can be a terminal device, which may also be called user equipment (UE), a terminal, etc. A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable, or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on water, such as on ships; and it can be deployed in the air, such as on airplanes, balloons, or satellites. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, augmented reality (AR) terminal devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, and so on. It is understood that the terminal device can also be a node in a short-range wireless communication network system (e.g., a slave node, terminal node, or T node in a StarFlash communication network system), a terminal device in a future 6G network, or a terminal device in a future evolved PLMN, etc.

[0086] It is understood that the terminal device shown in this application may include not only vehicles (such as complete vehicles) in the Internet of Vehicles, but also in-vehicle equipment or in-vehicle terminals in the Internet of Vehicles. This application does not limit the specific form of the terminal device when it is applied to the Internet of Vehicles.

[0087] It should be understood that Figure 1 exemplarily illustrates one master node and six slave nodes, as well as the communication links between the various communication devices. Optionally, the communication system may include multiple master nodes, and the coverage area of ​​each master node may include other numbers of slave nodes, such as more or fewer slave nodes, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0088] Optionally, the communication links between the aforementioned communication devices can include various types of connection media, including wired links (such as fiber optics), wireless links, or a combination of wired and wireless links. For example, they can be short-range wireless connection technologies including SparkLink, 802.11b / g, Bluetooth, Zigbee, radio frequency identification (RFID), ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, or short-range wireless communication systems (such as vehicle-mounted short-range wireless communication systems).

[0089] Each of the aforementioned communication devices, such as master and slave nodes, can be configured with multiple antennas. These multiple antennas may include at least one transmitting antenna for transmitting signals and at least one receiving antenna for receiving signals, etc. The specific structure of each communication device is not limited in this application embodiment. Optionally, the communication system may also include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, but this application embodiment is not limited to these.

[0090] It is understood that the communication architecture diagram shown in Figure 1 is only an example. For other forms of communication architecture diagrams, please refer to relevant standards or protocols, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a possible vehicle positioning system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0092] Figure 2 illustrates a smart cockpit wireless communication system using StarFlash technology (SLB and / or SLE). The smart cockpit contains multiple communication domains, each comprising a master node (also called a management node or G node) and at least one slave node (also called a terminal node or T node). The master node schedules the slave nodes to enable data transmission between them. The master node manages the time-frequency resources of the communication domain and has the function of scheduling resources for communication, positioning, measurement, or sensing between communication nodes within the domain. Therefore, on a carrier used by a G node (such as a channel with an SLB bandwidth of approximately 20MHz) or a channel (such as a channel with an SLE bandwidth of 1MHz / 2MHz / 4MHz), the G node can schedule time-frequency resources for wireless measurement signal transmission between the T node / G node, achieving ranging and positioning of the T node / G node. For the SLE, when operating in the 2.4GHz band, it transmits broadcast frames on three narrowband broadcast channels, which are divided into basic broadcast frames and extended broadcast frames.

[0093] For example, Passive Entry Passive Start (PEPS) is an example of in-vehicle wireless positioning applications. In PEPS scenarios, users do not need to manually lock or unlock the car doors with a key; instead, the in-vehicle positioning system can locate the user's car key or mobile phone to automatically lock or unlock the doors. Similarly, in indoor positioning and navigation applications, there are also indoor positioning and navigation systems with multiple anchor points for locating multiple users' mobile phones or wearable devices. The anchor points of the in-vehicle positioning system can also be reused for wireless sensing, such as sensing a person's kicking motion in the trunk. PEPS can be implemented based on StarFlash wireless communication technology.

[0094] The method provided in this application can be applied to vehicle-mounted wireless positioning scenarios (e.g., PEPS) and indoor / outdoor positioning / ranging / sensing scenarios, as well as other wide-area wireless communication or local wireless communication scenarios. In this application, the steps for achieving positioning, ranging, angle measurement, or sensing are similar; therefore, any of the terms "positioning," "ranging," "angle measurement," "measurement," or "sensing" can refer to "positioning, ranging, angle measurement, measurement, or sensing."

[0095] In the vehicle positioning scenario shown in Figure 2, the communication domain includes multiple measuring nodes (also known as anchors, location anchors, positioning anchors / nodes, beacons, etc.) deployed on the vehicle and a measured node (also known as a located node, tag / location tag, etc.) deployed outside the vehicle. The measuring nodes include, but are not limited to, nodes a, b, c, d, and e. These measuring nodes can be deployed in various parts of the vehicle, such as the four corners and the entire vehicle exterior, the center console / rearview mirror / roof inside the vehicle, and in-vehicle wireless communication devices such as displays, microphones, speakers, and cameras. These devices can also be reused as measuring nodes to locate external devices such as car keys or mobile phones. The measured node includes node A, which can be a car key with positioning capabilities, or a mobile phone or wearable device with positioning capabilities, used to unlock or lock the vehicle. In Figure 2, the G node can be a car key / mobile phone, with all measurement nodes on the vehicle serving as T nodes; alternatively, the G node can be a PEPS control node, with the remaining devices serving as T nodes, where the PEPS control node acts as a positioning anchor point within the vehicle; or, the G node can be any measurement node on the vehicle, in which case all other measurement nodes on the vehicle, as well as the car key / mobile phone, are T nodes. The G node can schedule time-frequency resources for communication with the T nodes, enabling ranging and positioning of the T nodes (the measured node, the car key / mobile phone).

[0096] In Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, the bandwidth of the transmitted wireless signal exceeds 500MHz. When the symbol of the wireless signal is a very narrow time-domain pulse, it is also called Impulse Response UWB (IR-UWB). Meanwhile, the SparkLink Positioning (SLP) standard of the Spark Alliance also uses narrow time-domain pulses (bandwidth > 500MHz) as ultra-wideband measurement signals for ranging, angle measurement, positioning, and sensing. SLP and UWB can perform precise ranging based on the time of flight (TOF) of the measurement pulse.

[0097] In the aforementioned communication or vehicle positioning systems, measurements can be taken between two nodes using ultra-wideband (UWB) signals. UWB signals have a transmission bandwidth greater than or equal to 500MHz. Therefore, compared to narrowband signals, UWB signals offer higher ranging resolution and accuracy. For example, in line-of-sight (LOS) scenarios, UWB signals achieve centimeter-level ranging accuracy. This high ranging accuracy also allows for precise measurement of the target's diameter, resulting in highly accurate angle measurements. UWB signals can be applied to applications requiring high accuracy in ranging, angle measurement, and sensing. Examples include directional remote controls for precise pointing on television screens, PEPS digital car keys, and digital door locks. Digital car keys and digital door locks can use UWB signal measurements to identify the approach / departure of authorized user equipment, automatically unlocking or locking accordingly.

[0098] In some possible implementations, nodes in the aforementioned communication system (e.g., node A and node B) can interact via narrowband signals and / or ultra-wideband signals. The narrowband and ultra-wideband signals can be generated by the same wireless module or by different wireless modules; this application does not impose any limitations. For example, the narrowband signal can be generated by a narrowband (NB) module, and the ultra-wideband signal can be generated by an ultra-wideband module. The narrowband module can include at least one of the following: SparkLink positioning (SLE) module, SLB module, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module, Zigbee module, WiFi module, etc. The ultra-wideband module can support UWB technology; for example, the ultra-wideband module can be a SparkLink positioning (SLP) module, an impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) module, or a direct sequence spread spectrum (DS-UWB) module. The narrowband module can assist the ultra-wideband module in transmitting some / all of the control information, security authentication information, and measurement information, which helps reduce the power consumption of the ultra-wideband module. Narrowband modules can also handle broadcasting, scanning, device discovery, connection establishment, security authentication, control management, data transmission, and measurement information exchange for ultra-wideband modules. In this embodiment, a node can include at least one narrowband module and at least one ultra-wideband module. The narrowband module and ultra-wideband module can be logical modules or physical modules. As shown in Figure 3, both node A and node B can include narrowband modules and ultra-wideband modules. The narrowband module can include a narrowband media access control (MAC) layer and a narrowband PHY, while the ultra-wideband module can include an ultra-wideband MAC layer and an ultra-wideband PHY. When nodes A and B interact, they use narrowband and ultra-wideband signals for connection establishment, security authentication, control management, data transmission, and measurement exchange. Their air interface includes the interaction of narrowband and / or ultra-wideband signals.

[0099] In this embodiment, ultra-wideband (UWB) may include SLP technology from the StarLight Consortium, IR-UWB technology (e.g., IR-UWB in the IEEE 802.15.4 standard), or DS-UWB of direct-sequence spread spectrum (DS-UWB), etc. Narrowband modules may also include a narrowband physical layer (PHY), and UWB modules may also include an UWB PHY.

[0100] For example, two nodes in this communication system can interact via narrowband signal measurement frames and ultra-wideband signal measurement frames to complete bidirectional measurements between node A and node B. These two nodes can synchronize time and frequency using a synchronization signal (SYNC) at the beginning of the ultra-wideband signal measurement frame, allowing the distance between the two nodes to be measured via bidirectional 2-messages and bidirectional 3-messages after the SYNC field. Time-of-Flight (TOF) information obtained in the ultra-wideband band, such as time of arrival (TOA), time of departure (TOD), or time difference information required by bidirectional 2-messages / bidirectional 3-messages, can all be exchanged via narrowband signal measurement frames. The measurement procedure for bidirectional 2-messages / bidirectional 3-messages can refer to the measurement procedures for SS-TWR (Single-Sided Two-Way Ranging) or DS-TWR (Double-Sided Two-Way Ranging) in the 802.15.4 UWB standard. Figure 4 illustrates the interaction between narrowband and ultra-wideband (UWB) signal measurement frames between two nodes. There is a time interval (Tinterval) between the transmission of the narrowband signal measurement frame and the UWB signal measurement frame, during which no signal is transmitted between the two nodes. The UWB signal measurement frame may include a synchronization field (SYNC), a start-of-frame delimiter (SFD) field, and a measurement field. The measurement field includes an UWB measurement sequence used to measure distance or angle. For example, the UWB measurement sequence may include a channel impulse response (CIR) training sequence (CTS), and the synchronization field may include a preamble signal generated by modulation and coding of an UWB pulse. During the transmission time of the UWB signal measurement frame, the synchronization field may be transmitted first, followed by the UWB measurement sequence. A time gap exists between the synchronization field and the UWB measurement sequence. The UWB measurement sequence may include multiple UWB measurement sequences, with a time gap between two adjacent UWB measurement sequences.

[0101] To ensure measurement accuracy, the sequences carried by the SYNC and SFD fields for time and frequency synchronization, or the ultra-wideband measurement sequences carried by the measurement fields, should be codeword sequences with good autocorrelation and cross-correlation properties. For example, a node can generate an ultra-wideband signal measurement frame based on a ternary code sequence with perfect autocorrelation properties. However, in densely deployed scenarios, multiple adjacent nodes may use the same or poorly cross-correlation codeword sequences, causing codeword conflicts between adjacent nodes. This can lead to collisions and mutual interference between the SYNC, SFD, and measurement fields of ultra-wideband wireless frames from different nodes, resulting in the failure of time-frequency synchronization of the SYNC and SFD fields and measurement anomalies due to collisions between measurement fields.

[0102] For example, the codeword resource pool (or sequence resource pool) of SLP includes 74 codewords / sequences, which include codeword sequences available to SLP (which can be called SLP sequences). The length of SLP sequences can include 31, 63, 127, 91, and 133. For example, the length of SLP sequences and the number of codeword sequences at each length can be shown in Table 1.

[0103] Table 1

[0104] When a densely deployed scenario includes four adjacent nodes, the probability that two of the nodes use the same codeword sequence is:

[0105] In addition, in scenarios where SLP and UWB are adjacent, if some UWB sequences in the UWB codeword resource pool are cyclic shift sequences of each other with the SLP sequence, or if some UWB sequences in the UWB codeword resource pool have the same length as the SLP sequence, or if some UWB sequences in the UWB codeword resource pool are in the same family as the SLP sequence, the cross-correlation between the SLP sequence and the UWB sequence is also relatively poor (e.g., the normalized cross-correlation peak is greater than -10dB), which will also lead to codeword conflicts between SLP and UWB.

[0106] Therefore, how to avoid code conflicts is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0107] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and a communication device that can avoid codeword conflicts between nodes. The method provided by embodiments of this application can be applied to the system shown in FIG1 or FIG2. For example, the method provided by embodiments of this application can be applied to a first node and a third node, wherein the first node is the master node, slave node, measuring node, or measured node described above, the third node is the master node, slave node, measuring node, or measured node described above, the second node is an adjacent node of the third node, or the second node is an associated node of the third node, or the second node is the third node (i.e., the second node and the third node are the same node).

[0108] In this application, the sequence can also be referred to as a codeword. The use of the sequence for measurement in the UWB measurement frame means that the sequence is first used in the SYNC field of the UWB measurement frame to complete the timing and frequency synchronization between measurement nodes, and then used in the measurement field of the UWB measurement frame for TOF measurement. Therefore, the SYNC field is also part of the UWB measurement.

[0109] In this application, the terms "sequence", "codeword", and "codeword sequence" can be used interchangeably.

[0110] Please refer to Figure 5A, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5A, the method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0111] 501, the third node sends the first message, and the first node receives the first message accordingly.

[0112] The first message includes first sequence information, which indicates a first sequence used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second node. The second node is a neighboring node of the third node, or an associated node of the third node, or the second node is the third node (i.e., the second and third nodes are the same node). In StarScan, an associated node refers to a T node that establishes a connection and completes access or association with the G node. In BLE, an associated node refers to a slave node that establishes a connection and completes access or association with the master node. In WiFi, an associated node refers to a station that establishes a connection and completes access or association with an access point. In this application, an associated node may also be referred to as a connected node or an access node.

[0113] Before sending the first message, the third node also determines the first sequence. The third node can send the first message through a narrowband channel, and correspondingly, the first node receives the first message through the narrowband channel. Alternatively, the third node sends the first message through a narrowband module, and correspondingly, the first node receives the first message through the narrowband module. The bandwidth of the narrowband channel is less than the bandwidth of the ultra-wideband communication or measurement channel of the second node. For example, the bandwidth of the narrowband channel is less than or equal to 20MHz, while the bandwidth of the ultra-wideband communication or measurement channel of the second node is greater than or equal to 500MHz.

[0114] For example, the first sequence is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second node; or, in other words, the first sequence is the sequence used by the second node for ultra-wideband communication or measurement. Alternatively, the first sequence is used for encoding or spreading encoding the ultra-wideband pulse symbols (measurement symbols) in an ultra-wideband pulse measurement frame (or ultra-wideband signal measurement frame) transmitted by the second node. This first sequence, together with the duty cycle (or spreading factor) L, generates a synchronization symbol. The ultra-wideband pulse symbol can be the synchronization symbol in the synchronization field (also called the synchronization information field) of the ultra-wideband pulse measurement frame and / or the ultra-wideband pulse symbol used for measurement in the measurement field. For example, when performing ultra-wideband communication or measurement, the second node uses the first sequence to encode the synchronization field in the ultra-wideband signal measurement frame. Ultra-wideband communication or measurement can include communication (such as synchronization) or measurement (such as ranging, angle measurement, etc.) between nodes via an ultra-wideband channel.

[0115] For example, the length of the first sequence can be 31, 63, 91, 127, or 133. The first sequence can be a ternary code (also known as an Ipatov code) or a Gray code.

[0116] In one possible implementation, the first message also includes channel information (such as channel number) of the channel through which the second node performs ultra-wideband communication or measurement, which can also be referred to as the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node.

[0117] The aforementioned first sequence information includes at least one of the following: the length of the first sequence, the index of the first sequence, and information about the first sequence set. The first sequence set includes the first sequence used for ultra-wideband measurements of multiple nodes; or, the first sequence set includes sequences used by multiple nodes for ultra-wideband measurements; or, the first sequence set includes sequences used by nodes within a first communication domain for ultra-wideband measurements; or, the first sequence set includes multiple sequences that nodes within the first communication domain may use. The multiple nodes include a second node or an associated node of a second node; or, the multiple nodes are contained within the first communication domain, and the first communication domain includes the second node. Any two sequences in the first sequence set exhibit good cross-correlation properties.

[0118] For example, the first sequence set may be predefined by a standard or protocol (such as the SLP protocol), or the first sequence set may be jointly agreed upon by the first node and the third node. In the case where a standard or protocol predefines multiple sequence sets, or where the first node and the third node jointly agree upon multiple sequence sets, the information of the first sequence set includes the sequence number or index corresponding to the first sequence set.

[0119] For example, the first sequence set can be a set of sequences of varying lengths (also referred to as a set of codewords of varying lengths). For instance, the first communication domain is a communication domain of SLP, and the first communication domain can use a set of sequences of varying lengths. The first message can include information about the set of codewords of varying lengths, or the first message can also include information about selecting one or more sequences with high usage from the set of codewords of varying lengths.

[0120] For example, the sequences in this unequal-length codeword set may have different lengths. For instance, the unequal-length codeword set may include one or more sequences of length 31, one or more sequences of length 63, one or more sequences of length 127, one or more sequences of length 91, and one or more sequences of length 133. When only one sequence of each length is taken, the unequal-length sequence set can be as shown in Table 2 below. In Table 2, the index represents the index in the sequence set corresponding to that length. For example, for a sequence of length 31, an index of 1 indicates that the sequence is sequence 1 in the sequence set corresponding to length 31.

[0121] Table 2

[0122] For example, the length of the first sequence and the index of the first sequence can be collectively referred to as the codeword information of the first sequence. That is, the first sequence information includes the codeword information of the first sequence and at least one item in the set of first sequences, wherein the codeword information of the first sequence includes the length of the first sequence and / or the index of the first sequence.

[0123] For example, the first sequence information can be carried in the first field of the first message, where the data type of the first field is an ultra-wideband data type (i.e., SLP data type), indicating that the first field is used to carry information related to ultra-wideband communication or measurement. In other words, the first sequence information carried in the first field is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement.

[0124] As an example, the codeword information of the first sequence includes the length and index of the first sequence. The first sequence can be indicated by both its length and index. The index of the first sequence is represented as the symbol index of the first sequence in the sequence set corresponding to its length (as shown in the first column of Table 3). In this example, different lengths correspond to different sequence sets, and the sequences in different sequence sets can be sorted separately.

[0125] For example, the set of sequences corresponding to a length of 31 can be shown in Table 3. The first sequence is a ternary sequence with elements including {-1, 0, 1}. In Table 3, 0 represents element 0, - represents element -1, and + represents element 1.

[0126] Table 3

[0127] It is understood that the correspondence between symbol indices and sequences shown in Table 3 is merely an example and should not be construed as a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0128] The sets of sequences corresponding to lengths of 63, 91, 127, or 133 can be specified as per standards or protocols, and will not be listed here.

[0129] For example, the codeword information of the first sequence can be indicated by two fields, namely the length of the first sequence and the index of the first sequence. For example, the codeword information of the first sequence includes a first field indicating the length of the first sequence, and a second field indicating the index of the first sequence. For example, the value of the first field is 1-5, indicating that the length of the first sequence is 31, 63, 91, 127, 133 respectively (corresponding to SLP ultrawideband pulse symbols being codeword sequences of length 31, 63, 91, 127, and 133), and the value of the second field is the index of the first sequence (as shown in Table 3 for symbol indices).

[0130] For example, the codeword information of the first sequence can indicate the length and index of the first sequence through a single field (such as the first field). This means merging the first and second fields shown above into a single indicator field (referred to as the first field), or combining the length and symbol index of the first sequence into a single indicator field. For instance, k bits in this first field indicate the length of the first sequence, and n bits indicate the index of the first sequence. For example, if k is 3, the first field can indicate the length of the first sequence using 3 bits, where the values ​​of these 3 bits from 0 to 4 indicate lengths of 31, 63, 91, 127, and 133, respectively. If n is 6, the first field can indicate the corresponding index of the first sequence using 6 bits. When the length of the first sequence is 31, the values ​​of these 6 bits from 0 to 15 correspond to sequences of length 31 with symbol indices from 0 to 15.

[0131] As another example, the codeword information of the first sequence includes the index of the first sequence. In this example, different sequence lengths can correspond to the same sequence set, that is, all sequences of all lengths have a unified order, and the index of the first sequence is the index of the first sequence in the sequence set.

[0132] For example, the codeword information of the first sequence can be included in the ultra-wideband pulse symbol index field, that is, the third node can use the ultra-wideband pulse symbol index field to indicate the sequence used by the second node for ultra-wideband measurement.

[0133] In one possible implementation, the second node is an associated node of the third node, meaning the first sequence is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement by the associated node of the third node. Alternatively, the second node is the third node, meaning the first sequence is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement by the third node. That is, the third node and the second node are nodes in the same communication domain. For example, if the third node and the first node belong to the first communication domain, the third node can broadcast sequence information of the sequences used by nodes in the first communication domain.

[0134] For example, the first message is a broadcast message, and the third node can broadcast the first message periodically.

[0135] For example, the first message can be a broadcast frame (basic broadcast frame or extended broadcast frame) in SLE, a system message in SLB, a broadcast frame in BLE, or a beacon frame in WiFi. The SLE and SLB positioning standards respectively support the transmission of broadcast frames using narrowband GFSK and OFDM signals.

[0136] For example, when the narrowband modules of the third node and the first node include SLE modules, the third node can transmit a first message (or broadcast frame) on at least one of the three broadcast channels in the 2.4 GHz band (channels corresponding to 2402 MHz, 2424 MHz, and 2480 MHz, respectively). Correspondingly, the first node receives the first message on at least one of the three broadcast channels in the 2.4 GHz band. The first broadcast message can be a broadcast frame or an extended broadcast frame in the SLE. As another example, when the narrowband modules of the third node and the first node include SLB modules, the third node can broadcast the first message in the 5 GHz band. Correspondingly, the first node can receive the first message in the 5 GHz band. This first message can be a system message from the SLB.

[0137] As an example, in the case where the first message is a broadcast frame in SLE, the fields in the first message can be as shown in Table 4. Data type 1, data length 1, and data content 1 are used to indicate the channel information where the first communication domain ultra-wideband measurement frame resides, i.e., indicating the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the node in the first communication domain. Setting data type 1 to SLP data type indicates that data content 1 is SLP-related content, and data length 1 indicates the length of data content 1. Data type 2, data length 2, and data content 2 are used to indicate first sequence information, and the aforementioned first field can include data content 2. For example, data content 2 includes the index of the sequence (i.e., the first sequence) used by the first communication domain ultra-wideband measurement frame, or data content 2 includes the index of the set of unequal-length sequences used by the first communication domain, or data content 2 indicates whether the first communication domain uses a set of unequal-length sequences (for the case of only one set of unequal-length sequences). Setting data type 2 to SLP data type indicates that data content 2 is SLP-related content, and data length 2 indicates the length of data content 2.

[0138] Table 4

[0139] It is understood that the fields shown in Table 4 are merely examples. The first broadcast message in this application may include all or some of the fields shown in Table 4, or the first message may also include other fields (not shown in Table 4). The field names and bit widths shown in Table 4 are merely examples and should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0140] As another example, when the first message is a broadcast frame in SLE, the fields in the first message can be as shown in Table 5. That is, in addition to the SLP indication method used in Table 4, the third node can also use the SLP indication method in Table 5. Since the SLE module undertakes the tasks of device discovery and connection establishment in SLP, the basic broadcast frame sent by the SLE node through the broadcast channel is as shown in Table 5. When the data type indicates ultra-wideband pulse measurement information, in addition to indicating the channel number occupied by the ultra-wideband measurement frame of this communication domain and the length and / or index of the sequence used by SYNC and / or the measurement field, it can also indicate whether the communication domain uses a set of unequal-length sequences or the index of the set of unequal-length sequences used. Whether access is allowed for ultra-wideband pulse measurement is determined by the SLE node's broadcast to enable SLP node access, thereby using narrowband signaling (1MHz / 2MHz) to replace the ultra-wideband signaling of SLP, saving power consumption.

[0141] Table 5

[0142] It is understood that the fields and bit widths shown in Table 5 are merely examples and should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0143] As another example, when the first message is a system message in the SLB, the first message can be a communication domain system message DomainSysInfo in the SLB, which is broadcast by the G node in the communication domain. This communication domain system message includes at least one of the following indications: the length and / or index of the sequence used by the first communication domain ultra-wideband measurement frame, the channel number where the first communication domain ultra-wideband measurement frame is located, whether a unequal-length sequence set is used, and the index of the unequal-length sequence set used, etc.

[0144] As an example, the third node can be a master node or a management node, with the second and third nodes being the same node, or the second node being a slave node associated with the third node. For instance, the third node could be a master node in BLE, and the second node could be that master node or a slave node that has established a connection with it. Another example is a G node in a StarSpark system, with the second node being that G node or a T node managed by the G node. Yet another example is an access point (AP) in a WiFi system, with the second node being that AP or a STA managed by the AP. In this example, the master node can broadcast information about the sequences used for ultra-wideband measurements by nodes in its communication domain.

[0145] As another example, the third node is a slave node, and the second node is a third node. For instance, the third node could be a slave node in BLE. Similarly, the second node could be a T node in a StarSpark system. Or, the second node could be a STA in a WiFi system.

[0146] In this implementation, the first message also includes indication information for instructing the second node to support ultra-wideband communication or measurement and / or indication information for instructing the second node to allow association for ultra-wideband communication or measurement.

[0147] For example, the third node can use the first message to indicate whether the second node supports ultra-wideband (UWB) measurement, or whether the second node allows association for UWB measurement. For instance, the third node can use 1 bit to indicate whether the second node supports UWB communication or measurement. A 1 indicates support, and a 0 indicates no support; that is, the indication information for indicating that the second node supports UWB measurement occupies 1 bit. Alternatively, a 0 indicates support, and a 1 indicates no support. As another example, the third node can use 1 bit to indicate whether the second node allows association for UWB communication or measurement; that is, the indication information for indicating that the second node allows association for UWB measurement occupies 1 bit.

[0148] For example, when the second node supports ultra-wideband communication or measurement, the first message includes indication information indicating that the second node supports ultra-wideband communication or measurement, first sequence information, and channel information of the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node. When the second node does not support ultra-wideband communication or measurement, the first message includes indication information indicating that the second node does not support ultra-wideband measurement. In this case, the second node does not perform ultra-wideband communication or measurement, therefore the first message does not include the first sequence information and the channel information of the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node.

[0149] For example, the second node and the third node are the same node, and the second node is the master node (e.g., node G). When the second node supports association by a slave node (node ​​T) for ultra-wideband communication or measurement, the first message includes indication information indicating that association for ultra-wideband communication or measurement is permitted, first sequence information, and channel information of the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node. When the second node does not support association by node T for ultra-wideband communication or measurement, the first message includes indication information indicating that association for ultra-wideband communication or measurement is not permitted, and the first message includes channel information excluding the first sequence information and the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node.

[0150] In this implementation, the first node and the third node belong to different communication domains. For example, the third node may belong to the first communication domain, and the first node may belong to the second communication domain. The third node can broadcast the sequences used by nodes in the first communication domain for ultra-wideband communication or measurement, so that nodes in other communication domains (such as the first node) can avoid using the same sequences as nodes in the first communication domain. After learning the sequences used by nodes in the first communication domain through the first message, the first node selects a different sequence for nodes in the second communication domain, thereby avoiding the use of the same sequence by nodes in the two communication domains, reducing mutual interference between nodes, and improving measurement accuracy.

[0151] In another possible implementation, the second node is an adjacent node of the third node, and the first node is an associated node of the third node; alternatively, the first node is the peer node of the ultrawideband measurement with the third node (i.e., the ultrawideband measurement is performed between the first node and the third node). For example, the first node is node G, and the third node is node T associated with node G.

[0152] For example, the first message is a unicast message.

[0153] For example, the second node can be an SLP node, and the first sequence is an SLP sequence. Alternatively, the second node can be a UWB device, and the first sequence is a UWB sequence.

[0154] For example, the third node and the second node belong to different communication domains.

[0155] For example, the first message is sent by the third node when it detects that the first sequence and the third sequence are interfering sequences. The third sequence is the sequence that the third node currently uses for ultra-wideband communication or measurement. The fact that the third sequence is the same as or interferes with the first sequence indicates that the sequence currently used by the third node conflicts with the sequence used by other nodes. Therefore, upon detecting that the first sequence and the third sequence are interfering sequences, the third node sends a first message to the first node to request a reconfiguration of the sequence used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement. In this implementation, the first message can also be called a request message.

[0156] Optionally, the first message can also be used to request a reconfiguration of the channel used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement. When the first sequence and the third sequence are interfering sequences, and the channels used by the third node and the second node for ultra-wideband communication or measurement are the same or partially overlap in frequency, the third node can also request to switch the ultra-wideband channel through the first message, thereby avoiding mutual interference between the ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the first node and the second node.

[0157] As an example, the third node can detect codeword collisions by monitoring interference in the received signal. For instance, if strong interference (such as false spikes) is detected in the received signal, the third sequence may be identical to or interfere with the first sequence.

[0158] As another example, the third node can receive a broadcast message from the second node or an associated node of the second node, the broadcast message including information about the first sequence, and determine the first sequence used by the second node for ultra-wideband communication or measurement through the broadcast message, thereby determining whether the third sequence and the first sequence are interfering sequences.

[0159] For example, the first sequence and the third sequence being interfering sequences can include the following situations:

[0160] Case 1: The first sequence and the third sequence are the same.

[0161] When the first and third sequences are the same, they are interfering sequences. For example, the first and third sequences are both sequences with index 0 in a ternary sequence of length 31: "0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 -1 1 -1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 -1 -1 0 1 0 -1 0".

[0162] Case 2: The first sequence and the third sequence have the same length, and the first sequence and the third sequence are cyclic shift sequences, reverse sequences, or inverted sequences of each other.

[0163] In other words, if the first and third sequences have the same length, and are mutually cyclically shifted, reversed, or inverted sequences, then the first and third sequences are mutually interfering sequences. For example, sequences 12, 13, and 15 in Table 3 can be obtained by cyclically shifting sequence 10. Any two of sequences 10, 12, 13, and 15 are mutually cyclically shifted sequences. If the first and third sequences are any two of sequences 10, 12, 13, and 15, then the first and third sequences are mutually cyclically shifted sequences. Similarly, sequence 14 in Table 2 can be obtained by cyclically shifting sequence 8. Sequences 14 and 8 are mutually cyclically shifted sequences. If the first and third sequences are sequences 14 and 8 respectively, then the first and third sequences are mutually cyclically shifted sequences.

[0164] Case 3: The first and third sequences have the same length, but they do not belong to the same sequence group with good mutuality.

[0165] In other words, if the first and third sequences have the same length but do not belong to the same sequence group with good mutual compatibility, then the first and third sequences are interfering sequences. For example, the ternary codeword sequence of length 31 shown in Table 2 can include four sequence groups (e.g., sequences 0 and 1 in one group, sequences 2 and 3 in another, sequences 4 and 5 in another, and sequences 6 and 7 in another). If the first sequence is sequence 0 in Table 1 and the third sequence is not sequence 1 in Table 2, then the first and third sequences do not belong to the same sequence group, and therefore the first and third sequences are interfering sequences.

[0166] Case 4: The cross-correlation between the first sequence and the third sequence is greater than the first threshold.

[0167] If the cross-correlation between the first and third sequences is greater than a first threshold, the first and third sequences are considered interfering sequences. The cross-correlation between the first and third sequences can be determined by the above formula (1), which will not be elaborated here.

[0168] For example, the first message may also include an interference type between the first sequence and the third sequence. The interference type includes any one of the following: Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, and Type 4. Type 1 indicates that the third sequence and the first sequence are the same; in the case of Type 1 interference, the first sequence is an SLP sequence. Type 2 indicates that the third sequence and the first sequence are cyclically shifted sequences, reversed sequences, or inverted sequences; in the case of Type 2 interference, the first sequence can be an SLP sequence or a UWB sequence. Type 3 indicates that the third sequence and the first sequence have the same length; in the case of Type 3 interference, the first sequence can be an SLP sequence or a UWB sequence. Type 4 indicates that the third sequence and the first sequence are contained in the same set of unequal-length sequences; in the case of Type 4 interference, the first sequence is an SLP sequence. The set of unequal-length sequences can be predefined by the SLP standard for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of multiple nodes within a communication domain. When the third sequence and the first sequence are interfering sequences, the third node can detect the type of interference between the third sequence and the first sequence based on the received interference signal, and report the type of interference to the first node through the first message, so that the first node can better select the appropriate sequence.

[0169] In this implementation, when the first sequence and the third sequence are interfering sequences, the ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the third node and the second node interfere with each other. Therefore, the third node can request the first node to reconfigure the sequence used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement through the first message, thereby avoiding codeword conflicts between nodes, and thus avoiding mutual interference between the ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second and third nodes, improving the measurement accuracy of ultra-wideband measurement.

[0170] 502, the first node sends the second message.

[0171] The second message includes second sequence information indicating a second sequence that is different from the first sequence. The second sequence is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the first node or its associated nodes, or for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of nodes in a second communication domain, which includes the first node.

[0172] For example, the first node can be a master node (management node) or a slave node. When the first node is a master node (such as a master node, G node, or AP in BLE), the second sequence can be used for ultrawideband communication or measurement of the first node or its associated nodes. When the first node is a slave node (such as a slave node, T node, or STA in BLE), the second sequence is used for ultrawideband communication or measurement of the first node.

[0173] For example, if both the first node and the third node are G nodes, the third node can also be called a neighboring G node of the first node.

[0174] As an example, the first sequence and the second sequence have different lengths, that is, the first node or the associated node of the first node can use a sequence with a different length than the first sequence for ultra-wideband measurement, thereby avoiding mutual interference with the first sequence.

[0175] As another example, the second sequence is not a cyclically shifted, inverted, or reversed sequence of the first sequence; that is, the second sequence cannot be obtained by cyclically shifting, reversing, or inverting the first sequence.

[0176] As another example, the second sequence has the same length as the first sequence, and the first and second sequences belong to the same sequence group. Any two sequences in this sequence group have good cross-correlation and do not interfere with each other. For example, the cross-correlation between any two sequences in this sequence group is less than a first threshold. For example, the ternary codeword sequence of length 31 shown in Table 3 can include four sequence groups (e.g., sequences 0 and 1 as one group, sequences 2 and 3 as one group, sequences 4 and 5 as one group, and sequences 6 and 7 as one group). As another example, for sequence groups of the same length with good cross-correlation, the 31-length sequence specified in 802.15.4a / z includes three sequence groups, and the two sequences in each sequence group (e.g., codeword index 1 and codeword index 2, codeword index 3 and codeword index 4, codeword index 5 and codeword index 6) have relatively good cross-correlation. Sequence groups of different lengths can be predefined by relevant standards or protocols, which will not be detailed here.

[0177] As another example, the cross-correlation between the first and second sequences is less than a first threshold. The cross-correlation between the first sequence x(n) and the second sequence y(n) can be represented by the normalized correlation peak (NCP) (or sequence periodic cross-correlation). The NCP satisfies the following formula:

[0178] Where N is the codeword length on a symbol. The first threshold can be -20dB, meaning the NCP between the first and second sequences is less than -20dB. In this case, it is considered that when the first and second sequences are used in the same channel, their mutual interference is reduced due to the good cross-correlation of the codewords, thereby improving the anti-interference performance in multi-user scenarios.

[0179] As another example, the first sequence information includes information from a first sequence set, which includes the first sequence. The second sequence is not included in the first sequence set, or in other words, the second sequence is different from any sequence in the first sequence set. The first sequence set contains sequences that nodes in the first communication domain may use, and the second sequence is not a sequence in the first sequence set. This avoids nodes in the first communication domain and nodes in the second communication domain using the same sequence, thus preventing codeword conflicts.

[0180] For example, the second sequence has a different length from any sequence in the first sequence set, or the second sequence is not a cyclically shifted sequence, a reversed sequence, or a reversed sequence of each other, or the cross-correlation between the second sequence and any sequence in the first sequence set is less than a first threshold.

[0181] For example, the first node can send the second message through a narrowband channel.

[0182] In one possible implementation, the second message is used to configure the sequence of ultra-wideband communication or measurement used by the associated nodes of the first node, and the first node sends the second message to the associated nodes of the first node.

[0183] In this implementation, the second message can also be called a configuration message.

[0184] As an example, the first message mentioned above is a request message, used to request the first node to reconfigure the sequence used by the third node for ultra-wideband communication or measurement. After receiving the request message from the third node, the first node can send a second message to the third node based on the request message, thereby reconfiguring the sequence used by the third node for ultra-wideband communication or measurement. For example, the first node selects a second sequence from the codeword resource pool, and reconfigures the sequence used by the third node for ultra-wideband communication or measurement using this second sequence.

[0185] For example, the first node can randomly select a sequence of a different length from the first sequence from the codeword resource pool. Alternatively, the first node can select a sequence with good cross-correlation with the first sequence from codewords of the same length that conform to sequence correlation grouping. For example, for the first 8 sequences of length 31, they are divided into 4 groups with good cross-correlation, where the two sequences in each group (1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8) have good cross-correlation, where 1 to 8 are the indices of the sequences. If the first sequence is index 4, the first node can select the sequence with index 3.

[0186] For example, if the first sequence is a UWB sequence, meaning the third node detects a UWB sequence used by a neighboring device (i.e., the second node) (e.g., some UWB sequences in the UWB codeword resource pool are cyclically shifted sequences of SLP sequences), the first node can randomly select any sequence of unequal length from the codeword resource pool as the second sequence, meaning the lengths of the first and second sequences are different. The length of the second sequence can be any of the SLP sequence lengths, i.e., the second sequence can be selected from several SLP sequence lengths (e.g., 31, 63, 91, 127, 133). For instance, if the currently neighboring UWB device (e.g., the second node) is using a 31-length codeword, meaning the length of the first sequence is 31, and the third node detects that the first sequence and the currently used sequence are cyclically shifted sequences of each other, then it reports the detection of a UWB sequence to the first node, and the first node reselects a second sequence from 63, 91, 127, or 133.

[0187] In this example, if the third node detects a codeword conflict, the third node requests the first node to switch the sequence it is using. The first node then reconfigures the sequence used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement for the third node to avoid codeword conflicts between the third node and the second node.

[0188] Optionally, the second message can also be used to instruct the third node to switch the channel used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement. For example, the second message instructs the third node to switch to a first ultra-wideband channel, which is different from the ultra-wideband channel used by the second node, or the frequency ranges of the first ultra-wideband channel and the ultra-wideband channel used by the second node do not overlap. When the first node and the second node perform ultra-wideband communication or measurement on different channels, the first sequence and the second sequence can be the same or different.

[0189] Generally, the frame length of an ultra-wideband signal measurement frame is 1ms, the SYNC length is 128us, and the SYNC duty cycle is 12.8%. If two nodes operate on the same ultra-wideband channel, the probability of time-domain collisions between the SYNCs of different nodes will be high. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a codeword collision occurs, the first node can instruct the third node to switch the ultra-wideband channel, thereby avoiding time-domain collisions between the SYNCs of the third and fourth nodes and preventing mutual interference between the third and fourth nodes.

[0190] As another example, the first node mentioned above broadcasts a message, and the third node is not an associated node of the first node. The first node can send a second message to its associated node (such as a fourth node), through which the fourth node is configured to use sequences for ultra-wideband communication or measurement.

[0191] In another possible implementation, the second message is an ultra-wideband signal measurement frame, and the second sequence is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement by the first node. The first node can send the ultra-wideband signal measurement frame based on the second sequence, and perform ultra-wideband measurements through this frame. The second sequence is used for encoding or spreading coding of the ultra-wideband pulse symbols in the ultra-wideband signal measurement frame.

[0192] For example, the message interaction of the first node over the air interface can be as shown in Figure 5B. The first node can receive a first message via narrowband and determine the second sequence used by the second node for ultra-wideband measurement based on the first message. The first node then transmits narrowband signal measurement frames via narrowband and ultra-wideband signal measurement frames via ultra-wideband to perform ultra-wideband measurement. The synchronization symbol in the synchronization field of the ultra-wideband signal measurement frame can be encoded by the second sequence.

[0193] In another possible implementation, the second message is a broadcast message. The second message is used to broadcast the sequence used by the nodes in the second communication domain, which includes the first node and the associated nodes of the first node. That is, the second message is used to broadcast the sequence used by the first node or the associated nodes of the first node.

[0194] In this implementation, the third node can also receive the second message.

[0195] In this implementation, the first node broadcasts the sequence used by the nodes in the second communication domain, enabling other nodes to know the nodes used by the nodes in the second communication domain, thereby avoiding the use of interfering sequences.

[0196] In this embodiment, the first node and the third node can interact with the second node to perform ultra-wideband communication or measurement using the sequence, so as to avoid the first node or its associated node using the same codeword sequence as the second node, thereby avoiding codeword conflicts.

[0197] For example, before sending the second message, the first node can also determine the second sequence based on the first sequence information. The specific implementation of the first node determining the second sequence can be as follows:

[0198] In one possible implementation, when the first node receives the first message, it has not yet determined the sequence used by the nodes in its own communication domain (the second communication domain). When the first node determines the second sequence, it avoids conflicts with the first sequence. For example, for a G node (the first node) establishing an SLP ranging connection, after scanning the sequence information already broadcast by an existing G node (the third node), it should avoid selecting the same sequence used by nodes in the communication domain where the third node resides. As another example, if the first sequence is a UWB sequence, and the first node scans the first sequence used by UWB, it selects a sequence from the sequence resource pool that does not have cyclic shift characteristics with the UWB sequence; that is, the first node avoids selecting sequences that have cyclic shift characteristics with the UWB sequence.

[0199] In another possible implementation, when the first node receives the first message, it has already determined the sequence used by the nodes in its own communication domain (the second communication domain). The first node can determine whether to change the sequence used by the nodes in the second communication domain based on at least one of the following: the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the nodes in the first or second communication domain, the sequence used by the nodes in the first or second communication domain, the address identifier of the first node, and the address identifier of the second node. If it is determined that the sequence used by the nodes in the second communication domain should be changed, a second sequence is determined based on the first sequence information, and this second sequence is used to change the sequence used by the nodes in the second communication domain.

[0200] As a possible example, the first message may also include channel information of the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node. If the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node is the same as or partially overlaps in frequency with the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the first node or its associated node, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information.

[0201] For example, the first message may include the channel number of the SLP occupied by the second node, or in other words, the first message may include the channel number of the SLP occupied by the node in the first communication domain. After receiving the first message, the first node may check whether the node in the second communication domain uses the same ultra-wideband channel as the node in the first communication domain, or check whether the ultra-wideband channel (or working channel) used by the node in the second communication domain overlaps with the ultra-wideband channel used by the node in the first communication domain.

[0202] When nodes in the second communication domain and nodes in the first communication domain use the same or partially overlapping ultra-wideband channels, the first node determines a second sequence based on a first sequence information, ensuring that the sequence used by nodes in the second communication domain differs from that used by nodes in the first communication domain, thus avoiding codeword conflicts between the two communication domains. The second communication domain includes the first node and its associated nodes.

[0203] If the ultra-wideband channel used by the second node is different from or does not overlap in frequency range with the ultra-wideband channel used by the first node or its associated node, the first node can avoid service interruption caused by changing the sequence without changing the sequence. Alternatively, the first node does not need to determine the second sequence based on the first sequence information; the first node can select any sequence from the sequence resource pool. In this case, the first sequence and the second sequence can be the same or different.

[0204] As another possible example, the first node can determine the second sequence based on the first sequence and the cross-correlation between sequences.

[0205] For example, if the cross-correlation between the first sequence and the sequence currently used by the first node or its associated nodes is less than a first threshold, the second node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information. Alternatively, if the cross-correlation between the first sequence and the sequences currently used by nodes in the second communication domain is less than the first threshold, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information. Or, if the first sequence and the sequence currently used by the first node or its associated nodes are interfering sequences, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information. The second communication domain includes the first node and its associated nodes.

[0206] For example, if the cross-correlation between two sequences is less than a first threshold, the two sequences have poor correlation and are considered interfering sequences. After receiving the first message, the first node can check whether the sequence currently used by the node in the second communication domain is an interfering sequence with the first sequence.

[0207] In the case where the sequence currently used by a node in the second communication domain interferes with the first sequence, the first node determines the second sequence based on the information of the first sequence. The second sequence is not an interfering sequence of the first sequence, or in other words, the second sequence has a good cross-correlation with the first sequence, thereby avoiding mutual interference between the sequence used by the first node or its associated nodes and the first sequence.

[0208] Regarding the situation where the sequences currently used by nodes in the first and second communication domains are interfering sequences, please refer to the situation where the first and third sequences are interfering sequences shown above, which will not be repeated here.

[0209] In this example, if the sequence currently used by the first node and the sequence currently used by the first node or the associated node of the first node are interfering sequences, the ultrawideband communication or measurement of the two nodes will interfere with each other. Therefore, the first node can change the sequence used by the first node or the associated node of the first node to the second sequence, thereby avoiding codeword conflicts between the nodes.

[0210] In another possible example, the first message includes a first address identifier, and the first node can determine the second sequence based on the first node's address identifier, the first address identifier, and the first sequence information. For example, the first node can determine the second sequence based on a comparison between the first address identifier and the first node's address identifier, as well as the first sequence information.

[0211] For example, the first address identifier can be the address identifier of a third node, indicated by the value of the address field of the first message. The first address identifier can also be referred to as the sending address of the first message. For example, the first address identifier can be the local media access layer identifier of an SLE basic broadcast frame, the Layer2 ID or physical layer identity (PID) of an SLB system message, the sending MAC address of a BLE broadcast frame, or the MAC address of a WiFi beacon frame.

[0212] For example, the first address identifier may be the address identifier of the second node or the address identifier of the management node of the second node. For instance, the first address identifier may be a layer 2 ID or a MAC address. For example, if the second node is a T node, the first address identifier may be the address identifier of the G node associated with that second node. Or, if the second node is a G node, the first address identifier may be the address identifier of the second node.

[0213] For example, if the address identifier of the first node is less than the first address identifier, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information. If the address identifier of the first node is greater than the first address identifier, the first node may not change the sequence. In this example, when codeword conflicts occur, the node with the smaller address identifier can reselect and reconfigure the sequence, thereby avoiding codeword conflicts.

[0214] For example, if the address identifier of the first node is greater than the first address identifier, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information. If the address identifier of the first node is less than the first address identifier, the first node may not change the sequence. In this example, when codeword conflicts occur, the node with the larger address identifier can reselect or reconfigure the sequence, thereby avoiding codeword conflicts.

[0215] In this example, when the codewords of two nodes conflict, it can be agreed that the node with the larger address identifier or the node with the smaller address identifier will change the sequence used, without both nodes having to change the sequence. This reduces the number of nodes that need to switch sequences unnecessarily and avoids more nodes' communication domains from being interrupted in measurement or communication due to sequence switching.

[0216] It is understandable that the above examples can be combined. For example, if the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node has the same or partially overlapping frequencies with the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the first node or its associated node, and the cross-correlation between the first sequence and the sequence currently used by the first node or its associated node is greater than a first threshold, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information. As another example, if the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the second node has the same or partially overlapping frequencies with the ultra-wideband channel occupied by the first node or its associated node, and the cross-correlation between the first sequence and the sequence currently used by the first node or its associated node is greater than a first threshold, and the address identifier of the first node is less than the first address identifier, the first node determines the second sequence based on the first sequence information.

[0217] The following describes the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0218] This application divides the communication device into functional modules according to the above-described method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division; in actual implementation, other division methods may be used. The communication device of this application embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 6 to 8.

[0219] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the communication device includes a processing module 601 and a transceiver module 602. The transceiver module 602 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 601 is used to implement corresponding processing functions. For example, the transceiver module 602 can also be called an interface, a communication interface, or a communication module, etc.

[0220] In some embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the first node in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device can be the first node itself or a chip or functional module configurable in the first node. The transceiver module 602 is used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the first node in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 601 is used to perform the processing-related operations of the first node in the above method embodiments.

[0221] For example, the transceiver module 602 is used to receive or input a first message and send or output a second message.

[0222] Processing module 601 is used to determine the second sequence based on the first sequence information.

[0223] It is understood that specific descriptions of the first message, first sequence information, second sequence, second message, etc., can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0224] Reusing Figure 6, in some other embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the third node in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device can be the third node itself or a chip or functional module configurable in the third node. The transceiver module 602 is used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the third node in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 601 is used to perform the processing-related operations of the second node in the above method embodiments.

[0225] For example, the processing module 601 is used to determine the first sequence; the transceiver module 602 is used to send or output the first message.

[0226] Optionally, the transceiver module 602 is also used to receive or input a second message.

[0227] It is understood that specific descriptions of the first sequence, first message, second message, etc., can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0228] For example, transceiver module 602 may include radio frequency module, antenna module, etc. For example, transceiver module 602 may include pin module, etc.

[0229] Optionally, in the above embodiments, the communication device may further include a storage module, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 601 can read the instructions and / or data from the storage module to enable the communication device to implement the aforementioned method embodiments. For example, the storage module can store the radio frequency signal transmission strategy, etc., as shown above.

[0230] For example, the transceiver module 602 may be a communication module or interface connected to the processing module 601, or the transceiver module 602 may be an input / output interface of the processing module 601.

[0231] For details regarding the specific explanations of each term, noun, or step in the above embodiments, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments; they will not be detailed here.

[0232] The specific descriptions of the transceiver module and processing module shown in the above embodiments are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver module and processing module, please refer to the above method embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0233] The communication device of this application embodiment has been described above. The following describes possible product forms of the communication device. Any product possessing the functions of the communication device described in FIG. 6 above falls within the protection scope of this application embodiment. The following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the product form of the communication device of this application embodiment to this.

[0234] In one possible implementation, in the communication device shown in FIG6, the processing module 601 can be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 602 can be a transceiver, or the transceiver module 602 can also be a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module can be a transmitter, and the receiving module can be a receiver. The transmitting module and the receiving module are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiments of this application, the processor and the transceiver can be coupled, etc., and the connection method of the processor and the transceiver is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In the process of executing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be the process of the processor outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver so that the transceiver can transmit it. After the above information is output by the processor, it may need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be the process of the processor receiving the input above information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to undergo other processing before being input into the processor.

[0235] As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 70 includes one or more processors 720 and transceivers 710.

[0236] In some embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the first node described above. For example, the processor 720 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 601 shown in FIG. 6, and the transceiver 710 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 602 shown in FIG. 6. For a detailed description of the processor 720 and the transceiver 710, please refer to FIG. 6 or the method embodiments shown above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0237] In other embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the second node described above. For example, the processor 720 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 601 shown in FIG. 6, and the transceiver 710 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 602 shown in FIG. 6. Detailed descriptions of the processor 720 and the transceiver 710 can be found in FIG. 6 or the method embodiments shown above, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0238] In some other embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the third node described above. For example, the processor 720 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 601 shown in FIG. 6, and the transceiver 710 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 602 shown in FIG. 6. Detailed descriptions of the processor 720 and the transceiver 710 can be found in FIG. 6 or the method embodiments shown above, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0239] In some other embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the fifth node described above. For example, the processor 720 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 601 shown in FIG. 6, and the transceiver 710 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 602 shown in FIG. 6. Detailed descriptions of the processor 720 and the transceiver 710 can be found in FIG. 6 or the method embodiments shown above, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0240] In various implementations of the communication device shown in Figure 7, the transceiver may include a receiver for performing a receiving function (or operation) and a transmitter for performing a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver is also used to communicate with other devices / appliances via a transmission medium.

[0241] Optionally, the communication device 70 may further include one or more memories 730 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 730 is coupled to the processor 720. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between communication devices, units, or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between the communication devices, units, or modules. The processor 720 may operate in conjunction with the memory 730. The processor 720 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 730. Optionally, at least one of the above-mentioned memories may be included in the processor.

[0242] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the transceiver 710, processor 720, and memory 730. In Figure 7, the memory 730, processor 720, and transceiver 710 are connected via a bus 740, which is represented by a thick line. The connection methods between other components are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting. The bus can be classified as an address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 7, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0243] In the embodiments of this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc., and can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or being executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0244] In this application embodiment, the memory may include, but is not limited to, non-volatile memory such as hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), read-only memory (ROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. Memory is any storage medium capable of carrying or storing program code having instruction or data structure forms, and capable of being read and / or written by a computer (such as the communication device shown in this application), but is not limited to this. The memory in this application embodiment may also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store program instructions and / or data.

[0245] The processor 720 is primarily used for processing communication protocols and data, controlling the entire communication device, executing software programs, and processing software program data. The memory 730 is primarily used for storing software programs and data. The transceiver 710 may include control circuitry and an antenna. The control circuitry is primarily used for converting baseband signals to radio frequency signals and processing radio frequency signals. The antenna is primarily used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are primarily used for receiving user input data and outputting data to the user.

[0246] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 720 can read the software program in the memory 730, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 720 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 720. The processor 720 converts the baseband signal back into data and processes the data.

[0247] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0248] The communication device shown in this application embodiment may also have more components than those in Figure 7, and this application embodiment does not limit this. The methods executed by the processor and transceiver shown above are only examples, and the specific steps executed by the processor and transceiver can be referred to the methods described above.

[0249] In another possible implementation, in the communication device shown in Figure 6, the processing module 601 can be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver module 602 can be an input / output interface, or a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver module 602 can also be a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module can be an output interface, and the receiving module can be an input interface. The transmitting module and the receiving module are integrated into one module, such as an input / output interface. As shown in Figure 8, the communication device shown in Figure 8 includes a logic circuit 801 and an interface 802. That is, the above-mentioned processing module 601 can be implemented using the logic circuit 801, and the transceiver module 602 can be implemented using the interface 802. Among them, the logic circuit 801 can be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 802 can be a communication interface, an input / output interface, pins, etc. For example, Figure 8 uses the above-mentioned communication device as a chip, which includes the logic circuit 801 and the interface 802.

[0250] In this embodiment, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. The specific connection method of the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the logic circuit 801 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 601 shown in FIG. 6, and the interface 802 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 602 shown in FIG. 6. For a detailed description of the logic circuit 801 and the interface 802, please refer to FIG. 6 or the method embodiment shown above, which will not be detailed here.

[0251] The communication device shown in the embodiments of this application can implement the method provided in the embodiments of this application in hardware form or in software form, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit it in this way.

[0252] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a communication system including a first node and a second node, which can be used to execute the methods in any of the foregoing embodiments. Alternatively, the communication system includes a third node and a fifth node, which can be used to execute the methods in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0253] This application also provides a computer program for implementing the operations and / or processes performed by various communication devices or nodes in the methods provided in this application.

[0254] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform operations and / or processes performed by various communication devices or nodes in the methods provided in this application.

[0255] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the operations and / or processes performed by various communication devices or nodes in the method provided in this application to be executed.

[0256] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, communication devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the communication device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, communication devices, or modules, or it may be an electrical, mechanical, or other form of connection.

[0257] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0258] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0259] If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0260] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to the first node, and the method includes: Receive a first message, the first message including first sequence information, the first sequence information indicating a first sequence, the first sequence being used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second node; Send a second message, the second message including second sequence information, the second sequence information indicating a second sequence that is different from the first sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first sequence information includes at least one of the following: the length of the first sequence, the index of the first sequence, and information of the first sequence set; wherein, the first sequence set includes the first sequence, the first sequence set is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of multiple nodes, and the multiple nodes include the second node or the associated node of the second node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The second sequence is not included in the first sequence set.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The first message includes a first field, which carries the first sequence information, and k bits in the first field are used to indicate the length of the first sequence.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The n bits in the first field are used to indicate the index of the first sequence shown.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The data type corresponding to the first field includes ultra-wideband data type.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The length of the first sequence is 31, 63, 91, 127 or 133.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The lengths of the first sequence and the second sequence are not the same, or the second sequence is not a cyclic shift sequence, a reversed sequence, or a reversed sequence of the first sequence.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The second message also includes channel information of the channel through which the first node or its associated nodes conduct ultra-wideband communication or measurement.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Sending the second message includes: The second message is transmitted via a narrowband channel, the bandwidth of which is less than the bandwidth of the ultra-wideband channel measured by the second node.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first message is a broadcast message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first message is a broadcast frame of StarSpark Low Power Access Technology (SLE) or a system message of StarSpark Basic Access Technology (SLB).

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second sequence is determined based on the first sequence information, and the second sequence is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the first node or its associated nodes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The first message also includes channel information of the second node, the channel information being used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second node, and determining the second sequence based on the first sequence information includes: If the channel indicated by the channel information is the same as or partially overlaps with the channel used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement by the first node or its associated node, the second sequence is determined based on the first sequence information.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, Determining the second sequence based on the first sequence information includes: The second sequence is determined based on the cross-correlation between the first sequence and the sequence.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13-15, characterized in that, The first message further includes a first address identifier, and determining the second sequence based on the first sequence information includes: The second sequence is determined based on the address identifier of the first node, the first address identifier, and the first sequence information.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that, The first message also includes indication information for instructing the third node to support ultra-wideband measurements and / or indication information for instructing the third node to allow association for ultra-wideband measurements.

18. A method of communication, comprising: The method includes: Determine the first sequence; Send a first message, the first message including the first sequence information, the first sequence information indicating the first sequence, the first sequence being used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of the second node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The first sequence information includes at least one of the following: the length of the first sequence, the index of the first sequence, and information of the first sequence set; wherein, the first sequence set includes the first sequence, the first sequence set is used for ultra-wideband communication or measurement of multiple nodes, and the multiple nodes include the second node or the associated node of the second node.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The first message includes a first field, which carries the first sequence information, and k bits in the first field are used to indicate the length of the first sequence.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The n bits in the first field are used to indicate the index of the first sequence shown.

22. The method of claim 20 or 21, wherein, The data type corresponding to the first field includes ultra-wideband data type.

23. The method according to any one of claims 18-22, characterized by, The length of the first sequence is 31, 63, 91, 127 or 133.

24. The method of any one of claims 18-23, wherein, The first message also includes the second node performing ultra-wideband communication or measuring the corresponding channel information.

25. The method of any one of claims 18-24, wherein, The method further includes: A second message is received, the second message including second sequence information, the second sequence information indicating a second sequence that is different from the first sequence.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, The lengths of the first sequence and the second sequence are not the same, or the second sequence is not a cyclic shift sequence, a reversed sequence, or a reversed sequence of the first sequence.

27. The method of claim 25 or 26, wherein, The receipt of the second message includes: The second message is transmitted via a narrowband channel, the bandwidth of which is less than the bandwidth of the ultra-wideband communication or measurement channel of the second node.

28. The method of any one of claims 18-27, wherein, The first message is a broadcast message.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein, The first message is a broadcast frame of StarSpark Low Power Access Technology (SLE) or a system message of StarSpark Basic Access Technology (SLB).

30. The method of any one of claims 18-29, wherein, The first message also includes indication information for instructing the third node to support ultra-wideband measurements and / or indication information for instructing the third node to allow association for ultra-wideband measurements.

31. A communications device, characterized by Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-30.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising: The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program, which, when executed by a computer, performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-30.

33. A computer program product, characterised in that, When the computer program product is executed by a computer, the method described in any one of claims 1-30 is performed.

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