Communication method, and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications. Provided are a communication method, and an apparatus, which are used for improving ranging precision and ranging accuracy, such that the accuracy and success rate of unlocking can be improved during passive unlocking, thereby improving the user experience. The method is applied to a multi-anchor apparatus, the multi-anchor apparatus comprising a plurality of communication anchors. For each communication anchor among the plurality of communication anchors, the method comprises: a communication anchor sending a first measurement frame to a terminal device, and receiving a second measurement frame from the terminal device, wherein the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame are used for acquiring channel state information between the communication anchor and the terminal device. Channel state information between a plurality of communication anchors and the terminal device is used for determining location information of the terminal device.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411752814.0, filed on November 28, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the increasing technological sophistication and intelligence of electric vehicles, near-field contactless unlocking has gradually become a plus and added value feature. Using a mobile phone as a car key, it can achieve contactless unlocking by measuring distance between the phone and the vehicle. This contactless unlocking requires anchor points on the vehicle to measure the distance to the car key, and unlocking is only possible after the measured distance meets a certain threshold.

[0004] Currently, Bluetooth modules are typically used for distance measurement, specifically through the received signal strength indication (RSSI). However, relying on RSSI to determine the position of the vehicle and key is susceptible to environmental factors, which can lead to unlocking failures and thus degrade the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to improve ranging accuracy and precision, thereby enhancing the accuracy and success rate of unlocking during contactless unlocking, and ultimately improving the user experience. To achieve the above objectives, embodiments of this application employ the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, applied in a multi-anchor-point device, the multi-anchor-point device including multiple communication anchor points, such as a vehicle, the method comprising: for each of the multiple communication anchor points, the communication anchor point sending a first measurement frame to a terminal device and receiving a second measurement frame from the terminal device, the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame being used to acquire channel state information between the communication anchor point and the terminal device, for example, the channel state information including channel state information -I-channel and channel state information -Q-channel, and related to the phase difference between the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame; wherein, the channel state information between the multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device is used to determine the location information of the terminal device, for example, a main communication anchor point determining the location information of the terminal device based on the channel state information between the multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device.

[0007] In the above technical solution, the multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device can obtain channel state information between different communication anchor points and the terminal device through bidirectional interactive measurement frames. This channel state information is related to the phase difference between the bidirectional interactive measurement frames, so the distance determination based on this channel state information is not affected by the surrounding environment. Moreover, the location information of the terminal device can be accurately determined through the channel state information between multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device, thereby improving the ranging accuracy and ranging precision. When unlocking based on the location information of the terminal device, the accuracy and success rate of unlocking can be greatly improved, thus enhancing the user experience.

[0008] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the communication anchor point sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the terminal device, comprising: the communication anchor point first receiving the first measurement frame from the terminal device, and then sending the second measurement frame to the terminal device; the plurality of communication anchor points includes a main communication anchor point, and the method further comprises: the main communication anchor point receiving a plurality of channel state information from the terminal device, the plurality of channel state information including channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device. In the above possible implementation, the terminal device may first send the second measurement frame to the communication anchor point, and then the communication anchor point sends the first measurement frame to the terminal device. In this way, the terminal device can determine the channel state information between the communication anchor point and the terminal device based on the first measurement frame and the received second measurement frame, thereby improving the ranging accuracy and precision when determining the distance based on the channel state information.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the communication anchor point sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the terminal device, comprising: the communication anchor point first sending the first measurement frame to the terminal device, and then receiving the second measurement frame from the terminal device; the plurality of communication anchor points include a master communication anchor point and a plurality of slave communication anchor points, and the method further comprises: the master communication anchor point receiving a plurality of channel state information from the plurality of slave communication anchor points, the plurality of channel state information including channel state information between the plurality of slave communication anchor points and the terminal device. In the above possible implementation, the communication anchor point first sends the first measurement frame to the terminal device, and the terminal device then sends the second measurement frame to the communication anchor point. In this way, the communication anchor point can determine the channel state information between the communication anchor point and the terminal device based on the first measurement frame and the received second measurement frame, thereby improving the ranging accuracy and precision when determining the distance based on the channel state information.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: a primary communication anchor point among the plurality of communication anchor points acquiring multiple distances between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device based on channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device; and the primary communication anchor point determining the location information of the terminal device based on the multiple distances. In the above possible implementation, the primary communication anchor point can acquire multiple distances between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device, and determine the location information of the terminal device based on the multiple distances, thereby improving ranging accuracy and precision.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, for each of the plurality of communication anchor points, the master communication anchor point obtains the distance between the slave communication anchor point and the terminal device based on the channel state information between the slave communication anchor point and the terminal device. This includes: the master communication anchor point sending the channel state information between the slave communication anchor point and the terminal device to the slave communication anchor point; and the master communication anchor point receiving the distance between the slave communication anchor point and the terminal device. In the above possible implementation, the slave communication anchor point determines the distance between the slave communication anchor point and the terminal device and sends it to the master communication anchor point, thereby reducing the computational load on the master communication anchor point. Simultaneous computation by multiple communication anchor points also improves computational efficiency.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the plurality of communication anchor points includes a master communication anchor point and a plurality of slave communication anchor points. The method further includes: the master communication anchor point sending first control information to the terminal device, the first control information being used to instruct the measurement of channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device; and the master communication anchor point sending second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchor points, the second control information being used to instruct the measurement of channel state information between the plurality of slave communication anchor points and the terminal device. In the above possible implementation, the master communication anchor point, by controlling the terminal device and the plurality of slave communication anchor points, can realize ranging between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device, and can improve ranging accuracy and precision.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the master communication anchor point sends second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchor points, including: the master communication anchor point sends the second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchor points via a broadcast frame or a system management frame. In the above possible implementation, when the master communication anchor point sends the second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchor points via a broadcast frame or a system management frame, there is no need to establish a one-to-one SLE connection between the master communication anchor point and the plurality of slave communication anchor points, and the master communication anchor point can send the second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchor points simultaneously, thereby saving the air interface time slot of the master communication anchor point and improving communication efficiency.

[0014] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided for a terminal device to communicate with a multi-anchor device, the multi-anchor device including multiple communication anchors. The method includes: for each of the multiple communication anchors, the terminal device receiving a first measurement frame from the communication anchor and sending a second measurement frame to the communication anchor, the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame being used to acquire channel state information between the communication anchor and the terminal device; wherein the channel state information between the multiple communication anchors and the terminal device is used to determine the location information of the terminal device.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the terminal device receives a first measurement frame from the communication anchor point and sends a second measurement frame to the communication anchor point, comprising: the terminal device first sends the first measurement frame to the communication anchor point, and then receives the second measurement frame from the communication anchor point; the plurality of communication anchor points include a main communication anchor point, and the method further comprises: the terminal device sends a plurality of channel state information to the main communication anchor point, the plurality of channel state information including channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device receiving first control information from the master communication anchor point, the first control information being used to indicate the measurement of channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device.

[0017] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which serves as a communication anchor point or a chip applied to a communication anchor point, and can realize the functions performed by the first device in the above method. These functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0018] In one possible implementation of the third aspect, the device includes a processing unit, a transmitting unit, and a receiving unit; the processing unit is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the above-described method; the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be used to support the device in communicating with other communication anchors or terminal devices.

[0019] In another possible implementation of the third aspect, the device includes a processor and a communication interface; the processor is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the methods described above; the communication interface is used to support communication between the device and other communication anchors or terminal devices. Optionally, the device also includes a memory coupled to the processor, which stores necessary program instructions and data for the device.

[0020] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, which serves as a terminal device or is applied to a chip in a terminal device, and can perform the functions executed by the second device in the above-described method. These functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0021] In one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the device includes a processing unit, a transmitting unit, and a receiving unit; the processing unit is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the above method; the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be used to support the device in communicating with multiple communication anchors.

[0022] In another possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the device includes a processor and a communication interface; the processor is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the methods described above; the communication interface is used to support the device in communicating with multiple communication anchors. Optionally, the device also includes a memory coupled to the processor, which stores necessary program instructions and data for the device.

[0023] In another aspect of this application, a multi-anchor-point device is provided, comprising a plurality of communication anchor points, the communication anchor points including the communication devices provided in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the multi-anchor-point device is a vehicle, or a device within a vehicle.

[0024] In another aspect of this application, a communication system is provided, the communication system including a multi-anchor device and a terminal device, the multi-anchor device including a plurality of communication anchors that can communicate with the terminal device, the communication anchors including the communication devices provided by the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and the terminal device including the communication devices provided by the fourth aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0025] In another aspect of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a device, cause the device to perform a communication method as provided in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0026] In another aspect of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a device, cause the device to perform the communication method provided by the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0027] In another aspect of this application, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the communication method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0028] In another aspect of this application, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the communication method provided by the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0029] It is understood that the beneficial effects achieved by any of the communication devices, communication systems, computer-readable storage media and computer program products provided above can be referred to in accordance with the beneficial effects of the communication methods provided above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a scenario for contactless unlocking provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a scenario for distance measurement using multiple anchor points provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the connection between multiple anchor points and a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of transmitting a measurement frame according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another method for sending measurement frames according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a measurement frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another first communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of another second communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, 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 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 of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, a, b, and c; where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0047] The embodiments of this application use terms such as "first" and "second" to distinguish objects with similar names, functions, or roles. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or order of execution. In this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being used as an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0048] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, the relevant scenarios involved in this application will be described first.

[0049] With the increasing technological sophistication and intelligence of electric vehicles, near-field contactless unlocking has gradually become a plus and added value feature. Using a mobile phone as a car key, it can achieve contactless unlocking by measuring distance between the phone and the vehicle. This contactless unlocking requires anchor points on the vehicle to measure the distance to the car key, and unlocking is only possible after the measured distance meets a certain threshold.

[0050] In one implementation, a Bluetooth module can be used for distance measurement, specifically through the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the Bluetooth signal. For example, as shown in Figure 1, taking a user's mobile phone as a car key, the user's phone can send a Bluetooth signal as the user approaches the vehicle. An anchor point on the vehicle can receive and detect the RSSI of this Bluetooth signal. Then, the anchor point on the vehicle can determine the distance corresponding to the detected RSSI based on a preset correspondence between RSSI and distance. However, sensing the positional relationship between the vehicle and the car key via RSSI is easily affected by the surrounding environment, which can lead to unlocking failures and thus reduce the user experience.

[0051] Furthermore, the aforementioned methods have low ranging accuracy and precision, meaning they fall short in these areas and cannot meet users' needs for unlocking different vehicle doors. For example, when a user needs to unlock the rear door or the passenger-side door, the anchor points on the vehicle cannot accurately measure the distance between the user and the different doors, thus failing to accurately unlock the specific door for the user.

[0052] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be used to measure distance between a multi-anchor-point device and a terminal device. The multi-anchor-point device includes multiple anchor points, which can specifically locate the terminal device through distance measurement. In one example, as shown in Figure 2, the multi-anchor-point device is a vehicle, and the multiple anchor points can be distributed at different locations on the vehicle. When a user carrying a terminal device approaches the vehicle, the multiple anchor points can locate the terminal device through distance measurement. Specifically, in this method, for any one of the multiple anchor points, the anchor point sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the terminal device. The first and second measurement frames are used to obtain channel state information between the anchor point and the terminal device; wherein, the channel state information between the multiple anchor points and the terminal device is used to determine the location information of the terminal device. In this way, through bidirectional interactive measurement frames, the multiple anchor points and the terminal device can obtain channel state information between different anchor points and the terminal device. This channel state information is related to the phase difference between the bidirectional interactive measurement frames. Therefore, when determining the distance based on this channel state information, it is not affected by the surrounding environment. Furthermore, the location information of the terminal device can be accurately determined through the channel state information between multiple anchor points and the terminal device, thereby improving the ranging accuracy and precision. Consequently, when unlocking based on this location information, the accuracy and success rate of unlocking can be greatly improved, thus enhancing the user experience.

[0053] The technical solutions provided in this application can be used in various communication systems, including third-generation partnership project (3GPP) communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, internet of things (IoT) systems, narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) systems, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC), enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), vehicular short-range wireless communication systems, and various types of future communication systems, such as non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems (e.g., satellite communication systems), non-3GPP communication systems, etc., without limitation.

[0054] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication system includes at least one terminal node and at least one management node. The terminal node can be connected to the management node via wired or wireless means, and the management node can be connected to the core network via wired or wireless means. The terminal node, referred to as a T node, can be a node in the communication system that receives data scheduling information and sends data according to the data scheduling information. The management node, referred to as a G node, can be a node in the communication system that sends data scheduling information.

[0055] In one possible example, the management node may include management node a and management node b, and the terminal nodes may include terminal node a, terminal node b, terminal node c, terminal node d, and terminal node e.

[0056] Optionally, the terminal node can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities or a chip or chip system that can be configured on the device, allowing users to access the network and providing voice and / or data connectivity to users. The terminal node can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), subscriber unit, terminal, mobile station (MS), or mobile terminal (MT), etc.

[0057] For example, the terminal node can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities. Terminal nodes can also be user stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote terminal nodes, mobile terminal nodes, user terminal nodes, wireless communication devices, user agents, user devices, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices, processing devices connected to wireless modems, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capabilities, intelligent connected vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The following are not limited to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with U2U (U2U) communication capabilities, terminal nodes in future networks, or terminal nodes in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs). The terminal node in this application can also be an onboard module, onboard unit, onboard component, onboard chip, or onboard unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The terminal node can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, it can be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal node. The device used to implement the terminal function can be a terminal node; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing this function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0058] Optionally, the management node can be any device deployed in the network capable of wireless communication with terminal nodes. It can also be a chip or chip system embedded in such devices, a logical node, a logical module, or a function implemented in software. It can be used to implement functions such as wireless physical control, resource scheduling and wireless resource management, wireless access control, and mobility management. Specifically, the management node can be used to provide access services to terminal nodes; for example, the management node can be a device that supports wired access or a device that supports wireless access.

[0059] For example, a management node can consist of one or more access network (AN) / radio access network (RAN) nodes. AN / RAN nodes can be: evolved Node B (gNB), transmission reception point (TRP), evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B (HNB)), base band unit (BBU), or access point (AP), wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, various forms of macro base station, micro base station (also known as small cell), relay station, access point, wearable device, vehicle-mounted device, etc.

[0060] In another example, the management node may include a baseband unit (BBU) and a remote radio unit (RRU). The BBU and RRU can be located in different locations; for example, the RRU can be deployed remotely to a high-traffic area, while the BBU is located in the central equipment room. Alternatively, the BBU and RRU can be located in the same equipment room. Furthermore, the BBU and RRU can be different components within the same rack.

[0061] In another example, the management node can be a device that includes centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or both CU and DU nodes. For instance, the management node can be logically divided into CUs and DUs, with some protocol layer functions centrally controlled by the CU, and the remaining partial or complete protocol layer functions distributed across the DU, which is then centrally controlled by the CU. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. Furthermore, the centralized unit (CU) can be further divided into a control plane (CU-CP) and a user plane (CU-UP).

[0062] In another example, the management node may also be a device that includes a radio unit (RU), or a device that includes a CU, a DU, and a RU. The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as an RRU, an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0063] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0064] It is understood that the communication system shown in Figure 3 is merely exemplary and does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application. In practical applications, the communication system may also include other nodes, such as other management nodes and / or other terminal nodes.

[0065] Optionally, the communication system provided in this application embodiment can be a SparkLink wireless communication system, also known as a SparkLink system. This means the communication system uses SparkLink technology for communication. SparkLink can be referred to as NearLink or SparkLink in English. SparkLink technology is a wireless communication technology that may only have the characteristics of Bluetooth without the features of Wi-Fi, or it may combine the features of both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. SparkLink technology can be used to achieve high-quality, low-power, secure, and reliable short-range communication. SparkLink technology uses wireless frequency bands for communication and features high transmission rate, low power consumption, and high security. SparkLink technology may include SparkLink Basic (SLB) access technology and SparkLink Low Energy (SLE) access technology. For example, the standard number of this star flash technology may include, but is not limited to: T / XS 00001-2022, T / XS10002-2022, T / XS20001-2022, T / XS 10002-2023, T / XS 50001-2024, or T / XS 30013-2024, etc.

[0066] In one possible embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the multiple anchor points in this embodiment include a master anchor point G and multiple slave anchor points T. The master anchor point G can serve as a management node in the StarScan system, and the multiple slave anchor points T and the terminal device T can serve as multiple terminal nodes in the StarScan system. The master anchor point G and the multiple slave anchor points T can be connected via a controller area network (CAN) bus and / or a StarScan connection. The master anchor point and the terminal device can also be connected via a StarScan connection, for example, the StarScan connection can be an SLE connection, which can also be called an SLE bidirectional connection when used for bidirectional communication. Figure 4(a) illustrates the connection between the master anchor point G and the multiple slave anchor points T via a CAN bus, Figure 4(b) illustrates the connection between the master anchor point G and the multiple slave anchor points T via an SLE connection, and Figure 4(c) illustrates the connection between the master anchor point G and the multiple slave anchor points T via a CAN bus and an SLE connection.

[0067] In one example, when the communication system is a WiFi system, the aforementioned multiple anchor points can be referred to as multiple WiFi anchor points, which may include a primary WiFi anchor point and multiple secondary WiFi anchor points. Here, a WiFi anchor point can refer to an anchor point that communicates based on the WiFi protocol. In another example, when the communication system is a StarScan system, the aforementioned multiple anchor points can be referred to as multiple StarScan anchor points, which may include a primary StarScan anchor point and multiple secondary StarScan anchor points. Here, a StarScan anchor point can refer to an anchor point that communicates based on the StarScan protocol.

[0068] The anchor point in this embodiment can also be called a communication anchor point, and the English term for anchor point is "anchor". Optionally, the anchor point can be a ranging module or a positioning module, or a module with other functions. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0069] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to the communication system provided above. For example, the communication system can be a star-flash system, which includes a multi-anchor device and a terminal device. The multi-anchor device includes multiple communication anchor points. The method includes the following steps.

[0070] S201: The plurality of communication anchor points respectively send a first measurement frame to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first measurement frame from the plurality of communication anchor points respectively.

[0071] Optionally, the plurality of communication anchor points includes a primary communication anchor point and a plurality of secondary communication anchor points. In one example, the plurality of anchor point devices is a vehicle, the primary communication anchor point can be located at the center of the vehicle, and the plurality of secondary communication anchor points can be located around the vehicle. For example, the primary communication anchor point is located at the center console of the vehicle, and the plurality of secondary communication anchor points include four secondary communication anchor points, which are respectively located near the four wheels of the vehicle.

[0072] Optionally, the multiple communication anchors can send the first measurement frame to the terminal device in a time-sharing manner. For example, the multiple communication anchors can send the first measurement frame to the terminal device in different time slots.

[0073] In one possible example, the plurality of communication anchors includes a main communication anchor and communication anchors 1 to 4. The main communication anchor sends a first measurement frame a to the terminal device in time slot 0; communication anchor 1 sends a first measurement frame b to the terminal device in time slot 1; communication anchor 2 sends a first measurement frame c to the terminal device in time slot 2; communication anchor 3 sends a first measurement frame d to the terminal device in time slot 3; and communication anchor 4 sends a first measurement frame e to the terminal device in time slot 4. Accordingly, the terminal device can receive the first measurement frame a in time slot 0, the first measurement frame b in time slot 1, the first measurement frame c in time slot 2, the first measurement frame d in time slot 3, and the first measurement frame e in time slot 4.

[0074] S202: The plurality of communication anchor points respectively receive a second measurement frame from the terminal device. The first and second measurement frames corresponding to each communication anchor point are used to acquire channel state information between the communication anchor point and the terminal device. The channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device is used to determine the location information of the terminal device.

[0075] For each of the plurality of communication anchor points, the terminal device can send a second measurement frame to that communication anchor point. In this way, each of the plurality of communication anchor points can receive the second measurement frame from the terminal device. Optionally, the terminal device can send the second measurement frame to the plurality of communication anchor points in a time-division manner; for example, the terminal device can send the second measurement frame to the plurality of communication anchor points in different time slots.

[0076] In one possible example, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the plurality of communication anchors includes a main communication anchor and subordinate communication anchors 1 to 4. The terminal device sends a second measurement frame a' to the main communication anchor in time slot 0, sends a second measurement frame b' to subordinate communication anchor 1 in time slot 1, sends a second measurement frame c' to subordinate communication anchor 2 in time slot 2, sends a second measurement frame d' to subordinate communication anchor 3 in time slot 3, and sends a second measurement frame e' to subordinate communication anchor 4 in time slot 4. Correspondingly, the main communication anchor receives the second measurement frame a' in time slot 0, subordinate communication anchor 1 receives the second measurement frame b' in time slot 1, subordinate communication anchor 2 receives the second measurement frame c' in time slot 2, subordinate communication anchor 3 receives the second measurement frame d' in time slot 3, and subordinate communication anchor 4 receives the second measurement frame e' in time slot 4. The above-mentioned time slots 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent different time slots.

[0077] For the same communication anchor point among the multiple communication anchor points, the first measurement frame sent and the second measurement frame received by that communication anchor point can be referred to as the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame corresponding to that communication anchor point. The first measurement frame and the second measurement frame corresponding to the same communication anchor point can be referred to as a pair of measurement frames, so that the multiple communication anchor points can correspond to multiple pairs of measurement frames. Each pair of measurement frames is used to obtain channel state information between a communication anchor point and the terminal device. For example, the first measurement frame a and the second measurement frame a' mentioned above are a pair of measurement frames used to obtain channel state information between the main communication anchor point and the terminal device; the first measurement frame b and the second measurement frame b' are a pair of measurement frames used to obtain channel state information between communication anchor point 1 and the terminal device; the first measurement frame c and the second measurement frame c' are a pair of measurement frames used to obtain channel state information between communication anchor point 2 and the terminal device; the first measurement frame d and the second measurement frame d' are a pair of measurement frames used to obtain channel state information between communication anchor point 3 and the terminal device; the first measurement frame d and the second measurement frame d' are a pair of measurement frames used to obtain channel state information between communication anchor point 4 and the terminal device.

[0078] Optionally, steps S201 and S202 above can have different execution orders. For example, for each communication anchor point, the communication anchor point can first send the first measurement frame to the terminal device, or the communication anchor point can first receive the second measurement frame from the terminal device. This will be described in detail below.

[0079] In a first possible embodiment, for any one of the plurality of communication anchor points: the terminal device first sends a second measurement frame to the communication anchor point; when the communication anchor point receives the second measurement frame, the communication anchor point then sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device. That is, the communication anchor point first receives the second measurement frame from the terminal device, and then sends the first measurement frame to the terminal device; correspondingly, the terminal device first sends the second measurement frame to the communication anchor point, and then receives the first measurement frame from the communication anchor point. For example, as shown in FIG6, the main communication anchor point and the secondary communication anchor points 1 to 4 first receive the second measurement frames a' to e' from the terminal device, respectively, and then send the first measurement frames a to e to the terminal device, respectively.

[0080] In this embodiment, for any one of the plurality of communication anchor points, the terminal device can obtain channel state information between the communication anchor point and the terminal device based on the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame corresponding to the communication anchor point, and send the channel state information between the communication anchor point and the terminal device to the main communication anchor point. Optionally, for the plurality of communication anchor points, the terminal device can obtain multiple channel state information and send the multiple channel state information to the main communication anchor point; the main communication anchor point can receive the multiple channel state information, and the multiple channel state information includes the channel state information between the multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device.

[0081] In a second possible embodiment, for any one of the plurality of communication anchor points: the communication anchor point first sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device; when the terminal device receives the first measurement frame, the terminal device then sends a second measurement frame to the communication anchor point; subsequently, the communication anchor point receives the second measurement frame. That is, the communication anchor point first sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device, and then receives a second measurement frame from the terminal device; correspondingly, the terminal device first receives a first measurement frame from the communication anchor point, and then sends a second measurement frame to the communication anchor point. For example, as shown in FIG7, the main communication anchor point and the secondary communication anchor points 1 to 4 first send first measurement frames a to second measurement frames e to the terminal device respectively, and then receive second measurement frames a' to second measurement frames e' from the terminal device respectively.

[0082] In this embodiment, for any one of the plurality of communication anchor points, the communication anchor point can obtain channel state information between itself and the terminal device based on the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame corresponding to it. Optionally, for each of the plurality of communication anchor points, the slave communication anchor point can also send the channel state information between itself and the terminal device to the master communication anchor point. Further, for the plurality of slave communication anchor points, the master communication anchor point can receive multiple channel state information from the plurality of slave communication anchor points, the multiple channel state information including the channel state information between the plurality of slave communication anchor points and the terminal device.

[0083] Optionally, the structures of the two measurement frames in each pair of measurement frames can be the same or different. When the structures of the two measurement frames are different, the structure of the two measurement frames depends on the order in which they are sent. Several examples are provided below to illustrate this.

[0084] In one example, as shown in Figure 8(a), both the first and second measurement frames sent include measurement signals. The length and type of the measurement signals can be determined by the corresponding configuration.

[0085] In another example, as shown in Figure 8(b), the first transmitted measurement frame includes a preamble, a synchronization signal, an equalization protection sequence, a handover interval, and a measurement signal in sequence, while the second received measurement frame includes the measurement signal, the handover interval, the preamble, the synchronization signal, and the equalization protection sequence in sequence. Optionally, for the first transmitted measurement frame, in a multi-antenna scenario, the antenna pairs corresponding to the preamble, synchronization signal, and equalization protection sequence are the same as the antenna pairs corresponding to the first sub-measurement signal in the measurement signal; for the second transmitted measurement frame, in a multi-antenna scenario, the antenna pairs corresponding to the preamble, synchronization signal, and equalization protection sequence are the same as the antenna pairs corresponding to the last sub-measurement signal in the measurement signal. The type of the synchronization signal, the length and type of the measurement signal, and the length of the handover interval can be determined by the corresponding configuration; when both the measurement signal and the synchronization signal use frequency-shift keying (PSK) modulation, the handover interval length can be configured to 0.

[0086] In another example, as shown in Figure 8(c), the first transmitted measurement frame includes a preamble signal, a synchronization signal, and an equalization protection sequence in sequence, while the subsequently received measurement frame includes a preamble signal, a synchronization signal, an equalization protection sequence, a switching interval, and a measurement signal in sequence. Optionally, the length and type of the synchronization signal can be determined by the corresponding configuration; the structure of this measurement frame can be used during the initialization phase of the position measurement event group; in a multi-antenna scenario, only one antenna can be used to transmit the measurement frame, and the specific antenna used can be determined by the transmitting device.

[0087] In another example, as shown in Figure 8(d), the first transmitted measurement frame can sequentially include a preamble signal, a synchronization signal, an equalization protection sequence, a switching interval, and a measurement signal. The subsequently received measurement frame can also sequentially include the same preamble signal, synchronization signal, equalization protection sequence, switching interval, and measurement signal. Optionally, the length and type of the synchronization signal can be determined by the corresponding configuration. This measurement frame structure can be used during the initial synchronization phase of ultra-wideband pulse measurement. The synchronization signal can be used to measure the timing deviation between the communication anchor point and the terminal device, and the measurement signal can be used to measure the frequency deviation between the communication anchor point and the terminal device. The timing and frequency deviations can be used to determine the time and frequency at which the communication anchor point or terminal device receives the ultra-wideband measurement frame. Optionally, the modulation method of the measurement signal is phase-free BPSK. In multi-antenna scenarios, only one antenna can be used to transmit the entire measurement frame; the specific antenna used can be determined by the transmitting device. Furthermore, when the communication anchor point and terminal device transmit or receive this measurement frame, the end time of the synchronization signal is used as the timing reference point for timing synchronization, i.e., the start time indicated by the start time field of the first measurement frame in the ultra-wideband pulse is the same as the end time of the synchronization signal.

[0088] Optionally, in the two possible embodiments described above, the channel state information between each communication anchor point and the terminal device may include: channel state information - in-phase (I) path and channel state information - quadrature (Q) path. The I path and the Q path can also be referred to as IQ data. This IQ data can be used to determine the phase difference between the first measurement frame and the second measurement frame, and this phase difference can be used to determine the distance between the communication anchor point and the terminal device.

[0089] Furthermore, the channel state information between the aforementioned multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device can be used to obtain multiple distances between the multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device, and these multiple distances can be used to determine the location information of the terminal device. Specifically, the channel state information between one communication anchor point and the terminal device can be used to obtain the distance between the communication anchor point and the terminal device, and these multiple distances include the distance between each of the multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device.

[0090] In one possible embodiment, when the primary communication anchor receives multiple channel state information from the terminal device, and the multiple channel state information includes channel state information between the multiple communication anchors and the terminal device, the method further includes: the primary communication anchor obtaining multiple distances between the multiple communication anchors and the terminal device based on the multiple channel state information, and determining the location information of the terminal device based on the multiple distances. Optionally, for any one of the multiple secondary communication anchors, the distance between the secondary communication anchor and the terminal device can be obtained by the primary communication anchor through calculation, or it can be obtained by the corresponding secondary communication anchor through calculation and then sent to the primary communication anchor.

[0091] In another possible embodiment, if each of the plurality of communication anchor points obtains its own channel state information with the terminal device, each communication anchor point can determine the corresponding distance based on its obtained channel state information; each of the plurality of communication anchor points sends its corresponding distance to the master communication anchor point; the master communication anchor point can determine the location information of the terminal device based on its own determined distance and the received distance. Alternatively, each of the plurality of communication anchor points can send its corresponding channel state information to the master communication anchor point, which then determines multiple distances between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device, and determines the location information of the terminal device based on these multiple distances.

[0092] For ease of description, the multiple channel state information are represented as IQ data 0 to IQ data 4, and the multiple distances are represented as distance 0 to distance 4. Specifically, IQ data 0 represents the channel state information between the primary communication anchor point and the terminal device, and distance 0 represents the distance between the primary communication anchor point and the terminal device; IQ data 1 represents the channel state information between the secondary communication anchor point 1 and the terminal device, and distance 1 represents the distance between the secondary communication anchor point 1 and the terminal device; IQ data 2 represents the channel state information between the secondary communication anchor point 2 and the terminal device, and distance 2 represents the distance between the secondary communication anchor point 2 and the terminal device; IQ data 3 represents the channel state information between the secondary communication anchor point 3 and the terminal device, and distance 3 represents the distance between the secondary communication anchor point 3 and the terminal device; IQ data 4 represents the channel state information between the secondary communication anchor point 4 and the terminal device, and distance 4 represents the distance between the secondary communication anchor point 4 and the terminal device.

[0093] As an example, referring to Figure 6 and as shown in Figure 9, when the terminal device sends IQ data 0 to IQ data 4 to the main communication anchor point, the method further includes: the main communication anchor point receiving IQ data 0 to IQ data 4 from the terminal device; the main communication anchor point determining distance 0 based on IQ data 0; the main communication anchor point sending IQ data 1 to the secondary communication anchor point 1 and receiving distance 1 from the secondary communication anchor point 1; the main communication anchor point sending IQ data 2 to the secondary communication anchor point 2 and receiving distance 2 from the secondary communication anchor point 2; the main communication anchor point sending IQ data 3 to the secondary communication anchor point 3 and receiving distance 3 from the secondary communication anchor point 3; the main communication anchor point sending IQ data 4 to the secondary communication anchor point 4 and receiving distance 4 from the secondary communication anchor point 4; then, the main communication anchor point determining the location information of the terminal device based on distance 0, distance 1, distance 2, distance 3, and distance 4. Optionally, the main communication anchor point can also be determined directly based on IQ data 0 to IQ data 4, corresponding to distances 0 to 4.

[0094] As another example, referring to Figure 6 and as shown in Figure 10, when the terminal device sends IQ data 0 to IQ data 4 to the main communication anchor point, the method further includes: the main communication anchor point receiving IQ data 0 to IQ data 4 from the terminal device; the main communication anchor point determining distances 0 to 4 based on IQ data 0 to IQ data 4; and then, the main communication anchor point determining the location information of the terminal device based on distances 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. For example, distance 0 is determined based on IQ data 0, distance 1 is determined based on IQ data 1, distance 2 is determined based on IQ data 2, distance 3 is determined based on IQ data 3, and distance 4 is determined based on IQ data 4.

[0095] As another example, referring to Figure 7 and as shown in Figure 11, when the main communication anchor point and communication anchor points 1 to 4 respectively obtain IQ data 0 to IQ data 4, the method further includes: the main communication anchor point determines distance 0 based on IQ data 0; communication anchor point 1 determines distance 1 based on IQ data 1 and sends distance 1 to the main communication anchor point; communication anchor point 2 determines distance 2 based on IQ data 2 and sends distance 2 to the main communication anchor point; communication anchor point 3 determines distance 3 based on IQ data 3 and sends distance 3 to the main communication anchor point; communication anchor point 4 determines distance 4 based on IQ data 4 and sends distance 4 to the main communication anchor point; then, the main communication anchor point determines the location information of the terminal device based on distance 0, distance 1, distance 2, distance 3, and distance 4. Optionally, IQ data 1 to IQ data 4 can also be sent from communication anchor point 1 to the main communication anchor point, and the main communication anchor point can determine the distance from 0 to 4 based on IQ data 0 to IQ data 4.

[0096] Furthermore, referring to Figure 5, as shown in Figure 12, before the above S201-S202, the method also includes the following steps.

[0097] S203a: The main communication anchor point sends first control information to the terminal device. The first control information is used to indicate the channel status information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device.

[0098] S203b: The master communication anchor point sends second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchor points. The second control information is used to indicate the measurement of channel state information between the plurality of slave communication anchor points and the terminal device.

[0099] The first control information and the second control information can be used to control the ranging parameters between the main communication anchor point and the terminal device, as well as the ranging parameters between each slave communication anchor point and the terminal device. Optionally, the ranging parameters may include at least one of the following: time-frequency resources for sending measurement frames, time-frequency resources for receiving measurement frames, the period of the measurement event, the number of measurements, or the length or type of the measurement signal, etc. For example, the first control information can be used to instruct the terminal device on the time slot for sending measurement frames to each communication anchor point, and on the time slot for receiving measurement frames sent by each communication anchor point; the second control information can be used to instruct the time slot for each communication anchor point to send measurement frames to the terminal device, and on the time slot for receiving measurement frames sent by the terminal device. Optionally, the main communication anchor point may also send enable information to the terminal device and the plurality of slave communication anchor points, which can be used to enable the terminal device and the plurality of slave communication anchor points to start sending or receiving measurement frames.

[0100] In one possible embodiment, the master communication anchor sending second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchors may include: the master communication anchor sending the second control information to each of the plurality of slave communication anchors via an SLE connection; or, the master communication anchor sending the second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchors via a broadcast frame or a system management frame. In this embodiment, when the master communication anchor sends the second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchors via a broadcast frame or a system management frame, there is no need to establish a one-to-one SLE connection between the master communication anchor and the plurality of slave communication anchors, and the master can send the second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchors simultaneously, thereby saving the air interface time slot of the master communication anchor and improving communication efficiency.

[0101] Optionally, the master communication anchor point and the terminal device can communicate via a star-flash connection; the master communication anchor point can also communicate with each slave communication anchor point via a star-flash connection; or, the master communication anchor point and each slave communication anchor point can communicate via a CAN bus. For example, the star-flash connection can be an SLE connection, through which the master communication anchor point and the terminal device can transmit one or more of measurement frames, channel status information, and first control information; and through the SLE connection, the master communication anchor point and the slave communication anchor points can transmit one or more of channel status information and second control information via either an SLE connection or a CAN bus.

[0102] In the case where the master communication anchor and the slave communication anchor communicate via an SLE connection or a CAN bus, different information can be transmitted between them through the SLE connection and the CAN bus. For example, the master communication anchor and the slave communication anchor can achieve time synchronization through the SLE connection, and transmit one or more of the following through the CAN bus: channel status information, distance, and second control information.

[0103] Furthermore, in one possible embodiment, before the plurality of communication anchors send the first measurement frame to the terminal device and receive the second measurement frame from the terminal device, the main communication anchor can establish an SLE connection with the terminal device, and the main communication anchor can also establish an SLE connection with each of the slave communication anchors. For example, establishing an SLE connection between the main communication anchor and the terminal device specifically includes: the terminal device sending a broadcast message; the main communication anchor scanning an access request to the terminal device; and the terminal device sending a scan access response to the main communication anchor, thus establishing a connection between the main communication anchor and the terminal device.

[0104] For example, as shown in Figures 9 to 11 above, the main communication anchor point is connected to the terminal device via an SLE connection, and the main communication anchor point is connected to the secondary communication anchor points 1 to 4 via an SLE connection or a CAN bus. The main communication anchor point can send broadcast frames or system management frames to the multiple secondary communication anchor points.

[0105] The above primarily describes the solutions provided in this application from the perspective of the interaction between the communication anchor and the terminal device. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the communication anchor and the terminal device include corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0106] This application embodiment can divide the communication anchor point and terminal device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the division of each function into separate functional modules as an example.

[0107] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of a first communication device according to the above embodiments, in the case of using integrated units. The device can be a communication anchor or a chip applied to the communication anchor, and includes a transmitting unit 301, a receiving unit 302, and a processing unit 303. In one possible embodiment, when the device is the main communication anchor, the transmitting unit 301 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps such as S201, S203a, or S203b in the above method embodiments; the receiving unit 302 can be used to support the device in performing S202 in the above method embodiments; and the processing unit 303 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps such as obtaining channel state information, determining the distance between the communication anchor and the terminal device, or determining the location information of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. In another possible embodiment, when the device is a communication anchor point, the transmitting unit 301 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps such as S201 in the above method embodiment, or receiving the second control information sent in S203b above; the receiving unit 302 can be used to support the device in performing S202 in the above method embodiment; the processing unit 303 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps such as obtaining channel state information or determining the distance between the communication anchor point and the terminal device in the above method embodiment. All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0108] Based on hardware implementation, the processing unit 303 in this application embodiment can be the processor of the device, the sending unit 301 can be the transmitter of the device, and the receiving unit 302 can be the receiver of the device. The transmitter can usually be integrated with the receiver as a transceiver. The specific transceiver can also be called a communication interface or interface circuit.

[0109] Figure 14 shows a schematic diagram of another first communication device involved in the above embodiments provided in this application. The device can be used as a communication anchor or a chip applied to the communication anchor. The device includes: a processor 312, a memory 311, a communication interface 313 and a bus 314. The processor 312, the memory 311 and the communication interface 313 are connected through the bus 314.

[0110] The processor 312 is used to control and manage the operation of the device. In one possible embodiment, the processor 312 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps in the above method embodiments, such as obtaining channel state information, determining the distance between the communication anchor point and the terminal device, or determining the location information of the terminal device. In another possible embodiment, the processor 312 can be used to support the device in performing one or more steps in the above method embodiments, such as obtaining channel state information or determining the distance between the communication anchor point and the terminal device. The communication interface 313 is used to support the device in communication, such as supporting the device to communicate with other communication anchor points or terminal devices.

[0111] In this embodiment, processor 312 may be a central processing unit, 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, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. The bus 314 may include an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0112] Figure 15 shows a schematic diagram of a second communication device according to the above embodiments, in the case of using integrated units. This device can be a terminal device or a chip applied to a terminal device, and includes a receiving unit 401, a transmitting unit 402, and a processing unit 403. In one possible embodiment, the receiving unit 401 can be used to support the device in receiving one or more steps in S201 of the above method embodiments, or receiving the first control information in S203a above; the transmitting unit 402 can be used to support the device in performing the step of sending a second measurement frame to multiple communication anchors in the above method embodiments; the processing unit 403 can be used to support the device in performing the step of obtaining multiple channel state information in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes described herein. All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0113] Based on hardware implementation, the processing unit 403 in this application embodiment can be the processor of the device, the receiving unit 401 can be the receiver of the device, and the sending unit 402 can be the transmitter of the device. The transmitter can usually be integrated with the receiver as a transceiver. The specific transceiver can also be called a communication interface or interface circuit.

[0114] Figure 16 shows a schematic diagram of another second communication device involved in the above embodiments provided in this application. The device can be used as a terminal device or a chip applied to a terminal device. The device includes: a processor 412, a memory 411, a communication interface 413 and a bus 414. The processor 412, the memory 411 and the communication interface 413 are connected through the bus 414.

[0115] The processor 412 is used to control and manage the operation of the device. In one possible embodiment, the processor 412 can be used to support the device in performing the steps of acquiring multiple channel state information in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes described herein. The communication interface 413 is used to support the device in communication, such as supporting the device to communicate with multiple communication anchors.

[0116] In this embodiment, processor 412 may be a central processing unit, 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, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. The bus 414 may include an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0117] In another embodiment of this application, a multi-anchor device is provided, which includes a plurality of communication anchors, including a master communication anchor and a plurality of slave communication anchors. The master communication anchor can be used to support the execution of the steps of the master communication anchor in the above method embodiment, and the slave communication anchors can be used to execute the steps of the slave communication anchors in the above method embodiment.

[0118] In another embodiment of this application, a communication system is provided, which includes a multi-anchor device and a terminal device; wherein, the multi-anchor device can be the multi-anchor device provided above, used to execute the steps of the main communication anchor and multiple slave communication anchors in the method embodiment provided above; the terminal device can be used to execute the steps of the terminal device in the method embodiment provided above.

[0119] It is understood that all relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced in the embodiments of the communication device, the embodiments of the multi-anchor device, and the embodiments of the communication system, and will not be repeated here.

[0120] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another apparatus, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0121] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0122] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. This readable storage medium may include various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, external hard drive, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments 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.

[0123] In another embodiment of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores computer-executable instructions that are executed by a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or a processor when performing the steps of the communication anchor in the above method embodiment.

[0124] In another embodiment of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores computer-executable instructions that are executed by a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or a processor when executing the steps of the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0125] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a device, cause the device to perform the steps of the communication anchor in the above method embodiment.

[0126] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a device, cause the device to perform the steps of the terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0127] Finally, it should be noted that 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 within the technical scope 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 in that, Applied to a multi-anchor-point device, the multi-anchor-point device including multiple communication anchor points, the method includes: For each of the plurality of communication anchor points, the communication anchor point sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the terminal device. The first measurement frame and the second measurement frame are used to obtain channel state information between the communication anchor point and the terminal device. The channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device is used to determine the location information of the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication anchor sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the terminal device, including: The communication anchor first receives the first measurement frame from the terminal device, and then sends the second measurement frame to the terminal device. The plurality of communication anchor points includes a main communication anchor point, and the method further includes: The main communication anchor receives multiple channel status information from the terminal device, and the multiple channel status information includes channel status information between the multiple communication anchors and the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication anchor sends a first measurement frame to the terminal device and receives a second measurement frame from the terminal device, including: The communication anchor first sends the first measurement frame to the terminal device, and then receives the second measurement frame from the terminal device; The plurality of communication anchor points includes a master communication anchor point and a plurality of slave communication anchor points, and the method further includes: The primary communication anchor receives multiple channel state information from the multiple secondary communication anchors, including channel state information between the multiple secondary communication anchors and the terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: The primary communication anchor point among the plurality of communication anchor points obtains multiple distances between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device based on the channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device; The main communication anchor point determines the location information of the terminal device based on the multiple distances.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, For each of the plurality of communication anchor points, the master communication anchor point obtains the distance between the slave communication anchor point and the terminal device based on the channel state information between the slave communication anchor point and the terminal device, including: The primary communication anchor point sends the channel status information between the secondary communication anchor point and the terminal device to the secondary communication anchor point; The primary communication anchor point receives the distance between the secondary communication anchor point and the terminal device.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The plurality of communication anchor points includes a master communication anchor point and a plurality of slave communication anchor points, and the method further includes: The main communication anchor point sends first control information to the terminal device, the first control information being used to instruct the measurement of channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device; The master communication anchor point sends second control information to the plurality of slave communication anchor points. The second control information is used to instruct the measurement of channel state information between the plurality of slave communication anchor points and the terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The primary communication anchor point sends second control information to the plurality of secondary communication anchor points, including: The primary communication anchor point sends second control information to the plurality of secondary communication anchor points via broadcast frames or system management frames.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, For communication between a terminal device and a multi-anchor device, the multi-anchor device comprising multiple communication anchor points, the method includes: For each of the plurality of communication anchor points, the terminal device receives a first measurement frame from the communication anchor point and sends a second measurement frame to the communication anchor point. The first measurement frame and the second measurement frame are used to obtain channel state information between the communication anchor point and the terminal device. The channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device is used to determine the location information of the terminal device.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The terminal device receives a first measurement frame from the communication anchor point and sends a second measurement frame to the communication anchor point, including: The terminal device first sends a first measurement frame to the communication anchor point, and then receives a second measurement frame from the communication anchor point; The plurality of communication anchor points includes a main communication anchor point, and the method further includes: The terminal device sends multiple channel status information to the main communication anchor point, and the multiple channel status information includes channel status information between the multiple communication anchor points and the terminal device.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal device receives first control information from the main communication anchor point, the first control information being used to instruct the measurement of channel state information between the plurality of communication anchor points and the terminal device.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when the processor executes the instructions in the memory, cause the device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when the processor executes the instructions in the memory, cause the device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 8-10.

13. A multi-anchor point device, characterized in that, The multi-anchor device includes a plurality of communication anchor points, which are used to support the multi-anchor device in performing the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on the device, cause the device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

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