Ranging method and apparatus, and storage medium and program product

Abstract

A ranging method and apparatus, and a storage medium and a program product, which relate to the technical field of communications. The method is applied to a first node, and the method comprises: sending a first measurement signal to a second node within a first time period (S101); within a second time period following the first time period, receiving a second measurement signal sent by the second node (S102), wherein the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal; and on the basis of the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal, determining the distance between the first node and the second node (S103).

Description

Distance measurement methods, devices, storage media and program products

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202510076240.8, filed on January 15, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to the field of distance measurement technology, and in particular to a distance measurement method, apparatus, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0003] Ranging, or positioning, is an important research direction for future 6G (sixth generation) communications.

[0004] In some technologies, communication-based ranging and positioning systems can be implemented using radar.

[0005] However, when using radar for ranging, the radar needs to receive reflected signals while transmitting signals. This means that the ranging and positioning system needs to have full-duplex communication mode, which places high demands on the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In a first aspect, this disclosure provides a distance measurement method applied to a first node. The method includes: sending a first measurement signal to a second node during a first time period; receiving a second measurement signal sent by the second node during a second time period after the first time period; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal being the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal being the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal; and determining the distance between the first node and the second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal.

[0007] Secondly, this disclosure provides a distance measurement method applied to a second node. The method includes: receiving a first measurement signal sent by a first node during a first time period; sending a second measurement signal to the first node during a second time period after the first time period; the second measurement signal being used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal being the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal being the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0008] Thirdly, this disclosure provides a distance measuring device applied to a first node. The device includes: a first transmitting module for transmitting a first measuring signal to a second node during a first time period; a first receiving module for receiving a second measuring signal transmitted by the second node during a second time period after the first time period; the modulation frequency of the second measuring signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measuring signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measuring signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measuring signal; and a ranging module for determining the distance between the first node and the second node based on the first measuring signal and the second measuring signal.

[0009] Fourthly, this disclosure provides a distance measuring device applied to a second node. The device includes: a second receiving module for receiving a first measurement signal sent by a first node during a first time period; a second transmitting module for sending a second measurement signal to the first node during a second time period after the first time period; the second measurement signal is used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0010] Fifthly, this disclosure provides a distance measuring device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory storing processor-executable instructions; when the processor is configured to execute the instructions, causing the distance measuring device to perform the method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0011] In a sixth aspect, this disclosure provides a readable storage medium, comprising: software instructions; which, when executed in a distance measuring device, cause the distance measuring device to perform the method described in the first or second aspect above. In some embodiments, the readable storage medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, this disclosure provides a computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed in a distance measuring device, cause the distance measuring device to perform the method described in the first or second aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the technical solutions of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the technical solutions of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a distance measurement system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a distance measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the ranging process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 4 is a flowchart of distance measurement via TDM according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 5 is a flowchart of distance measurement via FDM according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 6 is a flowchart of distance measurement using the TDM+FDM method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 7 is a flowchart of another distance measurement method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a distance measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 9 is a block diagram of another distance measuring device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 10 is a block diagram of another distance measuring device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0025] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and other forms such as the third-person singular "comprises" and the present participle "comprising" are interpreted as open-ended and encompassing, meaning "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0026] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0027] In this disclosure, the terms "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the terms "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0028] In addition, the use of “based on” implies openness and inclusivity, because processes, steps, calculations or other actions “based on” one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0029] With the continuous advancement of radio technology, a wide variety of radio services have emerged. Ranging, or positioning, has gradually become an important part of these radio services.

[0030] In some technologies, communication-based ranging and positioning systems can be implemented using radar.

[0031] However, when using radar for ranging, the radar needs to receive reflected signals while transmitting signals. This means that the ranging and positioning system needs to have full-duplex communication mode, which places high demands on the equipment.

[0032] Based on this, the present disclosure provides a distance measurement method, device, storage medium, and program product, which can provide a solution for high-precision ranging and positioning based on narrowband half-duplex communication, thereby reducing the requirements for ranging equipment.

[0033] The following description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a distance measurement system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the system includes: a first node 100 (shown as a base station in Figure 1) and a second node 200 (shown as a mobile terminal in Figure 1). The first node 100 and the second node 200 have a communication connection.

[0035] The first node 100 can be used to send a first measurement signal to the second node 200, receive a second measurement signal fed back by the second node 200, and determine the distance between the first node 100 and the second node 200 based on the first and second measurement signals. The specific process can be referred to the distance measurement method provided in the following embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0036] It should be noted that the second node 200 may include one or more nodes.

[0037] For example, the first node 100 can send and receive measurement signals to a second node 200 to perform distance measurement.

[0038] For example, the first node 100 can also transmit and receive measurement signals to multiple second nodes 200 to perform distance measurement through time-division multiplexing (TDM), frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), or TDM+FDM.

[0039] As an example, taking a cellular network scenario, the first node 100 can be a base station in the cellular network, and the second node 200 can be a user equipment (UE) in the cellular network.

[0040] For example, the first node 100 can be a base station (BS), a base transceiver station (BTS), a 3G base station (NodeB), a 4G base station (evolved NodeB, eNB), a 5G base station (next generation NodeB, gNB), etc. This disclosure does not limit the specific type of base station.

[0041] As another example, taking a wireless LAN scenario, the first node 100 can be an access point (AP) in the wireless LAN, and the second node 200 can be a station (STA).

[0042] As another example, taking a wireless personal area network (including Bluetooth) as an example, the first node 100 can be the master node in the wireless personal area network, and the second node 200 can be the slave node in the wireless personal area network.

[0043] As another example, taking a new short-range communication scenario (such as Starflash communication) as an example, the first node 100 can be the management node (G node) in the new short-range communication scenario, and the second node 200 can be the terminal node (T node) in the new short-range communication scenario.

[0044] As another example, taking the environmental IoT scenario, the first node 100 can be a reader in the environmental IoT. The second node 200 can be a tag (or device) in the environmental IoT.

[0045] It should be noted that the number of the second node 200 in this embodiment can be either the number of physical nodes or the number of logical nodes.

[0046] For example, a physical device such as a UE, a STA, a subordinate node, a terminal node, or a tag in the above example can be understood as a second node 200.

[0047] For example, a physical device may have multiple antennas. The physical device can use multiple antennas to occupy multiple measurement resources to send measurement signals. In this case, the physical device can be considered to actually correspond to multiple logical nodes. That is, each antenna in the multiple antennas of a physical device can be understood as a second node 200.

[0048] It should be noted that the first node 100 and the second node 200 can also exchange other information to assist in the ranging and positioning process.

[0049] For example, the first node 100 and the second node 200 can exchange their respective capability information, such as whether reuse is supported, the supported reuse methods and capabilities, etc.; or, the first node 100 and the second node can also exchange geographical location information. For example, the first node 100 can notify the second node 200 of its own geographical location information. In this way, the first node 100 can measure distances with multiple second nodes 200 and obtain the geographical location information of the second nodes 200, thereby realizing the ranging and positioning of the second nodes 200.

[0050] The execution entity of the distance measurement method provided in this embodiment is a distance measurement device (e.g., the first node 100 or the second node 200 mentioned above). Optionally, the execution entity of the distance measurement method may also be a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)) in the aforementioned distance measurement device; or, the execution entity may be an application (APP) with distance measurement function installed in the aforementioned distance measurement device; or, the execution entity may be a software system or platform in the aforementioned distance measurement device; or, the execution entity may be a functional module or functional unit in the aforementioned distance measurement device used to execute the distance measurement method, etc. This embodiment does not impose any limitations on these aspects.

[0051] For the sake of simplicity, the following description will uniformly use the execution subject of the distance measurement method provided in this disclosure as the first node or the second node as an example.

[0052] First, taking the distance measurement initiating node (i.e., the first node) as an example, the distance measurement method provided in this embodiment will be introduced.

[0053] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a distance measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which can be applied to a first node. As shown in Figure 2, the method includes the following steps:

[0054] S101, Send the first measurement signal to the second node during the first time period.

[0055] Here, the first measurement signal is sent within the first time period, which can also be understood as the transmission duration of the first measurement signal not exceeding the duration of the first time period.

[0056] As an example, the first measurement signal can be a single-frequency signal (or an unmodulated signal), which can be understood as including a carrier frequency, such as an ideal sine wave signal or a cosine wave signal.

[0057] For example, taking a cosine wave signal as an example, this single-frequency signal can be represented as Here, A represents the amplitude or envelope of the single-frequency signal. The envelope of a communication signal generally reflects the change in the signal's energy, amplitude, or power over time. The envelope of a single-frequency signal containing only a single frequency can be considered constant. c This represents the frequency of the single-frequency signal, and t represents time. Indicates the initial phase.

[0058] As another example, the first measurement signal can also be a multi-frequency signal (or an amplitude-modulated signal, a modulated signal, etc.). A multi-frequency signal generally refers to a signal formed by using a modulating signal to control the amplitude, frequency, and phase of a carrier wave. For example, an amplitude-modulated signal can use a modulating signal to control the amplitude of a carrier signal, so that the amplitude of the carrier signal is no longer constant but varies according to the modulating signal.

[0059] For example, an amplitude-modulated signal can be represented as m(t)*C(t), where C(t) represents the aforementioned sine / cosine wave signal, i.e., the carrier signal. m(t) represents the modulating signal or envelope signal in the amplitude-modulated signal (multi-frequency signal). If m(t) is a periodic signal, then the relative position of the envelope of the amplitude-modulated signal (multi-frequency signal) at a certain moment within one envelope change period can be called the envelope phase corresponding to that moment.

[0060] For example, with a Taking an amplitude-modulated signal (multi-frequency signal) as an example, the modulating signal in this amplitude-modulated signal is cos(2πf) m The period of t) is T, that is, the period of change of the envelope of the amplitude modulation signal is T. m =1 / T, f m That is, the modulation frequency in the modulated signal. The envelope phase of the amplitude-modulated signal at time t is 2πf. m Given t, we know that the envelope phase of one envelope variation period [0, T] continuously changes from 0 degrees to 360 degrees, which in radians is a continuous change from 0 to 2π. The carrier signal in this amplitude modulation signal can be referred to the above C(t), and will not be repeated here.

[0061] S102, Receive the second measurement signal sent by the second node in the second time period after the first time period.

[0062] Here, the second measurement signal is transmitted within the second time period, which can also be understood as the transmission duration of the same second measurement signal not exceeding the duration of the second time period. The duration of the second time period may be the same as or different from the duration of the first time period. This disclosure embodiment does not impose any limitations in this regard. The second measurement signal can be understood as a simulated continuation signal obtained by the second node based on the received first measurement signal.

[0063] For example, the second measurement signal may be a simulation of all or part of the features of the first measurement signal. For instance, the second measurement may be a second node simulating the envelope phase and envelope frequency features of the first measurement signal; the carrier frequency feature may or may not be simulated. In this case, it can also be understood that the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0064] As an example, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal can be the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0065] For example, a first measurement signal may include a first modulation frequency and a first carrier frequency. This can be equivalently understood as the first measurement signal including a first frequency and a second frequency, where the first frequency equals the first carrier frequency plus the first modulation frequency, and the second frequency equals the first carrier frequency minus the first modulation frequency. A second measurement signal may include a second modulation frequency and a second carrier frequency. This can be equivalently understood as the second measurement signal including a third frequency and a fourth frequency, where the third frequency equals the second carrier frequency plus the second modulation frequency, and the fourth frequency equals the second carrier frequency minus the second modulation frequency. The second modulation frequency in the second measurement signal is the same as the first modulation frequency in the first measurement signal; this can also be equivalently understood as the difference between the third and fourth frequencies equaling the difference between the first and second frequencies.

[0066] As another example, the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal can be the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0067] For example, if the first measurement signal includes a first frequency and a second frequency, and the second measurement signal includes a third frequency and a fourth frequency, then the second carrier frequency in the second measurement signal is the same as the first carrier frequency in the first measurement signal. This can also be equivalently understood as the difference between the third frequency and the first frequency being equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the difference between the fourth frequency and the second frequency.

[0068] As another example, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal may be the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal may be the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0069] For example, taking the first measurement signal as including a first frequency and a second frequency, and the second measurement signal as including a third frequency and a fourth frequency, the second modulation frequency in the second measurement signal is the same as the first modulation frequency in the first measurement signal, and the second carrier frequency in the second measurement signal is the same as the first carrier frequency in the first measurement signal. This can be equivalently understood as the third frequency being equal to the first frequency, and the fourth frequency being equal to the second frequency.

[0070] It should be noted that during the second time period, the first node no longer reflects the continuous wave signal. Naturally, without a transmitting source, there is no reflected amplitude-modulated continuous wave signal. Therefore, the second node needs to actively generate and transmit a second measurement signal to replace the reflected continuous wave signal used for ranging in the second time period. This second measurement signal can be understood as a temporal continuation of the received first measurement signal; that is, the second measurement signal tracks, simulates, and continues the received first measurement signal, achieving an effect similar to reflecting a continuous wave signal.

[0071] For example, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal can simulate the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and the envelope phase also follows the same pattern as the envelope phase change of the received first measurement signal. Taking the envelope phase of the first measurement signal received by the second node at a certain time t3 within the second time period as... For example, the envelope phase of the second measurement signal sent by the second node at a certain time t4 after the second time period is...

[0072] It should be noted that "same frequency" in the embodiments of this disclosure can mean that the frequencies are completely equal, or it can mean that the difference between the two frequencies is less than a preset difference threshold. The embodiments of this disclosure do not impose any limitations on this.

[0073] It should be noted that, as described above, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the first node can send and receive measurement signals with multiple second nodes. However, due to various factors such as some second nodes not receiving the notification information correctly, not detecting the first measurement signal correctly, or being interfered with, a certain second node may not send the second measurement signal on the corresponding measurement resource. Therefore, the first node may also be unable to detect the second measurement signal of the second node. Thus, in the above S102, the first node receiving the second measurement signal in the second time period can also be understood as the first node expecting to receive the second measurement signal from the second node. That is, the first node will try to receive the expected second measurement signal on the corresponding measurement resource. However, the actual number of second measurement signals received may be less than the expected number of second measurement signals.

[0074] S103. Based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal, determine the distance between the first node and the second node.

[0075] As an example, when the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as that of the first measurement signal, the first node can simulate a continuation of the first measurement signal during the second time period, and calculate the distance between the first node and the second node based on the phase difference between the expected phase of the continuation signal modulation frequency during the second time period and the actual received phase of the second measurement signal modulation frequency. The specific process can be referred to in the following embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0076] As another example, when the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal, the first node can simulate a continuation of the first measurement signal during a second time period, and calculate the distance between the first node and the second node based on the phase difference between the expected phase of the continuation signal carrier frequency during the second time period and the actual received phase of the second measurement signal carrier frequency. The specific process can be referred to in the following embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0077] It should be understood that currently, when using radar for ranging, the radar needs to receive reflected signals while transmitting signals. This means that the ranging and positioning system needs to have the radar's full-duplex communication mode, which places high demands on the equipment.

[0078] In the distance measurement method provided in this disclosure, a first node can send a first measurement signal to a second node in a first time period, and receive a second measurement signal sent by the second node in a second time period after the first time period. Since the reflected signal and the transmitted signal of a radar have the same frequency, a phase difference will occur between them due to the difference in their propagation paths. This phase difference is related to the distance between the radar and the reflecting object, and radar ranging is usually based on this phase difference to calculate the distance. In this disclosure, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal. Therefore, the first node can calculate the distance between itself and the second node based on the first and second measurement signals according to a principle similar to radar ranging, thereby realizing a high-precision ranging and positioning scheme based on narrowband half-duplex communication mode. Compared with traditional ranging and positioning schemes that require full-duplex communication mode, this reduces the requirements for ranging equipment.

[0079] Furthermore, in the distance measurement method provided in this embodiment, since the first measurement signal is sent in a first time period and the second signal is received in a second time period after the first time period, the transmission time of the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal can be separated through half-duplex communication, thus avoiding mutual interference between the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal and interference from surrounding reflected waves.

[0080] The specific process of S103 described above is described below.

[0081] In some possible embodiments, the above-described S103 may specifically include the following steps:

[0082] Step 1a: Determine the expected phase information of the first measurement signal in the second time period.

[0083] For example, the first node can simulate a continuation signal of the first measurement signal during the second time period, and then determine the expected phase information of the first measurement signal during the second time period based on the continuation signal.

[0084] For example, with the first measurement signal having the same modulation frequency (or envelope frequency) as the simulated continuous signal, the envelope phase of the first measurement signal at a certain time t1 within the first time period is: For example, the envelope phase of the simulated continuation signal at a certain time t2 in the second time period is:

[0085] Step 2a: Determine the actual phase information of the second measurement signal within the second time period.

[0086] For example, after receiving the second measurement signal, the first node can directly obtain the envelope phase or carrier phase of the second measurement signal.

[0087] In one possible implementation, as described above, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal. In this case, the predicted phase information may include the predicted phase of the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal within the second time period, and the actual phase information may include the actual phase of the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal within the second time period.

[0088] In another possible implementation, as described above, the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal. In this case, the predicted phase information may include the predicted phase of the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal during the second time period, and the actual phase information may include the actual phase of the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal during the second time period.

[0089] In another possible implementation, as described above, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is also the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal. In this case, the predicted phase information may include the predicted phase of the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal during the second time period, and the predicted phase of the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal during the second time period; the actual phase information may include the actual phase of the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal during the second time period, and the actual phase of the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal during the second time period.

[0090] Step 3a: Determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the predicted phase information of the first measurement signal and the actual phase information of the second measurement signal.

[0091] Optionally, step 3a above may specifically include the following steps:

[0092] Step 3.1a: Based on the predicted phase information of the first measurement signal and the actual phase information of the second measurement signal, determine the phase difference between the predicted phase information and the actual phase information.

[0093] As an example, the phase difference between the expected phase information and the actual phase information can be a phase difference generated by the modulation frequency, or it can be a phase difference generated by the carrier frequency, or it can include both the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency and the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency.

[0094] Step 3.2a: Determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the phase difference.

[0095] In one possible implementation, as described above, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and the phase difference between the expected phase information and the actual phase information is the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency. In this case, step 3.2a above can specifically include the following steps:

[0096] Step 3.2.1a: Determine the first proportional coefficient corresponding to the modulation frequency based on the wavelength corresponding to the modulation frequency.

[0097] Here, the first proportionality coefficient is used to represent the distance corresponding to a unit phase difference generated by the modulation frequency.

[0098] Step 3.2.2a: Determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the first proportional coefficient and the phase difference.

[0099] For example, the distance between the first node and the second node can be calculated using the following formula:

[0100] In formula (1), d represents the distance between the first node and the second node. c represents the speed of light. m Indicates the modulation frequency. λ m This represents the wavelength corresponding to the modulation frequency. n is a non-negative integer; if the distance between the first node and the second node is less than... When n is 0, n takes the value 0. This represents the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency. This can be understood as the first proportional coefficient mentioned above. When n is 0, the distance between the first node and the second node can be obtained by directly multiplying the first proportional coefficient by the phase difference.

[0101] In another possible implementation, as described above, the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal, and the phase difference between the expected phase information and the actual phase information is the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency. In this case, step 3.2a above can specifically include the following steps:

[0102] Step 3.2.3a: Determine the second proportional coefficient corresponding to the carrier frequency based on the wavelength corresponding to the carrier frequency.

[0103] Here, the second proportionality coefficient is used to represent the distance corresponding to a unit phase difference generated by the carrier frequency.

[0104] Step 3.2.4a: Determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the second proportional coefficient and the phase difference.

[0105] For example, the distance between the first node and the second node can be calculated using the following formula:

[0106] In formula (2), d represents the distance between the first node and the second node. c represents the speed of light. c Indicates the carrier frequency. λ c This represents the wavelength corresponding to the carrier frequency. n is a non-negative integer; if the distance between the first node and the second node is less than... When n is 0, n takes the value 0. This represents the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency. This can be understood as the second proportionality coefficient mentioned above. When n is 0, the distance between the first node and the second node can be obtained by directly multiplying the second proportionality coefficient by the phase difference.

[0107] In another possible implementation, as described above, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as that of the first measurement signal, and the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as that of the first measurement signal. The phase difference between the expected phase information and the actual phase information can include the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency and the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency. In this case, the first node can simultaneously utilize the phase difference generated by the two frequencies to calculate the distance, thereby obtaining high-precision measurements while achieving large-distance measurements.

[0108] For example, the first node can first determine the first distance between the first node and the second node (the measurement distance is large but the accuracy is slightly low) based on the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency, and then determine the second distance between the first node and the second node (the measurement distance is small but the measurement accuracy is higher) based on the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency.

[0109] As an example, when the first node can calculate both the first distance and the second distance, the first node can output the second distance with higher measurement accuracy; when the first node can calculate the first distance but cannot calculate the second distance, the first node can output the first distance.

[0110] It should be understood that, generally speaking, the longer the wavelength, the greater the measurable distance but the lower the measurement accuracy; conversely, the shorter the wavelength, the shorter the measurable distance but the higher the measurement accuracy. Since amplitude modulation (AM) signals have a low-frequency modulation frequency and a high-frequency carrier frequency, the wavelength corresponding to the modulation frequency is greater than the wavelength corresponding to the carrier frequency. The distance range determined based on the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency is larger but less accurate, while the distance range determined based on the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency is smaller but more accurate. In the distance measurement method provided in this embodiment, the first node can also simultaneously utilize the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency and the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency, achieving both large-distance measurement and high-precision distance measurement.

[0111] In another possible implementation, considering that the above measurement method is only effective when the distance between the first node and the second node is comparable to the wavelength of the modulation frequency, where comparable means the distance is less than or equal to the wavelength or half a wavelength. To measure greater distances, the most direct method is to reduce the modulation frequency, but this has a certain impact on measurement accuracy. Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure can also solve this problem by using multiple first measurement signals with different modulation frequencies to perform the measurement process of the above embodiments multiple times.

[0112] For example, taking the transmission and reception of two measurement signals with different modulation frequencies as an example, the phase difference between the predicted phase information and the actual phase information can include a first phase difference and a second phase difference obtained from two measurements. The first measurement signal can include a first signal transmitted when determining the first phase difference and a second signal transmitted when determining the second phase difference, wherein the first signal and the second signal have different modulation frequencies. The second measurement signal can include a third signal received when determining the first phase difference and a fourth signal received when determining the second phase difference. The third signal has the same modulation frequency as the first signal, the third signal has a different modulation frequency than the fourth signal, and the fourth signal has the same modulation frequency as the second signal. In this case, step 3.2a above can specifically include the following steps:

[0113] Step 3.2.5a: Determine the reference phase difference based on the difference between the first phase difference and the second phase difference.

[0114] For example, the mathematical relationship between the reference phase difference and the distance can be expressed as the following formula:

[0115] In formula (3), This indicates the reference phase difference. This indicates the first phase difference. This represents the second phase difference. f m1 This refers to the modulation frequency in the first or third signal (e.g., it can be called the first modulation frequency). m2 This indicates the modulation frequency in the second or fourth signal (e.g., it can be referred to as the second modulation frequency). d This represents the difference between the first frequency and the second frequency, also known as the reference frequency difference.

[0116] Step 3.2.6a: Determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the reference wavelength and the reference phase difference.

[0117] Here, the reference wavelength is determined based on the difference between the carrier wave velocity of the measured signal and the reference frequency, which is the difference between the modulation frequency of the first signal and the modulation frequency of the second signal.

[0118] For example, the distance between the first node and the second node can be determined using the following formula:

[0119] In formula (4), λ d Indicates the reference wavelength, λ d Equals the carrier wave speed (e.g., the speed of light) divided by f d .

[0120] For example, FIG3 is a ranging flowchart provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3, the first node can send a first measurement signal to the second node in a first time period (the first measurement signal sent in FIG3 is shown as an example). After a certain transmission delay, the second node can receive the first measurement signal from the first node (the first measurement signal received in FIG3 is shown as an example). The first measurement signal received by the second node can be understood as a delayed signal of the first measurement signal sent by the first node.

[0121] The second node can then track and simulate the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the first node, determine the second measurement signal to be sent to the first node within the second time period, and send it. Similarly, after a certain transmission delay, the first node can receive the second measurement signal from the first node (Figure 3 shows the received second measurement signal as an example). The second measurement signal received by the first node can be understood as a delayed signal of the second measurement signal sent by the second node.

[0122] The transmission delay of the first and second measurement signals, or the delay time of the aforementioned delayed signals, is related to the distance between the first and second nodes. This distance is in turn related to the envelope phase difference. The specific relationship can be expressed by the following formula:

[0123] In formula (5), t d Indicates the signal transmission delay time. f m Indicates the modulation frequency. T m This indicates the period corresponding to the modulation frequency.

[0124] As shown in Figure 3, due to the regular changes in the envelope phase, the first node can simulate the tracking of the transmitted first measurement signal to obtain the continuation signal of the first measurement signal in the second time period (Figure 3 shows the expected measurement signal as an example). Then, based on the envelope phase difference between the continuation signal and the received second measurement signal, the first node can obtain the distance to the second node using half-duplex communication. Through the above processing, it is possible to equivalently realize a radar-like reflected continuous wave signal and obtain distance information based on the envelope phase difference.

[0125] It should be noted that Figure 3 above uses a one-to-one unicast measurement between the first and second nodes as an example. To speed up ranging and positioning and reduce time consumption, multiplexing techniques, such as FDM, can be used to measure the distance between multiple second nodes.

[0126] In some possible embodiments, the first node can measure its distance to multiple second nodes using TDM (Time Division Multiplexing). The second nodes in S101 to S103 described above can include multiple nodes, and the second time periods also include multiple nodes, with each node corresponding to one of the multiple second time periods. In this case, S101 specifically includes step 1b, and S102 specifically includes step 2b.

[0127] Step 1b: Send the first measurement signal to multiple second nodes within the first time period.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the first node can send a first measurement signal to one of the multiple second nodes at a point in time during a first time period, thereby enabling the first measurement signal to be sent to the multiple second nodes respectively during the first time period.

[0129] In another possible implementation, the first node can also multicast a first measurement signal to multiple second nodes within a first time period. The multiple second nodes can be understood as the destination receivers of the first measurement signal. This saves the overhead of the first node unicasting the first measurement signal to each second node separately, thus improving the efficiency of the measurement.

[0130] Step 2b: Receive the second measurement signal sent by the corresponding second node at different second time periods.

[0131] For each of the multiple second nodes, the second node can receive a first measurement signal during a first time period, track the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the simulated received first measurement signal, and generate and transmit a second measurement signal during a second time period corresponding to that second node. The specific process can be referred to the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here. From the perspective of a second node, the second measurement signal of the second node is unicast to the first node.

[0132] It is understandable that, in the case of using TDM, the first node can determine the distance between itself and each second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal sent by each second node. The specific process can be referred to the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0133] As an example, prior to S101 above, the first node may also send notification information to instruct or configure the second time period corresponding to each of the multiple second nodes. For example, the first node may instruct the first second node to send a second measurement signal in the second time period 1, instruct the second second node to send a second measurement signal in the second time period 2, and so on, until all second nodes have completed their instructions.

[0134] For example, Figure 4 is a flowchart of a distance measurement process using TDM according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, taking N second nodes (where N is a positive integer) as an example, a first node can send a first measurement signal to the N second nodes within a first time period. Then, in a second time period 1, it receives a second measurement signal 1 sent by the first second node; in a second time period 2, it receives a second measurement signal 2 sent by the second second node; ..., in a second time period N, it receives a second measurement signal N sent by the Nth second node. The first node can then determine the distance between itself and the first second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal 1; determine the distance between itself and the second second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal 2; ...; and determine the distance between itself and the Nth second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal N.

[0135] It should be noted that if the second time periods corresponding to the two second nodes do not overlap, then their measurement resources are orthogonal in the time domain, that is, their resources are in TDM mode.

[0136] In other possible embodiments, the first node may also use FDM to measure the distance to multiple second nodes. The second nodes in S101 to S103 above may include multiple nodes, and the second measurement signals may include multiple types. Each type of second measurement signal corresponds to a carrier frequency. Multiple second nodes correspond one-to-one with multiple carrier frequencies, and the modulation frequency of multiple second measurement signals is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0137] It is understandable that, in the case of using FDM, the first node can determine the distance between itself and each second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal sent by each second node. The specific process can be referred to the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0138] As an example, prior to S101 above, the first node may also send notification information to indicate or configure the frequency domain information (or carrier frequency) or sub-channel information corresponding to each of the multiple second nodes. For example, the first node may instruct the first second node to send the second measurement signal 1 in frequency domain 1, instruct the second second node to send the second measurement signal 2 in frequency domain 2, and so on, until all second nodes have completed the instructions.

[0139] For example, Figure 5 is a flowchart of a distance measurement process using FDM according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, taking N second nodes (where N is a positive integer) as an example, a first node can send a first measurement signal to the N second nodes within a first time period, and then receive, within a second time period, a second measurement signal 1 sent by the first second node through frequency domain 1 or sub-channel 1, a second measurement signal 2 sent by the second second node through frequency domain 2 or sub-channel 2, ..., and a second measurement signal N sent by the Nth second node through frequency domain N or sub-channel N. Then, the first node can determine the distance between itself and the first second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal 1; determine the distance between itself and the second second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal 2; ...; and determine the distance between itself and the Nth second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal N.

[0140] It should be noted that if the frequency domains of the two second nodes do not overlap, then their measurement resources are orthogonal in the frequency domain, meaning that their resources are in FDM mode.

[0141] In some other possible embodiments, the first node can also measure the distance to multiple second nodes using TDM+FDM. The second nodes in S101 to S103 described above can include multiple nodes, and the second time period can also include multiple time periods. One second time period corresponds to one or more second nodes. The second measurement signal can include multiple types, each corresponding to a carrier frequency. Multiple second nodes correspond one-to-one with multiple carrier frequencies, and the modulation frequency of the multiple second measurement signals is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal. In this case, S101 may specifically include step 1c, and S102 may specifically include step 2c.

[0142] Step 1c: Send the first measurement signal to multiple second nodes within the first time period.

[0143] Step 1c can be referred to in step 1b above, and will not be repeated here.

[0144] Step 2c: Receive the second measurement signal sent by the corresponding second node, which includes the carrier frequency corresponding to the second node, at different second time periods.

[0145] For each of the multiple second nodes, the second node can receive a first measurement signal during a first time period, track the modulation frequency in the simulated received first measurement signal, and generate and transmit a second measurement signal including the carrier frequency corresponding to the second node during a second time period. The specific process can be referred to the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here. From the perspective of a second node, the second measurement signal of the second node is unicast to the first node.

[0146] It is understandable that, in the case of using TDM+FDM, the first node can determine the distance between itself and each second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal sent by each second node. The specific process can be referred to the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0147] For example, Figure 6 is a flowchart of a distance measurement process using TDM+FDM according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, assuming that a maximum of M second nodes can transmit second measurement signals via FDM within a second time period, if the first node uses multicast to perform distance measurement with N second nodes (assuming N is twice M), then at least one first time period is needed to transmit the first measurement signal once, and at least two second time periods are needed for the N second nodes to transmit the second measurement signal. Figure 6 illustrates an example of the first second node transmitting a second measurement signal 1 in the second time zone 1 (or sub-channel 1 transmitting the second measurement signal 1), the second second node transmitting a second measurement signal 2 in the second time zone 1 (or sub-channel 2 transmitting the second measurement signal 2), ..., the Mth second node transmitting a second measurement signal M in the second time zone 1 (or sub-channel M transmitting the second measurement signal M), the (M+1)th second node transmitting a second measurement signal M+1 in the second time zone 2 (or sub-channel 1 transmitting the second measurement signal M+1), the (M+2)th second node transmitting a second measurement signal M+2 in the second time zone 2 (or sub-channel 2 transmitting the second measurement signal M+2), ..., the Nth second node transmitting a second measurement signal N in the second time zone 2 (or sub-channel M transmitting the second measurement signal N).

[0148] It should be noted that if at least one of the frequency domains or the second time periods corresponding to the two second nodes does not overlap, then their measurement resources are orthogonal.

[0149] It should be noted that due to limitations in the capabilities of the first or second node, or limitations in available frequency domain resources, it may not be possible to place all the second measurement signals of the second node in the same second time period. In other words, the value of M mentioned above is limited. The first and second nodes can also exchange information before the measurement process to inform each other of their respective FDM capabilities or the FDM capabilities they are using, such as the value of M mentioned above.

[0150] In some possible embodiments, before performing distance measurement, the first node may also notify the second node of the corresponding measurement resources. In this case, before S101 above, the method may further include the following steps:

[0151] Step 1d: Send the first notification message to the second node.

[0152] Here, the first notification information is used to indicate the measurement resources of the second node. For example, the measurement resources of the second node may include at least one of the following: the location of the second time period, the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the transmitted second measurement signal.

[0153] For example, the location of the second time period in the first notification information may include at least one of the following: the length of the second time period, the start point of the second time period, the end point of the second time period, the interval between different second time periods, the total length of all second time periods, and the number of second time periods.

[0154] As an example, as described above, there may be multiple second nodes. In this case, the first notification information may include the identification information of each of the second nodes, and the measurement resource corresponding to each identification information.

[0155] In other possible embodiments, the first node may also notify the second node of the first node's measurement resources before performing distance measurements.

[0156] In this case, prior to S101 above, the method may further include the following steps:

[0157] Step 1e: Send the second notification information to the second node.

[0158] Here, the second notification information is used to indicate the measurement resources of the first node. For example, the measurement resources of the first node may include at least one of the following: the location of the first time period, the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the transmitted first measurement signal, and the frequency range or frequency components of the first measurement signal.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first node may also notify the second node that it will send a first measurement signal for ranging. In this case, before S101 above, the method may further include the following steps:

[0160] Step 1f: Send the first preamble signal to the second node.

[0161] Here, the first preamble signal is used to indicate that the first node is about to send the first measurement signal.

[0162] As an example, the first preamble signal can also serve as a synchronization signal for frequency and / or time synchronization of the first and second nodes.

[0163] In other embodiments, the second node may also notify the first node that a second measurement signal is about to be sent. In this case, prior to S102 above, the method may further include the following steps:

[0164] Step 1g: Receive the second preamble signal sent by the second node.

[0165] Here, the second preamble signal is used to indicate that the second node is about to send the second measurement signal.

[0166] As an example, the second preamble signal can also serve as a synchronization signal for frequency and / or time synchronization of the first and second nodes.

[0167] The above describes the solution provided by the embodiments of this disclosure using the first node (measurement initiator) as an example. Next, the solution provided by the embodiments of this disclosure will be described using the second node (measurement responder) as an example.

[0168] In some possible embodiments, this disclosure provides another distance measurement method applied to a second node. Figure 7 is a flowchart of another distance measurement method provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the method includes the following steps:

[0169] S201, Receive the first measurement signal sent by the first node in the first time period.

[0170] For details regarding S201, please refer to the above-mentioned introduction to S101, which will not be repeated here.

[0171] S202, Send a second measurement signal to the first node during the second time period following the first time period.

[0172] Here, the second measurement signal is used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node. The modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0173] As an example, after S201 above, the second node can simulate the continuation signal of the first measurement signal in the second time period based on the received first measurement signal to obtain the second measurement signal.

[0174] In some embodiments, as described in steps 3.2.5a to 3.2.6a above, the first node can perform multiple measurements using multiple first measurement signals with different modulation frequencies. In this case, the first measurement signal may include a first signal and a second signal respectively sent by the first node; the first signal and the second signal have different modulation frequencies; the second measurement signal includes a third signal and a fourth signal respectively sent by the second node; the third signal has the same modulation frequency as the first signal; the third signal has a different modulation frequency than the fourth signal; and the fourth signal has the same modulation frequency as the second signal.

[0175] In some embodiments, as described in step 1d above, the first node may also notify the second node of the corresponding measurement resources before performing distance measurement. In this case, before S201 above, the method may further include the following steps:

[0176] Step 1h: Receive the first notification information sent by the first node.

[0177] Here, the first notification information is used to indicate the measurement resources of the second node. For example, the measurement resources of the second node include at least one of the following: the location of the second time period, the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the transmitted second measurement signal.

[0178] In some embodiments, as described in step 1e above, the first node may also notify the second node of its measurement resources before performing distance measurement. In this case, before S201 above, the method may further include the following steps:

[0179] Step 1i: Receive the second notification information sent by the first node.

[0180] Here, the second notification information is used to indicate the measurement resources of the first node. For example, the measurement resources of the first node include at least one of the following: the location of the first time period, the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the transmitted first measurement signal, and the frequency range or frequency components of the first measurement signal.

[0181] In some embodiments, as described in step 1f above, the first node may also notify the second node that it will send a first measurement signal for ranging.

[0182] In this case, prior to S201 above, the method may further include the following steps:

[0183] Step 1j: Receive the first preamble signal sent by the first node.

[0184] Here, the first preamble signal is used to indicate that the first node is about to send the first measurement signal.

[0185] In some embodiments, such as at step 1g above, the second node may also notify the first node that it is about to send a second measurement signal. In this case, before S202 above, the method may further include the following steps:

[0186] Step 1k: Send the second preamble signal to the first node.

[0187] Here, the second preamble signal is used to indicate that the second node is about to send the second measurement signal.

[0188] The foregoing primarily describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure from a methodological perspective. To achieve the aforementioned functions, each device, such as a first node or a second node, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the algorithmic steps of the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, this disclosure 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. Experts may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0189] In an exemplary embodiment, this disclosure also provides a distance measuring device that can be applied to the aforementioned first node. Figure 8 is a block diagram of a distance measuring device provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, the distance measuring device 800 includes: a first transmitting module 801, a first receiving module 802, and a ranging module 803.

[0190] The first transmitting module 801 is used to transmit a first measurement signal to the second node during a first time period.

[0191] The first receiving module 802 is used to receive a second measurement signal sent by the second node in a second time period after the first time period; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0192] The ranging module 803 is used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal.

[0193] In some possible embodiments, the ranging module 803 is specifically used to determine the expected phase information of the first measurement signal in the second time period; determine the actual phase information of the second measurement signal in the second time period; and determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the expected phase information of the first measurement signal and the actual phase information of the second measurement signal.

[0194] In other possible embodiments, the ranging module 803 is specifically used to simulate a continuation signal of the first measurement signal during a second time period; and to determine the expected phase information of the first measurement signal during the second time period based on the continuation signal.

[0195] In some other possible embodiments, the ranging module 803 is specifically used to determine the phase difference between the expected phase information and the actual phase information based on the expected phase information of the first measurement signal and the actual phase information of the second measurement signal; and to determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the phase difference.

[0196] In some other possible embodiments, the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as that of the first measurement signal, and the phase difference is the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency; the ranging module 803 is specifically used to determine the first proportional coefficient corresponding to the modulation frequency based on the wavelength corresponding to the modulation frequency; the first proportional coefficient is used to represent the distance corresponding to the unit phase difference generated by the modulation frequency; and the distance between the first node and the second node is determined based on the first proportional coefficient and the phase difference.

[0197] In some other possible embodiments, the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal, and the phase difference is the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency; the ranging module 803 is specifically used to determine the second proportional coefficient corresponding to the carrier frequency based on the wavelength corresponding to the carrier frequency; the second proportional coefficient is used to represent the distance corresponding to the unit phase difference generated by the carrier frequency; based on the second proportional coefficient and the phase difference, the distance between the first node and the second node is determined.

[0198] In some other possible embodiments, the first sending module 801 is further configured to send a first notification message to the second node; the first notification message is used to indicate the measurement resources of the second node.

[0199] In some other possible embodiments, the first sending module 801 is further configured to send a second notification message to the second node; the second notification message is used to indicate the measurement resources of the first node.

[0200] In some other possible embodiments, the first transmitting module 801 is further configured to transmit a first preamble signal to the second node; the first preamble signal is used to indicate that the first node is about to transmit a first measurement signal.

[0201] In some other possible embodiments, the first receiving module 802 is further configured to receive a second preamble signal sent by the second node; the second preamble signal is used to indicate that the second node is about to send a second measurement signal.

[0202] In some other possible embodiments, there are multiple second nodes and multiple second time periods; the multiple second nodes correspond one-to-one with the multiple second time periods; the first sending module 801 is specifically used to send a first measurement signal to the multiple second nodes during the first time period; the first receiving module 802 is specifically used to receive the second measurement signal sent by the corresponding second node in different second time periods.

[0203] In some other possible embodiments, there are multiple second nodes and multiple second time periods; one second time period corresponds to one or more second nodes; the second measurement signal includes multiple types, each second measurement signal corresponds to a carrier frequency, and multiple second nodes correspond one-to-one with multiple carrier frequencies; the first transmitting module 801 is specifically used to transmit the first measurement signal to multiple second nodes within the first time period; the first receiving module 802 is specifically used to receive the second measurement signal transmitted by the corresponding second node, including the carrier frequency corresponding to the second node, in different second time periods.

[0204] In an exemplary embodiment, this disclosure also provides another distance measuring device that can be applied to the aforementioned second node. Figure 9 is a block diagram of another distance measuring device provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 9, the distance measuring device 900 includes: a second receiving module 901 and a second transmitting module 902.

[0205] The second receiving module 901 is used to receive the first measurement signal sent by the first node in the first time period;

[0206] The second transmitting module 902 is used to transmit a second measurement signal to the first node during a second time period after the first time period; the second measurement signal is used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

[0207] In some possible embodiments, as shown in FIG9, the distance measuring device 900 further includes: an analog module 903, used to simulate a continuation signal of the first measuring signal in a second time period based on the received first measuring signal, to obtain a second measuring signal.

[0208] In other possible embodiments, the second receiving module 901 is further configured to receive first notification information sent by the first node; the first notification information is used to indicate the measurement resources of the second node.

[0209] In some other possible embodiments, the second receiving module 901 is further configured to receive second notification information sent by the first node; the second notification information is used to indicate the measurement resources of the first node.

[0210] In some other possible embodiments, the second receiving module 901 is further configured to receive a first preamble signal sent by the first node; the first preamble signal is used to indicate that the first node is about to send a first measurement signal.

[0211] In some other possible embodiments, the second transmitting module 902 is further configured to transmit a second preamble signal to the first node; the second preamble signal is used to indicate that the second node is about to transmit a second measurement signal.

[0212] In exemplary embodiments, the first node or the second node described above can also be implemented as a specific physical device. Figure 10 is a block diagram of another distance measuring device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 10, the distance measuring device 1000 includes: a processor 1002, a communication interface 1003, and a bus 1004. As an example, the distance measuring device 1000 may also include a memory 1001.

[0213] Processor 1002 may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with this disclosure. Processor 1002 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 may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with this disclosure. Processor 1002 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 (DSP), and a microprocessor, etc.

[0214] Communication interface 1003 is used to connect with other devices via a communication network. This communication network can be Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0215] The memory 1001 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0216] As one possible implementation, the memory 1001 can exist independently of the processor 1002. The memory 1001 can be connected to the processor 1002 via a bus 1004 and is used to store instructions or program code. When the processor 1002 calls and executes the instructions or program code stored in the memory 1001, it can implement the distance measurement method provided in this embodiment of the disclosure.

[0217] In another possible implementation, the memory 1001 can also be integrated with the processor 1002.

[0218] Bus 1004 can be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Bus 1004 can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used to represent it in Figure 10, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0219] In exemplary embodiments, this disclosure also provides a readable storage medium including software instructions that, when executed on a distance measuring device (e.g., the distance measuring device 1000 described above), cause the distance measuring device to perform any of the methods provided in the above embodiments. In some embodiments, the readable storage medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0220] In an exemplary embodiment, this disclosure also provides a computer program product containing computer instructions that, when run on a distance measuring device (such as the distance measuring device 1000 described above), causes the distance measuring device to perform any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0221] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer-executable instructions. When these computer-executable instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this disclosure is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer-executable instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer-executable instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape) or an optical medium (e.g., Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)).

[0222] Although this disclosure has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims in carrying out the claimed disclosure. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce a good effect.

[0223] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and are to be considered as covering any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this disclosure. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, this disclosure is also intended to include any such modifications and modifications that fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure and their equivalents.

[0224] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A distance measurement method, wherein, Applied to the first node, the method includes: Send the first measurement signal to the second node during the first time period; The second measurement signal sent by the second node is received in a second time period after the first time period; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal. Based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal, the distance between the first node and the second node is determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The second measurement signal is obtained by the second node by simulating a continuation signal based on the received first measurement signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, Determining the distance between the first node and the second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal includes: Determine the expected phase information of the first measurement signal within the second time period; Determine the actual phase information of the second measurement signal within the second time period; Based on the predicted phase information of the first measurement signal and the actual phase information of the second measurement signal, the distance between the first node and the second node is determined.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Determining the predicted phase information of the first measurement signal within the second time period includes: Simulate a continuation signal of the first measurement signal during the second time period; The predicted phase information of the first measurement signal within the second time period is determined based on the sustained signal.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as that of the first measurement signal; the predicted phase information includes the predicted phase of the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal within the second time period, and the actual phase information includes the actual phase of the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal within the second time period. And / or, The carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal; the predicted phase information includes the predicted phase of the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal during the second time period, and the actual phase information includes the actual phase of the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal during the second time period.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, Determining the distance between the first node and the second node based on the predicted phase information of the first measurement signal and the actual phase information of the second measurement signal includes: Based on the predicted phase information of the first measurement signal and the actual phase information of the second measurement signal, the phase difference between the predicted phase information and the actual phase information is determined; Based on the phase difference, the distance between the first node and the second node is determined.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as that of the first measurement signal, and the phase difference is the phase difference generated by the modulation frequency; Determining the distance between the first node and the second node based on the phase difference includes: Based on the wavelength corresponding to the modulation frequency, a first proportional coefficient corresponding to the modulation frequency is determined; the first proportional coefficient is used to represent the distance corresponding to a unit phase difference generated by the modulation frequency. The distance between the first node and the second node is determined based on the first proportional coefficient and the phase difference.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as that of the first measurement signal, and the phase difference is the phase difference generated by the carrier frequency; Determining the distance between the first node and the second node based on the phase difference includes: Based on the wavelength corresponding to the carrier frequency, a second proportionality coefficient corresponding to the carrier frequency is determined; the second proportionality coefficient is used to represent the distance corresponding to a unit phase difference generated by the carrier frequency. The distance between the first node and the second node is determined based on the second proportional coefficient and the phase difference.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The method further includes: Send a first notification message to the second node; the first notification message is used to indicate the measurement resources of the second node.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The measurement resources of the second node include at least one of the following: the location of the second time period, the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the transmitted second measurement signal.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The method further includes: Send a second notification message to the second node; the second notification message is used to indicate the measurement resources of the first node.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The measurement resources of the first node include at least one of the following: the location of the first time period, the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the transmitted first measurement signal, and the frequency range or frequency components of the first measurement signal.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The method further includes: Send a first preamble signal to the second node; the first preamble signal is used to indicate that the first node is about to send the first measurement signal.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The method further includes: The second preamble signal is received from the second node; the second preamble signal is used to indicate that the second node is about to send the second measurement signal.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, There are multiple second nodes, and multiple second time periods; each of the multiple second nodes corresponds to one of the multiple second time periods. Sending the first measurement signal to the second node in the first time period includes: The first measurement signal is sent to the plurality of second nodes during the first time period; Receiving the second measurement signal sent by the second node in the second time period after the first time period includes: The second measurement signal sent by the corresponding second node is received at different second time periods.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The number of the second nodes is multiple; the second measurement signal includes multiple types, each of which corresponds to a carrier frequency, and the multiple second nodes correspond one-to-one with the multiple carrier frequencies.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The number of the second nodes is multiple, and the second time period includes multiple; one second time period corresponds to one or more second nodes; the second measurement signal includes multiple types, each second measurement signal corresponds to a carrier frequency, and multiple second nodes correspond one-to-one with multiple carrier frequencies; Sending the first measurement signal to the second node in the first time period includes: The first measurement signal is sent to the plurality of second nodes during the first time period; Receiving the second measurement signal sent by the second node in the second time period after the first time period includes: The second measurement signal, including the carrier frequency corresponding to the second node, is received from the corresponding second node at different second time periods.

18. A distance measurement method, wherein, Applied to the second node, the method includes: Receive the first measurement signal sent by the first node in the first time period; A second measurement signal is sent to the first node during a second time period following the first time period; the second measurement signal is used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The method further includes: The second measurement signal is obtained by simulating the continuation of the first measurement signal within the second time period based on the received first measurement signal.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein, The first measurement signal includes a first signal and a second signal respectively sent by the first node; the first signal and the second signal have different modulation frequencies; the second measurement signal includes a third signal and a fourth signal respectively sent by the second node; the third signal has the same modulation frequency as the first signal; the third signal has a different modulation frequency than the fourth signal; and the fourth signal has the same modulation frequency as the second signal.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein, The method further includes: The first notification information sent by the first node is received; the first notification information is used to indicate the measurement resources of the second node.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The measurement resources of the second node include at least one of the following: the location of the second time period, the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the transmitted second measurement signal.

23. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a second notification message sent by the first node; the second notification message is used to indicate the measurement resources of the first node.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The measurement resources of the first node include at least one of the following: the location of the first time period, the modulation frequency and / or carrier frequency in the transmitted first measurement signal, and the frequency range or frequency components of the first measurement signal.

25. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein, The method further includes: The first preamble signal sent by the first node is received; the first preamble signal is used to indicate that the first node is about to send the first measurement signal.

26. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 25, wherein, The method further includes: A second preamble signal is sent to the first node; the second preamble signal is used to indicate that the second node is about to send the second measurement signal.

27. A distance measuring device, wherein, Applied to the first node, the device includes: The first transmitting module is used to transmit a first measurement signal to the second node during a first time period; The first receiving module is configured to receive a second measurement signal sent by the second node during a second time period following the first time period; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal. The ranging module is used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal.

28. A distance measuring device, wherein, Applied to the second node, the device includes: The second receiving module is used to receive the first measurement signal sent by the first node in the first time period; The second transmitting module is configured to transmit a second measurement signal to the first node during a second time period following the first time period; the second measurement signal is used to determine the distance between the first node and the second node; the modulation frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the modulation frequency of the first measurement signal, and / or the carrier frequency of the second measurement signal is the same as the carrier frequency of the first measurement signal.

29. A distance measuring device, wherein, include: Memory and processor; The memory stores instructions that the processor can execute; When the processor is configured to execute the instructions, it causes the distance measuring device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-17, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 18-26.

30. A readable storage medium, wherein, include: Software instructions; When the software instructions are executed in the distance measuring device, the distance measuring device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-17, or the method as described in any one of claims 18-26, wherein the readable storage medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

31. A computer program product, wherein, include: Computer instructions; When the computer instructions are executed in the distance measuring device, the distance measuring device causes the distance measuring device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-17, or to perform the method as described in any one of claims 18-26.

Images