Vehicle UWB Node Exclusion for Accurate Digital Key Positioning

The patent applies preliminary action by performing abnormal node detection before the actual UWB ranging operation. The master node sends initiation signals to slave nodes and receives response signals to identify which slave nodes are functioning normally. This preliminary detection phase allows the system to exclude abnormal nodes from subsequent ranging calculations, ensuring positioning accuracy without requiring complex real-time filtering during the measurement process itself.

The patent implements periodic action by having the master node send initiation signals to slave nodes at specific intervals rather than continuously. The slave nodes respond to these periodic initiation signals, allowing the system to monitor node status reliably while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous monitoring. This periodic communication pattern maintains system reliability while being energy-efficient.

The patent replaces wired mechanical connections with wireless UWB communication between nodes. This substitution enables the system to detect RF failures that would be invisible in wired systems, as the wireless nature of UWB allows for signal quality assessment and abnormal node detection through the communication patterns themselves. The ease of operation is maintained as the wireless setup is simpler than physical wiring.

The patent merges the time synchronization function into the abnormal node detection process. The same UWB signal exchanges used to detect whether slave nodes are abnormal also provide the timing information needed for synchronization. By combining these two functions into a single set of signal exchanges, the system achieves both synchronization and abnormal node detection without requiring separate, complex synchronization hardware or protocols.