WO2011062098A1

WO2011062098A1 - Distance measuring apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2011062098A1
Application number: PCT/JP2010/069995
Authority: WO
Inventors: 実則河野; 保憲武内; 公則河野
Original assignee: 中国電力株式会社; 有限会社アール・シー・エス
Priority date: 2009-11-18
Filing date: 2010-11-10
Publication date: 2011-05-26
Also published as: JP5340414B2; JPWO2011062098A1

Abstract

Provided is a low-cost distance measuring apparatus that can measure a distance between first and second transmitting/receiving means with high precision by using a single radio frequency to perform time division communications between the first and second transmitting/receiving means. The first transmitting/receiving means intermittently transmits, as burst signals, radio signals, which include at least a starting point signal, in a time-division simultaneous-transmission/reception manner. When having received the radio signals, the second transmitting/receiving means reproduces the starting point signal from the received radio signals, and synchronizes a synchronous oscillation means with the reproduced starting point signal, thereby generating a distance measurement signal. Then, the second transmitting/receiving means intermittently transmits, as burst signals, radio signals, which include the generated distance measurement signal, toward the first transmitting/receiving means at time-division intervals. Then, the first transmitting/receiving means uses a clock signal, which is synchronous with or orthogonal to the starting point signal generated by the local station including the first transmitting/receiving means, to measure the phase of the distance measurement signal received from the second transmitting/receiving means and calculate the distance from the measured phase.

Description

Distance measuring device

According to the present invention, the first transmitter / receiver and the second transmitter / receiver communicate with each other in a time-sharing manner using a single radio frequency so that the distance between them can be accurately determined. It is related with the distance measuring device which can be measured by.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed an apparatus for measuring a distance between a transmission unit and a reception unit by receiving a radio signal transmitted from the transmission unit by a reception unit. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 to 5)
JP H11-21118A JP H7-244157 A JP H8-233937 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H10-268028 FIG. 10 shows an example of a conventional “distance measuring device” described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-304192.

In FIG. 10, the transmitter 1 at the position B transmits a transmission signal modulated by the reference signal, and the relay 2 at the position A that receives the signal transmits a relay signal whose frequency has been converted. The distance measuring device 3 at the position C receives both the transmission signal of the transmitter 1 and the relay signal of the relay device 2, demodulates the original reference signal, detects the phase difference, and thereby determines the distance x and the distance y. It is supposed to be calculated.

However, the repeater 2 is a simultaneous transmission / reception method in which the frequency is converted, and it is necessary to install the repeater 2 separately from the transmitter 1, and is not applicable when the repeater 2 is a time division method, or the repeater There is a problem that distance measurement cannot be performed in a place where 2 is not installed.

In Patent Document 2, the outgoing radio wave OE is transmitted from the central station 1 to the passive end 2, and the phase modulation circuit 20 at the passive end 2 modulates the synthesized signal SI of the outgoing radio wave OE and has two phase states. The modulated signal SM is transmitted again with the rhythm of the clock signal CL.

At the central station, the modulation signal SM is demodulated into two signals that are out of phase by a quarter period. The increment or decrement of the count value of the bi-directional counter of the digital processing circuit 12 based on the product of the two signals that are out of phase by a quarter period and the sign of the module difference in the rectified quarter period out of phase signal. Minutes are counted, and this count value indicates the distance d from the central station 1 to the passive end 2.

However, there is a problem that the processing of the modulation signal for measuring the distance is complicated and expensive.

Moreover, in patent document 3, from the carrying side apparatus 2 toward the installation side apparatus 1 with which the pin 7 standingly arranged by the cup 3 arrange | positioned on the green 8 for every hole of a golf course is mounted | worn. The radio wave 4 of a predetermined pulse code string is transmitted, the radio wave 4 of another pulse code string transmitted from the installation side device 1 toward the return carrying side device 2 is received, and the transmission radio wave 4 and the reception The distance between the installation side device 1 and the player or caddy is measured based on the time difference from the radio wave 5 and is displayed on the display 6 of the carrying side device 2.

However, since the time difference is measured using a pulse code string to measure the distance, there is a problem that it is affected by multipath, and an error occurs in the distance measurement, so that it cannot be measured with high accuracy.

Further, in Patent Document 4, the PN code generation unit 11 selects an optimal code sequence based on the approximate distance value of the artificial satellite 17 to generate a transmission PN code of the code sequence. The signal is transmitted to the artificial satellite, the folded signal is received, the received PN code is selected from the optimum code series based on the approximate distance value, and the artificial satellite 17 is determined from the selected received PN code and transmitted PN code. It is said that it is comprised so that the distance of may be measured.

However, when a PN code is turned back in time division by an artificial satellite, synchronization is established in a short time and with high accuracy, and it is difficult to maintain synchronization for a long time even after the PN code disappears. There is a problem that it becomes complicated and expensive.

Also, in Patent Document 5, a carrier wave having a frequency f1 is QPSK-modulated and transmitted from a first transceiver 1000 to a second transceiver 2000 by a rectangular wave DT having a frequency f1 / MN. The second transceiver 2000 reproduces the carrier wave by the Costas loop and demodulates the rectangular wave D2. Thereafter, a carrier wave having a frequency f2 (≠ f1) is generated, and the carrier wave having the frequency f2 is QPSK-modulated with the demodulated rectangular wave, and transmitted back from the second transceiver 2000 to the first transceiver 1000.

The first transmitter / receiver 1000 demodulates the rectangular wave DR having the frequency f1 / MN from here. The rectangular wave DR is multiplied by M to detect a phase difference from the 1 / N frequency divider 14 that is an input of the 1 / M frequency divider 15 that generates the rectangular wave DT.

The propagation phase difference is said to be a time difference in which radio waves have passed through twice the distance from the first transceiver 1000 to the second transceiver 2000.

However, the first transmitter / receiver 1000 and the second transmitter / receiver 2000 need to transmit and receive at different frequencies, and cannot be applied when communicating in a time-division manner, resulting in an expensive problem.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and uses a single radio frequency between the first transmitting / receiving unit and the second transmitting / receiving unit in a time-sharing manner. An object of the present invention is to provide a distance measuring device that can measure the distance between each other with high accuracy and in a short time by performing communication between them.

In the distance measuring apparatus according to the present invention, a radio signal including at least an origin signal is transmitted from the first transmitting / receiving unit in a time-division simultaneous transmission / reception and intermittently transmitted as a burst signal, and the second transmitting / receiving unit receives the radio signal. Then, the origin signal is reproduced from the received radio signal, the synchronous oscillation means is synchronized with the reproduced origin signal to generate a distance measurement signal, and the radio signal including the generated distance measurement signal is generated as the first origination / reception means. The second transmitting / receiving means using a clock signal that is synchronized with or orthogonal to the starting signal generated in the first station in the first transmitting / receiving means. By measuring the phase of the distance measurement signal received from 1 with high accuracy, the distance between each other can be calculated in a short time and with high accuracy.

Further, the first transmission / reception unit generates a second distance measurement signal by synchronizing the synchronous oscillation unit with the first distance measurement signal received from the second transmission / reception unit, and generates the second distance measurement signal. A radio signal including a distance measurement signal is transmitted to the second transmitter / receiver as a burst signal at a time-division interval, and the second transmitter / receiver synchronizes with the first distance measurement signal. Alternatively, by using an orthogonal clock signal and measuring the phase of the second distance measurement signal received from the first transmitting / receiving unit with high accuracy, the distance between each other is calculated in a short time and with high accuracy. be able to.

Thus, in the distance measuring device of the present invention, by performing communication between the first transmitting / receiving unit and the second transmitting / receiving unit by a burst signal using a single radio frequency, There is an advantage that the distance between each other can be calculated in a short time and with high accuracy by an inexpensive apparatus.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-262737 filed on Nov. 18, 2009 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-11212 filed on Jan. 21, 2010. Insist. This document is incorporated herein by reference.

It is a block diagram of the distance measuring device by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the control means by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the control means by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the control means by the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the radio signal transmitted from the distance measuring device of the present invention. It is a timing chart of the distance measuring device of the present invention. It is another timing chart of the distance measuring device of the present invention. It is a block diagram of the synchronization establishment error function production | generation means of the distance measuring device of this invention. It is another block diagram of the synchronization establishment error function production | generation means of the distance measuring device of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the conventional Example.

The distance measuring apparatus according to the present invention is an ultrasonic signal, a high frequency signal or an optical signal as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 1 according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention. In a distance measuring apparatus that measures a distance using a certain radio signal, a first transmitting / receiving unit 101a and a second transmitting / receiving unit for simultaneously transmitting and receiving the radio signal using a single radio frequency in a time-division manner 101b, the first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means at least transmit a radio signal having a single frequency intermittently as a burst signal in a time division manner. Receiving means 13a, 13b for receiving the radio signal and converting it directly or into an intermediate frequency signal or baseband signal, and control means 11a for controlling the transmitting means and receiving means, 11b and antenna switching means 14a and 14b for switching or sharing the antenna or the transmitter / receiver in a time division manner between the transmitting means and the receiving means.

The control means 11b of the second transmitting / receiving means includes at least a starting point signal reproducing means 50 for reproducing a starting point signal from a radio signal received by the receiving means 13b, and a rising point and a rising point of the reproduced starting point signal. Synchronization detection means 49 for detecting the timing of the descending point or the zero crossing with high accuracy, and establishing the synchronization with the starting signal with high accuracy and in a short time, and after the starting signal disappears, Synchronous oscillation means 48 for generating a clock signal while maintaining synchronization for a long time, and a distance measurement signal synchronized with or orthogonal to the generated clock signal is generated and transmitted as a radio signal from the transmission means 12b. And a distance measurement signal generation means 47 for controlling the control means 11a of the first transmission / reception means, at least a system synchronization signal, an identification signal, and a starting point signal Starting signal generating means 45 for generating a signal, distance measuring signal reproducing means 44 for reproducing a distance measuring signal from a radio signal received by the receiving means 13a, and reproduction based on the generated starting signal. From the phase measurement unit 43 for measuring the phase of the measured distance measurement signal with high accuracy and the phase of the measured distance measurement signal, the relative distance between the second transmission / reception unit is calculated with high accuracy. And a distance calculating means 42 for

The second transmitting / receiving unit includes a distance measurement signal synchronized with the received starting point signal with high accuracy when intermittently transmitting a radio signal including the starting point signal as a burst signal from the first transmitting / receiving unit. A radio signal is transmitted at time-division intervals, and the first transmission / reception unit reproduces a distance measurement signal transmitted from the second transmission / reception unit, and uses the clock signal synchronized with the origin signal. The phase of the reproduced distance measurement signal is measured, and the relative distance between the first transmitting / receiving unit and the second transmitting / receiving unit is increased in a short time in the first transmitting / receiving unit. It can be calculated with accuracy.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 2 of the first and fourth embodiments of the present invention, the distance is measured using a radio signal which is an ultrasonic signal, a high frequency signal or an optical signal. The distance measuring device includes a first transmitting / receiving unit 101a and a second transmitting / receiving unit 101b for simultaneously transmitting and receiving the radio signal using a single radio frequency.

The first transmitting / receiving means and the second transmitting / receiving means at least transmit means 12a, 12b for intermittently transmitting a radio signal of a single frequency as a burst signal in a time division manner, and the radio signal Receiving means 13a, 13b for receiving and converting directly or into an intermediate frequency signal or baseband signal, control means 11a, 11b for controlling the transmitting means and receiving means, and the transmitting means and receiving means Antenna switching means 14a and 14b for switching or sharing the antenna or the transmitter / receiver in a time division manner.

Signals for the control means 11a, 11b of the first transmitting / receiving means and the second transmitting / receiving means to generate at least a system synchronization signal, an identification signal, an origin signal, a distance measurement signal, or both Generation means 45, 47, signal reproduction means 44, 50 for reproducing the origin signal, distance measurement signal, or both from the radio signals received by the reception means 13a, 13b, and the reproduced origin signal , Distance measurement signal, or both of them, synchronization detection means 49 for detecting the timing of the rising point, falling point, or zero crossing with high accuracy, and at the detected timing, the origin signal and the distance measurement signal Or synchronize with both of them with high accuracy and in a short time.

And, even after the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of them disappear, the synchronous oscillation means 46 for generating the clock signal while maintaining synchronization for a relatively long time, and the generated origin signal, Based on the distance measurement signal or both of them, the phase measurement means 43 for measuring the phase of the reproduced distance measurement signal in real time with high accuracy, and the phase of the measured distance measurement signal, A distance calculating means for calculating a relative distance between the first transmitting / receiving means and the second transmitting / receiving means;

The second transmission / reception means, when intermittently transmitting at least a radio signal including a start signal as a burst signal from the first transmission / reception means, a first distance measurement synchronized with the received start signal with high accuracy. A radio signal including a signal is transmitted, and the first transmission / reception unit reproduces the first distance measurement signal transmitted from the second transmission / reception unit, and uses a clock signal synchronized with the origin signal. The phase of the reproduced first distance measurement signal is measured to calculate the distance between the first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means, and at least the first distance measurement signal A radio signal including a second distance measurement signal synchronized with high accuracy is transmitted, and the second transmission / reception means reproduces the second distance measurement signal transmitted from the first transmission / reception means, Same as the first distance measurement signal Measuring the phase of the second distance measurement signal using the clock signal thus obtained, and calculating the distance between the second transmission / reception means and the first transmission / reception means. The relative distance between the means and the second transmitter / receiver can be calculated with high accuracy in a short time on both sides of the first transmitter / receiver and the second transmitter / receiver. .

In addition, as shown in claim 3, the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of them are a single carrier wave, a subcarrier signal, a modulation signal, a spread spectrum code, It is a combination of these.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, when the starting signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of the signals reproduced by the signal reproducing means 44 and 50 are carrier signals or subcarrier signals of radio signals, group delay When the signal is passed through a band-pass filter with low distortion, or a modulated signal obtained by modulating a carrier signal or subcarrier signal of a radio signal, an analog demodulator with a small transmission phase error or a transmission phase error using a high-frequency clock signal After being demodulated by a digital demodulator with a small amount, the signal is reproduced through the band-pass filter with a small transmission phase error.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the synchronous oscillating means 46 comprises a counter with a set or reset or a numerically controlled oscillator driven by a clock signal generated directly or by converting the output signal of a reference oscillator. The timing of the rising point, the falling point, or the zero crossing point of the starting point signal, the distance measuring signal, or both of them is set to 10 of the frequency of the starting point signal, the distance measuring signal, or both of them. By detecting using a sampling frequency more than twice, and by setting or resetting the counter or numerically controlled oscillator with the set or reset at the detected timing, the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both Establish synchronization in a short time, and , Distance measurement signal, or even after they are both disappeared to hold a relatively long time period.

Further, as shown in claim 6, in order to reduce synchronization establishment error between the synchronous oscillation means 46 and the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both, and to establish synchronization with high accuracy, By providing a synchronization establishment error function to the first transmission / reception unit 101a, the second transmission / reception unit 101b, or both, the synchronization establishment error can be reduced based on the synchronization establishment error function. it can.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there are provided a plurality of sets of phase shifting means for shifting the phase of the clock signal, and a plurality of sets of the phase shifting, in order to give a synchronization establishment error function to the synchronization detecting means 49. Timing control means for selecting and outputting to the outside a plurality of sets of origin signals, distance measurement signals, or both of which are shifted to different phases by the means, and the amount of phase shift of the phase shift means By setting the sum larger than the interval of one cycle of the clock signal, the distance calculation accuracy is improved.

Further, as shown in claim 8, in order to provide the synchronization establishment error function to the synchronous oscillation means 46, a plurality of sets of counters or a plurality of sets of numerically controlled oscillators are provided, and the plurality of sets of counters or a plurality of sets of counters The numerically controlled oscillator establishes synchronization at different timings detected by the synchronization detecting means, and selects output signals output from the plural sets of counters or plural sets of numerically controlled oscillators at different timings, In the signal processing means of the first transmitting / receiving means, a single or a plurality of distance measurement signals synchronized with or orthogonal to the selected output signal are generated and transmitted to the first transmitting / receiving means. By calculating the average value of distances calculated corresponding to a plurality of timings, the distance calculation accuracy is improved.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the synchronous oscillating means 46 includes an analog or digital delay means and a changeover switch for disconnecting or connecting between the input terminal and the output terminal of the delay means. When reading the starting signal, disconnect the changeover switch, connect the input terminal and output terminal in a ring shape after reading, and disconnect the changeover switch when reading. The delay time of the delay means required for the time interval for transmission / reception is shortened.

Further, according to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the phase measuring unit 43 uses the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or an integer multiple or a fraction of the frequency of both as a clock signal, and a Sin look-up. The up table is 0, 1, 0, -1, or 1, 1, -1, -1, or a repetition thereof, and the Cos lookup table is 1, 0, -1, 0 or 1, -1, −1, 1 or a repetition of these, and multiplication of −1 is performed by a product-sum operation unit for obtaining a complement when performing a product-sum operation of the distance measurement signal and the lookup table.

In addition, as shown in claim 11, the phase measuring unit 43 measures a phase by dividing a section that is an integer multiple of one cycle of the distance measurement signal, or a plurality of sections that are an integer multiple of one cycle or more. The phase is measured by dividing into sections and the average value is obtained, or the phase is measured by setting a window frame function having a length equal to or larger than an integral multiple of one period.

In addition, as shown in claim 12, the receiving means 13a of the first transmitting / receiving means, the receiving means 13b of the second transmitting / receiving means, or both of them detects the quality of the propagation path 31. And the quality detection means analyzes the line quality from the result of measuring the power or signal-to-noise ratio of the radio signal received by the receiving means 13a and 13b, and the phase measuring means uses the phase or The distance measurement accuracy is analyzed from the phase difference measurement result, or both the line quality analysis and the distance measurement accuracy analysis are performed, and the result of the distance measurement process is corrected or supplemented.

Further, as shown in claim 13, the first transmitting / receiving unit, the second transmitting / receiving unit, or both of them are provided with a plurality of antennas or a plurality of transducers while periodically switching them. A signal is transmitted or received, and the quality detection means measures the phase of a plurality of distance measurement signals corresponding to the plurality of antennas or the plurality of transducers, or calculates a plurality of distances from the statistical result. Processing is performed, and the result of the distance measurement process is corrected or complemented by selecting and averaging the results of the phase measurement less than or equal to the predetermined value or the distance being less than or equal to the predetermined value.

In addition, as shown in claim 14, between the first transmission and reception means and the second transmission and reception means, the transmission and reception is performed continuously, intermittently, or both a plurality of times, The distance is calculated a plurality of times, and an average value is obtained from the calculation results of the plurality of times, thereby calculating the relative distance between each other with high accuracy.

In addition, as described in claim 15, by exchanging distance information calculated by each other between the first transmitting / receiving unit and the second transmitting / receiving unit, the relative distance between each other is increased. Calculate with accuracy.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the first transmitting / receiving unit, the second transmitting / receiving unit, or both of these antennas or transducers have a circular polarization having a wide directional beam width of 60 ° or more. A wave directivity antenna is provided between the second transmitting / receiving means and the first transmitting / receiving means so as to face each other in the direction of directivity toward the other party of bidirectional communication.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a distance measuring apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 101a is a first transmission / reception means, 101b is a second transmission / reception means, 11a and 11b are control means, 12a and 12b are transmission means, 13a and 13b are reception means, and 14a and 14b are antenna switching means. , 15a and 15b are antennas or transducers, and 31 is a wireless propagation path. The first transmitting / receiving unit 101a and the second transmitting / receiving unit 101b use a radio signal of a single frequency, perform bidirectional communication via the propagation path 31 by time-division simultaneous communication, and Measure distance.

The first transmitting / receiving means, the second transmitting / receiving means, or both of these antennas or transducers are circularly polarized directional antennas having a wide directional beam width of 60 ° or more, and The distance measurement accuracy can be improved by providing the directivity direction between the two transmission / reception means and the first transmission / reception means so as to face each other toward the other party of the bidirectional communication. .

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control means according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, 41 is a reference oscillator, 42 is distance calculation means, 43 is phase measurement means, 44 is distance measurement signal regeneration means, 45 is a starting point signal generating means, and 51a and 52a are connection terminals.

In synchronization with the reference oscillator 41, the signal generation means 45 causes at least the system synchronization signal 61, the Mac layer 62, and the starting signal 63 of a single frequency or a plurality of frequencies within the frequency range permitted by the law, as shown in FIG. Is generated and supplied to the transmission means 12a of the first transmission / reception means 101a through the connection terminal 51a.

The starting point signal is also supplied to the phase measuring means 43 as a clock signal for phase measurement.

On the other hand, a radio signal transmitted from the second transmitting / receiving unit 101b and received by the receiving unit 13a of the first transmitting / receiving unit 101a is converted directly or into an intermediate frequency signal or a baseband signal, and connected to the connection terminal 52a. When the distance measurement signal is a carrier signal or subcarrier signal of a radio signal, a band-pass filter (for example, a Gaussian filter or the like) with a small direct transmission phase error is supplied to the distance measurement signal reproducing means 44 via Or when the distance measurement signal is a modulated signal obtained by modulating a carrier signal or subcarrier signal of a radio signal, the band pass after being demodulated by an analog demodulator or a digital demodulator using a high frequency clock signal By reproducing through a filter, noise generation included in the distance measurement signal is performed. Was removed, it is possible to reduce the phase measurement error.

The reproduced distance measurement signal is supplied to the phase measuring means 43, and an integer multiple or a fraction of an integer frequency of the origin signal generated in the own station is used as a clock signal, and the distance is calculated by a product-sum calculator. The phase of the measurement signal is measured with high accuracy in real time, and the measurement result is output to the distance calculation means 42. The distance calculation means 42 is, for example, a standard micro that is operated by a clock signal supplied from the reference oscillator 41. A processor that calculates a relative distance between the first transmitting / receiving unit 101a and the second transmitting / receiving unit 101b with high accuracy;

Here, the product-sum calculator uses at least an integer multiple of the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both frequencies as a clock signal, and the distance measurement signal is, for example, an analog / digital of 8 bits or more. The digital signal is converted into a digital signal by a converter, and a product-sum operation is performed on the digital signal and the Sin and Cos lookup tables. The Sin lookup table used to detect the phase is 0, 1, 0. -1, -1, or 1, 1, -1, -1 or an integer multiple of these, while the Cos lookup table is 1, 0, -1, 0, or 1, -1, -1 1 or an integer multiple of these, and multiplication with 1 when performing a product-sum operation is the same value as the digital signal, and multiplication with -1 This is to calculate the complement of the digital signal, and the remainder with 0 is 0. By combining these, the product-sum operation circuit can be simplified, can be realized with only the logic circuit, and can be realized at high speed in real time. Calculation is possible.

Further, the phase is measured by dividing a section of an integer multiple of one cycle of the distance measurement signal, or the phase is measured by dividing a section of an integer multiple of one cycle into a plurality of sections, or an average value is obtained, or Measure the phase by setting a window frame function with a length greater than or equal to an integral multiple of one period, and if necessary, determine the average value and / or determine the moving average value during multiple intermittent transmissions Thus, the phase can be measured with an accuracy of about ± 0.5 ° and in real time.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control means according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, 50 is a starting point signal reproducing means, 49 is a synchronization detecting means, 47 is a distance measurement signal generating means, and 46 is a synchronous oscillation. Means, 41 is a reference oscillator, 48 is a phase-locked oscillator, and 51b and 52b are connection terminals.

The starting point signal received by the receiving means 13b of the second transmitting / receiving means 101b is converted directly or into an intermediate frequency signal or a baseband signal and connected to the starting point signal reproducing means 50 via the connection terminal 51b.

In the origin signal reproducing means 50, when the origin signal is a carrier signal or subcarrier signal of a radio signal, a direct band pass filter (for example, a Gaussian band pass filter or the like) with a small transmission phase error is passed, or When the starting signal is a modulated signal obtained by modulating a carrier signal or subcarrier signal of a radio signal, it is demodulated by an analog demodulator with a small transmission phase error or a digital demodulator with a small transmission phase error using a high-frequency clock signal And then regenerate through the bandpass filter.

The regenerated starting point signal is directly supplied from the reference oscillator 41 by the synchronization detecting means 49 or sampled by the clock signal supplied after being converted to a high frequency by the phase synchronous oscillator 48, and the rising point of the starting point signal, The timing of the falling point or the zero crossing point is detected and supplied to the synchronous oscillation means 46 as a set or reset signal or an external synchronization signal.

Here, for example, when the frequency of the clock signal supplied from the phase-locked oscillator 48 is 100 MHz, the detection accuracy of the synchronization signal is ± 10 nanoseconds, and the frequency of the distance measurement signal is 1 MHz. The accuracy is ± 75 cm. If a clock signal of 256 MHz is used for higher accuracy, the distance measurement accuracy is ± 30 cm. Generally, the frequency of the clock signal is set to a frequency that is 10 times or more that of the distance measurement signal.

On the other hand, the synchronous oscillation means 46 is constituted by a synchronous or asynchronous counter with a set or reset or a numerically controlled oscillator driven by a clock signal supplied from the phase synchronous oscillator 48, and the set or reset signal. Alternatively, by setting or resetting with an external synchronization signal, the synchronization can be established in an instant within a few microseconds, and even if the starting signal disappears, the advantage that synchronization can be maintained for a relatively long time is obtained. .

The clock signal supplied to the synchronization detection means 49 and the synchronization oscillation means 46 is supplied from the reference oscillator 41 directly or after being converted to a high frequency.

The output signal from the synchronous oscillating means 46 is output by the distance measurement signal generating means 47 by a single frequency or a plurality of different carrier frequencies, subcarrier signals, modulated signals, spread spectrum codes, or any combination thereof. And is supplied to the transmission means 12b of the second transmission / reception means 101b via the connection terminal 52b.

When the distance measurement signals are a plurality of distance measurement signals that are synchronized or orthogonal and have at least different frequencies, it is possible to change the range for measuring the distance, from the rough distance measurement to the fine distance measurement. It becomes possible to switch to and measure.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the control means according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, 11c is the control means, 41 is the reference oscillator, 42 is the distance calculation means, 43 is the phase measurement means, and 44 is the distance. Measurement signal reproduction means 45, origin signal generation means 46, synchronization oscillator 46, distance measurement signal generation means 47, phase synchronization oscillator 48, synchronization detection means 50, origin signal regeneration means 51c, 52c are connection terminals It is.

Here, the control means 11c is configured to have both the control means 11a and the control means 11b, and can be commonly used for the first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means.

As shown in FIG. 5, the origin signal generator 45 synchronizes with the reference oscillator 41, and at least a system synchronization signal 61, a Mac layer 62, and a frequency range allowed by law. Starting signals 63-1 to 63-n having one or a plurality of frequencies are generated and supplied to the transmitting means 12a and 12b shown in FIG. 1 via the connection terminal 51c. Among these, the starting signals are used for phase measurement. As a clock signal for this, it is also supplied to the phase measuring means 43 separately.

On the other hand, the radio signals received by the receiving means 14a and 14b are converted directly or into an intermediate frequency signal or a baseband signal and supplied to the origin signal reproducing means 44 or the measurement signal reproducing means 50 via the connection terminal 52c. When the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of them are a carrier signal or a subcarrier signal of a radio signal, a band-pass filter with a small transmission phase error (for example, a Gaussian band-pass filter) is passed through. Alternatively, in the case of a modulated signal or spreading code obtained by modulating a carrier signal or subcarrier signal of a radio signal, an analog demodulator with a small transmission phase error or a digital demodulator with a small transmission phase error using a high frequency clock signal After demodulating, playback through the bandpass filter And it makes it possible to reduce the calculation error of the distance.

The distance measurement signal reproduced by the measurement signal reproduction means 44 is supplied to the phase measurement means 43, and the origin signal generated in the own station, the distance measurement signal, or a frequency that is an integral multiple of both frequencies is clocked. The signal is used as a signal, and the phase of the distance measurement signal is measured with high accuracy in real time by a product-sum calculator, and the measurement result is output to the distance calculation means 42.

The distance calculation means 42 is, for example, a standard microprocessor that operates according to a clock signal supplied from the reference oscillator 41, and the first transmission / reception means 101a and the second transmission / reception means 101b. The relative distance between is calculated.

Here, the product-sum calculator uses, as a clock signal, a frequency that is at least an integer multiple of the frequency of the starting signal, and converts the distance measurement signal into a digital signal by an analog / digital converter of 8 bits or more, for example. Then, a product-sum operation is performed on the distance measurement signal converted into the digital signal and a lookup table of Sin and Cos. The lookup table of Sin used for the product-sum operation is 0, 1, 0, −1. Or 1, 1, -1, -1, or an integer multiple of these, while the Cos lookup table is 1, 0, -1, 0, or 1, -1, -1, 1, Alternatively, the multiplication with 1 when performing multiplication and multiplication is the same value as the digital signal, and the multiplication with -1 is the complement of the digital signal. Since the multiplication with 0 is 0, and by combining these, the product-sum operation circuit can be simplified and realized with a logic circuit, so that real-time operation can be performed at high speed. Become.

Further, the phase is measured by dividing a section of an integer multiple of one cycle of the distance measurement signal, or the phase is measured by dividing a section of an integer multiple of one cycle into a plurality of sections, or an average value is obtained, or By measuring a phase by setting a window frame function having a length of an integer multiple of one cycle, and obtaining an average value as necessary, or obtaining a moving average value during multiple intermittent transmissions, The phase can be measured with an accuracy of ± 0.5 ° and in real time.

On the other hand, the distance measurement signal regenerated by the signal regenerating means 44, the starting signal regenerated by the signal regenerating means 50, or both are directly supplied from the reference oscillator 41 by the synchronization detecting means 59, or are phase-synchronized. Sampled by a clock signal converted to a high frequency by an oscillator 48 and supplied, the timing of the rising point, falling point, or zero crossing point of the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of them is detected and set or reset The signal is supplied to the synchronous oscillation means 46 as a signal or an external synchronization signal.

Here, for example, when the frequency of the clock signal supplied from the phase-locked oscillator 48 is 100 MHz, the detection accuracy of the synchronization signal is ± 10 nanoseconds, and the frequency of the distance measurement signal is 1 MHz. The accuracy is ± 75 cm. If a clock signal of 256 MHz is used for higher accuracy, the distance measurement accuracy is ± 30 cm.

The synchronous oscillating means 46 is constituted by a synchronous or asynchronous counter with a set or reset, or a numerically controlled oscillator, and is set or reset by the set or reset signal or an external synchronous signal for several microseconds. Even if the synchronization is established within an instant, and the origin signal disappears, there is an advantage that the synchronization can be maintained for a relatively long time.

If a digital synthesizer driven by a reference oscillator 41 is used instead of the synchronous oscillation means 46, synchronization with the starting signal is established, and the synchronization is performed for a relatively long time after the starting signal disappears. However, in this case, it takes several hundreds of microseconds to establish synchronization, and there are problems such as a large residual phase error after establishing synchronization.

The sampling signal supplied to the synchronization detecting means 49 and the clock signal supplied to the synchronous oscillating means 54 have a high frequency directly from the output signal of the reference oscillator 41 or using a phase synchronous oscillator or a multiplier. Generated by converting to.

The output signal of the synchronous oscillating means 46 is generated by the distance measurement signal generating means 47 by a single frequency or a plurality of different carrier frequencies, subcarrier signals, modulation signals, spread spectrum codes, or any combination thereof. It is converted into a distance measurement signal and supplied to the transmitting means 12a and 12b via the connection terminal 51c.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a radio signal transmitted from the distance measuring device of the present invention. In FIG. 5, 61 is a system synchronization signal, 62 is a MAC layer, 63-1 to 63-n are origin signals, distance measurement signals, or both.

The system synchronization signal 61 is a multi-bit unique word, and the control timing between the first transmission / reception means 101a and the second transmission / reception means 101b can be matched with an accuracy of about ± 100 nanoseconds. If the relative distance is calculated with such an accuracy, there is a problem that a measurement error of the relative distance becomes as large as several tens of meters.

The MAC layer 62 includes at least a code length, an identification number, a partner number, data information, an error correction code, or a combination thereof, and is generated as a set with the system synchronization signal 61.

The origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both are signals for establishing precise synchronization between the first transmission / reception means 101a and the second transmission / reception means 101b. A low frequency single signal or a plurality of signals synchronized with or orthogonal to each other, that is, a carrier signal, a subcarrier signal, a modulation signal, a spread spectrum code, or any combination thereof is used.

If the duration of the MAC layer 62 is about 1 ms and the duration of the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both is about 1 ms, the total one-way duration is about 2 ms. Since the interval of intermittent transmission is controlled by a self-excited oscillator such as a CR oscillator, the intermittent transmission can be performed asynchronously without synchronization between a plurality of transmission / reception means. System operation becomes possible.

On the other hand, by extending the duration of the distance measurement signal to about 100 ms, the distance measurement accuracy can be increased to about 10 times, but interference occurs between a plurality of transmitting and receiving means. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to synchronize between a plurality of transmission / reception means, resulting in a disadvantage that the operation cost increases.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the plurality of sets of starting point signals or the plurality of sets of distance measurement signals are supplied to the plurality of sets of starting signals 83a by the phase shift means 82 provided for providing a synchronization detection error function. To 83n, or a plurality of sets of distance measurement signals by a plurality of sets of synchronous oscillation means 92a to 92n.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart of the distance measuring device of the present invention. In FIG. 6, 71a is a starting signal transmitted from the first transmitting / receiving means 101a, 71b is a starting signal reproduced by the second transmitting / receiving means 101b, and 72 is a second transmitting signal from the first transmitting / receiving means. A propagation path through which the origin signal propagates toward the reception means, 73a is a distance measurement signal generated in synchronization with the origin signal reproduced by the second origination / reception means, and 73b is reproduced by the first origination / reception means The distance measurement signal 74 is a propagation path through which the distance measurement signal propagates from the second transmission / reception means to the first transmission / reception means, and 77a is an origin signal transmitted from the first transmission / reception means. The phase difference from the distance measurement signal reproduced by the first transmitter / receiver, 78a is the time axis of the transmitter of the first transmitter / receiver, and 78b is the time axis of the receiver of the first transmitter / receiver. 79a is the above The time axis of the receiving means of the second transmitting / receiving means, 79b is the time axis of the transmitting means of the second transmitting / receiving means, and 80a is the transmission time of the second transmitting / receiving means from the timing of transmission of the first transmitting / receiving means. This is the time division interval until the timing.

Assuming that the starting signal 71a transmitted from the first transmitting / receiving means is ASin (2πf1t), the starting signal 71a propagates along a propagation path 72 of a distance L (m), and is transmitted by the second transmitting / receiving means. When received and reproduced as the origin signal 71b, the phase changes to BSin {2πf1t + (2πLf1 / C)}.

When generating the distance measurement signal 73a synchronized with the reproduced starting signal 71b and the synchronization establishment error being zero, the generated distance measurement signal 73a is also represented by BSin {2πf1t + (2πLf1 / C)}.

After the time division interval 80, the generated distance measurement signal 73a is transmitted from the second transmission / reception means, propagates again through the propagation path 74 of the distance L (m), and the first transmission / reception is performed. The distance measurement signal 73b reproduced by the means is represented by CSin {2πf1t + (4πLf1 / C)}. Here, C is the speed of light.

Therefore, when the phase of the reproduced distance measurement signal 73b is measured using a clock signal that is synchronized with or orthogonal to the starting signal 71a generated by the first transmitting / receiving means and whose frequency is an integral multiple of the starting signal. The phase difference 77a between the starting point signal 71a generated by the first transmitter / receiver and the distance measurement signal 73b reproduced by the first transmitter / receiver is measured, and ΔΦ = {4πLf1 / C}. From L = {CΔΦ / 4πf1}, the distance L (m) can be calculated.

FIG. 7 is another timing chart of the distance measuring apparatus of the present invention, in which 71a is a starting signal transmitted from the first transmitting / receiving means, 71b is a starting signal reproduced by the second transmitting / receiving means, and 72 is A propagation path 73a through which the origin signal 71a propagates from the first transmitter / receiver to the second transmitter / receiver, and 73a is generated in synchronization with the origin signal 71b reproduced by the second transmitter / receiver. 1 is a distance measurement signal, 73b is a first distance measurement signal reproduced by the first transmission / reception means, and 74 is a first distance measurement from the second transmission / reception means toward the first transmission / reception means. A propagation path through which the signal 73a propagates; 75a, a second distance measurement signal generated in synchronization with the first distance measurement signal 73b reproduced by the first transmission / reception means; and 75b, second transmission / reception means. The second distance measurement signal reproduced in It is in,
76 is a propagation path through which the second distance measurement signal 75a propagates from the first transmission / reception means to the second transmission / reception means, and 77a is the origin signal 71a transmitted from the first transmission / reception means. The phase difference from the first distance measurement signal 73b reproduced by one transmission / reception means, 77b is reproduced by the first distance measurement signal 73a generated by the second transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means. The phase difference from the second distance measurement signal 75b, 78a to 78c are the time axis of the transmission means and reception means of the first transmission / reception means, and 79a to 79c are the transmission means and transmission of the second transmission / reception means. The time axis of the means, 80a and 80b are time division intervals.

When the first distance measurement signal 73a synchronized with the reproduced origin signal 71b and the synchronization establishment error is zero, the generated first distance measurement signal 73a is similarly BSin {2πf1t + (2πLf1 / C)}. It is represented by

After the time division interval 78a, the generated first distance measurement signal 73a is transmitted from the second transmission / reception means, propagates again through the propagation path 74 of the distance L (m), and the first The first distance measurement signal 73b reproduced by the transmitting / receiving means is expressed by CSin {2πf1t + (4πLf1 / C)}. Here, C is the speed of light.

Therefore, the phase of the reproduced first distance measurement signal 73b is synchronized with or orthogonal to the origin signal 71a generated by the first transmission / reception means and uses a clock signal whose frequency is an integral multiple of the origin signal. Is measured, a phase difference 77a between the starting point signal 71a generated by the first transmitting / receiving unit and the first distance measurement signal 73b reproduced by the first transmitting / receiving unit is measured, and ΔΦ = {4πLf1 / C}, the distance L (m) can be calculated on the first transmitting / receiving unit side from L = {CΔΦ / 4πf1}.

Following the above, in the first transmission / reception means 101a, the second distance measurement signal 75a generated in synchronization with the reproduced first distance measurement signal 73b is sent to the second transmission / reception means 101b. A phase difference 77b between the second distance measurement signal 75b transmitted to the second transmission / reception means 101b and the first distance measurement signal transmitted to the first transmission / reception means is obtained. Since ΔΦ = {4πLf1 / C} is measured, the distance L (m) can be calculated from the second transmitting / receiving unit side from L = {CΔΦ / 4πf1}.

Further, by repeating the same sequence, the distance L (m) can be calculated a plurality of times on the first transmitting / receiving means side and the second transmitting / receiving means side. By calculating, the distance calculation accuracy can be increased.

Note that the improvement in the calculation accuracy can be additionally realized by changing the synchronization establishment error in the synchronization detection means 49 at random by adding a synchronization establishment error function.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the synchronization establishment error function generating means of the distance measuring device of the present invention. 8, 41 is a reference oscillator, 48 is a phase-locked oscillator, 27 is an error function generating means, 82 is a phase shifting means, 83a to 83n are switching taps of the phase shifting means 82, 84 is a switching control means, 85, 86, Reference numeral 87 denotes a connection terminal.

The output signal from the reference oscillator 41 at the previous stage is converted to a high frequency by the phase-locked oscillator 48 and input to the phase shift means 82 via the connection terminal 85.

The phase shift means 82 is constituted by a plurality of stages of shift registers, a plurality of stages of delay elements, or a plurality of stages of delay circuits, and the signal output of each stage is drawn out by the switching taps 83a to 83n. The signals are sequentially switched and output from the connection terminal 86 to the outside (synchronization detection means, synchronous oscillation means, etc.) as a high frequency clock signal.

The phase shift amount of each stage of the phase shift means 82 is desirably as small as possible, and the total of the phase shift amounts needs to be one cycle or more of the clock signal. For example, if the frequency of the clock signal is 256 MHz, the phase shift amount of each stage of the phase shift means 82 is 4 nanoseconds or less (for example, 0.4 nanosecond), and the sum of the phase shift amounts is It is necessary to set it to 4 nanoseconds or more (for example, 6.4 nanoseconds).

When the phase shift means 82 is not provided, the synchronization establishment accuracy of the synchronous oscillation means 54 is about ± 2 nanoseconds, and the distance measurement range is 150 m when the frequency of the origin signal is 1 MHz. On the other hand, ± 30 cm is the limit, but the phase shift means 82 is provided, the phase shift amount assigned to each stage is 0.4 nanoseconds, and the average value of the calculated distances is determined. The accuracy can be improved to about ± 15 cm.

The phase shift means 82 gives a synchronization establishment error function to the synchronous oscillation means 54, and the sum of the synchronization establishment errors generated for each stage of the plurality of stages of taps 83a to 83n is the synchronization establishment error function. Since the synchronization establishment error function can be expressed by a polynomial, the polynomial is set to converge to 0 or a constant value.

FIG. 9 is another configuration diagram of the synchronization establishment error function generating means of the distance measuring device of the present invention. In FIG. 9, 91 and 93 are changeover switches, 92a to 92n are a plurality of sets or counters with resets or a plurality of sets of numerically controlled oscillators, and 94 to 96 are connection terminals.

A set or reset signal or a synchronization detection signal detected from the starting point signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of them supplied to the connection terminal 94 is switched by a changeover switch 91, and the plurality of sets of counters or a plurality of sets of The numerically controlled oscillators 92a to 92n are sequentially set or reset.

On the other hand, the connection terminal 96 is supplied with a clock signal directly from a reference oscillator 41 (not shown) or converted into a high frequency using a phase-locked oscillator 48, and the plurality of the plurality of the connection terminals 96 are synchronized with the set or reset timing. A set of counters 92a-92n is set or reset and is usually counted down to a lower frequency.

The output signals generated by the plural sets of counters or plural sets of numerically controlled oscillators 92a to 92n are sequentially switched by the changeover switch 93 and assigned as signals SIGNAL # 1 to SIGNAL # n. Then, it is supplied to the distance measurement signal generation means 45 (not shown).

Here, the frequency or phase of the clock signal supplied from the reference oscillator 41 (not shown) directly or via the phase-locked oscillator 48 to the synchronization detecting means 46 (not shown), and the frequency or the phase of the starting signal or If it is desirable that the phase is uncorrelated and / or the frequency or phase relationship between the two can be changed randomly within the time when the starting signal is received, the plurality of counters or the plurality of sets Since the correlation coefficient of the synchronization establishment error between the numerically controlled oscillators 92a to 92n can be kept low, the distance measurement accuracy can be improved by calculating the distance from the result of measuring the phase of the distance measurement signal and calculating the distance. Benefits that can be improved.

In other words, if the detection timing of the set or reset signal detected by the synchronization detection means 46 changes at random in correspondence with the outputs of the plurality of sets of counters or the plurality of sets of numerically controlled oscillators 92a to 92n, The correlation coefficient of synchronization establishment error can be kept low.

As an example, a plurality of antennas or transducers are connected to the antenna switching means, and the plurality of antennas or transducers are switched in accordance with the timing of switching the plurality of sets of counters or the plurality of sets of numerically controlled oscillators 92a to 92n. Accordingly, the correlation coefficient of the synchronization establishment error can be kept low by utilizing the fact that the phase change of the propagation path of the radio signal is random.

It should be noted that the switching timings of the changeover switches 91 and 93 are not the same, and it is necessary to match at least the timing of transmission / reception at the time division interval.

In addition, when a plurality of sets of counters are used, the number of counters is about 8 or less per set, so even if about 16 sets of counters are provided, only about 128 stages of counters are required, resulting in an economical scale. .

Further, if the total synchronization establishment error generated for each of the plurality of sets of counters or the plurality of sets of numerically controlled oscillators 92a to 92n is expressed as a synchronization establishment error function, the synchronization establishment error function can be expressed by a polynomial. The polynomial is set to converge to 0 or a constant value.

In the above description, when a single distance measurement signal is used as the distance measurement signal transmitted from the second receiving / transmitting means 101b, the phase difference ΔΦ that can be measured by the phase measuring means 43 is limited to 0 <ΔΦ <2π. Since it is necessary to use a plurality of distance measurement signals that are synchronized with or orthogonal to the reproduced starting signal 71b and have at least different frequencies, it is possible to measure the distance in a plurality of ranges, and to set the range to the distance to be measured. By combining them, there is an advantage that a precise distance can be measured.

In addition, although the case where a high-frequency signal is used as the wireless signal has been described, an ultrasonic signal, a high-frequency signal, or an optical signal can be used. In the case of an ultrasonic signal or an optical signal, a transducer is used instead of an antenna.

Further, the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of the signals transmitted from the first transmitting / receiving means and the second transmitting / receiving means are multiplexed by frequency division and / or multiplexed by time division and transmitted. Can do.

In addition, a plurality of antennas or transducers are connected to one or both of the first transmitting / receiving unit and the second transmitting / receiving unit, and direction measurement signals are transmitted / received while periodically switching, and the plurality By measuring the phase difference corresponding to the antenna, it becomes possible to measure the direction between them, and the relative position between the first transmitting / receiving means and the second transmitting / receiving means, or the first transmitting / receiving means. It is possible to measure the three-dimensional position of the transmitting / receiving means.

In addition, by using an ultra-wideband communication method (ultra-wide band), a high-frequency modulated signal or a high chip rate spreading code can be adopted, so that multiple modulated signals or spreading codes that are synchronized or orthogonal can be assigned. Thus, since a plurality of measurement ranges can be set, the distance measurement accuracy at a relatively short distance can be improved.

In addition, if the frequency assigned to the GPS as the radio frequency for the first and second transmitting / receiving means, or a frequency in the vicinity thereof can be assigned, the occupation time rate of the radio signal can be extremely small, GPS can be made seamless because there is little interference with GPS and high-precision positioning is possible even indoors.

Further, it is possible to reproduce an unmodulated carrier signal or subcarrier signal from the wireless signal using a Costas loop without providing a direction measurement signal.

Further, the MAC layer includes at least the identification code or identification number of the transmission means, and also includes station information, broadcast information, or voice information, converted into character information or a voice signal by the reception means, and displayed means Can be displayed and announced from the speaker.

According to the present invention, it is possible to measure the distance between a plurality of transmission / reception means by using time-division mutual communication using a highly accurate and inexpensive device in a short time. Therefore, an optimum ubiquitous mobile network or ad hoc mobile network can be instantaneously configured between any combination of a plurality of adjacent mobile units.

In addition to the means for calculating the distance, by adding a means for measuring the direction, the three-dimensional position between each other can be calculated, or the three-dimensional position can be measured. Get higher.

For example, the distance and direction between cars traveling on a highway can be calculated instantaneously with high accuracy on each side, and can be applied to cooperative driving or collision prevention devices.

In addition, the first transmitting / receiving unit is a movable mobile terminal, and a plurality of second transmitting / receiving units fixedly installed are connected by a network so that the exact position of the mobile terminal can be determined between the mobile unit and the network side. Since it can be simultaneously detected in real time, guidance or control of autonomous movement of a pedestrian or robot, and remote control and monitoring from the center can be performed simultaneously.

Moreover, since the child carries the second transmission / reception means and the first transmission / reception means is mounted on the vehicle, the distance between them can be calculated and the mutual approach can be detected. It can be applied to a device for preventing collision between a child and a vehicle.

In addition, the first transmitter / receiver is installed on the transit side, the second transmitter / receiver is installed on the pole side, and the relative distance between them is measured several times to obtain an average value. The distance can be measured with high accuracy.

Note that the distance measurement technology of the present invention is a basic technology and can be expected to be used in various fields other than the above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transmitter 2 Relay machine 3 Distance measuring device 101a 1st transmission / reception means 101b 2nd transmission / reception means 11a, 11b, 11c Control means 12a, 12b Transmission means 13a, 13b Reception means 14a, 14b Antenna switching means 15a, 16b antenna

Claims

In a distance measuring device that measures a distance using a radio signal that is an ultrasonic signal, a high-frequency signal, or an optical signal,
A first transmitter / receiver and a second transmitter / receiver for performing bidirectional communication in a time-sharing manner using a single radio frequency,
The first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means are at least:
A transmission means for intermittently transmitting a radio signal of a single frequency as a burst signal in a time division manner,
Receiving means for receiving the radio signal and converting it directly or into an intermediate frequency signal or baseband signal;
Control means for controlling the transmitting means and the receiving means;
An antenna switching means for switching or sharing an antenna or a transmitter / receiver in a time-sharing manner between the transmitting means and the receiving means;
The control means of the second transmitting / receiving means is at least:
Starting point signal reproducing means for reproducing the starting point signal from the radio signal received by the receiving means;
Synchronization detection means for detecting the timing of the rising point, falling point, or zero crossing of the regenerated starting point signal;
Synchronous oscillation means for establishing a synchronization with a starting signal at the detected timing and generating a clock signal while maintaining synchronization for a predetermined period after the starting signal disappears,
A distance measurement signal generating means for generating a distance measurement signal in synchronization with or orthogonal to the generated clock signal and transmitting the distance measurement signal as a radio signal from the transmission means;
The control means of the first transmitting / receiving means is at least
A starting point signal generating means for generating a system synchronization signal, an identification signal, and a starting point signal;
A distance measurement signal reproducing means for reproducing a distance measurement signal from a radio signal received by the receiving means;
Phase measurement means for measuring the phase of the reproduced distance measurement signal with reference to the generated origin signal;
A distance calculating means for calculating a relative distance from the second transmitting / receiving means from the phase of the measured distance measuring signal;
When the second transmitting / receiving unit intermittently transmits a radio signal including at least a starting signal as a burst signal from the first transmitting / receiving unit, the second transmitting / receiving unit receives a radio signal including a distance measurement signal synchronized with the received starting signal. Outgoing,
In the first transmission / reception means, the distance measurement signal transmitted from the second transmission / reception means is reproduced, and the phase of the reproduced distance measurement signal is measured using a clock signal synchronized with the origin signal. A relative distance between the first transmitter / receiver and the second transmitter / receiver is calculated.
In a distance measuring device that measures a distance using a radio signal that is an ultrasonic signal, a high-frequency signal, or an optical signal,
A first transmitting / receiving unit and a second transmitting / receiving unit for performing bidirectional communication in a time-sharing manner using a single radio frequency;
The first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means are at least:
A transmission means for intermittently transmitting a radio signal of a single frequency as a burst signal in a time division manner,
Receiving means for receiving the radio signal and converting it directly or into an intermediate frequency signal or baseband signal;
Control means for controlling the transmitting means and the receiving means;
An antenna switching means for switching or sharing an antenna or a transmitter / receiver in a time-sharing manner between the transmitting means and the receiving means;
The control means of the first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means is at least:
Signal generating means for generating a system synchronization signal, an identification signal, an origin signal, a distance measurement signal, or both;
From the radio signal received by the receiving means, signal reproduction means for reproducing the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both, and
Synchronization detection means for detecting the timing of the rising point, falling point, or zero crossing of the reproduced starting point signal, distance measurement signal, or both of them with high accuracy;
At the detected timing, synchronization is established with the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both, and the synchronization is maintained for a predetermined period after the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both disappear. Synchronous oscillation means for generating a clock signal;
Phase measurement means for measuring the phase of the reproduced distance measurement signal in real time with reference to the generated origin signal, distance measurement signal, or both,
Distance calculating means for calculating a relative distance between the first transmitting / receiving means and the second transmitting / receiving means from the phase of the measured distance measurement signal;
The second transmitting / receiving unit includes a first distance measurement signal synchronized with the received starting signal when at least a radio signal including the starting signal is intermittently transmitted as a burst signal from the first transmitting / receiving unit. Send a radio signal,
The first transmission / reception means reproduces the first distance measurement signal transmitted from the second transmission / reception means, and uses the clock signal synchronized with the start signal to reproduce the first distance measurement signal. And calculating the distance between the first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means,
Transmitting a radio signal including at least a second distance measurement signal synchronized with the first distance measurement signal;
In the second transmission / reception means, the second distance measurement signal transmitted from the first transmission / reception means is reproduced, and a second distance measurement is performed using a clock signal synchronized with the first distance measurement signal. By measuring the phase of the signal and calculating the distance between the second transmission / reception means and the first transmission / reception means, between the first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means. The relative distance is calculated by both the first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means.
The origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of them are a single carrier wave, a sub-carrier signal, a modulation signal, a spread spectrum code, or a combination thereof, which are single or synchronized or orthogonal to each other. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 or 2.
When the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both of the signals to be reproduced by the signal reproducing means are a carrier signal or subcarrier signal of a radio signal, a band pass filter with a small transmission phase error is passed, or In the case of a modulated signal obtained by modulating a carrier signal or a subcarrier signal, the signal is demodulated by an analog demodulator with a small transmission phase error or a digital demodulator with a small transmission phase error using a high frequency clock signal, and then the band pass 3. The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance measuring device reproduces through a filter.
The synchronous oscillating means is constituted by a counter or a numerically controlled oscillator driven by a clock signal generated directly or by converting the output signal of a reference oscillator, or a numerically controlled oscillator. Detecting the distance measurement signal, or the timing of the rising point, falling point, or zero crossing of both of them using a sampling frequency that is 10 times or more of the frequency of the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both, By setting or resetting the counter or numerically controlled oscillator with the set or reset at the detected timing, synchronization is established in a short time with the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or both, and the origin signal , Distance measurement signal, or these After both disappeared even a predetermined period, the distance measuring apparatus according to paragraph 1 or paragraph 2 claims, characterized in that to maintain synchronization.
A synchronization establishment error function is given to the first transmission / reception means, the second transmission / reception means, or both, and based on the synchronization establishment error function, the synchronous oscillation means, the origin signal, and the distance measurement signal 6. The distance measuring device according to claim 5, wherein an error in establishing synchronization with both of them is reduced.
A plurality of sets of phase shifting means for shifting the phase of the clock signal and a plurality of phases shifted to different phases by the plurality of sets of phase shifting means in order to give a synchronization establishment error function to the synchronization detecting means. And a timing control means for selecting and outputting the starting signal of the set, the distance measurement signal, or both of them to the outside, and the sum of the phase shift amounts of the phase shift means is set as an interval of one cycle of the clock signal. The distance measuring device according to claim 6, wherein the distance calculation accuracy is improved by setting the distance to a larger value.
In order to give the synchronization establishment error function to the synchronous oscillation means, a plurality of sets of counters or a plurality of sets of numerically controlled oscillators are provided, and the plurality of sets of counters or a plurality of sets of numerically controlled oscillators are detected by the synchronization detection means Synchronization is established at the specified timing, and output signals output from the plural sets of counters or plural sets of numerically controlled oscillators are selected, and single or plural distance measurements are performed in synchronization with or orthogonal to the selected output signals A signal is generated and transmitted to the first transmitting / receiving unit, and the signal processing unit of the first transmitting / receiving unit obtains an average value of distances calculated corresponding to the plurality of timings, The distance measuring device according to claim 6, wherein the distance calculation accuracy is improved.
The synchronous oscillating means has an analog or digital delay means and a changeover switch for disconnecting or connecting between the input terminal and the output terminal of the delay means, and when reading the origin signal, Disconnect the change-over switch, connect the input terminal and output terminal in a ring shape after reading is complete, and disconnect the change-over switch when reading, which is necessary for the time interval when receiving and transmitting in time division 9. The distance measuring device according to claim 8, wherein a delay time of the delay means is shortened.
The phase measuring means uses the origin signal, the distance measurement signal, or an integer multiple or a fraction of the frequency of both as a clock signal, and the Sin look-up table is 0, 1, 0, −1 Or 1, 1, -1, -1, or repetition thereof, and the Cos lookup table is 1, 0, -1, 0 or 1, -1, -1, 1, or repetition thereof 3. A product-sum operation unit for obtaining a complement for multiplying by -1 when performing a product-sum operation between the distance measurement signal and the look-up table according to claim 1 or 2, The described distance measuring device.
The phase measurement means measures a phase by dividing a section of the distance measurement signal that is an integer multiple of one cycle or an average value by measuring a phase by further dividing a section of an integer multiple of one cycle into a plurality of sections. The distance measuring device according to claim 10, wherein the phase is measured by setting a window frame function having a length equal to or greater than an integral multiple of one period.
The reception means of the first transmission / reception means, the reception means of the second transmission / reception means, or both have quality detection means for detecting the quality of the propagation path, and the quality detection means is the reception means. Analyzing the channel quality from the result of measuring the power or signal-to-noise ratio of the radio signal received in the above, and analyzing the distance measurement accuracy from the result of measuring the phase or phase difference of the distance measurement signal by the phase measuring means, or The distance measurement according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein both the analysis of the line quality and the analysis of the distance measurement accuracy are performed, and the result of the distance measurement process is corrected or supplemented. apparatus.
The first transmission / reception means, the second transmission / reception means, or both of them transmit or receive radio signals while periodically switching by providing a plurality of antennas or a plurality of transducers, and the quality In the detection means, corresponding to the plurality of antennas or the plurality of transducers, the phase of a plurality of distance measurement signals is measured, or statistical processing is performed from the result of calculating the plurality of distances, and the phase measurement result is predetermined. 13. The distance measurement processing result is corrected or complemented by selecting a value that is equal to or less than a value or a distance that is equal to or less than a predetermined value and averaging or performing a load average. The described distance measuring device.
The transmission / reception is performed a plurality of times between the first transmission / reception means and the second transmission / reception means, the mutual distance is calculated a plurality of times, and an average value is obtained from the calculation results of the plurality of times. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the relative distance between each other is calculated.
The relative distance between the first transmitting / receiving unit and the second transmitting / receiving unit is calculated by mutually exchanging distance information calculated by each other. Or the distance measuring device according to item 2.
The first transmitting / receiving unit, the second transmitting / receiving unit, or both of these antennas or transducers are circularly polarized directional antennas having a wide directional beam width of 60 ° or more, and the second The directivity direction is provided between the first transmitting / receiving means and the first transmitting / receiving means so as to face each other toward the other party of the two-way communication. The distance measuring device according to item 2.