TWM574794U - Communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

A communication device includes an antenna unit, a communication unit and a processor. The antenna unit includes a first and a second input circuit, a first and a second output circuit. The first and the second input circuit receive a first signal and a second signal respectively. The first and the second output circuit are coupled to the first and the second input circuit, and are configured to add and substrate the first signal and the second signal to generate a third signal and a forth signal respectively. The communication unit is coupled to the antenna unit and is configured to convert the third signal and the forth signal into a first data signal and a second data signal. The processor is coupled to the communication unit, generates a processing signal according to the first data signal and the second data signal and transmits to a server.

Description

Communication device

The present disclosure relates to a communication device, and more particularly to a communication device for signal location.

Traditionally, it is extremely difficult to locate a wireless signal source by measuring the signal strength. The reason is that the wireless signal received by the antenna is affected by the multipath interference, which makes it impossible to guess based on the measured signal strength. The absolute location of the signal source.

Furthermore, in order to reduce the interference of multiple paths, in actual operation, the user often configures multiple antennas at different positions to obtain multiple signal strengths, and estimates the position of the signal source based on the received signal strength. . However, if the user sets a plurality of antennas in one space, the cost of the positioning signal source is increased.

Therefore, how to design a communication device with low cost and accurate signal positioning has become an important issue today.

In order to solve the above problems, a communication device provided by the present disclosure includes an antenna unit, a communication unit, and a processor. The above antenna unit includes a first input circuit, a second input circuit, a first output circuit, and a second output circuit. The first input circuit and the second input circuit are respectively configured to receive the first signal and the second signal corresponding to the signal source. The first output circuit and the second output circuit are coupled to the first input circuit and the second input circuit, respectively, for superimposing and subtracting the first signal and the second signal to generate a third signal and a Four signals. The communication unit is coupled to the antenna unit, and configured to convert the third signal and the fourth signal into corresponding first data signals and second data signals. The processor is coupled to the communication unit and configured to generate a processing signal according to the first data signal and the second data signal and transmit the processing signal to the server.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a communication device including a plurality of antenna units, a plurality of communication units, and a processor. Each of the plurality of antenna elements includes a first input circuit, a second input circuit, a first output circuit, and a second output circuit. The first input circuit and the second input circuit are respectively configured to receive the first signal and the second signal corresponding to the signal source. The first output circuit and the second output circuit are coupled to the first input circuit and the second input circuit, respectively, for superimposing and subtracting the first signal and the second signal to generate a third Signal and fourth signal. The plurality of communication units are coupled to the plurality of antenna units, wherein each of the plurality of communication units is configured to convert the third signal and the fourth signal from each of the plurality of antenna units into corresponding first data signals and Second data signal. The processor is coupled to the plurality of communication units and configured to generate a processing signal according to the first data signal and the second data signal from each of the plurality of communication units and transmit the processing signal to the server.

In summary, the present disclosure can accurately determine the relative position of the signal source and the communication device via the communication device, and further A plurality of the above communication devices are disposed on the signal shielding device to more accurately calculate the actual position of the signal source.

100, 300‧‧‧ communication devices

110, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318‧‧‧ antenna elements

120, 130‧‧‧ input circuit

140, 150‧‧‧ output circuit

160, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368‧‧‧ communication units

170, 370‧‧‧ processor

180, 380‧‧‧ data transmission line

210‧‧‧Signal shelter

220‧‧‧Signal source

Θ‧‧‧ angle

D‧‧‧distance

230, 420‧‧‧ processing device

390‧‧‧ boards

S11, S12, S21, S22, S31, S32, S41, S42‧‧‧ Wireless Signal

D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8‧‧‧ data signals

The above and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent and understood. The description of the drawings is as follows: FIG. 1 is a communication device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 2 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a communication device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. And FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the communication device in FIG. 3 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In order to make the description of the present disclosure more detailed and complete, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and the various embodiments described below. On the other hand, well-known elements and steps are not described in the embodiments to avoid unnecessarily limiting the disclosure.

The terms "coupled" or "connected" as used in the following various embodiments may mean that two or more elements are "directly" in physical or electrical contact with each other, or are "indirectly" in physical or electrical contact with each other. It can also mean that two or more components interact with each other.

In this document, "one" and "the" can be used to mean one or more, unless the article specifically defines the article. It will be further understood that the terms "comprising", "comprising", "having", and <RTIgt; One or more of its other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

In some embodiments, the communication device of the present disclosure is designed to scan and track Bluetooth signals, but is not limited thereto, and any RF signals are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, the RF signal can be a signal transmitted on a frequency band of 433 MHz, 920 MHz, or 3.1 GHz.

In some embodiments, the environment of the present disclosure is configured in an indoor space configured with a Real-time Location System (RTLS), and includes at least one signal source and at least one communication device, wherein the communication device uses Wireless communication with the signal source to detect the signal strength and determine the location of the signal source.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication device 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the communication device 100 includes an antenna unit 110 , a communication unit 160 , two data transmission lines 180 , and a processor 170 . The antenna unit 110 is connected to the communication unit 160 via two data transmission lines 180 . One end, and the other end of the communication unit 160 is coupled to the processor 170.

In some embodiments, the antenna unit 110 is configured to continuously detect a signal source and generate corresponding two wireless signals, and then convert the received two wireless signals into corresponding two electrical signals, and Telecommunications signal It is transmitted from the two data transmission lines 180 to the communication unit 160. In some embodiments, the antenna unit 110 synchronously transmits the two electrical signals to the communication unit 160 via the two data transmission lines 180.

In some embodiments, the antenna unit 110 can be implemented by a communication chip, but is not limited thereto, and various other circuit elements suitable for implementing the antenna unit 110 are within the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the data transmission line 180 can be implemented by a network route, but is not limited thereto, and any wire that can be used to transmit electrical signals is within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the communication unit 160 is configured to receive two electrical signals from the antenna unit 110, and convert the two electrical signals into two data signals corresponding to the strengths of the two wireless signals, and The data signal is transmitted to the processor 170. In some embodiments, the signal strength of the wireless signal may be a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) or a Data Rate, but is not limited thereto, and various parameters representing the strength of the wireless signal are in this embodiment. Reveal the scope of content protection.

In some embodiments, the processor 170 is configured to obtain the relative position of the signal source and the communication device 100 by using a lookup table (for example, Table 1 and Table 2 shown below) according to the RSSI corresponding to the received two data signals, and Transfer the result to the server (not shown). In practical applications, the processor 170 compares the RSSIs corresponding to the two data signals from the communication unit 160, and further compares the sizes of the two RSSIs through a look-up table (for example, Tables 1 and 2 below). In order to determine the relative position of the signal source and the communication device 100, the detailed determination method will be described in FIG. 2, and details are not described herein again.

In some embodiments, the processor 170 is configured to receive communications from The two data signals of the unit 160 are processed and processed to generate a processing signal, and the processing signal is transmitted to the server (not shown) via wireless transmission or wired transmission. In some embodiments, the processor 170 is configured to receive two data signals from the communication unit 160, and combine the two data signals to generate a corresponding processing signal, and transmit the corresponding processing signal to a server (not shown).

In some embodiments, the processor 170 is configured to receive two data signals from the communication unit 160, perform redundant information analysis to generate a processing signal, and transmit the processing signal to the server (not shown). ) to enhance the reliability of the data corresponding to the processed signal.

In some embodiments, the processor 170 can be implemented by a microprocessor having a communication function, but is not limited thereto, and various other communication chips suitable for implementing the processor 170 are within the scope of the disclosure.

In some embodiments, a server (not shown) is configured to determine the relative position of the source of the signal to the communication device 100 via a look-up table (eg, Tables 1 and 2 below) in accordance with the processing signal from the processor 170. In some embodiments, the server (not shown) may be implemented by a remotely located computer device, but is not limited thereto, and various other devices having a computing function and a communication function suitable for implementing the server are disclosed in the present disclosure. Within the scope of content protection.

In some embodiments, the antenna unit 110 includes an input circuit 120, an input circuit 130, an output circuit 140, and an output circuit 150, wherein the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 are coupled to the output circuit 140, and the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 are coupled. Connected to the output circuit 150. In some embodiments, the distance between the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 is 0.5 times the integer multiple of the wavelength, but is not limited thereto, and the distance between the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 may be The table is adjusted according to a table stored by the processor 170 or a server (not shown) for determining the relative position of the signal source and the communication device 100 (for example, Tables 1 and 2 shown below).

In some embodiments, the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 are respectively configured to continuously detect a signal source, and respectively transmit the received first wireless signal and the second wireless signal to the output circuit 140 and the output circuit 150. In some embodiments, input circuit 120 and input circuit 130 may be implemented by a communication chip, but are not limited thereto, and various other circuit elements suitable for implementing input circuit 120 and input circuit 130 are within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the output circuit 140 is configured to superimpose the first wireless signal received by the input circuit 120 and the second wireless signal received by the input circuit 130, and accordingly generate corresponding electrical signals. The output circuit 150 is configured to superimpose the first wireless signal received by the input circuit 120 and the inverted signal of the second wireless signal received by the input circuit 130, and accordingly generate corresponding electrical signals. In other words, the output circuit 150 is configured to subtract the first wireless signal received by the input circuit 120 from the second wireless signal received by the input circuit 130, and accordingly generate a corresponding electrical signal.

In some embodiments, the output circuit 140 is configured to superimpose the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal received by the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130, and the output circuit 150 is configured to receive the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130. The reason why the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal are subtracted is that when the signal source is located on the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 (as shown in FIG. 1, that is, directly in front of or behind the antenna unit 110), The first wireless signal and the second wireless signal received by the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 are superimposed to cause two The wireless signals are superimposed on each other to produce constructive interference; when the signal source is located at the extension of the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 (as shown in FIG. 1, ie, on both sides of the antenna unit 110), the input circuit 120 and the input circuit 130 The superposition of the received first wireless signal and the second wireless signal causes the two wireless signals to cancel each other out, causing destructive interference. Therefore, when the RSSI of the electrical signal generated by the output circuit 140 is much larger than the RSSI of the electrical signal of the output circuit 150 (for example, a difference of 10 dBm), it can be determined that the signal source is directly in front of or behind the antenna unit 110; when the output circuit 140 generates When the RSSI of the electrical signal is much smaller than the RSSI of the electrical signal of the output circuit 150 (for example, a difference of 10 dBm), it can be determined that the signal source is located on both sides of the antenna unit 110.

In some embodiments, the output circuit 140 and the output circuit 150 may be implemented by a port, but are not limited thereto, and various other circuit elements suitable for implementing the output circuit 140 and the output circuit 150 are within the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the communication device 100 in FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the communication unit 160 and the processor 170 may be integrated as a processing device 230 or included in the processing device 230. In some embodiments, the processing device 230 can be implemented by an electronic device having a communication function, but is not limited thereto, and various other circuit elements suitable for implementing the processing device 230 are within the scope of the disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the antenna unit 110 of the communication device 100 is disposed on one side of the signal shielding 210, the distance between the signal source 220 and the antenna unit 110 is d, and the antenna unit 110 is in the middle. The angle is θ, which The processing device 230 is coupled to the antenna unit 110 and coupled to a server (not shown).

In some embodiments, the signal shield 210 is used to cause directivity of the antenna unit disposed above the signal shield 210. In some embodiments, the signal shield 210 can be a thick wall, but is not limited thereto, and any object that can block signal transmission is within the scope of the disclosure.

In practical applications, referring to Tables 2 and 2 together, Table 2 shows that the output circuit 140 and the output circuit 150 respectively calculate the corresponding RSSI at different angles θ. First, the ratio of the RSSI corresponding to the output circuit 140 and the output circuit 150 (ie, the dBm difference) is first determined through Table 2. If the ratio is approximately 10:1 (ie, the RSSI is slightly less than 10 dBm), the representative signal source 220 is located. Directly or directly behind the antenna unit 110, if the ratio is approximately 1:10 (ie, the RSSI is slightly less than 10 dBm), the representative signal source 220 is located on both sides of the antenna unit 110. If the ratio is approximately 1:1, then proceed One step judgment.

Referring to Tables 1 and 2 together, Table 1 is that, under different distances d, the output circuit 140 and the output circuit 150 calculate the corresponding RSSI. Then, when the ratio is approximately 1:1, the distance between the signal source 220 and the antenna unit 110 is determined according to the RSSI value in Table 1. For example, the RSSI value is -50 dBm, the signal source 220 is about 50 cm away from the antenna unit 110, and the RSSI value is - 60 dBm represents that the signal source 220 is about 80 cm from the antenna unit 110.

Through the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can use the antenna unit 110 in the communication device 100 to detect the signal source 220, and then calculate the corresponding RSSI via the processing device 230, and determine the signal source 220 and the antenna unit 110 accordingly. relative position. In this way, the communication device 100 can determine the relative positions of the signal source 220 and the antenna unit 110 by the configuration of the input circuit 120, the input circuit 130, the output circuit 140, and the output circuit 150 in the antenna unit 110 to achieve the signal source. 220 the purpose of positioning in space.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication device 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the communication device 300 includes four antenna units 310, eight communication units 360, and a processor 370, wherein each antenna unit 310 is connected to two communications via a corresponding data transmission line 380. The unit 360 and the eight communication units 360 are all coupled to the processor 370. As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, eight communication units 360 and processor 370 are integrated on the circuit board 390, and four antenna units 310 are respectively disposed at different positions outside the circuit board 390.

In some embodiments, the functions and uses of the antenna unit 310, the communication unit 360, the processor 370, and the data transmission line 380 in FIG. 3 and the antenna unit 110, the communication unit 160, and the processor of the communication device 100 in FIG. 170 and the data transmission line 180 are the same.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the communication device 300 in FIG. 3 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the circuit board 390 and the eight communication units 360 and the processor 370 disposed on the circuit board 390 can be integrated as a processing device 420 or included in the processing device 420. In addition, in some embodiments, the antenna unit 310 includes an antenna unit 312, an antenna unit 314, an antenna unit 316, and an antenna unit 318. The antenna unit 312 in the communication device 300 is disposed on a signal shield 410 having four sides. On the first side, the antenna unit 314 is disposed on the second side of the signal shielding 410, the antenna unit 316 is disposed on the third side of the signal shielding 410, and the antenna unit 318 is disposed on the fourth side of the signal shielding 410. The 420 is coupled to the antenna unit 312, the antenna unit 314, the antenna unit 316, and the antenna unit 318, and is coupled to a server (not shown).

In some embodiments, the signal shield 410 is configured to cause directivity of the antenna elements 312, 314, 316, 318 disposed above the signal shield 410. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the signal shield 410 The antenna unit 312 is caused to generate a beam that is transmitted above the fourth picture; such that the antenna unit 314 generates a beam that is transmitted to the right in FIG. 4; such that the antenna unit 316 generates a beam that is transmitted to the lower side of FIG. 4; 4 The beam passed to the left of the figure. In some embodiments, the signal shield 410 can be a large pillar or a quadruple pillar having four sides, but is not limited thereto, and any object having four sides and possibly blocking signal transmission is protected by the disclosure. Within the scope.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the antenna units 312, 314, 316, and 318 continuously detect a signal source, and respectively detect the wireless signals S11, S12, and the wireless signal S21. S22, the wireless signals S31, S32, and the wireless signals S41, S42 are converted into corresponding electrical signals and transmitted to the corresponding communication unit 360 in the processing device 420. Then, the communication unit 361 in the processing device 420 converts the received electrical signal corresponding to the wireless signal S11 into the data signal D1 corresponding to the signal strength of the wireless signal S11, and transmits it to the processor 370; the communication in the processing device 420 The unit 362 converts the received electrical signal corresponding to the wireless signal S12 into the data signal D2 corresponding to the signal strength of the wireless signal S12, and transmits it to the processor 370; the communication unit 363 in the processing device 420 will receive the corresponding The electrical signal of the wireless signal S21 is converted into the data signal D3 corresponding to the signal strength of the wireless signal S21, and transmitted to the processor 370; the communication unit 364 in the processing device 420 converts the received electrical signal corresponding to the wireless signal S22 into Corresponding to the signal strength D4 of the signal strength of the wireless signal S22, and transmitted to the processor 370; the communication unit 365 in the processing device 420 will The received electrical signal corresponding to the wireless signal S31 is converted into the data signal D5 corresponding to the signal strength of the wireless signal S31, and transmitted to the processor 370; the communication unit 366 in the processing device 420 will receive the corresponding wireless signal S32. The electrical signal is converted into a data signal D6 corresponding to the signal strength of the wireless signal S32, and transmitted to the processor 370; the communication unit 367 in the processing device 420 converts the received electrical signal corresponding to the wireless signal S41 to correspond to the wireless The signal signal D7 of the signal strength of the signal S41 is transmitted to the processor 370; the communication unit 368 in the processing device 420 converts the received electrical signal corresponding to the wireless signal S42 into a data signal corresponding to the signal strength of the wireless signal S42. D8 is transmitted to the processor 370.

Then, the processor 370 in the processing device 420 is configured to compare the signal strength corresponding to the data signal D1 with the signal strength corresponding to the data signal D2; compare the signal strength corresponding to the data signal D3 with the signal strength corresponding to the data signal D4; and compare the data signal D5. The corresponding signal strength and the signal strength corresponding to the data signal D6 and the signal strength corresponding to the comparison data signal D7 and the signal strength corresponding to the data signal D8. Then, one of the data signal D1 and the data signal D2 having a larger signal strength, the data signal D3 and the data signal D4 having a larger signal strength, the data signal D5 and the data signal D6 having a larger signal strength The data signal D7 and the data signal D8 are compared with one of the larger signal strengths, and the two of the largest and the largest two are the same antenna unit 310, and the processing signal is generated and transmitted to the server (not The server further determines the relative position of the signal source and the signal shield 410 according to the processing signal.

For example, if the data signals D1 to D8 correspond to RSSIs of -60 dBm, -50 dBm, -60 dBm, -50 dBm, -65 dBm, -65 dBm, respectively. -65dBm, -65dBm, the processor 370 in the processing device 420 compares the RSSI maximum corresponding to the data signals D1~D8 to the RSSI corresponding to the data signal D2 and the data signal D4, and generates the data signals D1 and D2 accordingly. , D3 and D4 process the signal to the server (not shown). The server (not shown) determines that the signal source is located on both sides of the antenna unit 312 according to the RSSI difference of the data signals D1 and D2, and the signal source is located on both sides of the antenna unit 314 according to the RSSI difference of the data signals D3 and D4 is 10 dBm. It can be summarized that the signal source is located on the line between the antenna unit 312 and the antenna unit 314. Further, the RSSI corresponding to the data signal D2 and the data signal D4 is -50 dBm, and the signal source is determined to be about 50 cm away from the signal shield 410.

Therefore, by arranging the antenna units 310, that is, the plurality of antenna units 310 are respectively disposed on the four sides of the signal shielding 410, the accuracy of the signal source positioning can be effectively improved. In detail, since the plurality of antenna units 310 are disposed on a plurality of sides and the single antenna unit 310 is disposed on one side to receive wireless signals from more than one different direction, the configuration of the antenna unit 310 can be further configured. Avoid receiving wireless signals that are affected by multipath fading.

In practical applications, the communication device 300 can be operated in a factory or a hospital to locate a person, a raw material, a semi-finished product or a finished product, wherein the person's clothing has an embedded signal source, and the raw material, the semi-finished product and the finished product have a sticky signal. The source is such that the communication device 200 and the signal sources communicate via the antenna unit 310 and are positioned accordingly.

In summary, the present disclosure can accurately determine the relative position of the signal source and the communication device 100 via the communication device 100, and further By configuring the communication device 300 on the signal shield 410, the actual position of the signal source is more accurately calculated.

The present disclosure has been disclosed in the above embodiments, but it is not intended to limit the disclosure, and any person skilled in the art can make various changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The scope of protection of the disclosure is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application.

Claims (10)

A communication device includes: an antenna unit, comprising: a first input circuit for receiving a first signal corresponding to a signal source; and a second input circuit for receiving a second corresponding to the signal source a first output circuit coupled to the first input circuit and the second input circuit, and configured to superimpose the first signal and the second signal to generate a third signal; and a second output circuit, And coupled to the first input circuit and the second input circuit, and used to subtract the first signal and the second signal to generate a fourth signal; a communication unit coupled to the antenna unit and configured to Converting the third signal and the fourth signal generated by the first output circuit and the second output circuit of the antenna unit into a corresponding first data signal and a second data signal; and a processor coupled And the communication unit is configured to receive the first data signal and the second data signal from the communication unit, and generate a processing signal to be transmitted to a server. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is configured to convert the third signal into the first data signal corresponding to the strength of the third signal, and to convert the fourth signal to correspond to the The second data signal of the strength of the fourth signal. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to compare the first data signal and the second data signal, and accordingly generate the processing signal to be transmitted to the server. The communication device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to generate the processing signal for the server to determine the source of the signal and the signal according to the ratio of the signal strength corresponding to the first data signal and the second data signal The relative position of the communication device. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the first input circuit and the second input circuit are configured to be integer multiples of a wavelength of 0.5 times. A communication device includes: a plurality of antenna units, each of which includes: a first input circuit for receiving a first signal corresponding to a signal source; and a second input circuit for receiving one of the signal sources a second output circuit coupled to the first input circuit and the second input circuit, and configured to superimpose the first signal and the second signal to generate a third signal; and a second output a circuit, coupled to the first input circuit and the second input circuit, and used to subtract the first signal and the second signal to generate a fourth signal; a plurality of communication units coupled to the antenna units, wherein the communication units are each configured to convert the third signal and the fourth signal from each of the antenna units into a corresponding first data signal and a second data signal; and a processor coupled to the communication units for receiving the first data signal and the second data signal from each of the communication units, and generating a processing signal accordingly Transfer to a server. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the processor and the communication unit are disposed on a circuit board, and the antenna units are coupled to the communication units through a plurality of signal lines, and are respectively disposed on the circuit board. outer. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the communication unit is configured to convert the third signal from each of the antenna units to the first data signal corresponding to the strength of the third signal, and to The fourth signal from each of the antenna elements is converted into the second data signal corresponding to the intensity of the fourth signal. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to compare the first data signal and the second data signal from each of the communication units, and generate the processing signal to be transmitted to the server. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the antenna units are respectively disposed on one side of a signal mask, and the processor generates the processing signal for the server to determine the relative position of the signal source and the signal mask.