WO2023179396A1

WO2023179396A1 - Positioning method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2023179396A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/081064
Authority: WO
Inventors: 田军; 王康; 李卫华; 韩冷
Original assignee: 华为技术有限公司
Priority date: 2022-03-25
Filing date: 2023-03-13
Publication date: 2023-09-28

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a positioning method and apparatus. In the present method, a first device located in both a first narrowband sub-network and a second narrowband sub-network can transmit a positioning measurement parameter between a second device in the first narrowband sub-network and a third device in the second narrowband sub-network by means of a narrowband communication technology, so as to implement positioning measurement configuration between the first device and the second device and between the first device and the third device; in this way, the first device may separately perform positioning measurement on the second device and the third device using an ultra-wideband technology, to obtain two measurement results; and finally, the first device may obtain relative position information between the second device and the third device according to the two obtained measurement results. The present method can achieve positioning between communication devices across narrowband sub-networks, thereby further implementing long-distance positioning.

Description

A positioning method and device

Cross-references to related applications

This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application submitted to the China Patent Office on March 25, 2022, with application number 202210307198.2 and application title "A positioning method and device", the entire content of which is incorporated into this application by reference; This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on June 28, 2022, with the application number 202210750646.6 and the application title "A positioning method and device", the entire content of which is incorporated into this application by reference.

Technical field

The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular, to a positioning method and device.

Background technique

With the development of science and technology, the application of indoor positioning and ranging technology is becoming more and more widespread. For example, indoor positioning has broad application prospects in smart home, industrial production, logistics management and other application scenarios.

Indoor positioning is the process of determining the position or attitude of a target object using various devices that support functions such as angle measurement, ranging, timing, or feature recognition. Compared with outdoor positioning, which is easy to receive positioning signals (such as global positioning system (GPS) signals), constellation characteristics, barometer readings and other absolute position information, indoor positioning usually must rely on the device to interact with the environment to obtain relative position information. to determine its position indoors.

Ultra wide band (UWB) technology, as a short-distance communication technology, uses pulses with a pulse width of only nanoseconds as its basic signal. It has the characteristics of high transmission rate, large system capacity, large spectrum bandwidth, and extremely high power spectral density. Low and can coexist with other short-distance communication technologies. The above characteristics of UWB technology enable it to have high time resolution, strong anti-multipath ability, and high ranging and positioning accuracy, which can reach centimeter level.

In the process of positioning using UWB technology: Device A as the coordinator needs to create a UWB personal area network (PAN), and other devices near device A (taking device B as an example) can join the UWB PAN according to their own needs. . After that, in order to realize the positioning between device A and device 2, device A is responsible for resource configuration and management, including: role definition of the devices included in the UWB PAN (including which device serves as the initiator and which device serves as the responder). (responder)), and allocate corresponding time domain resources to each responder according to time division multiple access (TDMA) technology. Finally, within the time domain resources corresponding to each responder, the initiator and responder can realize positioning (ranging and/or angle measurement) between devices by transmitting UWB pulse signals.

However, due to the fact that UWB technology is a short-range communication technology, two devices that are far apart may not be able to join the same UWB PAN. Therefore, this method cannot achieve positioning between two devices that are far away.

Contents of the invention

This application provides a positioning method and device for positioning between devices that are far apart.

In the first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, which can be applied to the scenario shown in Figure 1. In the following, the first device and the second device are located in the first narrowband subnet, and the first device and the third device are located in the second narrowband subnet. Take the network as an example to illustrate. The first device is an intersection device of the first narrowband sub-network and the second narrowband sub-network. The method is described with the first device in the scenario as the execution subject. The method includes the following steps:

The first device transmits the first measurement parameter to the second device through narrowband communication technology, and transmits the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology; the first device transmits the first measurement parameter through ultra-wideband according to the first measurement parameter. The technology performs positioning measurement on the second device and obtains the first measurement result; and according to the second measurement parameter, performs positioning measurement on the third device through the ultra-wideband technology and obtains the second measurement result; The first device determines first relative position information based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result, and the first relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the second device.

Through this method, the first device located in the first narrowband sub-network and the second narrowband sub-network at the same time can communicate with the second device in the first narrowband sub-network and the third device in the second narrowband sub-network respectively through narrowband communication technology. transmit positioning measurement parameters between the first device and the second device, and between the first device and the third device; in this way, the first device can use UWB technology to perform positioning measurement configuration on the second device and the third device respectively. Perform positioning measurement and obtain two measurement results; finally, the first device can obtain relative position information between the second device and the third device based on the two obtained measurement results. This method can realize positioning across narrowband sub-networks and thus achieve long-distance positioning.

In a possible design, the first device may determine the relative position between the third device and the second device based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result through the following steps:

The first device determines second relative position information based on the first measurement result; wherein the second relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the second device and the first device; The first device determines third relative position information based on the second measurement result; wherein the third relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the first device; finally, The first device determines the first relative position information based on the second relative position information and the third relative position information. Optionally, the first device may use the triangle cosine theorem to determine the first relative position information. The specific process may be referred to as shown in Figure 4 .

Through this design, the first device can obtain the relative position information between the second device and the third device based on the two measurement results obtained by respectively positioning the second device and the third device using UWB technology, thereby achieving Positioning across narrowband sub-networks, enabling long-distance positioning.

In a possible design, the first device can obtain the first measurement result in the following manner:

Method 1: The first device receives the first measurement result from the second device through the narrowband communication technology;

Method 2: The first device performs positioning measurement on the second device through the ultra-wideband technology and generates the first measurement result;

Similarly, the first device can also obtain the second measurement result in the following manner:

Method 1: The first device receives the second measurement result from the third device through the narrowband communication technology;

Method 2: The first device performs positioning measurement on the third device using the ultra-wideband technology to generate the second measurement result.

In a possible design, the first device may also send the first relative position information to the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or the first device may send the first relative position information to the second device through the narrowband communication technology. The third device sends the first relative position information. In this way, the second device or the third device can obtain the first relative position information, thereby determining the orientation and distance of the other party relative to itself, and then can perform subsequent processing (for example, moving toward the other party as a guidance direction, or further longer range positioning).

In a possible design, the first device can also receive fourth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the fourth relative position information is used to indicate that the first device is connected to the third narrowband Relative positions between fourth devices in the network; the first device determines fifth relative position information based on the fourth relative position information and the second measurement result; wherein the fifth relative position information Used to indicate the relative position between the fourth device and the third device.

Since the third device is located in the second narrowband sub-network, the fourth device is located in the third narrowband sub-network, and the second narrowband sub-network and the third narrowband sub-network are separated by the The first narrowband subnetwork. By design, this method can also realize the positioning of communication equipment between two narrowband subnetworks separated by a narrowband subnetwork, that is, longer distance positioning.

In a possible design, the first device may also receive sixth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the sixth relative position information is used to indicate the third location in the first narrowband sub-network. The relative position between the fifth device and the fourth device in the third narrowband sub-network; the first device transmits the third measurement parameter with the fifth device through the narrowband communication technology; the first device transmits the third measurement parameter according to the For the third measurement parameter, the fifth device is positioned and measured using the ultra-wideband technology to obtain a third measurement result; the first device determines the seventh measurement parameter based on the third measurement result and the second measurement result. Relative position information; wherein the seventh relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the fifth device and the third device; according to the sixth relative position information and the seventh relative position information, Determine fifth relative position information; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the fourth device and the third device.

Since the third device is located in the second narrowband sub-network, the fourth device is located in the third narrowband sub-network, and the second narrowband sub-network and the third narrowband sub-network are separated by the The first narrowband subnetwork. By design, this method can also realize the positioning of communication equipment between two narrowband subnetworks separated by a narrowband subnetwork.

Further, if the first device transmits the fifth relative position information to the third device through the narrowband communication technology, the third device can further calculate a fourth narrowband further away from the fourth device. Relative position information between the device in the network and the fourth device. Obviously based on the above steps, this design can also realize the positioning of communication equipment between two narrowband subnetworks separated by two or more narrowband subnetworks, achieving longer distance positioning.

In a possible design, the first device can transmit the first measurement parameter to the second device through narrowband communication technology in any of the following ways:

Method 1: The first device sends the first measurement parameter to the second device through the narrowband communication technology;

Method 2: The first device receives the first measurement parameter from the second device through the narrowband communication technology;

Similarly, the first device can also transmit the second measurement parameter with the third device through the narrowband communication technology in any of the following ways:

Method 1: The first device sends the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology;

Method 2: The first device receives the second measurement parameter from the third device through the narrowband communication technology.

It should be noted that the first device may transmit the first measurement parameter and the second measurement parameter in the same or different manner, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

In a possible design, in this embodiment of the present application, the relative position information between two devices may include the distance between the two devices, and the distance between the connection between the two devices and the set direction. angle. Exemplarily, the first relative position information includes: the distance between the third device and the second device, the distance between the third device and the The angle between the connection between the second device and the set first direction.

In a possible design, the first narrowband sub-network and the second narrowband sub-network form a wireless mesh network.

Through this design, a mesh network can be established between different narrowband sub-networks through narrowband communication technology. In this way, the positioning method provided by this application can take advantage of the wireless expansion characteristics of the mesh network to wirelessly expand the scale of the mesh network, thereby flexibly achieving positioning between communication devices in any two narrowband sub-networks.

In a possible design, any narrowband sub-network is a personal area network established using the narrowband communication technology; wherein the narrowband communication technology includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth BT technology, Bluetooth Low Energy BLE technology, wireless Fidelity WIFI technology or near field communication NFC technology.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including a unit for performing each of the steps in the above first aspect.

In a third aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication device, including at least one processing element and at least one storage element, wherein the at least one storage element is used to store programs and data, and the at least one processing element is used to execute the above of the present application. The method provided in the first aspect.

In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program, which when the computer program is run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method provided in the first aspect.

In a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, it causes the computer to execute the method provided in any of the above aspects.

In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present application also provide a chip, which is used to read the computer program stored in the memory and execute the method provided in the first aspect. Optionally, the chip may include a processor and a memory, and the processor is configured to read the computer program stored in the memory and execute the method provided in the first aspect.

In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present application also provide a chip system. The chip system includes a processor and is used to support a computer device to implement the method provided in any of the above aspects. In a possible design, the chip system also includes a memory, and the memory is used to save necessary programs and data of the computer device. The chip system can be composed of chips or include chips and other discrete devices.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 2 is a flow chart of the traditional UWB-based positioning measurement process;

Figure 3 is a flow chart of a positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a positioning example provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another positioning example provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another positioning example provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Figure 7 is a flow chart of a positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 8 is a structural diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 9 is a structural diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

This application provides a positioning method and device for positioning between devices that are far apart. Among them, the method and the equipment are based on the same technical concept. Since the methods and devices solve problems in similar principles, the implementation of the device and the method can be referred to each other, and the repeated points will not be repeated.

Some terms used in this application are explained below to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

1) Short-distance wireless communication technology is a communication technology that transmits information through radio waves between communicating parties within a small range. It generally has the following characteristics:

Low cost, generally working in open unlicensed frequency bands;

Low power consumption. Compared with cellular communication technology, the transmit power of wireless transmitters is generally within 100mW;

For short-distance peer-to-peer communication, the communication distance is generally controlled within tens or hundreds of meters.

For example, short-range wireless communication technologies may include, but are not limited to: radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology (for example, ordinary BT technology, Bluetooth low energy (BLE)) technology), near field communication (NFC) technology, greentooth technology, wireless-fidelity (WIFI) technology, ZigBee technology, ultra wide band (UWB) technology, as well as communication technologies based on the evolution of the above-mentioned communication technologies, and communication technologies that have the same or similar functions as the above-mentioned communication technologies and can replace each other, etc.

2) UWB technology is a wireless carrier communication technology that does not use sinusoidal carrier waves, but uses nanosecond-level narrow pulses to transmit wireless signals to transmit data, so it occupies a wide spectrum range. For example, according to the regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the 7.5GHz bandwidth frequency between 3.1GHz and 10.6GHz is the frequency range used by UWB, and the single-channel bandwidth exceeds 500MHz.

As a short-distance wireless communication technology, UWB technology has the advantages of high transmission rate, large system capacity, and low power spectral density, and can coexist with other short-distance communication technologies. The above characteristics of UWB technology make it have the advantages of high time resolution and strong anti-multipath ability. Ultimately, UWB technology has high ranging and positioning accuracy, which can reach centimeter level.

3) Narrowband communication technology is a wireless carrier communication technology proposed relative to the concept of broadband in UWB technology. The spectrum range that narrowband communication technology can use is narrower than that used by UWB technology. For example, the narrowband communication technology may be other communication technologies except UWB technology among 1) short- and medium-distance wireless communication technologies. Exemplarily, the narrowband communication technology may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: BT technology, BLE technology, WIFI technology or NFC technology.

4) Narrowband subnetwork, a network established through narrowband communication technology, can also be called a narrowband network. In one implementation, the narrowband sub-network may be a Personal Area Network (PAN) established through narrowband communication technology. Communication devices within the narrowband sub-network can communicate through narrowband communication technology.

5) PAN is a short-distance communication network established by using short-distance, low-power wireless communication technology to configure point-to-point (Ad-Hoc) network architecture. The advantage of PAN is that it can automatically discover any communication device falling within the coverage of the PAN and establish a connection with it. The coverage area of PAN is generally within a radius of 10 meters, usually a few meters. By establishing a PAN, a personalized information network can be assembled to realize resource and information sharing within an individual.

A PAN can generally support communication between 7 to 8 communication devices.

6) Wireless mesh network is a wireless multi-hop network developed from Ad-Hoc network. The mesh network can communicate collaboratively with other networks and is a dynamic and continuously expandable network architecture. In a mesh network, any two communication devices can maintain wireless interconnection.

7) Communication equipment, which is equipment that supports short-range wireless communication technology and provides voice and/or data connectivity to users. In the embodiment of this application, the communication device may also be called a terminal device.

For example, the communication device may be a handheld device, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. with a wireless connection function. At present, some examples of terminal devices are: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile Internet devices (MID), smart point of sale terminals (POS), wearable devices ( Binaural true wireless (true wireless stereo, TWS) Bluetooth headsets), virtual reality (VR) equipment, augmented reality (AR) equipment, wireless terminals in industrial control (industrial control), driverless ( Wireless terminals in self driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grid, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart city Wireless terminals, wireless terminals in smart homes, various smart meters (smart water meters, smart electricity meters, smart gas meters), etc.

8) Measurement parameters, used to configure the positioning measurement process of the device. Optionally, the measurement parameters may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: communication technology information used for measurement (such as instruction information of UWB technology, working parameters of UWB technology, etc.), measurement task information, equipment to be measured, measurement role assignment , measurement method, measurement quantity (that is, the parameters that need to be measured, such as angle, distance, signal flight time), etc. The measurement task information may, but is not limited to, include at least one of the other measurement parameters mentioned above.

9) "And/or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and/or B can mean: A alone exists, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. . The character "/" generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

It should be noted that the plurality involved in this application refers to two or more. At least one means one or more than one.

In addition, it should be understood that in the description of this application, words such as "first" and "second" are only used for the purpose of distinguishing the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor can they be understood as indicating. Or suggestive order.

The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication scenario in which the positioning method provided by the embodiment of the present application is applicable. Referring to Figure 1, multiple communication devices located adjacently can build a short-distance communication network (such as a PAN) through short-distance wireless communication technology. As shown in Figure 1, device A, device B, and device E can build network 1, device A and device C can build network 2, and device B and device D can build network 3.

In a short-distance communication network, different communication devices can communicate with each other through short-distance communication technology to realize functions such as resource and information sharing, as well as equipment positioning and measurement.

For example, because UWB technology can achieve high-precision positioning measurement (including ranging and angle measurement), UWB technology is widely used in the field of positioning. Taking device A and device B as examples, the following is a brief description of the traditional positioning measurement process using UWB technology:

As shown in Figure 2, currently, the UWB-based positioning measurement process is performed with the beacon interval as the time period. A beacon interval mainly contains three periods, which are: ranging beacon period (ranging beacon period), measurement management period (ranging management period), and ranging period (ranging period). Among them, the ranging beacon period is used for time synchronization of the UWB personal area network and broadcast of network parameters of the UWB personal area network (such as various network definition parameters including network identifiers). The measurement management period is used for communication devices to join the UWB personal area network and for the coordinator to allocate time slots for interaction between devices. The ranging period is used to perform specific inter-device positioning measurements.

S201: First, device A and device B establish a Bluetooth communication connection through Bluetooth technology. For example, device A and device B establish a BLE connection through BLE technology.

Device A and device B can wake up the UWB function in the device through the Bluetooth function to build a UWB personal area network and perform positioning measurements between devices. At this time, device A and device B can use the default parameters of UWB to start the UWB function. For example, the default parameters of UWB may include, but are not limited to, channel number (channel number), synchronization code (preamble code), signal rate, etc.

S202: In the ranging beacon period, device A can be defined as the coordinator, responsible for sending beacon frames, realizing time synchronization within the UWB personal area network, and broadcasting network parameters of the UWB personal area network. During the ranging beacon period, after receiving the beacon frame, device B prepares to join the UWB personal area network created by device A (coordinator) as needed.

S203: The ranging management period includes two periods: the competition period and the non-competition period. The contention period is the ranging contention access period (RCAP). The non-contention period is the ranging contention free period (RCFP). During the ranging management period, the contention period and the non-contention period appear alternately, as shown in the structure of the beacon interval on the left side of Figure 2. Optionally, during the contention period within the measurement management period (RCAP), communication devices within the UWB personal area network coverage can join the UWB personal area network. During the non-contention period (RCFP) in the measurement management period, device A as the coordinator can allocate time slots based on the interaction between devices in the UWB personal area network.

During the ranging management period, device A can indicate whether this stage (the ranging management period) is required through a beacon frame. For example, device A can determine whether this stage is needed by whether it wants to maintain the current state of the UWB personal area network and whether to increase the number of communication devices in the UWB personal area network. If device A requires this stage, other communication devices can join the UWB personal area network created by device A at this stage.

In the event that Device A requires this phase, communication devices within UWB Personal Area Network coverage can join the UWB Personal Area Network during the Contention Period in the Measurement Administration Period (RCAP). During the non-contention period (RCFP) in the measurement management period, device A as the coordinator can allocate time slots based on the interaction between devices in the UWB personal area network.

During the measurement process, a total of four roles are defined: controller, controlee, initiator, and responder. Assume that device A serves as the control end and initiator at the same time, and device B serves as the controlled end and responder at the same time. In the process of implementing ranging between device A and device B, device A is responsible for sending ranging control messages (RCM) frames. During the ranging period, device A and device B interact with each other by broadcasting ranging frames and measurement information frames to implement the ranging task between device A and device B.

S204: In an RCM period of the ranging period, device A sends a measurement control (RCM) frame to device B. The RCM frame may include at least one of the following: role definition information of device A and/or device B, or time domain resources allocated for ranging of different devices according to TDMA technology.

S205: In the ranging period adjacent to the RCM period in S204, device A and device B execute the broadcast of the ranging frame according to the roles and/or time domain resources configured in the measurement control (RCM) frame. , measurement information frame broadcast and other interactions, and obtain measurement results. The measurement results may include: flight time information of the ranging frame, and/or transmitting or receiving angle information of the ranging frame.

Based on the above measurement results, device A and/or device B can determine the distance between device A and device B and the orientation of the other party relative to itself based on the measurement results.

During the ranging period, device A can repeat the ranging wheel and continue to perform ranging between device A and device B according to the steps of S204-S205, or continue to perform ranging between device A and other devices in the UWB personal area network. distance.

It should be noted that the traditional positioning measurement process shown in Figure 2 involves various beacon frames, ranging frames, and measurement information. The transmission of frames is implemented by communication devices through UWB technology and has nothing to do with Bluetooth technology.

From the above description of the traditional positioning measurement process shown in Figure 2, it can be seen that this method requires the establishment of a UWB personal area network and the controller to complete TDMA time allocation. Therefore, the implementation complexity of this method is high and is not conducive to implementation. In addition, due to the small coverage area of UWB personal area network, long-distance positioning cannot be achieved. For example, taking the scenario shown in Figure 1 as an example, device A and device B can achieve positioning through UWB technology, but device B and device C cannot join the same UWB personal area network due to the long distance between them. Positioning cannot be achieved through UWB technology. Positioning cannot be achieved between device B and device C, and between device A and device D due to the same problem.

In addition, in the scenario shown in Figure 1, there are devices crossing between different UWB personal area networks. Therefore, due to problems such as duplicate devices and duplicate device numbers, it may cause the communication between two communication devices in the same UWB personal area network to fail in the above scenario. It may also be impossible to complete effective ranging.

In order to achieve long-distance positioning, embodiments of the present application provide a positioning method, which can be applied in the communication scenario as shown in Figure 1. The method is described in detail below with reference to the flow chart shown in Figure 3. The method shown in Figure 3 is described by taking the example that the first device and the second device are located in the first narrowband sub-network, and the first device and the third device are located in the second narrowband sub-network. That is, the first device is the first narrowband sub-network. The intersection device (also called the central node) of the subnetwork and the second narrowband subnetwork.

Wherein, the first narrowband sub-network is formed by the first device and the second device (optionally, it may also include other communication devices) through narrowband communication technology. The second narrowband sub-network is formed by the second device and the third device (optionally, it may also include other communication devices) through the narrowband communication technology. In this embodiment of the present application, the narrowband communication technology may, but is not limited to, include at least one of the following: BT technology, BLE technology, WIFI technology or NFC technology. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the narrowband communication technology used by different devices is the same, and the ultra-wideband technology used by different devices is also the same.

S301a: The first device transmits the first measurement parameter to the second device through the narrowband communication technology.

Wherein, the first measurement parameter is used for positioning measurement between the first device and the second device.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the first device may transmit the first measurement parameter in the following manner:

Method 1: The first device sends the first measurement parameter to the second device through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network). In this method, the first device can obtain the first measurement parameter according to measurement requirements or user configuration.

Method 2: The first device receives the first measurement parameter from the second device through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network). In this method, the second device can obtain the first measurement parameter according to measurement requirements or user configuration, and send the first measurement parameter to the first device through the narrowband communication technology. It should be noted that the second device may directly send the first measurement parameter to the first device, or may forward it to the first device through other communication devices in the first narrowband sub-network, This application does not limit this.

In short, the first measurement parameter used for positioning measurement between the first device and the second device may be determined by the first device or the second device. This application will Not limited.

S301b: The first device transmits the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology.

Wherein, the second measurement parameter is used for positioning measurement between the first device and the third device.

Similar to S301a, in this embodiment of the present application, the first device may transmit the second measurement parameter in the following manner. For specific description, reference may be made to the description in S301a, which will not be elaborated here.

Method 1: The first device sends the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology (through the second narrowband sub-network).

Method 2: The first device receives the second measurement parameter from the third device through the narrowband communication technology (through the second narrowband sub-network).

In addition, regarding the content of the first measurement parameter and the second measurement parameter in S301a and S301b, you may refer to the description of the measurement parameter in point 8) of the preceding explanation of terms, which will not be discussed in this embodiment of the present application. Repeat.

It should be noted that in S301a and S301b, the way in which the first device transmits the first measurement parameter and the way in which the second measurement parameter is transmitted may be the same or different, and this application does not limit this. For example, the first device may receive the first measurement parameter from the second device and receive the second measurement parameter from the third device. For another example, the first device may send the first measurement parameter to the second device and the second measurement parameter to the third device. As another example, the first device may receive the first measurement parameter from the second device and send the second measurement parameter to the third device.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the first device, the second device or the third device may perform S301a and S301b according to specific measurement requirements or user configurations to transmit measurement parameters, Implement measurement configuration between devices.

S302a: The first device performs positioning measurement on the second device through ultra-wideband technology according to the first measurement parameter, and obtains the first measurement result.

Wherein, the ultra-wideband technology may be UWB technology. It should be noted that, compared with the traditional positioning measurement process based on UWB technology shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment of the present application, the first device does not need to perform construction during the positioning measurement process of other devices through ultra-wideband technology. UWB personal area network does not require TDMA time allocation and other processes. The first device and the second device can directly transmit ranging frames based on UWB technology. The specific process can refer to various traditional positioning measurement methods (for example, single-sided-two way ranging (SS) -TWR) method, or doublesided -two way ranging (SS-TWR) method, etc.), which will not be described here.

Obviously, the positioning method provided by this application can make full use of the high-precision advantage of UWB technology for positioning measurement, and avoid the complexity of the traditional positioning measurement process based on UWB technology.

In S302a, the first device may obtain the first measurement result in the following manner:

Method 1: The first device receives the first measurement result from the second device through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network). In this method, the first measurement result is generated by the second device and sent to the first device.

Method 2: The first device performs positioning measurement on the second device using the ultra-wideband technology to generate the first measurement result. Optionally, after generating the first measurement result, the first device may also send the first measurement result to the second measurement result through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network). device, so that the second device can determine the relative position between the first device and the second device based on the first measurement result.

S302b: The first device performs positioning measurement on the third device through the ultra-wideband technology according to the second measurement parameter, and obtains a second measurement result.

In this step, the first device performs a positioning measurement process on the third device through the ultra-wideband technology, The positioning measurement description of the second device performed by the first device described in S302a above may be referred to, which will not be described again here.

It is similar to obtaining the first measurement result in S302a. The first device can also obtain the second measurement result in the following two ways:

Method 1: The first device receives the second measurement result from the third device through the narrowband communication technology (through the second narrowband sub-network). Optionally, in this method, the second measurement result is generated by the third device and sent to the first device.

Method 2: The first device performs positioning measurement on the third device using the ultra-wideband technology to generate the second measurement result. Optionally, after generating the second measurement result, the first device may also send the second measurement result to the third device through the narrowband communication technology (through the second narrowband sub-network). device, so that the third device can determine the relative position between the first device and the third device based on the second measurement result.

It should be noted that in S302a and S302b, the way in which the first device obtains the first measurement result and the way in which the second measurement result is obtained may be the same or different, and this application does not limit this. For example, the first device may receive the first measurement from the second device and receive the second measurement from the third device. As another example, the first device may generate the first measurement result and generate the second measurement result. As another example, the first device may receive the first measurement result from the second device and generate the second measurement result.

S303: The first device determines first relative position information based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result. The first relative position information is used to indicate the relationship between the third device and the second device. relative position.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the relative position information used to indicate the relative position between any two devices may, but is not limited to, include: the distance between the two devices, the connection between the two devices The angle between the set first direction.

Optionally, the first device may perform S303 through the following steps A1-A3:

A1: The first device determines second relative position information based on the first measurement result; wherein the second relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the second device and the first device. ;

A2: The first device determines third relative position information based on the second measurement result; wherein the third relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the first device. ;

A3: The first device determines the first relative position information based on the second relative position information and the third relative position information.

It should be noted that the first measurement result is obtained by positioning measurement between the first device and the second device, and therefore includes the position measured by the first device and/or the second device. The value of the first measured quantity. Since the first measurement result is a positioning measurement based on the first measurement parameter, when the measurement quantity is specified in the first measurement parameter, the first measurement parameter may include the first Measured quantity.

Similarly, the second measurement result is obtained by positioning measurement between the first device and the third device, and therefore includes the second measurement result measured by the first device and/or the third device. The value of the measured quantity. The second measurement parameter may include the second measurement quantity.

It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specifically configured measurement quantities among the above-mentioned first measurement quantity and the second measurement quantity, and they may be the same or different.

In one implementation, when the first measurement quantity includes the relative position between the first device and the second device, in A1, the first device can directly obtain the first measurement. The second relative position in the result information. In another implementation, when the first measurement quantity does not include the relative position between the first device and the second device, in A1, the first device can measure the first device by measuring the relative position between the first device and the second device. A measurement result is analyzed and calculated to obtain the second relative position information.

In one implementation, when the second measurement quantity includes the relative position between the first device and the third device, in A2, the first device can directly obtain the second measurement. The third relative position information in the result. In another implementation, when the second measurement quantity does not include the relative position between the first device and the third device, in A2, the first device may measure the The second measurement result is analyzed and calculated to obtain the third relative position information.

In A3, the first device can determine the first relative position information based on the second relative position information, the third relative position information, and then using a specific algorithm (such as the triangle cosine theorem). This process will be described in detail with reference to Figure 4 later in the application, and will not be described here.

After S303, the first device may send the first relative position information to the second device through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network); or the first device may send the first relative position information through the Narrowband communication technology sends the first relative position information to the third device (via the second narrowband sub-network). In this way, the second device or the third device can obtain the first relative position information, thereby determining the orientation and distance of the other party relative to itself, and subsequent processing can be performed.

Through the above steps S301a-S303, the first device located in both the first narrowband subnetwork and the second narrowband subnetwork can communicate with the second device in the first narrowband subnetwork and the second narrowband subnetwork respectively through narrowband communication technology. The positioning measurement parameters are transmitted between the third devices to realize the positioning measurement configuration between the first device and the second device, and between the first device and the third device; in this way, the first device can use UWB technology to perform positioning measurement configuration on the second device and the third device respectively. The third device performs positioning measurement and obtains two measurement results; finally, the first device can obtain relative position information between the second device and the third device based on the two obtained measurement results. This method can realize positioning across narrowband sub-networks and thus achieve long-distance positioning.

Obviously, this method can circumvent the coverage limitations of a single narrowband sub-network. Compared with traditional solutions, this method can also get rid of the small coverage limitations of UWB personal area networks and achieve long-distance positioning. In addition, in this method, the high-precision advantage of UWB technology for positioning measurement is fully utilized to achieve high-precision positioning measurement between devices, thereby ensuring the accuracy of long-distance positioning. Furthermore, compared with the traditional solution, in the process of using UWB technology for positioning measurement, the device does not need to perform complex and cumbersome processes such as building a UWB personal area network and TDMA time allocation, and can avoid the complexity of using the traditional solution for positioning measurement. .

It should also be noted that step S303 in the embodiment of the present application shown in FIG. 3 does not limit the device that performs the final long-distance positioning calculation. For example, the first device may send the obtained first measurement result to the third device, and then the third device calculates the third measurement result based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result. A relative position information. For another example, the first device may send the obtained second measurement result to the second device, and then the second device calculates the second measurement result based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result. First relative position information.

Optionally, based on the positioning method provided in S301a-S303 above, compared to positioning between communication devices located in two adjacent narrowband sub-networks, embodiments of the present application can also achieve longer-distance positioning. The following can be described with reference to the following two embodiments.

Embodiment 1: As shown in S304-S305 in Figure 3.

S304: The first device receives fourth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology. Among them, the fourth The relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the first device and the fourth device in the third narrowband sub-network.

Optionally, there is an intersection device between the third narrowband sub-network and the first narrowband sub-network where the first device is located. The fourth relative position information may be, but is not limited to, determined for the intersection device, and the specific determination process may refer to the description in S301a-S303 above.

Based on this, the first device may receive the fourth relative position information in the following manner:

Method 1: The first device directly receives the fourth relative position information from the intersection device through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network).

Method 2: The intersection device can send the fourth relative position information to other devices in the first narrowband subnetwork through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband subnetwork). The other device then sends the fourth relative position information to the first device through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network).

S305: The first device determines fifth relative position information based on the fourth relative position information and the second measurement result; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate that the fourth device is related to the relative positions between the third devices.

In one implementation, the first device may first determine the third relative position information based on the second measurement result. For details, reference may be made to the description of step A2 in S303 above, which will not be described again here. The first device may then determine the fifth relative position information between the fourth device and the third device based on the fourth relative position information and the third relative position information. The process of determining the fifth relative position information by the first device is similar to the process of determining the first relative position information in S303, and will not be described again here.

It can be seen from the above description that the third device is located in the second narrowband sub-network, the fourth device is located in the third narrowband sub-network, and the second narrowband sub-network and the third narrowband sub-network are separated by the first narrowband sub-network. Through this implementation, the method can also realize the positioning of communication equipment between two narrowband subnetworks separated by one narrowband subnetwork.

Further, if the first device transmits the fifth relative position information to the third device through the narrowband communication technology, the third device can further calculate a fourth narrowband further away from the fourth device. Relative position information between the device in the network and the fourth device. Obviously based on this embodiment, this method can also realize positioning of communication equipment between two narrowband subnetworks separated by two or more narrowband subnetworks, thereby achieving longer distance positioning.

In summary, the first embodiment can realize positioning between communication devices located in two narrowband sub-networks without intersection devices (that is, two non-adjacent narrowband sub-networks), thereby achieving longer-distance positioning.

Embodiment 2: As shown in S306-S310 in Figure 3.

S306: The first device receives sixth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology. Wherein, the sixth relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the fifth device in the first narrowband sub-network and the fourth device in the third narrowband sub-network.

Optionally, an intersection device exists between the third narrowband subnetwork and the first narrowband subnetwork. The sixth relative position information may be, but is not limited to, determined for the intersection device. For the specific determination process, reference may be made to the description in S301a-S303 above, which will not be described again here.

Based on this, similar to S304, the first device can also receive the sixth relative position information in two ways:

Method 1: The first device directly receives the sixth relative position information from the intersection device through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network).

Method 2: The intersection device can use the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network) to The sixth relative position information is sent to other devices in the first narrowband sub-network. The other device then sends the sixth relative position information to the first device through the narrowband communication technology (through the first narrowband sub-network).

S307: The first device transmits the third measurement parameter to the fifth device through the narrowband communication technology.

The third measurement parameter is used for positioning measurement between the first device and the fifth device. The process of the first device transmitting the third measurement parameter may refer to the description in S301a and S301b, here No longer.

S308: The first device performs positioning measurement on the fifth device through the ultra-wideband technology according to the third measurement parameter, and obtains a third measurement result.

In this step, the process of the first device performing positioning measurement on the fifth device through the ultra-wideband technology can be described with reference to the positioning measurement performed by the first device on the second device in S302a above, which is not mentioned here. Again.

S309: The first device determines seventh relative position information based on the third measurement result and the second measurement result. Wherein, the seventh relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the fifth device and the third device.

Optionally, in this step, the process of determining the seventh relative position information by the first device may refer to the process of determining the first relative position information in S303, which will not be described again here.

S310: Determine fifth relative position information according to the sixth relative position information and the seventh relative position information; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate the relationship between the fourth device and the third device. relative position between.

For this step, please refer to the description in A3 in S303 and will not be repeated here.

In summary, the second embodiment can also realize positioning between communication devices located in two narrowband sub-networks without intersection devices (that is, two non-adjacent narrowband sub-networks), thereby achieving longer-distance positioning.

It should also be noted that in this embodiment of the present application, a mesh network can be established between different narrowband sub-networks through narrowband communication technology. In this way, the positioning method provided by this application can take advantage of the wireless expansion characteristics of the mesh network to wirelessly expand the scale of the mesh network, thereby flexibly achieving positioning between communication devices in any two narrowband sub-networks.

The following takes the communication scenario shown in Figure 1 as an example to illustrate the positioning method provided by the embodiment shown in Figure 2. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the narrowband communication technology used by different devices is the same, and the ultra-wideband technology used by different devices is also the same.

As shown in Figure 4, device A, device B and device E establish narrowband sub-network 1 through narrowband communication technology, and device A and device C establish narrowband sub-network 2 through narrowband communication technology. Device A is the intersection device of narrowband subnetwork 1 and narrowband subnetwork 2. Communication interaction is performed between two communication devices within each narrowband sub-network through the narrowband communication technology.

Assume that device A (equivalent to the first device in the embodiment shown in Figure 2) can transmit the first measurement parameter to device B (equivalent to the second device in the embodiment shown in Figure 2) through the narrowband subnetwork 1, And transmit the second measurement parameter through the narrowband sub-network 2 and the device C (equivalent to the third device in the embodiment shown in Figure 2).

Device A and device B perform positioning measurements through UWB technology based on the first measurement parameter; then, device A can obtain the first measurement result. Device A and device C perform positioning measurements through UWB technology based on the second measurement parameter; then, device A can obtain the second measurement result.

Based on the first measurement result, device A obtains the relative position information 1 used to indicate the relative position between device A and device B; based on the second measurement result, device A obtains the relative position information 1 used to indicate the relative position between device A and device C. Relative position information 2.

As shown in Figure 4, it is assumed that this scene uses east (E), south (south, S), west (west, W) and north (north, N) as the direction coordinates. For example, the relative position information 1 may include: the distance d1 between device A and device B, and the angle ∠a between the line between device A and device B and the direction S. For example, the relative position information 2 may include: the distance d2 between device A and device C, and the angle ∠b between the line between device A and device C and the direction S.

Then device A can determine the relative position information 3 used to indicate the relative position between device B and device C based on the relative position information 1 and relative position information 2 and using the triangle cosine theorem.

Among them, in the relative position information 3, the distance d3 between device B and device C conforms to the following formula:

The angle ∠d between the connection line between equipment B and equipment C relative to the direction E conforms to the following formula:
∠d＝∠e-∠c

Among them, ∠e is the angle between line segment AB and line segment BC, Line segment AB represents the connection between device A and device B, and line segment BC represents the connection between device B and device C. ∠c=90°-∠a.

In summary, device A can determine the relative position information 3, and subsequently device A can send the relative position information 3 to device B through the narrowband subnetwork 1, and/or send it to device C through the narrowband subnetwork 2. In this way, device B or device C performs movement or rescue based on the relative position information 3 as a reference.

Through the above steps, the positioning method provided by this application can realize positioning between devices in two adjacent narrowband sub-networks.

In addition, based on the above method, in the communication scenario shown in Figure 1, longer-distance positioning can also be achieved, that is, positioning between devices in two non-adjacent narrowband sub-networks.

For example, as shown in Figure 5, in this scenario, device B and device D can also establish a narrowband sub-network 3 through narrowband communication technology. Device B is the intersection device of narrowband subnetwork 3 and narrowband subnetwork 1.

Assume that device B uses the process shown in Figure 4 to determine relative position information 4 used to indicate the relative position between device D and device A, and sends the relative position information 4 to device A through the narrowband subnetwork 1. Then device A can determine relative position information 5 indicating the relative position between device D and device C based on relative position information 4 and relative position information 2. For the specific calculation process, please refer to the above description of determining relative position information 3. Here No further details will be given.

For another example, refer to FIG. 6 . In this scenario, device B and device D can also establish a narrowband subnetwork 3 through narrowband communication technology. Device B is the intersection device of narrowband subnetwork 3 and narrowband subnetwork 1.

Assume that device B uses the process shown in Figure 4 to determine the relative position information 6 used to indicate the relative position between device D and device E; device A can also use the process shown in Figure 4 to determine the relative position information 6 used to indicate the relative position between device E and device E. Relative position information 7 of the relative position between devices C. When device B sends the relative position information 6 to device A through the narrowband subnetwork 1, then device A can determine the relative position indicating the relative position between device D and device C based on the relative position information 6 and the relative position information 7. Position information 5, the specific calculation process can refer to the above-mentioned determination of relative position information 3 The description will not be repeated here.

To sum up, the positioning method provided by the embodiment of the present application is a relative positioning solution that integrates UWB technology and narrowband communication technology. In this solution, multiple narrowband sub-networks can be established through narrowband communication technology, and a mesh network can be established based on multiple narrowband sub-networks to achieve interconnected communication between all communication devices; combined with the high-precision positioning advantages of UWB technology, a single Relative positioning between devices within a narrowband sub-network; then transmitting measurement results and/or calculated relative position information within a single narrowband sub-network or between different narrowband sub-networks via narrowband communication technology; and finally aggregating the measurement results and/or relative position information Devices with location information can use the location relationship between devices in the network and ultimately determine the relative location information between the specified two devices through the calculation of the triangle cosine theorem.

This method can make full use of the networking flexibility of narrowband communication technology, ensuring that the method is highly practical. Therefore, this method can be applied to various emergency scenarios and relative positioning scenarios, such as rescue and relative positioning of aerial drones, to achieve large-scale, high-precision, and long-distance relative positioning.

It can be seen from the above descriptions in Figure 3 and Figures 4-6 that in order to implement the method provided by the embodiment of the present application, the communication device needs to support at least two short-range wireless technologies, UWB technology and narrowband communication technology. Based on this, the communication device involved in the embodiment of the present application includes at least two communication modules: a UWB module and a narrowband communication module. Among them, the narrowband communication module supports narrowband communication technology and is used to form a narrowband subnetwork through narrowband communication technology and realize communication interaction with other devices in the same narrowband subnetwork. The UWB module is used for positioning measurements between communication devices through UWB technology.

The following describes the functions of the UWB module and the narrowband communication module in the communication device with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and the flow chart shown in FIG. 7 . The first device, the second device and the third device in FIG. 7 may respectively correspond to the first device, the second device and the third device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 .

S700a: The narrowband communication module in the first device establishes a narrowband communication connection 1 with the narrowband communication module of the second device, and establishes a first narrowband sub-network based on the narrowband communication connection 1.

S700b: The narrowband communication module in the first device establishes a narrowband communication connection 2 with the narrowband communication module of the third device, and establishes a second narrowband subnetwork based on the narrowband communication connection 2.

When there is a need for positioning measurement, the narrowband communication modules in the first device, the second device and the third device can wake up the UWB modules in the respective devices, as shown in Figure 7.

S701a: Corresponding to S301a in Figure 3, the narrowband communication module in the first device transmits the first measurement parameter to the narrowband communication module in the second device through the narrowband communication connection 1.

S701b: Corresponding to S301b in Figure 3, the narrowband communication module in the first device transmits the second measurement parameter to the narrowband communication module in the third device through the narrowband communication connection 2.

The transmission methods of the first measurement parameter and the second measurement parameter may refer to the descriptions in S301a and S301b respectively, and will not be described again here.

It should be noted that the first measurement parameter may be generated by the narrowband communication module or processing module in the first device or the second device, and the second measurement parameter may be generated by the narrowband communication module or processing module in the first device or the third device. Generated.

Optionally, after acquiring the measurement parameters, the narrowband communication module of any communication device can also send the measurement parameters to the UWB module in the communication device, so that the UWB module can subsequently perform positioning measurements based on the received measurement parameters. For example, after acquiring the first measurement parameter, the narrowband communication module in the second device may send the first measurement parameter to the UWB module in the second device.

S702a: Corresponding to S302a in Figure 3, the UWB module in the first device and the UWB module in the second device Positioning measurement is performed using UWB technology according to the first measurement parameter, and the UWB module in the first device and/or the second device obtains the first measurement result.

S702b: Corresponding to S302b in Figure 3, the UWB module in the first device and the UWB module in the second device perform positioning measurement through UWB technology according to the second measurement parameter, and the UWB module in the first device and/or the third device The UWB module obtains the second measurement result.

It should be noted that the UWB module in each communication device may not perform any processing and calculation on the measurement results generated by the positioning measurement, but directly sends the obtained measurement results to the narrowband communication module in the communication device, and the narrowband communication module module for further processing.

S703a: The first measurement result is transmitted between the narrowband communication module of the first device and the narrowband communication module of the second device through the narrowband communication connection 1. For example, the narrowband communication module of the second device sends the first measurement result to the narrowband communication module of the first device through the narrowband communication connection 1 .

S703b: The second measurement result is transmitted between the narrowband communication module of the first device and the narrowband communication module of the third device through the narrowband communication connection 2. For example, the narrowband communication module of the third device sends the second measurement result to the narrowband communication module of the first device through the narrowband communication connection 2 .

Subsequently, the narrowband communication module of the first device can determine the first relative position information based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result; or the narrowband communication module of the first device can send the obtained first measurement result and the second measurement result. The processing module in the first device determines the first relative position information based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result. For the specific process of the first device calculating the first relative position information, reference can be made to the description in S303 in Figure 3 and the description in Figure 4, which will not be described again here.

In addition, it should be noted that each step involved in the above embodiments can be executed by the corresponding device, or by components such as chips, processors or chip systems in the device. The embodiments of this application do not apply to it. constitute a limitation. Each of the above embodiments is only explained by taking execution by the corresponding device as an example.

It should be noted that in each of the above embodiments, some steps can be selected for implementation, and the order of the steps in the illustrations can also be adjusted for implementation, which is not limited in this application. It should be understood that performing some of the steps in the illustrations, adjusting the order of the steps, or combining them for specific implementation all fall within the protection scope of the present application.

It can be understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, each device involved in the above embodiments includes a corresponding hardware structure and/or software module to perform each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that the units and method steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is executed by hardware or computer software driving the hardware depends on the specific application scenarios and design constraints of the technical solution.

It can be understood that the above network architecture and application scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention. Common skills in the art Personnel can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new services, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention are also applicable to similar technical problems.

It should be noted that the "steps" in the embodiments of the present application are only illustrative, and are a performance method used to better understand the embodiments, and do not constitute a substantial limitation on the implementation of the solution of the present application. For example: the "steps" It can also be understood as "features". In addition, this step does not constitute any restriction on the execution order of the solution of the present application. Any changes in the sequence of steps, merging of steps, or splitting of steps made on this basis that do not affect the implementation of the overall solution will also result in a new technical solution. Within the scope disclosed in this application. For example: in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, between step S301a and step S301b The execution order of step S302a and step S302b is not limited. When the two steps are exchanged or executed at the same time, it will not affect the specific implementation of the solution. Moreover, all "steps" appearing in this application are applicable to this agreement and will be explained uniformly here. When they appear again, they will not be described again.

Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides a communication device, which can be applied to any communication device in the communication scenario as shown in Figure 1. Optionally, the communication device may be in the form of a communication device; or the communication device may be other device capable of realizing the functions of the communication device, such as a processor or chip inside the communication device. For example, the communication device may be a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or System on a chip (SOC) and other programmable chips.

In one implementation, the structure of the communication device may be a communication device 800 as shown in FIG. 8 , including a first communication unit 801, a second communication unit 802, and a processing unit 803. The functions of each unit in the communication device 800 are introduced below.

The first communication unit 801 is used to receive or send signals through narrowband communication technology. The first communication unit 801 may be a communication module that supports the narrowband communication technology, such as a narrowband communication module.

The second communication unit 802 is used to receive or send signals through ultra-wideband technology. The second communication unit 802 may be a communication module supporting the ultra-wideband technology, such as a UWB module.

It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the deployment mode of the processing unit 803. The processing unit 803 may be a functional module independent of the first communication unit 801 and the second communication unit 802, or may be coupled with the first communication unit 801 or the second communication unit 802. . For example, the processing unit 803 may be a processor such as a CPU in the communication device 800, or a processing module within a communication module that supports narrowband communication technology.

When the communication device 800 is applied to the first device in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the processing unit 803 is used to:

Control the first communication unit 801 to transmit the first measurement parameter with the second device through the narrowband communication technology, wherein the first device and the second device are located in the first narrowband sub-network;

Control the first communication unit 801 to transmit the second measurement parameter with the third device through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the first device and the third device are located in the second narrowband sub-network;

According to the first measurement parameter, control the second communication unit 802 to perform positioning measurement on the second device through the ultra-wideband technology to obtain a first measurement result; and according to the second measurement parameter, control the The second communication unit 802 performs positioning measurement on the third device through the ultra-wideband technology and obtains a second measurement result;

According to the first measurement result and the second measurement result, first relative position information is determined, and the first relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the second device.

Optionally, the processing unit 803 is specifically used for:

Determine second relative position information according to the first measurement result; wherein the second relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the second device and the first device;

Determine third relative position information according to the second measurement result; wherein the third relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the first device;

The first relative position information is determined based on the second relative position information and the third relative position information.

Optionally, the processing unit 803 is specifically used for:

Control the first communication unit 801 to receive the first measurement result from the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or control the second communication unit 802 to receive the first measurement result from the second device through the ultra-wideband technology. Perform positioning measurement and generate the first measurement result;

The processing unit 803 is specifically used for:

Control the first communication unit 801 to receive the second measurement result from the third device through the narrowband communication technology; or control the second communication unit 802 to receive the second measurement result from the third device through the ultra-wideband technology. Perform positioning measurement to generate the second measurement result.

Optionally, the processing unit 803 is also used to:

Control the first communication unit 801 to send the first relative position information to the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or

The first communication unit 801 is controlled to send the first relative position information to the third device through the narrowband communication technology.

Optionally, the processing unit 803 is also used to:

Control the first communication unit 801 to receive fourth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the fourth relative position information is used to indicate the relationship between the first device and a fourth device in the third narrowband sub-network. relative position between;

According to the fourth relative position information and the second measurement result, fifth relative position information is determined; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate the distance between the fourth device and the third device. relative position.

Optionally, the processing unit 803 is also used to:

Control the first communication unit 801 to receive sixth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the sixth relative position information is used to indicate the fifth device in the first narrowband sub-network and the third narrowband sub-network. the relative position between fourth devices in the network;

Control the first communication unit 801 to transmit the third measurement parameter with the fifth device through the narrowband communication technology;

According to the third measurement parameter, perform positioning measurement on the fifth device through the ultra-wideband technology to obtain a third measurement result;

According to the third measurement result and the second measurement result, seventh relative position information is determined; wherein the seventh relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the fifth device and the third device. ;

Fifth relative position information is determined according to the sixth relative position information and the seventh relative position information; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate the distance between the fourth device and the third device. relative position.

Optionally, the processing unit 803 is specifically used for:

Control the first communication unit 801 to send the first measurement parameter to the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or control the first communication unit 801 to receive data from the second device through the narrowband communication technology. The first measurement parameter;

The processing unit 803 is specifically used for:

Control the first communication unit 801 to send the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology; or control the first communication unit 801 to receive data from the third device through the narrowband communication technology. of the second measurement parameter.

Optionally, the first relative position information includes:

The distance between the third device and the second device, the connection between the third device and the second device The angle between the set first direction.

Optionally, the first narrowband sub-network and the second narrowband sub-network form a wireless mesh network.

Optionally, any narrowband sub-network is a personal area network established using the narrowband communication technology; wherein the narrowband communication technology includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth BT technology, low-power Bluetooth BLE technology, and wireless fidelity WIFI technology. Or near field communication NFC technology.

In one implementation, the structure of the communication device may be a communication device 900 as shown in FIG. 9 , including a first transceiver 901, a second transceiver 902, and a processor 903. Optionally, the communication device 900 may also include a memory 904. The first transceiver 901, the second transceiver 902, the processor 903 and the memory 904 are connected to each other.

Optionally, the first transceiver 901 , the second transceiver 902 , the processor 903 and the memory 904 may be connected to each other through a bus 905 . The bus 905 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of presentation, only one thick line is used in Figure 9, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

The first transceiver 901 is used to receive and send signals through narrowband communication technology to achieve communication interaction with other devices. In this embodiment of the present application, the first transceiver 901 may be a narrowband communication module, such as a BT module, a BLE module, a WIFI module or an NFC module, etc.

The second transceiver 902 is used to receive and send signals through ultra-wideband technology to achieve positioning measurements of other devices. For example, the second transceiver 902 may be a UWB module.

Optionally, the processor 903 may be a CPU in the communication device 900 . Optionally, the processor 903 may also be coupled with the first transceiver 901 inside a narrowband communication module, which is not limited in this application.

When the communication device 900 is applied to the first device in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the processor 903 is used to:

Control the first transceiver 901 to transmit the first measurement parameter to the second device through the narrowband communication technology, wherein the first device and the second device are located in the first narrowband sub-network;

Control the first transceiver 901 to transmit the second measurement parameter to a third device through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the first device and the third device are located in the second narrowband sub-network;

According to the first measurement parameter, control the second transceiver 902 to perform positioning measurement on the second device through the ultra-wideband technology to obtain a first measurement result; and according to the second measurement parameter, control the The second transceiver 902 performs positioning measurement on the third device through the ultra-wideband technology and obtains a second measurement result;

It should be noted that this embodiment does not describe the specific functions of the processor 903 in detail. For the specific functions of the processor 903, please refer to the description of the first device in the embodiment shown in Figure 3 above, and the description of the first device shown in Figure 8. The description of the processing unit 803 in the embodiment shown will not be repeated here.

The memory 904 is used to store program instructions and data. Specifically, program instructions may include program code including computer operating instructions. The processor 903 executes the program instructions stored in the memory 904, and uses the data stored in the memory 904 to implement the above functions, thereby realizing the communication method provided by the above embodiments.

It can be understood that the memory 904 in Figure 9 of this application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may Includes both volatile and non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), programmable read-only memory (Programmable ROM, PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (Erasable PROM, EPROM), electrically removable memory. Erase programmable read-only memory (Electrically EPROM, EEPROM) or flash memory. The volatile memory may be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of illustration, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (Dynamic RAM, DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (Synchronous DRAM, SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (Double Data Rate SDRAM, DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (Enhanced SDRAM, ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (Synchlink DRAM, SLDRAM) ) and direct memory bus random access memory (Direct Rambus RAM, DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

It should be noted that the division of modules in the above embodiments of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. In addition, each function in each embodiment of the present application The units can be integrated into one processing unit, or they can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above integrated units can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

Based on the above embodiments, embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program, which when the computer program is run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method provided in the above embodiments.

Based on the above embodiments, embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, it causes the computer to execute the method provided in the above embodiments. .

The storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by the computer. Take this as an example but not limited to: specific examples of the memory 904 in the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or can be used to carry or store instructions or data structures. Any other medium in the form of the desired program code and capable of being accessed by a computer.

Based on the above embodiments, embodiments of the present application also provide a chip, which is used to read the computer program stored in the memory and implement the method provided in the above embodiments. In one implementation, the chip includes a processor and a memory, and the processor is used to read the computer program stored in the memory to implement the method provided in the above embodiment.

Based on the above embodiments, embodiments of the present application provide a chip system. The chip system includes a processor and is used to support the computer device to implement the functions involved in the master device and the slave device in the above embodiments. In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory, and the memory is used to store necessary programs and data of the computer device. The chip system may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

In summary, embodiments of the present application provide a positioning method and device. In this method, the first device located in both the first narrowband subnetwork and the second narrowband subnetwork can communicate with the second device in the first narrowband subnetwork and the third device in the second narrowband subnetwork respectively through narrowband communication technology. Transmit positioning measurement parameters between devices to implement positioning measurement configurations between the first device and the second device, and between the first device and the third device; in this way, the first device can use UWB technology to perform positioning measurement configurations on the second device and the third device respectively. The device performs positioning measurement and obtains two measurement results; finally, the first device can obtain relative position information between the second device and the third device based on the two obtained measurement results. This method can realize positioning between communication devices across narrowband sub-networks, thereby achieving long-distance positioning.

Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Accordingly, the present application may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment that combines software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present application may take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) having computer-usable program code embodied therein.

The present application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It will be understood that each process and/or block in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of processes and/or blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a use A device for realizing the functions specified in one process or multiple processes of the flowchart and/or one block or multiple blocks of the block diagram.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that causes a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including the instruction means, the instructions The device implements the functions specified in a process or processes of the flowchart and/or a block or blocks of the block diagram.

These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device, causing a series of operating steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce computer-implemented processing, thereby executing on the computer or other programmable device. Instructions provide steps for implementing the functions specified in a process or processes of a flowchart diagram and/or a block or blocks of a block diagram.

Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. In this way, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and equivalent technologies, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

A positioning method, characterized by including:

The first device transmits the first measurement parameter with the second device through narrowband communication technology, wherein the first device and the second device are located in the first narrowband sub-network;

The first device transmits the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the first device and the third device are located in the second narrowband subnetwork;

The first device performs positioning measurement on the second device through ultra-wideband technology according to the first measurement parameter, and obtains a first measurement result; and according to the second measurement parameter, performs positioning measurement on the second device through ultra-wideband technology according to the second measurement parameter. The third device performs positioning measurement and obtains the second measurement result;

The first device determines first relative position information based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result, and the first relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the second device. Location.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first device determines the relative position between the third device and the second device based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result, including :

The first device determines second relative position information based on the first measurement result; wherein the second relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the second device and the first device;

The first device determines third relative position information based on the second measurement result; wherein the third relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the first device;

The first device determines the first relative position information based on the second relative position information and the third relative position information.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,

The first device obtains a first measurement result, including:

The first device receives the first measurement result from the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or the first device performs positioning measurement on the second device through the ultra-wideband technology to generate the Describe the first measurement result;

The first device obtains a second measurement result, including:

The first device receives the second measurement result from the third device through the narrowband communication technology; or the first device performs positioning measurement on the third device through the ultra-wideband technology to generate the Describe the second measurement results.
The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the method further includes:

The first device sends the first relative position information to the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or

The first device sends the first relative position information to the third device through the narrowband communication technology.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the method further includes:

The first device receives fourth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the fourth relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the first device and a fourth device in the third narrowband sub-network. Location;

The first device determines fifth relative position information based on the fourth relative position information and the second measurement result; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate that the fourth device is connected to the third measurement result. The relative positions between the three devices.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the method further includes:

The first device receives sixth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the sixth relative position information is used to indicate the fifth device in the first narrowband sub-network and the third narrowband sub-network. The relative position between the fourth devices;

The first device transmits the third measurement parameter to the fifth device through the narrowband communication technology;

The first device performs positioning measurement on the fifth device through the ultra-wideband technology according to the third measurement parameter, and obtains a third measurement result;

The first device determines seventh relative position information based on the third measurement result and the second measurement result; wherein the seventh relative position information is used to indicate the relationship between the fifth device and the third device. relative position between;

Fifth relative position information is determined according to the sixth relative position information and the seventh relative position information; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate the distance between the fourth device and the third device. relative position.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first device transmits the first measurement parameter with the second device through narrowband communication technology, including:

The first device sends the first measurement parameter to the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or

The first device receives the first measurement parameter from the second device via the narrowband communication technology;

The first device transmits the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology, including:

The first device sends the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology; or

The first device receives the second measurement parameter from the third device via the narrowband communication technology.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first relative position information includes:

The distance between the third device and the second device, and the angle between the connection line between the third device and the second device and the set first direction.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the first narrowband sub-network and the second narrowband sub-network constitute a wireless mesh network.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that any narrowband sub-network is a personal area network established using the narrowband communication technology; wherein the narrowband communication technology includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth BT technology, Bluetooth low energy BLE technology, wireless fidelity WIFI technology or near field communication NFC technology.
A communication device, applied to a first device, characterized in that it includes: a first transceiver, a second transceiver, and a processor;

The first transceiver is used to receive or send signals through narrowband communication technology;

The second transceiver is used to receive or send signals through ultra-wideband technology;

The processor is used for:

Control the first transceiver to transmit the first measurement parameter to the second device through the narrowband communication technology, wherein the first device and the second device are located in the first narrowband sub-network;

Control the first transceiver to transmit the second measurement parameter to a third device through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the first device and the third device are located in the second narrowband sub-network;

According to the first measurement parameter, control the second transceiver to perform positioning measurement on the second device through the ultra-wideband technology to obtain a first measurement result; and according to the second measurement parameter, control the third The second transceiver performs positioning measurement on the third device through the ultra-wideband technology and obtains a second measurement result;

According to the first measurement result and the second measurement result, first relative position information is determined, and the first relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the second device.
The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is specifically configured to:

Determine second relative position information according to the first measurement result; wherein the second relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the second device and the first device;

Determine third relative position information according to the second measurement result; wherein the third relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the first device;

The first relative position information is determined based on the second relative position information and the third relative position information.
The device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that:

The processor is specifically used for:

Controlling the first transceiver to receive the first measurement result from the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or controlling the second transceiver to position the second device through the ultra-wideband technology Measure to generate the first measurement result;

The processor is specifically used for:

Controlling the first transceiver to receive the second measurement result from the third device through the narrowband communication technology; or controlling the second transceiver to position the third device through the ultra-wideband technology Measure to generate the second measurement result.
The device according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that the processor is also used to:

Control the first transceiver to send the first relative position information to the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or

The first transceiver is controlled to send the first relative position information to the third device through the narrowband communication technology.
The device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the processor is also used to:

Control the first transceiver to receive fourth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the fourth relative position information is used to indicate the relationship between the first device and a fourth device in a third narrowband sub-network relative position;

According to the fourth relative position information and the second measurement result, fifth relative position information is determined; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate the distance between the fourth device and the third device. relative position.
The device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the processor is also used to:

Control the first transceiver to receive sixth relative position information through the narrowband communication technology; wherein the sixth relative position information is used to indicate the fifth device in the first narrowband sub-network and the third narrowband sub-network the relative position between the fourth devices;

Controlling the first transceiver to transmit a third measurement parameter with the fifth device through the narrowband communication technology;

According to the third measurement parameter, perform positioning measurement on the fifth device through the ultra-wideband technology to obtain a third measurement result;

According to the third measurement result and the second measurement result, seventh relative position information is determined; wherein the seventh relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the fifth device and the third device. ;

Fifth relative position information is determined according to the sixth relative position information and the seventh relative position information; wherein the fifth relative position information is used to indicate the distance between the fourth device and the third device. relative position.
The device according to any one of claims 11-16, characterized in that,

The processor is specifically used for:

Control the first transceiver to send the first measurement parameter to the second device through the narrowband communication technology; or

Controlling the first transceiver to receive the first measurement from the second device via the narrowband communication technology parameter;

The processor is specifically used for:

Control the first transceiver to send the second measurement parameter to the third device through the narrowband communication technology; or

The first transceiver is controlled to receive the second measurement parameter from the third device via the narrowband communication technology.
The device according to any one of claims 11-17, wherein the first relative position information includes:

The distance between the third device and the second device, and the angle between the connection line between the third device and the second device and the set first direction.
The device according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the first narrowband sub-network and the second narrowband sub-network form a wireless mesh network.
The device according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that any narrowband sub-network is a personal area network established using the narrowband communication technology; wherein the narrowband communication technology includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth BT technology, Bluetooth low energy BLE technology, wireless fidelity WIFI technology or near field communication NFC technology.
A positioning system, characterized in that it includes: a first device, a second device, and a third device; wherein the first device and the second device are located in a first narrowband subnetwork, and the first device and The third device is located in the second narrowband sub-network;

The first device is configured to transmit a first measurement parameter to a second device through narrowband communication technology; transmit a second measurement parameter to a third device through the narrowband communication technology; and transmit a first measurement parameter to a third device through ultra-wideband technology according to the first measurement parameter. Perform positioning measurement on the second device to obtain a first measurement result; and perform positioning measurement on the third device through the ultra-wideband technology according to the second measurement parameter to obtain a second measurement result; according to the The first measurement result and the second measurement result determine the first relative position information, and the first relative position information is used to indicate the relative position between the third device and the second device;

The second device is configured to transmit the first measurement parameter with the first device through the narrowband communication technology; according to the first measurement parameter, the first device implements the ultra-wideband technology to positioning measurement of the second device;

The third device is configured to transmit the second measurement parameter with the first device through the narrowband communication technology; according to the second measurement parameter, the first device implements the ultra-wideband technology to Describe the positioning measurement of the third device.
A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is run on a computer, it causes the computer to execute any one of claims 1-10. method described.
A computer program product, characterized in that, when the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the method described in any one of claims 1-10.
A chip, characterized in that the chip is coupled to a memory, and the chip reads the computer program stored in the memory and executes the method described in any one of claims 1-10.