EP-4475570-B1 - COMMUNICATION METHODS, AND APPARATUS

EP4475570B1EP 4475570 B1EP4475570 B1EP 4475570B1EP-4475570-B1

Inventors

PENG, SHU
WANG, KANG
HU, SHICHANG
YU, QIAN

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20230323

Claims (13)

A ranging method, comprising: sending (S210), by a first module of a first device, ranging control information to a second device through a first channel, wherein the ranging control information is used to configure a first ranging frame; and either sending (S220), by a second module of the first device to the second device, based on the ranging control information, the first ranging frame through a second channel, and receiving by the second module through the second channel a second ranging frame from the second device that was sent by the second device in response to receipt of the first ranging frame; receiving (S230), by the first device from the second device, a measurement result through the first channel, wherein the measurement result comprises a time difference between a receiving moment of the first ranging frame by the second device and a sending moment of the second ranging frame by the second device; and determining, by the first device, a distance between the first device and the second device based on the measurement result and a time difference between a sending moment of the first ranging frame by the first device and a receiving moment of the second ranging frame by the first device; or receiving (S220), by the second module of the first device from the second device, based on the ranging control information, the first ranging frame through the second channel, and sending by the second module through the second channel a second ranging frame to the second device in response to receipt of the first ranging frame; sending (S230), by the first device to the second device, a measurement result through the first channel, wherein the measurement result comprises a time difference between a receiving moment of the first ranging frame by the first device and a sending moment of the second ranging frame by the first device; and wherein the measurement result and a time difference between a sending moment of the first ranging frame by the second device and a receiving moment of the second ranging frame by the second device is useable by the second device to determine a distance between the first device and the second device; and wherein a bandwidth of the second channel is greater than a bandwidth of the first channel.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the ranging control information comprises at least one of the following: first information, wherein the first information indicates whether the ranging frame comprises a channel impulse response training sequence CTS; second information, wherein the second information indicates delay time between a clock synchronization moment and a first slot in a ranging round; and third information, wherein the third information indicates the second device to feed back a ranging measurement value, or feed back a ranging measurement value and a positioning result that is of the second device and that is obtained based on the ranging measurement value, and the ranging measurement value comprises information obtained based on exchange of the ranging frame.
The method according to claim 2, wherein the ranging control information comprises the third information, and the information obtained based on exchange of the ranging frame comprises a time difference between a receiving moment of the ranging frame and a sending moment of acknowledgment of the ranging frame, or a time difference between a sending moment of the ranging frame and a receiving moment of acknowledgment of the ranging frame.
The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the ranging control information comprises the third information, and the information obtained based on exchange of the ranging frame comprises an angle of arrival of the second device relative to the first device.
The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4. wherein the ranging control information comprises the third information, the third information indicates the second device to feed back the ranging measurement value and the positioning result, the ranging control information further comprises fourth information, and the fourth information indicates that the positioning result is a location of the second device relative to the first device, or a positioning result in an absolute coordinate system.
The method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the measurement result comprises at least one of the following: fifth information, wherein the fifth information indicates whether the measurement result comprises an address of a basepoint device, and the basepoint device is in a communication system in which the first device is comprised; sixth information, wherein the sixth information indicates a quantity N of positioning results comprised in the measurement result, and N is a positive integer; seventh information, wherein the seventh information indicates the positioning result.
A ranging method, comprising: receiving (S210), by a first module of a second device, ranging control information through a first channel, wherein the ranging control information is used to configure a ranging frame; either sending (S220), by a second module of the second device to the first device, based on the ranging control information, the first ranging frame through a second channel, and receiving by the second module through the second channel a second ranging frame from the first device that was sent by the first device in response to receipt of the first ranging frame; receiving (S230), by the second device from the first device, a measurement result through the first channel, wherein the measurement result comprises a time difference between a receiving moment of the first ranging frame by the first device and a sending moment of the second ranging frame by the first device; and determining, by the second device, a distance between the first device and the second device based on the measurement result and a time difference between a sending moment of the first ranging frame by the second device and a receiving moment of the second ranging frame by the second device; or receiving (S220), by the second module of the second device from the first device, based on the ranging control information, the first ranging frame through the second channel, and sending by the second module through the second channel a second ranging frame to the first device in response to receipt of the first ranging frame; sending (S230), by the second device to the first device, a measurement result through the first channel, wherein the measurement result comprises a time difference between a receiving moment of the first ranging frame by the second device and a sending moment of the second ranging frame by the second device; and wherein the measurement result and a time difference between a sending moment of the first ranging frame by the first device and a receiving moment of the second ranging frame by the first device is useable by the first device to determine a distance between the first device and the second device; and wherein a bandwidth of the second channel is greater than a bandwidth of the first channel.
The method according to claim 7, wherein the ranging control information comprises at least one of the following: first information, wherein the first information indicates whether the ranging frame comprises a channel impulse response training sequence CTS; second information, wherein the second information indicates delay time between a clock synchronization moment and a first slot in a ranging round; and third information, wherein the third information indicates the second device to feed back a ranging measurement value, or feed back a ranging measurement value and a positioning result that is of the second device and that is obtained based on the ranging measurement value, and the ranging measurement value comprises information obtained based on exchange of the ranging frame.
The method according to claim 8, wherein the ranging control information comprises the third information, and the information obtained based on exchange of the ranging frame comprises a time difference between a receiving moment of the ranging frame and a sending moment of acknowledgment of the ranging frame, or a time difference between a sending moment of the ranging frame and a receiving moment of acknowledgment of the ranging frame.
The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the ranging control information comprises the third information, and the information obtained based on exchange of the ranging frame comprises an angle of arrival of the second device relative to a first device.
The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the ranging control information comprises the third information, the third information indicates the second device to feed back the ranging measurement value and the positioning result, the ranging control information further comprises fourth information, and the fourth information indicates that the positioning result is a location of the second device relative to the first device, or a positioning result in an absolute coordinate system.
The method according to any one of claims 7-11, wherein the measurement result comprises at least one of the following: fifth information, wherein the fifth information indicates whether the measurement result comprises an address of a basepoint device, and the basepoint device is in a communication system in which the first device is comprised; sixth information, wherein the sixth information indicates a quantity N of positioning results comprised in the measurement result, and N is a positive integer; seventh information, wherein the seventh information indicates the positioning result.
A ranging apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Description

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202210315062.6, filed on March 29, 2022 and entitled "COMMUNICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM". This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202210759159.6, filed on June 30, 2022 and entitled "RANGING METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM". TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of this application relate to the communication field, and more specifically, to two ranging methods and an apparatus. BACKGROUND WO2020/085876A1 describes a method of operating a controller that performs a ranging with a controlee using ultra wideband communication in a wireless communication system, the method including: transmitting, to the controlee, a first ranging control message (RCM) comprising information of a first ranging interval for a second RCM; changing a ranging interval for the second RCM from the first ranging interval to a second ranging interval; transmitting, to the controlee, an interval update message for the second RCM comprising information for the changed ranging interval based on the first ranging interval; and transmitting, to the controlee, the second RCM based on the changed ranging interval. EP3764706A1 describes a method of establishing communication between a first device and a second device to exchange ranging information. It is described that, the method includes: sending, by the first device to the second device via a first channel, or receiving, by the first device from the second device via the first channel, a first control message indicating a start time; sending, by the first device to the second device via a second channel, a second control message including one or more ranging parameter values for exchanging the ranging information, the second control message being sent at the start time; and exchanging, by the first device with the second device via the second channel, the ranging information over one or more ranging rounds. US2022/066010A1 describes that a method may include providing Ultra-Wideband (UWB) ranging parameters to a mobile device via a first radio communication, wherein the first radio communication is a non-UWB radio communication; and triggering the mobile device to perform UWB ranging with a UWB anchor, wherein the triggering is performed using a second radio communication. Ultra wideband (ultra wideband, UWB), which is a wireless personal area network (wireless personal area network, WPAN) communication technology, uses nanosecond-level pulses as basic signals, and occupies a large bandwidth. In addition, due to the features of a low power density, a high time resolution, a good anti-multipath capability, coexistence with an existing communication system, and the like, the UWB can be used to implement high-precision ranging and positioning, especially in complex multipath environments. In a current ranging method, a UWB module in a device implements complex functions, resulting in high power consumption of the device. SUMMARY Embodiments of this application provide two ranging methods an an apparatus, to reduce power consumption of a device. The invention and its scope of protection is defined by the appended independent claims. Embodiments of the invention are defined by the appended dependent claims. The following aspects and implementations of the summary provide examples of how technical subject matters can be combined. According to a first aspect, a ranging method is provided. The method may be performed by a first device, or may be performed by a chip, a circuit, or a module configured in a first device. This is not limited in this application. The following uses an example in which the first device performs the method for description. The method may include: The first device sends ranging control information to a second device through a first channel, where the ranging control information is used to configure a ranging frame; the first device receives and/or sends the ranging frame through a second channel, where a bandwidth of the second channel is greater than a bandwidth of the first channel; and the first device receives or sends a measurement result through the first channel, where the measurement result is determined based on the ranging frame. Based on the foregoing solution, the first device and the second device may exchange the ranging control information through the first channel, and perform ranging through the second channel. Because exchange of the ranging control information is completed through the first channel, and the bandwidth of the first channel is less than the bandwidth of the second channel, power consumption of the device can be reduced. With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the ranging control information includes first information, and the first information indicates whether the ranging frame includes a channel impulse response training sequence CTS. Based on the foregoing solution, the ranging control information m