CN121055985A - An adaptive near-field communication module, control method, and device - Google Patents

Abstract

This specification provides an adaptive near-field communication module, control method, and device. The adaptive near-field communication module may include a near-field antenna, a position adjustment component, and a control component. The position adjustment component includes a support bracket and a position adjustment assembly. The support bracket carries the near-field antenna, and the position adjustment assembly adjusts the position of the support bracket. The control component controls the state of the position adjustment assembly to ensure that the support bracket carries the near-field antenna to a target position.

Description

An adaptive near-field communication module, control method, and device

Technical Field

This specification relates to the field of near-field communication technology, and particularly to an adaptive near-field communication module. This specification also relates to a near-field communication control method, a near-field communication device, and a computing device.

Background Technology

With the development of communication technology, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, as a short-range wireless communication protocol, has been widely used in various fields such as mobile payment, information exchange, smart home control, access control, identity authentication and recognition, electronic ticketing, and anti-counterfeiting. Devices participating in NFC can include initiating devices and target devices, also known as master devices and slave devices. In practical applications, different initiating devices may emit different signal strengths due to hardware or software settings. For the same target device, the strength of the signal emitted by different initiating devices may affect the communication success rate. Alternatively, strong interference signals near the NFC device may also affect its communication.

Therefore, a solution is needed to improve the stability of near-field communication.

Summary of the Invention

In view of this, one or more embodiments of this specification provide an adaptive near-field communication module, control method, and device to improve the stability of near-field communication.

According to a first aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, an adaptive near-field communication module is provided, including: a near-field antenna, a position adjustment component, and a control component;

The position adjustment component includes a support bracket and a position adjustment assembly. The support bracket is connected to the position adjustment assembly. The support bracket is used to support the near-field antenna, and the position adjustment assembly is used to adjust the position state of the support bracket.

The near-field antenna is fixed to the carrier support;

The control component is used to control the state of the position adjustment assembly so that the carrier support carries the near-field antenna to the target position; the target position satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the intensity of the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna at the target position is less than the intensity of the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna at the previous position; the signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position meets the near-field communication requirements; the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position is less than or equal to a preset angle; the second device is a device for near-field communication with the near-field communication module.

According to a second aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a control method for near-field communication is provided, the method being applied to an adaptive near-field communication module, the near-field communication module including a near-field antenna for near-field communication, a position adjustment component, and a control component; the method includes:

Acquire status information of the near-field communication module; the status information includes at least one of the following: signal strength information of the near-field antenna and location information of the second device that performs near-field communication with the near-field communication module.

Based on the state information, a control signal is generated;

The control signal is sent to the position adjustment component, which adjusts its state according to the control signal to bring the near-field antenna located on the position adjustment component to the target position. The target position satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the intensity of the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna at the target position is less than the intensity of the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna at the previous position; the signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position meets the near-field communication requirements; and the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position is less than or equal to a preset angle.

According to a third aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a near-field communication device is provided, which may include the near-field communication module described above, or a control method capable of performing the near-field communication described above.

According to a fourth aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a computing device is provided, including a memory, a processor, and computer instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer instructions to implement the steps of the control method for near-field communication described above.

One embodiment of this specification can achieve at least the following beneficial effects: By setting a position adjustment component that enables the near-field antenna to move, under the control of the control component, the position adjustment component can move the near-field antenna fixed on the carrier to the target position. In this way, the position of the near-field communication angle or height can be adaptively adjusted according to the actual environmental requirements, so that the near-field antenna is in a position with less external interference, or in a position that meets the requirements of near-field communication, or in a position where the near-field antenna is at an angle less than or equal to a preset angle with the second device for near-field communication, such as a position where the near-field antenna is parallel or nearly parallel to the second device, or an angle that meets the requirements of communication. This can improve the efficiency, success rate, and stability of near-field communication.

Attached Figure Description

To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or prior art of this specification, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this specification. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an adaptive near-field communication module provided in one embodiment of this specification;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an adaptive near-field communication module provided in one embodiment of this specification;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of adaptive height adjustment of a near-field communication module according to an embodiment of this specification;

Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a position adjustment component provided in one embodiment of this specification;

Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a near-field communication control method according to an embodiment of this specification;

Figure 6 is a structural block diagram of a computing device provided in one embodiment of this specification.

Detailed Implementation

To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this specification, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this specification, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this specification.

This specification uses specific terms to describe embodiments thereof. Terms such as "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and/or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of this specification. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that references to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" in different locations throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described herein, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

The terminology used in one or more embodiments of this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the one or more embodiments of this specification. The singular forms “a,” “an,” “an,” “the,” and “the” as used in one or more embodiments of this specification and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and/or” as used in one or more embodiments of this specification includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

The terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, product, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, product, or apparatus. Without further limitation, the presence of additional identical or equivalent elements in the process, method, product, or apparatus that includes said elements is not excluded.

Although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various information in one or more embodiments of this specification, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, "first" may also be referred to as "second," and similarly, "second" may also be referred to as "first," without departing from the scope of one or more embodiments of this specification. Ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily indicate order; often they are used to facilitate the distinction of objects. For example, "first server" and "second server" usually refer to two servers. To distinguish these two servers, they are described as "first server" and "second server." Of course, sometimes these two servers may be the same server.

The word "if" as used in one or more embodiments of this specification may be interpreted as "when", "when", or "in response to a determination".

In this specification, unless explicitly stated otherwise, "receiving and sending data" does not necessarily mean direct receiving and sending; it can also mean indirect receiving and sending. For example, A receiving data sent by B can be understood as A directly receiving the data sent by B, or it can be understood as A indirectly receiving the data sent by B through other entities such as C. Similarly, B sending data to A can be understood as B sending the data directly to A, or it can be understood as B indirectly sending the data to A through other entities such as C. Here, C can be one entity, or it can be two or more entities.

In this specification, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the relationships between structures can be direct or indirect. For example, when describing "A is connected to B," unless it is explicitly stated that A and B are directly connected, it should be understood that A can be directly connected to B or indirectly connected to B. Similarly, when describing "A is on top of B," unless it is explicitly stated that A is directly above B (AB is adjacent and A is above B), it should be understood that A can be directly above B or indirectly above B (AB is separated by other elements, and A is above B). And so on.

The user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in one or more embodiments of this specification are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties. The collection, use and processing of related data shall comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant regions, and corresponding operation entry points shall be provided for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

The following explains the terms and concepts used in one or more embodiments of this specification.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a short-range wireless communication technology with a typical operating distance of less than 10cm, used in scenarios such as mobile payments, access control cards, and public transport cards. In NFC, the device that actively transmits signals can be called the master device or the transmitting device, such as an NFC card reader or a device in card reader mode. The device that passively responds to the signals transmitted by the master device can be called the slave device or the target device, such as an NFC tag, a device in card emulation mode, or a device with an NFC tag.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an adaptive near-field communication module provided in one embodiment of this specification. As shown in Figure 1, the first device 1 may have an adaptive near-field communication module 102. Here, the application scenario of reducing external interference is used as an example for explanation. Assume that there is a signal interference source on the right side of the first device, such as another near-field communication device. Before position adjustment, assume that the near-field antenna 104 in the first device is in a horizontal position. At this position, the interference signal strength sensed by the near-field antenna is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. The control component 106 in the near-field communication module 102 can control the position adjustment component 108 to change its state, so that the near-field antenna 104 tilts to the left. After adjustment, the interference signal strength received by the near-field antenna 104 is reduced, thereby reducing the impact of the interference source on the near-field antenna and ensuring the stability of near-field communication.

In practical applications, if a second device requiring near-field communication exists near the first device, the first device can adaptively adjust the position of its near-field antenna to enable faster and more stable near-field communication with the second device. For example, during near-field communication between the first device and a second device with near-field communication capabilities, the near-field communication module can adjust the position of the near-field antenna in the first device, such as adjusting its height or angle, to ensure that the signal strength of the near-field antenna meets the requirements of near-field communication. This guarantees the stability of communication between the antennas of the first and second devices during near-field communication via electromagnetic coupling and improves the success rate of communication. For details on the components involved in near-field communication between the first and second devices and the specific communication process, please refer to relevant technologies; further details are omitted here.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an adaptive near-field communication module according to an embodiment of this specification. As shown in Figure 2, the near-field communication module 200 may include a near-field antenna 202, a position adjustment component 204, and a control component 206.

The position adjustment component 204 may include a support bracket 2042 and a position adjustment assembly 2046. The support bracket 2042 is connected to the position adjustment assembly 2046. The support bracket 2042 is used to support the near-field antenna 202, and the position adjustment assembly 2046 is used to adjust the position of the support bracket 2042. The near-field antenna 202 is fixed to the support bracket 2042.

The control component 206 can be used to control the state of the position adjustment component 2046 so that the carrier bracket 2042 carries the near-field antenna 202 to a target position. The target position can satisfy at least one of the following conditions: the external interference signal strength received by the near-field antenna at the target position is less than the external interference signal strength received by the near-field antenna at the previous position; the signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position meets the near-field communication requirements; and the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position is less than or equal to a preset angle, where the second device is a device for near-field communication with the near-field communication module.

The near-field antenna 202 can be a near-field antenna used for near-field communication, or a near-field antenna connected to an NFC near-field communication chip, and can also be called a near-field communication NFC antenna. The near-field antenna can include metal components capable of generating electromagnetic induction, such as metal coils or metal sheets. If the near-field communication module is a component in a near-field communication reader/writer device, the near-field antenna can be an antenna for the reader/writer device to transmit radio frequency signals. If the near-field communication module is a component in a near-field communication tag-side device, the near-field antenna can be a tag antenna for sensing or responding to radio frequency signals emitted by the reader/writer device; or, if the near-field communication tag-side device has the function of actively transmitting excitation signals, the near-field antenna can also be an excitation antenna for transmitting excitation signals.

The position adjustment component 204 can be a movable component capable of changing its position, and can move relative to the main body of the near-field communication module or the main body of the first device having the near-field communication module. Optionally, the position adjustment component is used to adjust the height and/or angle of the carrier support. For example, the position adjustment component can undergo changes in position such as elongation, shortening, tilting, raising, and lowering, causing the carrier support connected to the position adjustment component to change its position, for example, allowing the carrier support to move in directions such as up and down, left and right, forward and backward, and tilting. The near-field antenna can be fixed on the carrier support, and the position of the near-field antenna can be adjusted by the position adjustment component, so that the near-field antenna reaches the target position that meets the near-field communication requirements.

In practical applications, the height or angle of the support can be adjusted using the position adjustment component according to actual needs. Alternatively, both height and angle can be adjusted simultaneously, or height can be adjusted first followed by angle, or vice versa. The control component 206 can be a component with logic processing capabilities, capable of sending control signals to the position adjustment component to control its operating state. If the position adjustment component includes a drive component, the control component can be connected to the drive component and send control signals to it, allowing the drive component to control the state of the position adjustment component. The control component may include a printed circuit board with multiple components, a microcontroller unit (MCU), etc.

A target location can represent the position where the signal strength of the near-field antenna meets the requirements for near-field communication. For example, a target location can represent the position where the strength of external interference signals sensed by the near-field antenna is less than or equal to a preset interference strength; or, a target location can represent the position where the strength of external interference signals sensed by the near-field antenna is less than the signal strength at the previous position. Furthermore, when a second device exists near the near-field antenna, the target location can represent the position where, after electromagnetic induction occurs with the second device, the signal strength of the near-field antenna meets the requirements for near-field communication.

The signal strength of the near-field antenna at the target location must meet a preset threshold or be within a preset signal range. The specific preset threshold or range can be set according to actual business needs. For example, by statistically analyzing the near-field communication success rate at different locations, the signal strength of the near-field antenna at a success rate greater than 90% or 95% can be set as the preset threshold. Alternatively, a range including this signal strength can be selected as the preset signal range. Another example is determining the preset threshold or signal range based on the requirements or regulations of the near-field communication protocol used by both devices. The specific method for determining the target location is not limited here, as long as it meets the actual business requirements.

Alternatively, to improve near-field communication efficiency, the target location can be a position where the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device is less than or equal to a preset angle. The angle between the near-field antenna and the second device can be small, or the near-field antenna and the second device can be parallel or nearly parallel, which can improve the coupling degree between the near-field antenna and the second device and improve communication efficiency.

In at least one embodiment of this specification, the control component can acquire signal strength information at the near-field antenna according to a preset period or frequency, or acquire position information of the second device communicating with the near-field antenna. Then, it can control the state of the position adjustment component according to the signal strength information or position information, thereby enabling the near-field antenna to move to the target position, improving near-field communication efficiency and success rate.

In one implementation, the control component can control the state of the position adjustment assembly based on the signal strength of the near-field antenna. Specifically, if the signal strength of the near-field antenna is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, the control component can control the position adjustment assembly to move the support bracket away from the second device, thus moving the near-field antenna away from the second device. If the signal strength of the near-field antenna is less than or equal to a second preset threshold, the control component controls the position adjustment assembly to move the support bracket closer to the second device by a certain height, thus bringing the near-field antenna closer to the second device.

The signal strength of the near-field antenna can be defined as the signal strength at the near-field antenna after electromagnetic induction between the near-field antenna and the second device. A control component can be connected to the near-field antenna to acquire the signal at the near-field antenna. The control component may include signal judgment or signal conversion circuitry to determine the signal strength at the near-field antenna. Alternatively, the control component can be connected to the NFC chip of the near-field antenna to obtain the signal strength information from the NFC chip.

In practical applications, the signal strength of a near-field antenna can be represented by electric field strength, magnetic field strength, current value, voltage value, etc. The first preset threshold and the second preset threshold can be the same value, for example, a threshold that meets the requirements of near-field communication; or the first preset threshold and the second preset threshold can be different values, for example, the first preset threshold can be the right endpoint of the signal range that meets the requirements of near-field communication, and the second preset threshold can be the left endpoint, etc.

In one implementation, the outer surface of the housing of the first device having the near-field communication module, which is closer to the second device, can be used as a reference position. The control component can move the load holder away from or closer to the reference position by controlling the position adjustment assembly.

In practical applications, during near-field communication (NFC), if the two NFC coil antennas (such as the antenna of an NFC reader and the antenna of an NFC tag) are too close, magnetic field coupling may cause coil saturation, resulting in excessively strong magnetic fields between the two coils, causing mutual interference and reduced communication sensitivity. Alternatively, matching failure may occur, as NFC coils and matching circuits are typically designed for specific distances; excessively close proximity may cause the matching network to deviate from its design values, reducing transmission efficiency. Excessive power consumption may also occur, as closely spaced coils may result in excessive signal power, causing the device to operate in a suboptimal state. Similarly, if the two coils are too far apart, magnetic field strength attenuation may occur, as magnetic field coupling decreases exponentially with distance, leading to decreased communication performance. Signal loss may also occur, for example, exceeding the maximum operating distance defined by the protocol, preventing the device from establishing a valid connection. In the embodiments of this specification, adjusting the height of the NFC near-field antenna can improve communication efficiency and strength, ensuring communication performance.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of adaptive height adjustment of a near-field communication module according to an embodiment of this specification. The explanation here uses a near-field antenna in the vertical direction as an example. Assume that before position adjustment, the height of the near-field antenna is h, which can be defined based on the base or mounting surface of the near-field communication module. The near-field antenna can move up and down in preset steps Δh. The preset steps can be in the millimeter range, or in the micrometer range, etc., such as 1 mm, 0.5 mm, etc. The signal strength S(h) of the near-field antenna can be expressed as antenna voltage, current, or other quantities. If the signal strength S(h) of the near-field antenna is less than a second preset threshold, then the near-field antenna needs to be raised by the preset steps. After raising, the signal strength of the near-field antenna is S(h+Δh). If the signal strength S(h+Δh) of the near-field antenna is exactly equal to the second preset threshold, or the difference between it and the second preset threshold is small, then the adjustment can be stopped, keeping the near-field antenna at a height of h+Δh. If the signal strength S(h+Δh) of the near-field antenna is still less than the preset threshold, it can continue to be adjusted according to the preset step size until the signal strength of the near-field antenna after adjustment is greater than the second preset threshold, or the difference between it and the second preset threshold is small.

In practical applications, an upper limit for signal strength can also be set, such as a first preset threshold. Continuing the previous example, if the signal strength S(h+Δh) of the near-field antenna after adjustment is greater than the second preset threshold but less than the first preset threshold, the antenna position adjustment can be stopped. If the signal strength S(h+Δh) of the near-field antenna is greater than the second preset threshold but also greater than the first preset threshold, the antenna position can be lowered according to the second step Δh’, which is less than Δh. If the signal strength S(h+Δh-Δh’) of the near-field antenna after this adjustment is between the first and second preset thresholds, the adjustment can be stopped. The preset signal strength of the near-field antenna to meet the near-field communication requirements can be set according to actual needs; it can be a specific value or a range of values.

In practical applications, the position of the near-field antenna can also be adjusted based on the intensity of external interference signals sensed by the near-field antenna. Optionally, in one embodiment of this specification, the control component can be used to acquire the signal strength of the near-field antenna at several different preset angles; the signal strength is used to represent the intensity of external interference received by the near-field antenna. The control component can select the preset angle with the lowest signal strength from the several different preset angles as the target angle, and control the position adjustment component to adjust the carrier to the target angle.

The near-field communication module may include a data storage module that can store several different angle information. During the initialization process or when it is necessary to reduce external interference, the control unit of the first device equipped with this near-field communication module can control the position adjustment unit to position the carrier at different preset angles. The near-field antenna can measure the signal strength at each preset angle by actively transmitting signals (such as actively transmitting excitation signals) or receiving signals from the environment (such as in passive mode). The control unit can also compare the signal strength values at different angles; the direction corresponding to the maximum value is the approximate location of the interference source, and the direction corresponding to the minimum value is the direction with the least interference to the near-field antenna. After initialization, the near-field antenna can be fixed at the angle where the interference is minimal, thereby reducing signal interference and improving the success rate of NFC near-field communication sensing. As shown in Figure 1 above, before adjusting the angle, the near-field antenna can be in a horizontal state; after adjustment, the near-field antenna can be in a tilted state.

As one implementation method, after the first device is powered on, restarted, or reaches the angle adjustment period or frequency for the near-field antenna, the near-field antenna angle adjustment process can be triggered to reduce the impact of external interference signals on the first device. After the angle is adjusted, the near-field antenna angle may remain unchanged during subsequent service processing with the second device via near-field communication; for example, only the height of the near-field antenna may be adjusted during near-field communication. Alternatively, neither the angle nor the height of the near-field antenna may be adjusted during communication. Of course, the angle and/or height of the near-field antenna can continue to be adjusted during near-field communication, as needed.

If the first device with a near-field communication module has a broadcasting function or a display screen, it can also indicate the location of the interference source through voice broadcasting, prompts, text display, etc., so that the interference source can be manually eliminated.

Several different preset angles can include angles representing different directions. For example, preset angles representing eight directions can be set with the area where the near-field antenna is located as the center, or preset angles representing more directions can be set.

In practical applications, to reduce interference from external signals, the height of the near-field antenna can be adjusted, or the height can be adjusted at the same time as the angle. These will not be elaborated on here.

While the first device is in use, the near-field communication module can also adjust the angle and/or height of the near-field antenna according to the interference signals in the actual environment. For example, at a certain moment, if the staff adjusts the position of other near-field communication devices near the first device, the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna of the first device becomes stronger. If the intensity of the external interference signal sensed by the near-field antenna is greater than or equal to a preset interference threshold, the control component can control the position adjustment component to adjust the angle or height of the carrier support until the intensity of the external interference signal sensed by the adjusted near-field antenna is less than the preset interference threshold.

For ease of management, as shown in Figure 2, the control components may optionally include a signal control module 2062, a motion control module 2064, and a main control module 2068. The signal control module 2062 can be connected to the near-field antenna to acquire the signal at the near-field antenna and provide the signal information to the main control module 2068. The motion control module 2064 can be connected to the position adjustment component to control the state of the position adjustment component and adjust the height or angle of the support. The main control module 2068 can be connected to both the signal control module 2062 and the motion control module 2064. The main control module 2068 can generate a control signal based on the signal strength acquired by the signal control module and send it to the motion control module, so that the motion control module controls the position adjustment component to adjust the height or angle of the support, ensuring the near-field antenna is at the target position.

In practical applications, the signal control module can also be responsible for NFC communication to realize payment or other business functions; it can also include signal transmitting and receiving circuits to generate and receive radio frequency signals, such as 13.56MHz radio frequency signals, or other regular radio frequency signals; it can also detect the strength of NFC signals as a basis for judging interference and adjusting position.

The motion control module can control the position adjustment component to achieve attitude adjustment of the NFC near-field antenna; it can also receive motion commands from the main control module, generate drive signals to drive the position adjustment component to adjust its position; and it can also support high-precision position control, ensuring that the near-field antenna can reach the target position through a feedback mechanism.

The main control module can serve as the core of the system, managing and coordinating the work of each module; it can also handle high-level logic, such as payment protocols, interference detection algorithms, motion control calculations, etc.; and it can interact with peripheral devices and communication modules.

The signal control module, motion control module, and main control module can reside on the same electronic device, such as the same PCB (Printed Circuit Board) or other electronic hardware. Of course, the modules can also be located on different electronic devices; there are no restrictions, as long as the aforementioned functions can be achieved.

In one embodiment of this specification, the near-field communication module can adjust the position of the near-field antenna in the near-field communication module according to the position information of the second device. Optionally, the near-field communication module or the first device having the near-field communication module further includes a sensor component; the sensor component is used to detect the angle information of the second device; the control component is used to control the state of the position adjustment component according to the angle information, such that the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device is less than or equal to a preset angle.

In practical applications, the near-field antenna used for near-field communication in near-field communication devices or equipment is usually parallel to the outer casing of the near-field communication device. For example, in a second device, the near-field antenna is usually parallel or nearly parallel to at least one outer casing surface of the second device. In one embodiment of this specification, the control component can generate a control signal to adjust the angle of the near-field antenna based on the angle information of the second device detected by the sensor assembly, so that the near-field antenna and the second device can be parallel or nearly parallel. This allows the two near-field antennas used for near-field communication to be nearly parallel, which can improve the coupling degree, recognition rate, and communication efficiency.

Sensor components may include one or more sets of infrared distance sensors, ultrasonic sensors, cameras, and other components.

Optionally, as shown in Figure 2, the control component 206 may include a motion control module 2064 and a main control module 2068. The motion control module 2064 is connected to the position adjustment component and is used to control the state of the position adjustment component. The main control module 2068 may be connected to both the sensor component and the motion control module. The main control module can generate a control signal based on the angle information of the second device detected by the sensor component and send it to the motion control module, so that the motion control module controls the state of the position adjustment component according to the control signal.

The main control module and motion control module can be the same as or similar to those described in the previous embodiment. In this embodiment, the main control module can also have logic processing capabilities, enabling it to generate control signals based on the angle information of the second device detected by the sensor components. The motion control module can then use these control signals to adjust the load support to a position where the angle with the second device is less than or equal to a preset threshold. For example, the load support can be adjusted to a position parallel to the second device. Other similar or identical functions can be found in the descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

Optionally, as shown in Figure 2, the carrier may have a shielding film 208, which is located between the near-field antenna 202 and the carrier 2042.

The shielding film 208, the near-field antenna 202, and the carrier bracket 2042 can be bonded together with adhesive, or they can be secured together with insulating screws, nuts, clips, or other fastening components. The shielding film can be a thin film made of materials such as nano-gold or ferrite. The shielding film improves the concentration of the antenna signal and reduces interference, thus enhancing communication performance.

Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a position adjustment component provided in one embodiment of this specification. As shown in Figure 4, the position adjustment component may include a load support 2042 and a position adjustment assembly, wherein the position adjustment assembly may include a plurality of linear actuators 402.

A linear actuator is a device that converts some form of energy (such as electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic energy) into linear motion (such as pushing or pulling along a straight path). In one embodiment of this specification, a linear actuator that is small in size, low in power consumption, low in noise, high in precision, and fast in response can be used. Examples include piezoelectric actuators, shape memory alloy actuators, linear actuators comprising a miniature DC motor, gearbox, and lead screw, and linear actuators using a voice coil motor to drive a push rod. The specific type of linear actuator is not limited here.

Optionally, as shown in Figure 4, the position adjustment assembly further includes a base 404, the first end of the linear actuator 402 is connected to the base 404, the second end of the linear actuator is connected to the load support 2042, and the linear actuator is located between the base and the load support.

The base can be fixed, either inside the first device or on the mounting components of the near-field communication module. The linear actuator can have an extension or retraction function; the control unit can adjust the height or angle of the load-bearing bracket by controlling the length of the linear actuator. Alternatively, the linear actuator can include a push rod capable of moving up or down; the control unit can also adjust the height or angle of the load-bearing bracket by controlling the position of the push rod. The adjustment distance in the height direction of the linear actuator can be in the centimeter or millimeter range; for example, the linear actuator can make the position difference between the upper and lower limits of the load-bearing platform 10 millimeters or 15 millimeters, etc.

In one implementation, the upper part of the base can be used to mount the linear actuator and the load-bearing bracket, while the lower part can be used to mount control components, such as a motion control module and a main control module. This reduces the influence of other components on the linear actuator, allowing the linear actuator to adjust the posture and position of the load-bearing bracket over a wider range.

To ensure that the load-bearing bracket can move smoothly and quickly, as shown in Figure 4, the first end of the linear actuator can be connected to the base via a universal joint 406; and/or, the second end of the linear actuator can be connected to the load-bearing bracket via a universal joint 406.

In practical applications, one or both ends of the linear actuator can also be connected to the base or carrier through other movable connecting parts, such as diaphragm couplings, bellows couplings, swivel couplings, spiral groove couplings, cross slides, ball joints, and other connecting elements.

To ensure the stability of the load-bearing support and improve adjustment accuracy, the position adjustment assembly includes at least three linear actuators; each of the linear actuators is evenly distributed.

The gimbals are evenly distributed at 60-degree intervals at three points on the carrier and the fixed base, forming a small three-degree-of-freedom platform. It has three degrees of freedom: rotation in the X direction, rotation in the Y direction, and movement in the height direction. The motion control module can control the extension and retraction of the three linear actuators to adjust the changes of the carrier in the three degrees of freedom, thereby realizing multiple height and angle changes of the near-field antenna in space.

For example, the connection points of three linear actuators and the load holder can form an equilateral triangle. Of course, in practical applications, if the load holder is fixed with the assistance of other components, one or two linear actuators can also be used.

This section uses adjusting the angle of the near-field antenna as an example. The sensor assembly measures the angular offset of the second device relative to the first device or the near-field antenna. The relative angle of the second device can be defined as: the horizontal angle (around the X-axis) is α1, ranging from [-90°, +90°]; the vertical angle (around the Y-axis) is β1, ranging from [-90°, +90°]. To ensure good magnetic field coupling between the near-field antennas of the first and second devices, the directional angle (α2, β2) of the second device's near-field antenna should be consistent with the direction (α1, β1) of the second device, i.e., a target positional relationship of α2=α1, β2=β1 is required. Here, (α1, β1) can be uploaded as the target angle value to the main control module, representing the target angle the near-field antenna wants to adjust to. The main control module can then calculate the positional parameters required for the three-degree-of-freedom adjustable position adjustment component: the pitch angle α of the load support rotating around the X-axis, the roll angle β of the load support rotating around the Y-axis, and the center height h of the load support. The main control module can also obtain the extension and retraction of the three linear motors (L1, L2, L3) based on the three output parameters (α, β, h) through the inverse equation of the three-degree-of-freedom position adjustment component. The main control module can then transmit the extension and retraction of the three motors (L1, L2, L3) to the motion control module. The motion control module controls the extension and retraction of the three linear actuators (L1, L2, L3), which allows the near-field antenna to move to the corresponding angular position along with the three-degree-of-freedom position adjustment component.

In practical applications, the aforementioned angle and height adjustment strategies can also be implemented simultaneously. During communication with other near-field communication devices, the near-field antenna can automatically adjust to a suitable height and angle through a multi-degree-of-freedom position adjustment component to ensure communication quality and improve the success rate of sensing.

The near-field communication module or components described above may also include some auxiliary components, such as limiting units, support units, bases, etc. The above only describes the main component structure from the perspective of main functions. Other auxiliary components can be found in relevant technologies. The specific installation position or connection method can also be found in relevant technologies, and will not be elaborated here.

In one embodiment of this specification, the near-field antenna can be one or more antennas. If the near-field communication module includes multiple near-field antennas, the position adjustment component can adjust the height or angle of one of the near-field antennas; or, the position adjustment component can adjust the height or angle of two or more near-field antennas synchronously or asynchronously.

In at least one embodiment of this specification, adjusting the position of the near-field antenna in the near-field communication module can improve the stability of near-field communication. By adjusting the height or angle of the near-field antenna, the near-field communication module can adaptively adapt to more types of second devices, or to users of different second devices. Even if different users have different habits, such as some users prefer to place the second device close to the first device, while others do not, or some users prefer to tilt the second device closer to the first device, the near-field communication module in the first device can adjust the height or angle of the near-field antenna according to the signal strength of the near-field antenna or the position information of the second device, so that even with different user habits, excellent near-field communication performance can be enjoyed.

In one embodiment of this specification, the near-field antenna's degrees of freedom in two rotational directions (around the X and Y axes) are utilized. By measuring the signal strength at multiple preset angles, an algorithm is used to determine the angle with minimal interference, allowing the near-field antenna to be fixed at this angle. Furthermore, the location of the interference source can be determined from the angle with significant interference, generating a warning message for manual removal of the interference source.

In one embodiment of this specification, the height of the near-field antenna can be dynamically adjusted via a linear actuator to optimize communication signal strength. By analyzing and adjusting the height in real time, the height adjustment logic is based on real-time signal measurements and ensures precise optimization through fine-step adjustments and sensor feedback, thereby avoiding coupling problems caused by coil saturation at close range or signal attenuation at long range.

In one embodiment of this specification, sensor components such as infrared, ultrasonic, or camera are used to measure and sense the relative angle of the second device in real time. A multi-degree-of-freedom position adjustment component is used to dynamically adjust the direction of the near-field antenna by rotating the angle (such as pitch around the X-axis and roll around the Y-axis) to match the antenna angle of the second device, thereby maximizing the magnetic field coupling effect.

In one embodiment of this specification, the height and angle of the near-field antenna can be adjusted based on the signal strength of the near-field antenna and the angle information of the second device. This adjustment, from multiple dimensions, allows the near-field antenna to achieve an optimal near-field communication state, enabling comprehensive coverage of different device postures and distances, and improving sensing success rate and communication stability. Based on the same idea, this specification also provides a near-field communication control method. This method can be applied to the near-field communication modules in the foregoing embodiments, or to devices or equipment having the near-field communication modules described in the foregoing embodiments.

Based on the same idea, this specification also provides a notification method corresponding to the above-mentioned adaptive near-field communication module. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a near-field communication control method provided in an embodiment of this specification.

As shown in Figure 5, the method may include:

Step 502: Obtain the status information of the near-field communication module.

The status information includes at least one of the following: signal strength information of the near-field antenna and location information of the second device that performs near-field communication with the near-field communication module.

The signal strength of the near-field antenna can include the signal strength sensed by the near-field antenna under the influence of the second device and based on the existence of electromagnetic induction with the second device, or it can include the signal strength of external interference signals sensed by the near-field antenna. The second device can be a device that performs near-field communication with the near-field communication module. If the near-field communication module is located in the first device, the second device can be another device that performs near-field communication with the first device.

In one implementation, the first device can be a slave device for near-field communication (NFC), also known as a tag device; the second device can be a master device for NFC, also known as a reader/writer device. The first device can be a device with an NFC tag, or a device in card emulation mode; the second device can be a device in card reader mode. The second device can transmit radio frequency (RF) signals through its NFC antenna to detect the presence of a slave device nearby. After confirming the presence of a slave device, it can acquire tag information provided by the slave device, or write tag information to the slave device, etc. The first device can sense or respond to the RF signals emitted by the second device through its NFC antenna, or the first device can actively emit RF excitation signals to encourage the second device to wake up its normal communication mode, or to facilitate communication with the second device.

In another implementation, the first device can be a master device for near-field communication (NFC), also known as a reader/writer device; the second device can be a slave device for NFC, also known as a tag device. The second device can be a device with an NFC tag, or a device in card emulation mode; the first device can be a device in card reader mode. The first device can transmit radio frequency (RF) signals through its near-field antenna to detect the presence of a slave device nearby. After confirming the presence of a slave device, it can acquire tag information provided by the slave device, or write tag information to the slave device, etc. The second device can sense or respond to the RF signals emitted by the first device through its near-field communication antenna, or the second device can actively emit RF excitation signals to encourage the first device to wake up its normal communication mode, or to facilitate the communication process with the first device.

In practical applications, the two devices performing near-field communication can also communicate in a point-to-point manner. As one implementation method, the first device and the second device can be in point-to-point mode.

The first and/or second device may include devices with near-field communication (NFC) functionality, such as portable terminal devices like smartphones, smartwatches, wristbands, laptops, and tablets; smart home devices; in-vehicle devices; payment devices like POS machines and self-service checkout machines; or devices used for processing payment transactions, such as payment devices used at cash registers or self-service checkouts; or devices used for processing check-in, login, access control, and turnstiles, such as devices used for check-in via NFC for going to work, school, or attending events; devices for member login or application login via NFC; access control devices for residential or office buildings; card readers for public transportation such as buses and subways; or devices for identity or ticket verification at tourist attractions, events, or concerts. The slave device in the first and second devices may also be a near-field communication tool such as an NFC tag or card. The first device and the second device can be of the same type, such as both being smartphones; or the first device and the second device can be of different types, such as the first device being a cash register and the second device being a smartphone, or the first device being a POS machine and the second device being a bank card, etc.

In practical applications, a device with an adjustable antenna position near-field communication module can be either one of the devices participating in near-field communication, or both communicating parties can have near-field communication modules with adjustable antenna positions. For details on the specific near-field communication process, please refer to relevant technologies; they will not be elaborated upon here.

Step 504: Generate a control signal based on the status information.

The near-field communication module can generate control signals based on status information to adjust the position state of the position adjustment component. These control signals can be used to adjust the height of the carrier support for the position adjustment component, or to adjust the angle of the carrier support, or to adjust both the height and angle of the carrier support synchronously or asynchronously, thereby adjusting the position of the near-field antenna located on the carrier support. Specifically, the control component in the near-field communication module can acquire status information and generate control signals.

Step 506: Send the control signal to the position adjustment component, and the position adjustment component adjusts its state according to the control signal so that the near-field antenna located on the position adjustment component reaches the target position.

The target location may satisfy at least one of the following conditions: the intensity of the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna at the target location is less than the intensity of the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna at the previous location; the signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target location meets the near-field communication requirements; and the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target location is less than or equal to a preset angle.

The position adjustment component includes a carrier support for fixing the near-field antenna, and may also include a position adjustment assembly for adjusting the position state of the carrier support, such as a position adjustment assembly that can move the carrier support by means of a linear actuator or the like.

In one implementation, when the near-field antenna of the near-field communication module senses an external interference signal, or when the strength of the interference signal exceeds a preset interference threshold, the near-field communication module can automatically adjust the angle or height of the near-field antenna so that the signal strength sensed by the near-field antenna is less than the preset interference threshold. For example, if the near-field antenna of the near-field communication module continuously receives radio frequency signals from another device for a relatively long period of time, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or even 5 minutes, the near-field communication module can automatically adjust the angle or height of the near-field antenna, even if there is interference signal present. For example, the support bracket can be moved a preset distance closer to the base of the near-field communication module, or the support bracket can be moved a preset distance away from the outer casing of the first device; or the support bracket can be moved away from the current angle by a preset angle, etc. After adjustment, the near-field antenna will no longer receive interference signals, or the received signal strength will be less than or equal to the preset interference threshold, reducing the impact of interference signals on the first device, or making the first device no longer affected by external interference signals.

In another implementation, the near-field communication module can, after power-on, or according to a preset frequency or period, execute a process to reduce interference signals, adjusting the near-field antenna to a position with less interference. Optionally, the method in one embodiment of this specification may further include: generating a plurality of angle control signals based on a plurality of different preset angles; sending the plurality of angle control signals to the position adjustment component, so that the position adjustment component adjusts the near-field antenna to the positions of the respective preset angles according to the plurality of angle control signals.

The aforementioned acquisition of the status information of the near-field communication module may include: acquiring the interference signal of the near-field antenna at each of the preset angles.

The above-mentioned generation of control signals based on the state information may include: determining the target interference signal with the smallest signal strength from among the various interference signals; generating a control signal based on the preset angle corresponding to the target interference signal; the control signal is used to position the near-field antenna at the preset angle corresponding to the target interference signal.

Several different preset angles can be represented as θi = (αi, βi), where αi represents the angle of the i-th preset angle in the X-axis direction, and βi represents the angle of the i-th preset angle in the Y-axis direction. The near-field communication module can measure the signal strength at each preset angle by actively transmitting signals (e.g., in active excitation mode) or receiving signals from the environment (e.g., in passive mode). Assuming signal strength is represented by current, for each angle θi, the received signal strength Si can be represented by the formula Si = f(Ir); where Ir is the received current, which can also represent the current at the near-field antenna; and f represents the conversion function. Then, the signal strength values at different angles are compared. The direction corresponding to the maximum value is the approximate location of the interference source, and the direction corresponding to the minimum value is the direction with the least interference to the near-field antenna. The near-field antenna can then be fixed at the angle where the interference is at its minimum. By reducing signal interference, the success rate of near-field communication sensing can be improved.

The various preset angles can be uniformly distributed around the near-field antenna, whether the near-field antenna is in a horizontal or non-horizontal position, or they can be non-uniformly distributed. The specific values of the preset angles are not limited here.

In practical applications, to facilitate more effective elimination of external interference, the near-field communication module can also determine the approximate location of the interference source based on the signal strength of the external interference sensed by the near-field antenna, and generate a prompt message so that staff can manually remove the interference source. Optionally, the method in one embodiment of the specification may further include: determining the location information of the interference source based on each of the interference signals; generating a prompt message for eliminating the interference source based on the location information; the prompt message including the location information of the interference source.

One approach is to select the interference signal with a signal strength greater than or equal to a preset threshold based on the signal strength of each interference signal, and determine the location of the interference source by the direction represented by the preset angle corresponding to that interference signal. Alternatively, the interference signal with the strongest signal strength can be selected based on the signal strength of each interference signal, and the location of the interference source can be determined by the direction represented by the preset angle corresponding to that interference signal.

The prompt information may include at least one of the following: text, symbols, voice, prompt sounds, etc.

In one embodiment of this specification, if a second device is present near the near-field communication module and engages in near-field communication with it, the near-field communication module can also adjust the position of its near-field antenna based on the strength of the electromagnetic induction signal generated with the second device. Optionally, the aforementioned state information may include information about the signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device. Generating a control signal based on the state information may include: if the signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, generating a first control signal; the first control signal is used to move the near-field antenna away from the second device; or, if the signal strength is less than or equal to a second preset threshold, generating a second control signal; the second control signal is used to move the near-field antenna closer to the second device.

The signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device can represent the signal strength at the near-field antenna in the near-field communication module after electromagnetic induction occurs between the near-field antenna in the near-field communication module and the antenna of the second device. The first preset threshold and the second preset threshold can represent the thresholds at which the near-field communication module can perform normal near-field communication. Specifically, they can be determined based on information such as the near-field communication success rate of the near-field communication module and the rules of the near-field communication protocol used. The first preset threshold and the second preset threshold can be the same or different. For details, please refer to the descriptions in the foregoing embodiments; they will not be repeated here.

The control component can control the position adjustment component to move according to a preset step size until the signal strength of the near-field antenna is less than a first preset threshold, or greater than a second preset threshold, or between the second preset threshold and the first preset threshold.

In one implementation, the position adjustment component can move the near-field antenna from a first position to a second position by a first preset step size according to the first control signal. The first position can represent the position of the near-field antenna before the position adjustment component receives the first control signal, and the second position can represent the position of the near-field antenna after it has been moved away from the second device by the first preset step size.

After the near-field antenna moves to a new position, it can continue to determine whether the signal strength of the current near-field antenna meets the requirements. One embodiment of this specification may further include: acquiring the induced signal of the near-field antenna at the second position; if the signal strength of the induced signal at the second position is less than the first preset threshold, the position adjustment component stops moving, so that the near-field antenna remains at the second position; if the signal strength of the induced signal at the second position is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold, a third control signal is generated; the position adjustment component moves the near-field antenna from the second position away from the second device according to the third control signal by a third preset step size.

The third preset step size can be equal to or less than the first preset step size. Alternatively, the step size can be selected based on the difference between the signal strength at the near-field antenna and the first preset threshold; a larger difference results in a larger step size, and a smaller difference results in a smaller step size. As the near-field antenna moves away from the second device, the signal strength can be continuously assessed, and a decision can be made regarding whether to continue moving until the signal strength of the near-field antenna meets the requirements.

Optionally, if the signal strength required by the near-field antenna is less than the first preset threshold and greater than the second preset threshold, and if the near-field antenna moves from the first position to the second position according to the first preset step size or moves from the second position to a new position away from the second device according to the third preset step size, and at the second position or the new position, the signal strength of the near-field antenna is less than the first preset threshold but also less than the second preset threshold, the near-field antenna can continue to move towards the second device.

Correspondingly, during the process of the near-field antenna moving towards the second device, it is also possible to continue to determine whether the signal strength of the near-field antenna at the new position meets the requirements. As one implementation, the position adjustment component moves the near-field antenna from a first position to a third position according to a second preset step size based on the second control signal. The first position can represent the position of the near-field antenna before the position adjustment component acquires the second control signal, and the third position can represent the position of the near-field antenna after moving towards the second device according to the second preset step size. In one embodiment of this specification, the method may further include: acquiring the induced signal of the near-field antenna at the third position; if the signal strength of the induced signal at the third position is greater than the second preset threshold, the position adjustment component stops moving, so that the near-field antenna remains at the third position; if the signal strength of the induced signal at the third position is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, a fourth control signal is generated; the position adjustment component moves the near-field antenna from the third position towards the second device according to the fourth control signal, according to the fourth preset step size.

The fourth preset step size can be equal to or less than the second preset step size. Alternatively, the step size can be selected based on the difference between the signal strength at the near-field antenna and the second preset threshold; a larger difference results in a larger step size, and a smaller difference results in a smaller step size. As the near-field antenna moves closer to the second device, the signal strength of the near-field antenna can be continuously assessed, and a decision can be made regarding whether to continue moving until the signal strength of the near-field antenna meets the requirements.

Optionally, if the signal strength required by the near-field antenna is greater than the second preset threshold and less than the first preset threshold, and if the near-field antenna moves from the first position to the third position according to the second step size, or moves from the third position to a new position closer to the second device according to the fourth preset step size, and at the third position or the new position, the signal strength of the near-field antenna is greater than the second preset threshold but greater than the first preset threshold, the near-field antenna can continue to move away from the second device.

After the near-field antenna moves to the target position that meets the requirements (such as the second position, the third position, the fourth position, etc.), the near-field antenna can remain in that position until the communication with the second device ends, and then return to the preset initial position after a preset time; or, it can remain in the target position after the communication with the second device ends.

In practical applications, during the electromagnetic induction process between the second device and the near-field communication module, the angle of the near-field antenna can be adjusted according to the signal strength of the near-field antenna to enhance or weaken the electromagnetic induction with the second device, ensuring the efficiency and success rate of near-field communication with the second device. Optionally, generating a control signal based on the aforementioned state information may include: generating a first control signal if the signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold; the first control signal can be used to rotate the near-field antenna in a direction away from the second device. By increasing the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device, the electromagnetic induction between the near-field antenna and the second device can be weakened, ensuring that the signal strength between the near-field communication and the second device meets the near-field communication requirements.

When the near-field antenna of the first device is parallel to or parallel to the antenna of the second device, the near-field communication signal strength between the first and second devices can be increased. If the signal strength of the near-field antenna is less than or equal to a second preset threshold, a second control signal can be generated; the second control signal can be used to rotate the near-field antenna in the same direction as the second device. By reducing the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device, making them as parallel as possible, the electromagnetic induction between the near-field antenna and the second device can be enhanced, ensuring that the signal strength between the near-field communication antenna and the second device meets the near-field communication requirements.

In NFC near-field communication, the near-field antennas of both communicating parties require a good coupling environment. When the near-field antenna direction is offset, for example, when their angles are inconsistent, the coupling strength weakens, leading to a decrease in communication success rate. To improve transmission performance, sensors can be used to measure the relative angle of the second device interacting with the near-field communication module. By adjusting the angle of the near-field antenna of the near-field communication module to match the direction of the second device, better communication coupling can be achieved, thus improving the communication success rate. As one implementation, obtaining the state information of the near-field communication module may include: obtaining the angle information of the second device relative to the near-field communication module. Generating a control signal based on the state information may include: generating a control signal based on the angle information; the control signal is used to ensure that the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device is less than or equal to a preset angle.

As in the foregoing embodiments, the near-field communication module or the first device may include measuring elements such as an infrared distance sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a camera, which can be used to measure the position and angle information of the second device. Then, the near-field communication module can determine the movement parameters of the position adjustment component based on the angle information of the second device, such as the amount of extension or retraction of each linear actuator, and adjust the direction of the load support so that the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device is less than or equal to a preset angle. For example, the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device can be close to zero degrees, and the near-field antenna can be parallel or nearly parallel to the second device. The specific adjustment process can be found in the description in the foregoing embodiments and will not be repeated here.

In practical applications, the height and angle of the support can be adjusted synchronously or asynchronously as needed. For example, while adjusting the near-field antenna to an angle less than or equal to a preset angle with the second device, the near-field antenna can also be moved closer to or further away from the second device.

While one or more embodiments of this specification provide method steps as described in the embodiments or flowcharts, it is understood that the order of steps listed in the embodiments or flowcharts is merely one possible execution order among many steps and does not represent the only possible execution order. The order of some steps may be adjusted according to actual needs, or some steps may be omitted. When the claims involve method steps, changes in the order of such steps, or parallel execution between steps, are also within the scope of protection of the claims.

The various technical features in the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily, as long as there is no conflict or contradiction between the combinations of features. However, due to space limitations, they have not been described one by one. Therefore, the arbitrary combination of various technical features in the above embodiments is also within the scope of this specification.

Based on the same approach, embodiments of this specification also provide a near-field communication device corresponding to the above method. This device may include:

An information acquisition module is used to acquire the status information of the near-field communication module; the status information includes at least one of the following: signal strength information of the near-field antenna and location information of the second device that performs near-field communication with the near-field communication module.

The signal generation module is used to generate control signals based on the state information.

A signal transmitting module is used to send the control signal to a position adjustment component. The position adjustment component adjusts its state according to the control signal so that the near-field antenna located on the position adjustment component reaches a target position. The target position satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the intensity of the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna at the target position is less than the intensity of the external interference signal received by the near-field antenna at the previous position; the signal strength of the near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position meets the near-field communication requirements; and the angle between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position is less than or equal to a preset angle.

It is understood that the modules mentioned above refer to computer programs or program segments used to perform one or more specific functions. Furthermore, the distinction between these modules does not imply that the actual program code must also be separate.

For ease of description, the above devices are described by dividing them into various modules or components based on their functions. Of course, when implementing one or more of these specifications, the functions of each module or component can be implemented in the same or different software and/or hardware, or a module that performs the same function can be implemented by a combination of multiple sub-modules or sub-components. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of components is only a logical functional division; in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple components or parts may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

The above is an illustrative scheme of a near-field communication device according to this embodiment. It should be noted that the technical solution of this device and the technical solution of the near-field communication control method described above belong to the same concept. For details not described in detail in the technical solution of this device, please refer to the description of the technical solution of the above method.

Based on the same idea, this specification also provides a near-field communication device corresponding to the above near-field communication module or method. The near-field communication device may include the above near-field communication module or a control method capable of performing the above near-field communication.

Based on the same idea, the embodiments of this specification also provide computing devices corresponding to the above methods.

Figure 6 shows a structural block diagram of a computing device 600 provided according to one embodiment of this specification.

The computing device 600 includes:

Memory 610 and processor 620;

The memory 610 is used to store computer programs/instructions, and the processor 620 is used to execute the computer programs/instructions. When the computer programs/instructions are executed by the processor 620, they implement the steps of the above-described near-field communication control method.

Specifically, the components of the computing device 600 include, but are not limited to, a memory 610 and a processor 620. The processor 620 is connected to the memory 610 via a bus 630, and the database 650 is used to store data.

The computing device 600 also includes an access device 640, which enables the computing device 600 to communicate via one or more networks 660. Examples of these networks include Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Personal Area Network (PAN), or combinations of communication networks such as the Internet. The access device 640 may include one or more of any type of wired or wireless network interface (e.g., a network interface card (NIC)), such as an IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) wireless interface, a Wi-MAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) interface, an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a cellular network interface, a Bluetooth interface, a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface, and so on.

In one embodiment of this specification, the aforementioned components of the computing device 600, as well as other components not shown in FIG. 6, may be interconnected, for example, via a bus. It should be understood that the block diagram of the computing device shown in FIG. 6 is merely for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art can add or replace other components as needed.

The computing device 600 can be any type of stationary or mobile computing device, including mobile computers or mobile computing devices (e.g., tablet computers, personal digital assistants, laptop computers, notebook computers, netbooks, etc.), mobile phones (e.g., smartphones), wearable computing devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses, etc.) or other types of mobile devices, or stationary computing devices such as desktop computers or personal computers (PCs). The computing device 600 can also be a mobile or stationary server.

The processor 620 executes the computer instructions to implement the steps of the above-described near-field communication control method.

The above is an illustrative scheme of a computing device according to this embodiment. It should be noted that the technical solution of this computing device and the technical solution of the near-field communication control method described above belong to the same concept. For details not described in detail in the technical solution of the computing device, please refer to the description of the technical solution of the near-field communication control method described above.

An embodiment of this specification also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the control method for near-field communication as described above.

The above is an illustrative scheme of a computer-readable storage medium according to this embodiment. It should be noted that the technical solution of this storage medium and the technical solution of the near-field communication control method described above belong to the same concept. For details not described in detail in the technical solution of the storage medium, please refer to the description of the technical solution of the near-field communication control method described above.

An embodiment of this specification also provides a computer program product, including a computer program/instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the above-described near-field communication control method.

The above is an illustrative scheme of a computer program product according to this embodiment. It should be noted that the technical solution of this computer program product and the technical solution of the near-field communication control method described above belong to the same concept. For details not described in detail in the technical solution of the computer program product, please refer to the description of the technical solution of the near-field communication control method described above.

The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other, and the beneficial effects can also be referred to each other.

The foregoing has described specific embodiments of this specification. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and may still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are possible or may be advantageous.

In the 1990s, improvements to a technology could be clearly distinguished as either hardware improvements (e.g., improvements to the circuit structure of diodes, transistors, switches, etc.) or software improvements (improvements to methodology). However, with technological advancements, many methodological improvements today can be considered direct improvements to hardware circuit structures. Designers almost always obtain the corresponding hardware circuit structure by programming the improved methodology into the hardware circuit. Therefore, it cannot be said that a methodological improvement cannot be implemented using hardware physical modules. For example, a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) (such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)) is such an integrated circuit whose logic function is determined by the user programming the device. Designers can program a digital system themselves to "integrate" it onto a PLD, without needing chip manufacturers to design and manufacture dedicated integrated circuit chips. Furthermore, nowadays, instead of manually manufacturing integrated circuit chips, this programming is mostly implemented using "logic compiler" software. Similar to the software compiler used in program development, the original code before compilation must also be written in a specific programming language, called a Hardware Description Language (HDL). There are many HDLs, such as ABEL (Advanced Boolean Expression Language), AHDL (Altera Hardware Description Language), Confluence, CUPL (Cornell University Programming Language), HDCal, JHDL (Java Hardware Description Language), Lava, Lola, MyHDL, PALASM, and RHDL (Ruby Hardware Description Language). Currently, the most commonly used are VHDL (Very-High-Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language) and Verilog. Those skilled in the art should also understand that by simply performing some logic programming on the method flow using one of these hardware description languages and programming it into an integrated circuit, the hardware circuit implementing the logical method flow can be easily obtained.

The controller can be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it can take the form of a microprocessor or processor and a computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code (e.g., software or firmware) executable by the (micro)processor, logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic controllers, and embedded microcontrollers. Examples of controllers include, but are not limited to, the following microcontrollers: ARC 625D, Atmel AT91SAM, Microchip PIC18F26K20, and Silicon Labs C8051F320. A memory controller can also be implemented as part of the control logic of the memory. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that, in addition to implementing the controller in purely computer-readable program code form, the same functionality can be achieved by logically programming the method steps to make the controller take the form of logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits, programmable logic controllers, and embedded microcontrollers. Therefore, such a controller can be considered a hardware component, and the means included therein for implementing various functions can also be considered as structures within the hardware component. Alternatively, the means for implementing various functions can be considered as both software modules implementing the method and structures within the hardware component.

The systems, devices, modules, or components described in the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, a computer can be, for example, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular phone, a camera phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or any combination of these devices.

For ease of description, the above apparatus is described by dividing it into various components according to their functions. Of course, in implementing this application, the functions of each component can be implemented in one or more software and/or hardware.

Those skilled in the art will understand that one or more embodiments of this specification can be provided as a method, system, or computer program product. Therefore, the invention can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the invention can 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.) containing computer-usable program code.

This invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and/or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and/or one or more block diagrams.

These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and/or one or more block diagrams.

In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input/output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

Memory may include non-persistent storage in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and/or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of computer-readable media.

Computer-readable media includes both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital character versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient computer-readable media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

This application can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, that are executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. This application can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected via a communication network. In distributed computing environments, program modules can reside in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims (20)

1. A self-adaptive near field communication module comprises a near field antenna, a position adjusting component and a control component;

The position adjusting component comprises a carrying support and a position adjusting assembly, the carrying support is connected with the position adjusting assembly, the carrying support is used for bearing the near-field antenna, and the position adjusting assembly is used for adjusting the position state of the carrying support;

The near-field antenna is fixed on the object carrying bracket;

The control component is used for controlling the state of the position adjusting component so that the object carrying support carries the near field antenna to reach a target position, the target position meets at least one condition that the external interference signal intensity received by the near field antenna at the target position is smaller than the external interference signal intensity received by the near field antenna at the last position, the signal intensity of near field communication between the near field antenna and a second device at the target position meets near field communication requirements, the included angle between the near field antenna and the second device at the target position is smaller than or equal to a preset angle, and the second device is a device for near field communication with the near field communication module.

2. The near field communication module of claim 1, the position adjustment assembly to adjust a height and/or an angle of the carrier support.

3. The near field communication module of claim 1, the control component controlling the state of the position adjustment assembly according to the signal strength of the near field antenna;

If the signal intensity is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold value, the control component controls the position adjusting component to move the object carrying bracket in a direction away from the second device, so that the near-field antenna is away from the second device;

and if the signal intensity is smaller than or equal to a second preset threshold value, the control component controls the position adjusting component to move the object carrying support towards the direction approaching to the second device, so that the near-field antenna approaches to the second device.

4. The near field communication module of claim 1, wherein the control component is configured to obtain signal intensities of the near field antenna at a plurality of different preset angles, the signal intensities being configured to represent intensities of external interference suffered by the near field antenna;

the control component selects a preset angle with the minimum signal intensity from the signal intensities of the plurality of different preset angles as a target angle, and controls the position adjusting component to adjust the object carrying bracket to the target angle.

5. The near field communication module of claim 3 or 4, the control component comprising a signal control module, a motion control module, and a master control module;

the signal control module is connected with the near-field antenna and is used for acquiring signals at the near-field antenna;

the motion control module is connected with the position adjusting component and used for controlling the state of the position adjusting component;

The main control module is respectively connected with the signal control module and the motion control module, and is used for generating a control signal according to the signal intensity acquired by the signal control module and sending the control signal to the motion control module so that the motion control module controls the position adjusting assembly to adjust the height or angle of the object carrying support according to the control signal.

6. The near field communication module of claim 1, further comprising a sensor assembly in the near field communication module or in a first device having the near field communication module, the sensor assembly for detecting angle information of the second device;

the control component is used for controlling the state of the position adjusting component according to the angle information, so that the included angle between the near-field antenna and the second device is smaller than or equal to a preset angle.

7. The near field communication module of claim 6, the control component comprising a motion control module and a master control module;

the motion control module is connected with the position adjusting component and used for controlling the state of the position adjusting component;

The main control module is connected with the sensor assembly and the motion control module, and is used for generating a control signal according to the angle information of the second device detected by the sensor assembly and sending the control signal to the motion control module so that the motion control module controls the state of the position adjusting assembly according to the control signal.

8. The near field communication module of claim 1, the carrier support having a shielding film thereon, the shielding film being located between the near field antenna and the carrier support.

9. The near field communication module of claim 1, the position adjustment assembly comprising a number of linear actuators.

10. The near field communication module of claim 9, wherein the position adjustment assembly comprises at least three linear actuators, each of which is uniformly distributed.

11. The near field communication module of claim 9, the position adjustment assembly further comprising a base, the first end of the linear actuator being coupled to the base, the second end of the linear actuator being coupled to the carrier support, the linear actuator being positioned between the base and the carrier support.

12. The near field communication module of claim 11, wherein the first end of the linear actuator is connected to the base via a universal joint, and/or wherein the second end of the linear actuator is connected to the carrier support via a universal joint.

13. The control method of the near field communication is applied to a near field communication module capable of being self-adaptive, the near field communication module comprises a near field antenna for near field communication, a position adjusting component and a control component, and the method comprises the following steps:

acquiring state information of a near field communication module, wherein the state information comprises at least one of information of signal intensity of a near field antenna and position information of a second device which performs near field communication with the near field communication module;

Generating a control signal according to the state information;

the control signal is sent to the position adjusting component, the position adjusting component adjusts the state according to the control signal so that the near-field antenna located on the position adjusting component reaches a target position, the target position meets at least one condition that the external interference signal intensity received by the near-field antenna at the target position is smaller than the external interference signal intensity received by the near-field antenna at the last position, the signal intensity of near-field communication between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position meets near-field communication requirements, and the included angle between the near-field antenna and the second device at the target position is smaller than or equal to a preset angle.

14. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising:

generating a plurality of angle control signals according to a plurality of different preset angles;

Transmitting the plurality of angle control signals to the position adjusting component so that the position adjusting component adjusts the near-field antenna to the positions of the different preset angles according to the plurality of angle control signals;

The obtaining the state information of the near field communication module includes:

Acquiring interference signals of the near-field antenna at the positions of the preset angles;

the generating a control signal according to the state information includes:

determining a target interference signal with minimum signal strength from the interference signals;

and generating a control signal according to the preset angle corresponding to the target interference signal, wherein the control signal is used for enabling the near-field antenna to be positioned at the position of the preset angle corresponding to the target interference signal.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising:

Determining the position information of an interference source according to each interference signal;

And generating prompt information for eliminating the interference source based on the position information, wherein the prompt information comprises the position information of the interference source.

16. The method of claim 13, the status information comprising information of signal strength of near field communication of the near field antenna with the second device;

the generating a control signal according to the state information includes:

Generating a first control signal if the signal strength of near field communication between the near field antenna and the second device is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold value;

Or if the signal strength is smaller than or equal to a second preset threshold value, generating a second control signal, wherein the second control signal is used for moving the near-field antenna to a direction approaching to the second device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the position adjustment component moves the near field antenna from a first position to a second position by a first preset step size according to the first control signal, the method further comprising:

acquiring an induction signal of the near field antenna at the second position;

if the signal intensity of the induction signal at the second position is smaller than the first preset threshold value, the position adjusting component stops moving, so that the near-field antenna is kept at the second position;

If the signal intensity of the induction signal at the second position is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold value, generating a third control signal; the position adjusting part moves the near-field antenna from the second position to a direction away from the second device according to a third preset step length according to the third control signal;

Or the position adjusting component moves the near-field antenna from the first position to the third position according to the second preset step length according to the second control signal, and the method further comprises the following steps:

Acquiring an induction signal of the near-field antenna at the third position;

If the signal intensity of the induction signal at the third position is greater than the second preset threshold value, the position adjusting component stops moving, so that the near-field antenna is kept at the third position;

and the position adjusting component moves the near-field antenna from the third position to a direction approaching to the second device according to a fourth preset step length according to the fourth control signal.

18. The method of claim 13, the obtaining status information of the near field communication module, comprising:

Acquiring angle information of the second device relative to the near field communication module;

the generating a control signal according to the state information includes:

and generating a control signal according to the angle information, wherein the control signal is used for enabling the included angle between the near-field antenna and the second device to be smaller than or equal to a preset angle.

19. A near field communication device comprising the near field communication module of any one of claims 1 to 12 or being capable of performing the control method of near field communication of any one of claims 13 to 18.

20. A computing device comprising a memory, a processor and computer instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor, when executing the computer instructions, implementing the steps of the control method of near field communication of any one of claims 13 to 18.