KR102861885B1 - Two way ranging multi tag positioning system using ultra wide band - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB, which comprises: a UWB tag that transmits and receives a UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) signal; a plurality of UWB anchors that communicate with the UWB tag using a UWB signal; and a management server connected to the UWB anchor via a network; wherein three or more of the UWB anchors sequentially communicate with the UWB tag to generate mutual distance information data in a TWR (Two Way Range) manner, and the management server calculates the position of the UWB tag based on data frame information received from three or more of the UWB anchors for a single UWB tag, thereby minimizing power consumption and radio interference and enabling more precise positioning calculation and location confirmation.

Description

TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB {TWO WAY RANGING MULTI TAG POSITIONING SYSTEM USING ULTRA WIDE BAND}

The present invention relates to a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB, and more specifically, to an improved high-precision tag positioning system based on TWR (Two-Way Ranging) using UWB (Ultra Wide Band) wireless communication technology.

UWB (Ultra Wide Band) is a wireless communication technology that transmits large amounts of information at low power across a very wide bandwidth compared to existing frequency bands. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines UWB as "a wireless transmission technology that occupies a bandwidth of 20% or more of the center frequency or occupies a bandwidth of 500 MHz or more." Generally, it is defined as a short-range wireless communication technology that realizes ultra-high-speed communication at low power across a very wide bandwidth compared to existing spectrum at a speed of 100 Mbps or more in the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz band.

Unlike GPS, which is widely used as an outdoor positioning technology, UWB is capable of precise positioning even indoors, and therefore its frequency of use is increasing in various industries. At this time, positioning technology using UWB is largely divided into ToA (Time of Arrival), TDoA (Time Difference of Arrival), and AoA (Angle of Arrival). Among these, ToA and TDoA are methods adopted in the IEEE 802.15.4a standard. Here, the positioning technology using UWB includes a UWB tag and a UWB anchor, and the UWB tag is typically installed on a moving object and configured to send data packets to the surrounding area. In addition, the TDoA method relates to a system that can calculate positioning based on the time difference when a plurality of UWB anchors that are synchronized with each other receive data packets transmitted from the UWB tag.

The above ToA method is a positioning technology that uses the TWR (Two Way Ranging) method to improve the accuracy by omitting the time synchronization between UWB anchors while increasing the convenience of implementation by breaking away from the existing TDoA method. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the UWB tag is initialized by transmitting a poll message to the UWB anchor TS _P . Then, the UWB anchor records the polling reception time T _RP and responds with a response message at the time T _SR . Upon receiving the response message, the UWB tag records the arrival time of the response message of the UWB anchor T _RR and creates a final message including unique information such as ID and the T _SP , T _RR , and T _SF information. The UWB anchor can measure the UWB ToF (Time of Flight) based on the time reception of the final message T _RF and the information provided in the final message.

The TWR method as described above has a lower implementation complexity than the TDoA method because it does not require synchronization, but it has a problem in that the battery life is not efficient because the distance to all anchors that can communicate is calculated. That is, in order to calculate the position of a UWB tag, UWB TOF information with three or more UWB anchors is required, but since the UWB tag must communicate with all of the UWB anchors, the problem of excessive battery consumption occurs. In addition, the existing TWR method has a problem in that the signals between multiple UWB tags and multiple UWB anchors can interfere with each other, which can cause significant communication delays and radio collisions.

KR 10-1092209 B1 (2011.12.08. announcement) KR 10-2353600 B1 (2022.01.19. announcement)

The present invention has been devised to solve the problems of the prior art, and relates to a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB that can minimize radio wave collisions through mutual synchronization between a plurality of UWB anchors while minimizing frequency occupancy time.

In order to achieve the above-described object, a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention comprises: a UWB tag that transmits and receives a UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) signal; a plurality of UWB anchors that communicate with the UWB tag using a UWB signal; and a management server connected to the UWB anchors via a network; wherein three or more of the UWB anchors sequentially communicate with the UWB tag to generate mutual distance information data in a TWR (Two Way Range) manner, and the management server can calculate the positioning of the UWB tag based on data frame information received from three or more of the UWB anchors for a single UWB tag.

In addition, the UWB tag transmits a poll message to the outside via UWB, and some of the activated UWB anchors among the plurality of UWB anchors transmit a response message to the poll message of the received UWB tag, and the UWB tag can transmit a final message including the transmission time of the poll message, the reception time of the response message, and a tag ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB tag, to the UWB anchor.

Additionally, the data frame may include an anchor ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB anchor, a tag ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB tag, and the distance information data, each of which consists of at least one byte.

In addition, the unique identification information of the UWB tag includes serial information, and the UWB tag may be composed of multiple pieces and have different serial information.

In addition, the management server divides the plurality of UWB anchors into at least two sets, one set including at least three UWB anchors, and the plurality of UWB anchors included in the same set are configured so that when one UWB anchor is activated, the other UWB anchors are deactivated, but the UWB anchors can be activated sequentially.

In addition, the anchor transmits token ring data for a cyclic order to each UWB anchor so that the activation states of a plurality of UWB anchors included in the same set can be sequentially changed, and when one UWB anchor receives a token from another UWB anchor within the same set, it can activate the number of times a preset response message is transmitted and transmit the token to another UWB anchor.

Additionally, multiple UWB anchors included in the same set can transmit a token to another UWB anchor when one UWB anchor fails to transmit a response message within a predetermined time.

In addition, when distance information data measured from three or more UWB anchors included in the same set is accumulated for a single UWB tag, the management server can calculate the positioning of the UWB tag based on the three or more distance information data and the location of the UWB anchor.

In addition, the management server includes a communication unit that communicates data with the UWB anchor through a network; a control unit that calculates the position of the UWB tag; and a database that records data; and in the database, information on a plurality of the UWB anchors included in each set, and unique identification information and location information of the UWB anchors can be recorded as one data set.

In addition, the management server further includes a monitoring unit that provides information visualized on a user terminal, and the monitoring unit can provide the user terminal with the positioning of the UWB tag so that it is displayed on the visualized map data.

The TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention with the above-described configuration has the advantage of being able to perform efficient positioning measurements by solving problems of the ToA method such as excessive battery consumption and radio wave collision while improving precision compared to the existing TDoA method, thereby allowing more precise UWB tag terminals to be used for a long period of time.

In addition, the TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention performs indoor positioning by utilizing UWB.

In addition, the TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention can be utilized in various fields such as autonomous driving of work robots and facility monitoring due to the above advantages, and can lead to the effect of enabling more efficient work in various industries.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a positioning method using the TWR method using UWB.
Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating communication between a first UWB anchor and a UWB tag according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a communication process between a first UWB anchor and a UWB tag according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram illustrating communication between a second UWB anchor and a UWB tag according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a communication process between a first UWB anchor and a UWB tag according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram illustrating communication between a third UWB anchor and a UWB tag according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a communication process between a third UWB anchor and a UWB tag according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB, showing UWB anchors divided into multiple sets according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB including a plurality of UWB tags according to the present invention.
Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a data frame according to the present invention.

The following describes in detail the TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings presented below are provided as examples to ensure that those skilled in the art can fully understand the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the drawings presented below and may be embodied in other forms. Furthermore, like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the meaning commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains, and descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention are omitted in the following description and accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 relates to a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB.

Referring to FIG. 2, a TWR multi-tag positioning system (10) using UWB according to the present invention may be configured to include a UWB tag (100), a UWB anchor (200), and a management server (300). At this time, the UWB tag (100) may be configured to transmit and receive a UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) signal. Here, the UWB may be a technology according to the standard of IEEE 802.15.4a as a low-power wideband communication. The IEEE 802.15.4a is a standard including CSS (Chirp Spread Spectrum) and IR (UWB), and includes a frequency band of 2.45 GHz for CSS and a frequency band of 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz and a frequency band of 250 MHz to 750 MHz for UWB.

The above UWB tag (100) may include both transmission and reception functions of UWB signals, and the above UWB anchor (200) may also include both transmission and reception functions of UWB signals. Accordingly, the UWB tag (100) and the UWB anchor (200) may be implemented to be able to determine the location of the UWB tag (100) through the TWR (Tow Way Ranging) method by communicating with each other using the UWB protocol.

The above UWB anchor (200) and management server (300) may be configured to communicate with each other via a wired or wireless network. At this time, the network refers to a connection structure in which each node can exchange information with each other, and examples of the network include, but are not limited to, a 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) network, an LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, a WIMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access) network, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a Wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a PAN (Personal Area Network), a Bluetooth network, a satellite broadcasting network, an analog broadcasting network, a DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) network, etc. In addition, the above management server (300) may be implemented as a fixed terminal such as a desktop PC, laptop computer, or ultrabook, or may be implemented as a form in which a display is mounted on the server, and may also be implemented as various types of mobile terminals such as a digital broadcasting terminal, a mobile phone, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a PMP (portable multimedia player), a navigation device, a tablet PC, or a wearable device.

The TWR multi-tag positioning system (10) using UWB according to the present invention may include a plurality of UWB anchors (200), and the plurality of UWB anchors (200) may include at least three or more UWB anchors (200). In addition, the plurality of UWB anchors (200) may be configured so that their positions are fixed and recorded by the management server (300) at a predetermined distance from each other, or when the positions of the UWB anchors (200) change, the changed positions can be identified by the management server (300). In addition, the plurality of UWB anchors (200) may be implemented so that only one UWB anchor (200) can be activated, and here, activation may be based on responding when a signal of the UWB tag (100) arrives. That is, when the signal of the UWB tag (100) reaches the UWB anchor (200), if the UWB anchor (200) is set to respond, it can be defined as activated, and if the UWB anchor (200) is set to not respond, it can be defined as deactivated.

The plurality of UWB anchors (200) can exchange token data with each other in a token ring manner, and the transmission and reception of token data can be configured through the above-described UWB or network, or can utilize a separate data transmission method. When one of the plurality of UWB anchors (200) is activated and reaches a preset number of responses or holds a preset token (T) for a predetermined period of time, the UWB anchor (200) can transmit data for the token (T) to another UWB anchor (200). When the other UWB anchor (200) receives and holds data for the token (T), it becomes activated and can respond to the UWB signal transmitted from the UWB tag (100). Here, the plurality of UWB anchors (200) can be implemented so that they can be activated sequentially by circulating the token (T) with each other. At this time, it may be desirable that the predetermined time for which the UWB anchor (200) holds the token (T) be longer than the transmission time for transmitting the token. In addition, the number of responses and the predetermined time may be given priority, and when the UWB anchor (200) transmits a message equal to the preset number of responses, the token (T) is transmitted before the predetermined time elapses. However, if the number of responses is less than the predetermined time elapses, the token (T) may be transmitted to another UWB anchor (200) at the time when the predetermined time elapses. Hereinafter, in the content described below, a method for measuring a relative distance for calculating the positioning of the UWB tag (100) by having a single UWB tag (100) communicate with three UWB anchors (200) through UWB communication is described.

FIGS. 3 to 8 relate to a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating communication between a first UWB anchor and a UWB tag, FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the communication process thereof, FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram illustrating communication between a second UWB anchor and a UWB tag, FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the communication process thereof, FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram illustrating communication between a third UWB anchor and a UWB tag, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the communication process thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the three UWB anchors (200) can be divided into a first UWB anchor (210), a second UWB anchor (220), and a third UWB anchor (230). At this time, the first UWB anchor (210) transmits a token to the second UWB anchor (220), the second UWB anchor (220) transmits a token to the third UWB anchor (230), and the third UWB anchor (230) transmits a token to the first UWB anchor (210), so that a circular token ring can be formed. The above UWB tag (100) and UWB anchor (200) can be formed as a mobile node or a fixed node, and the following description assumes that the UWB tag (100) is formed as a mobile node and the UWB anchor (200) is formed as a fixed node.

The above UWB tag (100) can transmit a UWB signal to the outside at regular intervals and can transmit poll data (D _P ) related to a poll message. When the first UWB anchor (210) holds a token (T) and the poll data (D _P ) is received, the first UWB anchor (210) can transmit response data (D _R ) related to a response signal to the outside, and the response data (D _R ) can be received in the UWB tag (100). Then, the UWB tag (100) can transmit the final data (D _F ) by including T _SP , which is the time at which the poll data (D _P ) was transmitted, TRR , which is the time at which the response data (D _R ) was received, and the tag ID (Identification) which is unique identification information of the UWB tag (100). In addition, the above unique identification information may be various types of data that can identify each device, such as serial information.

The final data (D _F ) above may include T _SF , which is the transmission time of the final data (D _F ). In addition, the first UWB anchor (210) includes T _RP , which is the reception time of poll data (D _P ), T _SR , which is the transmission time of response data (D _R ), and T _RF , which is the reception time of the final _data (D _F ), along with the data included in the final data (D F ). Therefore, the mutual distance data can be calculated through the TWR (Two Way Ranging) method. Alternatively, the raw data for the final data (D _F ), T _RP , T _SR , T _RF , and anchor ID, which is the unique identification information of the first UWB anchor (210), may be configured to be transmitted to the management server (300) through a network. Here, the TWR method is a method that is distinguished from OWR (One Way Ranging) in ToA (Time of Arrival), and the UWB tag (100) and the first UWB anchor (210) may be utilized while being synchronized with each other. In addition, in the asynchronous case, the time difference between the UWB tag (100) and the first UWB anchor (210) and the transmission delay between the UWB tag (100) and the first UWB anchor (210) may be calculated by adding them to the clock offset. At this time, the UWB tag (100) and the first UWB anchor (210) may have a half-duplex packet exchange and may be time-multiplexed, and the poll data (D _P ) may include a packet including the synchronization time information of the UWB tag (100), so that the first UWB anchor (210) can synchronize with itself and transmit response data (D _R ) through a preset time delay. Then, by determining the Round-Trip ToF (Time of Flight) information of the UWB tag (100) through the reception of the response, the round-trip ToF may be calculated and mutual distance information data may be calculated and generated through a product operation with the UWB propagation speed. The raw data or the calculated mutual distance information data may be transmitted to the management server (300) in the form of a report of a data frame.

The first UWB anchor (210) can transmit the first token data (D _T1 ) to transfer the token (T) to the second UWB anchor (220) when the time for which the token (T) is held has elapsed for a predetermined time or when the number of times the response data (D _P ) has been transmitted reaches a preset number of responses.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, when the second UWB anchor (220) holds a token (T) and the poll data (D _P ) of the UWB tag (100) is received, the second UWB anchor (220) can transmit response data (D _R ) regarding the response signal to the outside, and the response data (D _R ) can be received in the UWB tag (100). Then, the UWB tag (100) can transmit the final data (D _F ) by including T _SP , which is the time at which the poll data (D P ) was transmitted, TRR , which is the time at which the response data (D _R ) was received, and the tag ID (Identification) which is the unique identification information of the UWB tag ( ₁₀₀ ).

The final data (D _F ) above may include T _SF , which is the transmission time of the final data (D _F ). In addition, the second UWB anchor (220) includes T _RP , which is the reception time of the poll data (D _P ), T _SR , which is the transmission time of the response data (D _R ), and T _RF , which is the reception time of the final _data (D _F ), along with the data included in the final data (D F ), so that mutual distance data can be calculated through the TWR (Two Way Ranging) method. Alternatively, the raw data for the final data (D _F ), T _RP , T _SR , T _RF , and anchor ID, which is unique identification information of the second UWB anchor (220), may be configured to be transmitted to the management server (300) through a network. Here, the TWR method is a method that is distinguished from OWR (One Way Ranging) in ToA (Time of Arrival), and the UWB tag (100) and the second UWB anchor (220) can be utilized while being synchronized with each other. In addition, in the asynchronous case, the time difference between the UWB tag (100) and the second UWB anchor (220) and the transmission delay between the UWB tag (100) and the second UWB anchor (220) can be calculated by adding them to the clock offset. At this time, the UWB tag (100) and the second UWB anchor (220) may have a half-duplex packet exchange and may be time-multiplexed, and the poll data (D _P ) may include a packet including the synchronization time information of the UWB tag (100), so that the second UWB anchor (220) can synchronize with itself and transmit response data (D _R ) through a preset time delay. Then, by determining the Round-Trip ToF (Time of Flight) information of the UWB tag (100) through the reception of the response, the round-trip ToF may be calculated and mutual distance information data may be calculated and generated through a product operation with the UWB propagation speed. The raw data or the calculated mutual distance information data may be transmitted to the management server (300) in the form of a report of a data frame.

The second UWB anchor (220) can transmit second token data (D _T2 ) to transfer the token (T) to the third UWB anchor (230) when the time for which the token (T) is held has elapsed for a predetermined period of time or when the number of times the response data (D _P ) has been transmitted reaches a preset number of responses.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, when the third UWB anchor (230) holds a token (T) and the poll data (D _P ) of the UWB tag (100) is received, the third UWB anchor (230) can transmit response data (D _R ) regarding the response signal to the outside, and the response data (D _R ) can be received in the UWB tag (100). Then, the UWB tag (100) can transmit the final data (D _F ) by including T _SP , which is the time at which the poll data (D P ) was transmitted, TRR , which is the time at which the response data (D _R ) was received, and the tag ID (Identification) which is the unique identification information of the UWB tag ( ₁₀₀ ).

The final data (D _F ) above may include T _SF , which is the transmission time of the final data (D _F ). In addition, the third UWB anchor (230) includes T _RP , which is the reception time of the poll data (D _P ), T _SR , which is the transmission time of the response data (D _R ), and T _RF , which is the reception time of the final data (D _F ), along with the data included in the final data (D _F ). Therefore, the mutual distance data can be calculated through the TWR (Two Way Ranging) method. Alternatively, the raw data for the final data (D _F ), T _RP , T _SR , T _RF , and anchor ID, which is the unique identification information of the third UWB anchor (230), may be configured to be transmitted to the management server (300) through a network. Here, the TWR method is a method that is distinguished from OWR (One Way Ranging) in ToA (Time of Arrival), and the UWB tag (100) and the third UWB anchor (230) can be utilized while being synchronized with each other. In addition, in the asynchronous case, the time difference between the UWB tag (100) and the third UWB anchor (230) and the transmission delay between the UWB tag (100) and the third UWB anchor (230) can be calculated by adding them to the clock offset. At this time, the UWB tag (100) and the third UWB anchor (230) may be time-multiplexed with half-duplex packet exchange, and the poll data (D _P ) may include a packet including the synchronization time information of the UWB tag (100), so that the third UWB anchor (230) can synchronize with itself and transmit response data (D _R ) through a preset time delay. Then, by determining the Round-Trip ToF (Time of Flight) information of the UWB tag (100) through the reception of the response, the round-trip ToF may be calculated, and mutual distance information data may be calculated and generated through a product operation with the UWB propagation speed. The raw data or the calculated mutual distance information data may be transmitted to the management server (300) in the form of a report of a data frame.

The third UWB anchor (230) can transmit the third token data (DT3) to the first UWB anchor (210) so that a circulating token ring is formed by transferring the token (T) to the first UWB anchor (210) when the time of holding the token (T) has passed a predetermined time or the number of times the response data (D _P ) has been transmitted reaches a preset number of responses. In addition, the TWR multi-tag positioning system (10) using UWB according to the present invention can be implemented by further including a gateway that can exchange the token (T) so that it can be relayed between each node.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 relate to a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention. FIG. 9 shows a configuration diagram of a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB showing UWB anchors divided into a plurality of sets, and FIG. 10 shows a configuration diagram of a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB including a plurality of UWB tags.

Referring to FIG. 9, the management server (300) divides the plurality of UWB anchors (200) into at least two sets, and one set includes at least three UWB anchors (200), and the plurality of UWB anchors (200) included in the same set may be sequentially activated when one UWB anchor (200) is activated, while the other UWB anchors (200) are deactivated. More specifically, the plurality of UWB anchors (200) may be divided into multiple sets, and three or more UWB anchors (200) may be arranged in each set. In addition, three or more UWB anchors (200) of each set may form a token ring in which some of the UWB anchors (200) may be activated, and for example, one UWB anchor (200) may be activated. Alternatively, two or more UWB anchors (200) may be activated, and it may be preferable that the number of activated UWB anchors (200) be less than the total number of UWB anchors (200) arranged in one set. Accordingly, mutual interference caused by radio waves transmitted by the UWB anchors (200) can be minimized, and the batteries of each device can be managed more efficiently. The UWB anchors (200) configured in each set can be changed, and for example, one UWB anchor (200) included in Set 1 can be reorganized to belong to Set 2 by the settings of the management server (300). In addition, after one cycle of rotation of each set, distance information data or original data generated from the UWB anchor (200) can be transmitted to the management server (300).

The above management server (300) includes a communication unit (310) that communicates data with the UWB anchor (200) via a network, a control module (320) that calculates the position of the UWB tag (100), and a database (330) that records data, and may further include a monitoring unit (340) that provides information that is visualized on the user terminal (20). At this time, the UWB tag (100) may also be provided with a function that allows communication with the communication unit (310) via a network, and a module for network communication may be included in the equipment equipped with the UWB tag (100), or the UWB tag (100) may include a control module that includes a network communication function.

The above control unit (320) can be implemented using at least one of ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), DSPDs (digital signal processing devices), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electrical units for performing functions.

The database (330) can input/output and record data through DBMS, etc. At this time, the database (330) can record the tag ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB tag (100), the anchor ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB anchor (200), the reference location where the UWB anchor (200) is installed, map data that determines the reference location, etc., and can record and manage the access rights of the user terminal (20), etc. Here, the plurality of UWB anchors (200) can be classified into sets and recorded and managed as data sets, and each divided set can have unique set information. In addition, the control unit (320) can create, modify, or delete each set of the database (330), and can record and preserve the anchor ID and reference location of the UWB anchor (200) classified into each set as related data of the set. In addition, information classified according to each set is transmitted to a system that controls the installed UWB anchors (200), thereby allowing the token ring of the UWBs (200) to be varied.

The monitoring unit (340) can provide the positioning of the UWB tag (100) to be displayed in the map data of the database (330). That is, the monitoring unit (340) can provide the positioning coordinate result of the UWB tag (100) calculated by the control unit (320) so that a user located at a remote location can monitor it, and can also provide a Restful API, etc. to enable data exchange with an external system. The control unit (320) can calculate the position of the UWB tag (100) through the distance information data of each UWB anchor (200) received through the communication unit (310), and when the distance information data is received from three or more UWB anchors (200) arranged in a plurality of sets, the positioning of the UWB tag (100) can be calculated through the three or more distance information data and the reference position data of the UWB anchors (200) described above. And the monitoring unit (340) can output a map dynamically generated based on the reference position coordinates of the UWB anchors (200), and mark the location of each UWB tag (100) on this map. And the latest location of each UWB tag (100) can be marked, or the movement within a certain period of time can be displayed as a solid line or a dotted line depending on the settings. If the information of the set is changed in the control unit (320), the calculation is performed based on the immediately updated information, and if the UWB anchor (200) excluded from the set is included in the data collected before the update, the calculation can be performed by excluding it. That is, if one UWB anchor (200) included in one previous set is transferred to another set after the set is reorganized, the information of the one UWB anchor (200) can be excluded in the process of calculating the positioning of the UWB tag (100) centered on one set. In addition, the monitoring unit (340) can express the most recent positioning information of a specific UWB tag (100) of a specific set recorded in the database (330).

The above database (330) can collect data based on each UWB tag (100) to update the measurement records and store them in memory. In addition, the stored data includes distance information data of the UWB anchor (200) for the corresponding UWB tag (100) and unique identification information of the UWB anchor (200) that attempted measurement, and can be calculated by determining that it is a coordinate calculation process when at least three records are accumulated. Here, the coordinate calculation can be input into a first-in-first-out calculation queue where necessary information for calculation is defined in advance, and the queue can be managed in a thread pool. At this time, the thread pool includes a work thread and a thread for work distribution, and each thread actively operates with the maximum number according to the idle CPU resources of the server, or in cases where there are other tasks such as other services operating together, the user or administrator can arbitrarily specify the number of threads to limit them. In addition, the information added to the calculation queue may be reflected in the numerical value when the work unit is updated depending on the speed of the coordinate calculation target, or the latest data at the time of calculation may be used for the calculation through pointer information. Here, when calculating the positioning using the pointer information, if the previously requested calculation is not completed, the corresponding UWB tag (100) may be included in the queue. In addition, the work distribution thread may distribute the work from the calculation queue queue when each work thread reaches an idle state. At this time, the thread that has received the information for the work can immediately perform the coordinate calculation, and the calculated coordinates are immediately updated in the database (330), and then the work thread can request the next work. In addition, the management server (300) according to the present invention may be implemented as a plurality of servers to perform the work in a distributed manner, and may share a single database (330) or may be recorded and managed through each database (330).

Referring to FIG. 10, the TWR multi-tag positioning system (10) using UWB according to the present invention can introduce the concept of frequency occupation priority for controlling radio frequency traffic between multiple UWB anchors (200), and can define such frequency occupation priority as the token (T). In addition, the token (T) can be implemented as information that can only be exchanged between each anchor (200). In this way, only the UWB anchor (200) having the token (T) can exchange messages with the UWB tag (100), so there is an advantage in that radio frequency traffic collisions are prevented and N:N communication is possible between the UWB anchor (200) and the UWB tag (10). In addition, there is an advantage in that the management server (300) can preset the order in which the token (T) is to be transmitted in order to obtain distance measurement information, thereby controlling radio frequency traffic and easily identifying which information came from which UWB anchor (200) at which location. In addition, the information exchanged between the UWB anchor (200) and the UWB tag (100) exchanges a unique time value based on UWB clock information, and the number of positioning measurements and range within one cycle can be specified through control information input in advance or transmitted from the management server (300), and low-latency time division communication can be performed based on this information to minimize the radio wave waiting time during standby. In addition, the distance between them can be measured based on the communication time difference between them and the radio wave speed during standby.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB according to the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a data frame.

Referring to FIG. 11, as described above, the UWB anchor (200) can transmit a measurement data data frame to the management server (300), and the data frame can include an anchor ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB anchor (200), a tag ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB tag (100), and the distance information data, which are made up of at least one byte. At this time, the data frame can distinguish data through STX and ETX to distinguish data, and a delimiter can be placed between the anchor ID, tag ID, and distance information data to increase the distinguishability of the data. For example, the anchor ID can be implemented as 3 bytes, the tag ID as 3 bytes, and the distance measurement data as 6 bytes or more, and the total length of the data can increase as the number of UWB tags (100) that are measurement targets increases.

Although the TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB for indoor positioning according to the present invention has been described above, it is also possible to implement a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for implementing a TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB and a program stored in a computer-readable recording medium for implementing an indoor management automation method.

That is, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the TWR multi-tag positioning system using the above-described UWB may be provided by including the program of commands for implementing it in a computer-readable recording medium by being tangibly implemented. In other words, it may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., singly or in combination. The program commands recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be those specially designed and configured for the present invention or may be known and usable by those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands such as ROMs, RAMs, flash memories, and USB memories. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes, such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

As described above, the present invention has been described with specific details such as specific components and limited example drawings, but these are provided only to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations from this description.

Therefore, the idea of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all things that are equivalent or equivalent to the scope of the patent claims described below as well as the scope of the invention should be considered to fall within the scope of the idea of the present invention.

10: TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB
20: User terminal
100: UWB tag
200: UWB anchor
210: 1st UWB anchor
220: 2nd UWB anchor
230: 3rd UWB anchor
300: Management Server
310: Communications Department
320: Control unit
330: Database
340: Monitoring Department

Claims (10)

UWB tag that transmits and receives UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) signals;
A plurality of UWB anchors communicating with the UWB tag using UWB signals; and
A management server connected to the above UWB anchor via a network;
Including,
Three or more of the above UWB anchors sequentially communicate with the above UWB tags to generate mutual distance information data in a TWR (Two Way Range) manner.
The above management server calculates the positioning of the UWB tag based on data frame information received from three or more UWB anchors for a single UWB tag.
The above UWB tag transmits a poll message to the outside via UWB,
Among the plurality of UWB anchors, some of the activated UWB anchors transmit a response message to the poll message of the received UWB tag,
The UWB tag transmits a final message including the transmission time of the poll message, the reception time of the response message, and the tag ID, which is the unique identification information of the UWB tag, to the UWB anchor,
The above management server,
Divide the plurality of above UWB anchors into at least two sets, wherein one set includes at least three of the above UWB anchors,
Multiple UWB anchors included in the same set,
When one of the above UWB anchors is activated, the other above UWB anchors are deactivated, but the above UWB anchors are activated sequentially.
The above management server,
Token ring data for a cyclic order is transmitted to each UWB anchor so that the activation states of multiple UWB anchors included in the same set can be sequentially changed.
When one UWB anchor within the same set receives a token from another UWB anchor, it activates the number of transmissions of the preset response message and transmits the token to another UWB anchor.
Multiple UWB anchors included in the same set,
If the number of times a response message is transmitted by one of the above UWB anchors within a predetermined period of time is less than the preset number of responses, after the predetermined period of time has elapsed, a token is transmitted to another of the above UWB anchors.
The above management server,
A communication unit that communicates data with the above UWB anchor via a network;
A control unit for calculating the position of the UWB tag; and
A database that records data;
Including,
In the above database,
Information about the plurality of UWB anchors included in each set, and unique identification information and location information of the UWB anchors are recorded as one data set.
In the above database,
For the plurality of UWB anchors, the dataset is classified and recorded and managed in units of the above sets, and each divided set has unique set information.
The above control unit,
A function for reorganizing a UWB anchor included in one set among a plurality of said UWB anchors to belong to another set, and a function for creating, modifying and deleting each set of said database,
A TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB, characterized in that the positioning of the UWB tag is calculated by excluding information received from one UWB anchor included in one of the sets after the reorganization of the sets.
delete In the first paragraph,
The above data frame is,
Consisting of at least one byte,
A TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB, characterized in that it includes an anchor ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB anchor, a tag ID, which is unique identification information of the UWB tag, and the distance information data.
In the third paragraph,
The unique identification information of the above UWB tag includes serial information,
A TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB, characterized in that the above UWB tags are composed of multiple tags and have different serial information.
delete delete delete In the first paragraph,
The above management server,
For a single UWB tag,
When distance information data measured from three or more of the above UWB anchors included in the same set is accumulated,
A TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB, characterized in that the positioning of the UWB tag is calculated based on three or more pieces of distance information data and the position of the UWB anchor.
delete In paragraph 8,
The above management server,
A monitoring unit that provides information visualized on the user terminal;
Including more,
The above monitoring unit,
A TWR multi-tag positioning system using UWB, characterized in that the positioning of the UWB tag is displayed in the visualized map data.