Real-time Outdoor Localization Using Radio Maps: A Deep Learning Approach

Global Navigation Satellite Systems typically perform poorly in urban environments, where the likelihood of line-of-sight conditions between the devices and the satellites is low, and thus alternative localization methods are required for good accuracy. We present LocUNet: A convolutional, end-to-end trained neural network for the localization task, able to estimate the position of a user from the received signal strength (RSS) from a small number of Base Stations (BSs). In the proposed method, the user to be localized simply reports the measured RSS to a central processing unit, which may be located in the cloud. Using estimations of pathloss radio maps of the BSs and the RSS measurements, LocUNet can localize users with state-of-the-art accuracy and enjoys high robustness to inaccuracies in the estimations of radio maps. The proposed method does not require pre-sampling of new environments and is suitable for real-time applications. Moreover, two novel datasets that allow for numerical evaluations of RSS and ToA methods in realistic urban environments are presented and made publicly available for the research community. By using these datasets, we also provide a fair comparison of state-of-the-art RSS and ToA-based methods in the dense urban scenario and show numerically that LocUNet outperforms all the compared methods.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communication

사물인터넷을 위한 무선 실내 측위 알고리즘

학위논문(박사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 공과대학 전기·정보공학부, 2022.2. 김성철.실내 위치 기반 서비스는 스마트폰을 이용한 실내에서의 경로안내, 스마트 공장에서의 자원 관리, 실내 로봇의 자율주행 등 많은 분야에 접목될 수 있으며, 사물인터넷 응용에도 필수적인 기술이다. 다양한 위치 기반 서비스를 구현하기 위해서는 정확한 위치 정보가 필요하며, 적합한 거리 및 위치를 추정 기술이 핵심적이다. 야외에서는 위성항법시스템을 이용해서 위치 정보를 획득할 수 있다. 본 학위논문에서는 와이파이 기반 측위 기술에 대해 다룬다. 구체적으로, 전파의 신호 세기 및 도달 시간을 이용한 정밀한 실내 위치 추정을 위한 세 가지 기술에 대해 다룬다. 먼저, 비가시경로 환경에서의 거리 추정 정확도를 향상시켜 거리 기반 측위의 정확도를 향상시키는 하이브리드 알고리즘을 제안한다. 제안하 알고리즘은듀얼 밴드 대역의 신호세기를 감쇄량을 측정하여 거리 기반 측위 기법을 적용할 때, 거리 추정부 단계만을 데이터 기반 학습을 이용한 깊은 신경망 회귀 모델로 대체한 방안이다. 적절히 학습된 깊은 회귀 모델의 사용으로 비가시경로 환경에서 발생하는 거리 추정 오차를 효과적으로 감소시킬 수 있으며, 결과적으로 위치 추정 오차 또한 감소시켰다. 제안한 방법을 실내 광선추적 기반 모의실험으로 평가했을 때, 기존 기법들에 비해서 위치 추정 오차를 중간값을 기준으로 22.3% 이상 줄일 수 있음을 검증했다. 추가적으로, 제안한 방법은 실내에서의 AP 위치변화 등에 강인함을 확인했다. 다음으로, 본 논문에서는 비가시경로에서 단일 대역 수신신호세기를 측정했을 때 비가시경로가 많은 실내 환경에서 위치 추정 정확도를 높이기 위한 방안을 제안한다. 단일 대역 수신신호세기를 이용하는 방안은 기존에 이용되는 와이파이, 블루투스, 직비 등의 기반시설에 쉽게 적용될 수 있기 때문에 널리 이용된다. 하지만 신호 세기의 단일 경로손실 모델을 이용한 거리 추정은 상당한 오차를 지녀서 위치 추정 정확도를 감소시킨다. 이러한 문제의 원인은 단일 경로손실 모델로는 실내에서의 복잡한 전파 채널 특성을 반영하기 어렵기 때문이다. 본 연구에서는 실내 위치 추정을 위한 목적으로, 중첩된 다중 상태 경로 감쇄 모델을 새롭게 제시한다. 제안한 모델은 가시경로 및 비가시경로에서의 채널 특성을 고려하여 잠재적인 후보 상태들을 지닌다. 한 순간의 수신 신호 세기 측정치에 대해 각 기준 기지국별로 최적의 경로손실 모델 상태를 결정하는 효율적인 방안을 제시한다. 이를 위해 기지국별 경로손실모델 상태의 조합에 따른 측위 결과를 평가할 지표로서 비용함수를 정의하였다. 각 기지국별 최적의 채널 모델을 찾는데 필요한 계산 복잡도는 기지국 수의 증가에 따라 기하급수적으로 증가하는데, 유전 알고리즘을 이용한 탐색을 적용하여 계산량을 억제하였다. 실내 광선추적 모의실험을 통한 검증과 실측 결과를 이용한 검증을 진행하였으며, 제안한 방안은 실제 실내 환경에서 기존의 기법들에 비해 위치 추정 오차를 약 31% 감소시켰으며 평균적으로 1.92 m 수준의 정확도를 달성함을 확인했다. 마지막으로 FTM 프로토콜을 이용한 실내 위치 추적 알고리즘에 대해 연구하였다. 스마트폰의 내장 관성 센서와 와이파이 통신에서 제공하는 FTM 프로토콜을 통한 거리 추정을 이용하여 실내에서 사용자의 위치를 추적할 수 있다. 하지만 실내의 복잡한 다중경로 환경으로 인한 피크 검출 실패는 거리 측정치에 편향성을 유발한다. 또한 사용하는 디바이스의 종류에 따라 예상치 못한 거리 오차가 발생할 수있다. 본 논문에서는 실제 환경에서 FTM 거리 추정을 이용할 때 발생할 수 있는 오차들을 고려하고 이를 보상하는 방안에 대해 제시한다. 확장 칼만 필터와 결합하여 FTM 결과를 사전필터링 하여 이상값을 제거하고, 거리 측정치의 편향성을 제거하여 위치 추적 정확도를 향상시킨다. 실내에서의 실험 결과 제안한 알고리즘은 거치 측정치의 편향성을 약 44-65% 감소시켰으며 최종적으로 사용자의 위치를 서브미터급으로 추적할 수 있음을 검증했다.Indoor location-based services (LBS) can be combined with various applications such as indoor navigation for smartphone users, resource management in smart factories, and autonomous driving of robots. It is also indispensable for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. For various LBS, accurate location information is essential. Therefore, a proper ranging and positioning algorithm is important. For outdoors, the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is available to provide position information. However, the GNSS is inappropriate indoors owing to the issue of the blocking of the signals from satellites. It is necessary to develop a technology that can replace GNSS in GNSS-denied environments. Among the various alternative systems, the one of promising technology is to use a Wi-Fi system that has already been applied to many commercial devices, and the infrastructure is in place in many regions. In this dissertation, Wi-Fi based indoor localization methods are presented. In the specific, I propose the three major issues related to accurate indoor localization using received signal strength (RSS) and fine timing measurement (FTM) protocol in the 802.11 standard for my dissertation topics. First, I propose a hybrid localization algorithm to boost the accuracy of range-based localization by improving the ranging accuracy under indoor non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions. I replaced the ranging part of the rule-based localization method with a deep regression model that uses data-driven learning with dual-band received signal strength (RSS). The ranging error caused by the NLOS conditions was effectively reduced by using the deep regression method. As a consequence, the positioning error could be reduced under NLOS conditions. The performance of the proposed method was verified through a ray-tracing-based simulation for indoor spaces. The proposed scheme showed a reduction in the positioning error of at least 22.3% in terms of the median root mean square error. Next, I study on positioning algorithm that considering NLOS conditions for each APs, using single band RSS measurement. The single band RSS information is widely used for indoor localization because they can be easily implemented by using existing infrastructure like Wi-Fi, Blutooth, or Zigbee. However, range estimation with a single pathloss model produces considerable errors, which degrade the positioning performance. This problem mainly arises because the single pathloss model cannot reflect diverse indoor radio wave propagation characteristics. In this study, I develop a new overlapping multi-state model to consider multiple candidates of pathloss models including line-of-sight (LOS) and NLOS states, and propose an efficient way to select a proper model for each reference node involved in the localization process. To this end, I formulate a cost function whose value varies widely depending on the choice of pathloss model of each access point. Because the computational complexity to find an optimal channel model for each reference node exponentially increases with the number of reference nodes, I apply a genetic algorithm to significantly reduce the complexity so that the proposed method can be executed in real-time. Experimental validations with ray-tracing simulations and RSS measurements at a real site confirm the improvement of localization accuracy for Wi-Fi in indoor environments. The proposed method achieves up to 1.92~m mean positioning error under a practical indoor environment and produces a performance improvement of 31.09\% over the benchmark scenario. Finally, I investigate accurate indoor tracking algorithm using FTM protocol in this dissertation. By using the FTM ranging and the built-in sensors in a smartphone, it is possible to track the user's location in indoor. However, the failure of first peak detection due to the multipath effect causes a bias in the FTM ranging results in the practical indoor environment. Additionally, the unexpected ranging error dependent on device type also degrades the indoor positioning accuracy. In this study, I considered the factors of ranging error in the FTM protocol in practical indoor environment, and proposed a method to compensate ranging error. I designed an EKF-based tracking algorithm that adaptively removes outliers from the FTM result and corrects bias to increase positioning accuracy. The experimental results verified that the proposed algorithm reduces the average ofthe ranging bias by 43-65\% in an indoor scenarios, and can achieve the sub-meter accuracy in average route mean squared error of user's position in the experiment scenarios.Abstract i Contents iv List of Tables vi List of Figures vii 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 Hybrid Approach for Indoor Localization Using Received Signal Strength of Dual-BandWi-Fi 6 2.1 Motivation 6 2.2 Preliminary 8 2.3 System model 11 2.4 Proposed Ranging Method 13 2.5 Performance Evaluation 16 2.5.1 Ray-Tracing-Based Simulation 16 2.5.2 Analysis of the Ranging Accuracy 21 2.5.3 Analysis of the Neural Network Structure 25 2.5.4 Analysis of Positioning Accuracy 26 2.6 Summary 29 3 Genetic Algorithm for Path Loss Model Selection in Signal Strength Based Indoor Localization 31 3.1 Motivation 31 3.2 Preliminary 34 3.2.1 RSS-based Ranging Techniques 35 3.2.2 Positioning Technique 37 3.3 Proposed localization method 38 3.3.1 Localization Algorithm with Overlapped Multi-State Path Loss Model 38 3.3.2 Localization with Genetic Algorithm-Based Search 41 3.4 Performance evaluation 46 3.4.1 Numerical simulation 50 3.4.2 Experimental results 56 3.5 Summary 60 4 Indoor User Tracking with Self-calibrating Range Bias Using FTM Protocol 62 4.1 Motivation 62 4.2 Preliminary 63 4.2.1 FTM ranging 63 4.2.2 PDR-based trajectory estimation 65 4.3 EKF design for adaptive compensation of ranging bias 66 4.4 Performance evaluation 69 4.4.1 Experimental scenario 69 4.4.2 Experimental results 70 4.5 Summary 75 5 Conclusion 76 Abstract (In Korean) 89박

Fingerprint location methods using ray-tracing

Mobile location methods that employ signal fingerprints are becoming increasingly popular in a number of wireless positioning solutions. A fingerprint is a spatial database, created either by recorded measurement or simulation, of the radio environment. It is used to assign signal characteristics such as received signal strength or power delay profiles to an actual location. Measurements made by either the handset or the network, are then matched to those in the fingerprint in order to determine a location. Creation of the fingerprint by an a priori measurement stage is costly and time consuming. Virtual fingerprints, those created by a ray-tracing radio propagation prediction tool, normally require a lengthy off-line simulation mode that needs to be repeated each time changes are made to the network or built environment. An open research question exists of whether a virtual fingerprint could be created dynamically via a ray-trace model embedded on a mobile handset for positioning purposes. The key aim of this thesis is to investigate the trade-off between complexity of the physics required for ray-tracing models and the accuracy of the virtual fingerprints they produce. The most demanding computational phase of a ray-trace simulation is the ray-path finding stage, whereby a distribution of rays cast from a source point, interacting with walls and edges by reflection and diffraction phenomena are traced to a set of receive points. Due to this, we specifically develop a new technique that decreases the computation of the ray-path finding stage. The new technique utilises a modified method of images rather than brute-force ray casting. It leads to the creation of virtual fingerprints requiring significantly less computation effort relative to ray casting techniques, with only small decreases in accuracy. Our new technique for virtual fingerprint creation was then applied to the development of a signal strength fingerprint for a 3G UMTS network covering the Sydney central business district. Our main goal was to determine whether on current mobile handsets, a sub-50m location accuracy could be achieved within a few seconds timescale using our system. The results show that this was in fact achievable. We also show how virtual fingerprinting can lead to more accurate solutions. Based on these results we claim user embedded fingerprinting is now a viable alternative to a priori measurement schemes

Indoor radio location algorithm using empirical propagation models and probability distribution heuristics

Research is conducted at the Budapest University of Technology in the field of indoor positioning using radio waves, with practical application issues in focus. Our goal is to enhance and combine existing algorithms and create an implementation that is efficient enough to enable real-time operation in 3D space in multi-level office environments while retaining the accuracy of more complex systems. The proposed solution is based on proven empirical propagation models (the Motley-Keenan Model and the New Empirical Model of Cheung, Sau and Murch), with the ability to augment and refine with surveyed radio fingerprint data. The propagation model described in this paper can be used to generate estimated signal strength patterns for locations that were left out of the survey; and the values coming from the two different sources can be further handled in a common way. An algorithm is proposed to calculate a probability distribution over the floor plan using these expected values and the positioning-time measurements. The results from this location algorithm are combined with other probability distributions, generated by heuristics such as the distribution of walls, previous walking directions and typical indoor movement patterns, as well as data from G-sensors and digital compasses built into modern handheld devices. Other real-world issues are investigated like reaction to changes in the placement of radio beacons, and the comparability of various devices with different signal characteristics. The proposed algorithm can achieve an average positioning error of 3 metres in a common office environment using fingerprinting data, and errors are only about 50%greater when relying solely on simulated signal strength values

Fingerprinting and tracing the sources of soils and sediments: Earth and ocean science, geoarchaeological, forensic, and human health applications

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Fingerprinting and tracing the sources of soils and sediments: Earth and ocean science, geoarchaeological, forensic, and human health applications journaltitle: Earth-Science Reviews articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.08.012 content_type: article copyright: © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved