Massive MIMO-based Localization and Mapping Exploiting Phase Information of Multipath Components

In this paper, we present a robust multipath-based localization and mapping framework that exploits the phases of specular multipath components (MPCs) using a massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array at the base station. Utilizing the phase information related to the propagation distances of the MPCs enables the possibility of localization with extraordinary accuracy even with limited bandwidth. The specular MPC parameters along with the parameters of the noise and the dense multipath component (DMC) are tracked using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), which enables to preserve the distance-related phase changes of the MPC complex amplitudes. The DMC comprises all non-resolvable MPCs, which occur due to finite measurement aperture. The estimation of the DMC parameters enhances the estimation quality of the specular MPCs and therefore also the quality of localization and mapping. The estimated MPC propagation distances are subsequently used as input to a distance-based localization and mapping algorithm. This algorithm does not need prior knowledge about the surrounding environment and base station position. The performance is demonstrated with real radio-channel measurements using an antenna array with 128 ports at the base station side and a standard cellular signal bandwidth of 40 MHz. The results show that high accuracy localization is possible even with such a low bandwidth.Comment: 14 pages (two columns), 13 figures. This work has been submitted to the IEEE Transaction on Wireless Communications for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessibl

Fundamental Limits of Wideband Localization - Part II: Cooperative Networks

The availability of positional information is of great importance in many commercial, governmental, and military applications. Localization is commonly accomplished through the use of radio communication between mobile devices (agents) and fixed infrastructure (anchors). However, precise determination of agent positions is a challenging task, especially in harsh environments due to radio blockage or limited anchor deployment. In these situations, cooperation among agents can significantly improve localization accuracy and reduce localization outage probabilities. A general framework of analyzing the fundamental limits of wideband localization has been developed in Part I of the paper. Here, we build on this framework and establish the fundamental limits of wideband cooperative location-aware networks. Our analysis is based on the waveforms received at the nodes, in conjunction with Fisher information inequality. We provide a geometrical interpretation of equivalent Fisher information for cooperative networks. This approach allows us to succinctly derive fundamental performance limits and their scaling behaviors, and to treat anchors and agents in a unified way from the perspective of localization accuracy. Our results yield important insights into how and when cooperation is beneficial.Comment: To appear in IEEE Transactions on Information Theor

Performance Limits and Geometric Properties of Array Localization

Location-aware networks are of great importance and interest in both civil and military applications. This paper determines the localization accuracy of an agent, which is equipped with an antenna array and localizes itself using wireless measurements with anchor nodes, in a far-field environment. In view of the Cram\'er-Rao bound, we first derive the localization information for static scenarios and demonstrate that such information is a weighed sum of Fisher information matrices from each anchor-antenna measurement pair. Each matrix can be further decomposed into two parts: a distance part with intensity proportional to the squared baseband effective bandwidth of the transmitted signal and a direction part with intensity associated with the normalized anchor-antenna visual angle. Moreover, in dynamic scenarios, we show that the Doppler shift contributes additional direction information, with intensity determined by the agent velocity and the root mean squared time duration of the transmitted signal. In addition, two measures are proposed to evaluate the localization performance of wireless networks with different anchor-agent and array-antenna geometries, and both formulae and simulations are provided for typical anchor deployments and antenna arrays.Comment: to appear in IEEE Transactions on Information Theor

Indoor wireless communications and applications

Chapter 3 addresses challenges in radio link and system design in indoor scenarios. Given the fact that most human activities take place in indoor environments, the need for supporting ubiquitous indoor data connectivity and location/tracking service becomes even more important than in the previous decades. Specific technical challenges addressed in this section are(i), modelling complex indoor radio channels for effective antenna deployment, (ii), potential of millimeter-wave (mm-wave) radios for supporting higher data rates, and (iii), feasible indoor localisation and tracking techniques, which are summarised in three dedicated sections of this chapter

Inter-Node Distance Estimation from Multipath Delay Differences of Channels to Observer Nodes

We study the estimation of distance d between two wireless nodes by means of their wideband channels to a third node, called observer. The motivating principle is that the channel impulse responses are similar for small d and drift apart when d increases. Following this idea we propose specific distance estimators based on the differences of path delays of the extractable multipath components. In particular, we derive such estimators for rich multipath environments and various important cases: with and without clock synchronization as well as errors on the extracted path delays (e.g. due to limited bandwidth). The estimators readily support (and benefit from) the presence of multiple observers. We present an error analysis and, using ray tracing in an exemplary indoor environment, show that the estimators perform well in realistic conditions. We describe possible localization applications of the proposed scheme and highlight its major advantages: it requires neither precise synchronization nor line-of-sight connection. This could make wireless user tracking feasible in dynamic indoor settings.Comment: To appear at IEEE ICC 2019. This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessibl