Hidden Markov models for radio localization in mixed LOS/NLOS conditions

Abstract—This paper deals with the problem of radio localization of moving terminals (MTs) for indoor applications with mixed line-of-sight/non-line-of-sight (LOS/NLOS) conditions. To reduce false localizations, a grid-based Bayesian approach is proposed to jointly track the sequence of the positions and the sight conditions of the MT. This method is based on the assumption that both the MT position and the sight condition are Markov chains whose state is hidden in the received signals [hidden Markov model (HMM)]. The observations used for the HMM localization are obtained from the power-delay profile of the received signals. In ultrawideband (UWB) systems, the use of the whole power-delay profile, rather than the total power only, allows to reach higher localization accuracy, as the power-profile is a joint measurement of time of arrival and power. Numerical results show that the proposed HMM method improves the accuracy of localization with respect to conventional ranging methods, especially in mixed LOS/NLOS indoor environments. Index Terms—Bayesian estimation, hidden Markov models (HMM), mobile positioning, source localization, tracking algorithms

HMM-Based tracking of moving terminals in dense multipath indoor environments

This paper deals with the problem of radio localization of moving terminals (MTs) for indoor applications with mixed line-of sight/non-line-of-sight (LOS/NLOS) conditions. To reduce false localizations, a Bayesian approach is proposed to estimate the MT position. The tracking algorithm is based on a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) that permits to jointly track both the MT position and the sight condition. Numerical results show that the proposed HMM method improves the localization accuracy in LOS/NLOS indoor environments

Target Tracking in Confined Environments with Uncertain Sensor Positions

To ensure safety in confined environments such as mines or subway tunnels, a (wireless) sensor network can be deployed to monitor various environmental conditions. One of its most important applications is to track personnel, mobile equipment and vehicles. However, the state-of-the-art algorithms assume that the positions of the sensors are perfectly known, which is not necessarily true due to imprecise placement and/or dropping of sensors. Therefore, we propose an automatic approach for simultaneous refinement of sensors' positions and target tracking. We divide the considered area in a finite number of cells, define dynamic and measurement models, and apply a discrete variant of belief propagation which can efficiently solve this high-dimensional problem, and handle all non-Gaussian uncertainties expected in this kind of environments. Finally, we use ray-tracing simulation to generate an artificial mine-like environment and generate synthetic measurement data. According to our extensive simulation study, the proposed approach performs significantly better than standard Bayesian target tracking and localization algorithms, and provides robustness against outliers.Comment: IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 201

Mobile Location with NLOS Identification and Mitigation Based on Modified Kalman Filtering

In order to enhance accuracy and reliability of wireless location in the mixed line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments, a robust mobile location algorithm is presented to track the position of a mobile node (MN). An extended Kalman filter (EKF) modified in the updating phase is utilized to reduce the NLOS error in rough wireless environments, in which the NLOS bias contained in each measurement range is estimated directly by the constrained optimization method. To identify the change of channel situation between NLOS and LOS, a low complexity identification method based on innovation vectors is proposed. Numerical results illustrate that the location errors of the proposed algorithm are all significantly smaller than those of the iterated NLOS EKF algorithm and the conventional EKF algorithm in different LOS/NLOS conditions. Moreover, this location method does not require any statistical distribution knowledge of the NLOS error. In addition, complexity experiments suggest that this algorithm supports real-time applications

A Markov Model for Dynamic Behavior of Toa-Based Ranging in Indoor Localization

The existence of undetected direct path ( UDP) conditions causes occurrence of unexpected large random ranging errors which pose a serious challenge to precise indoor localization using time of arrival ( ToA). Therefore, analysis of the behavior of the ranging error is essential for the design of precise ToA-based indoor localization systems. In this paper, we propose a novel analytical framework for the analysis of the dynamic spatial variations of ranging error observed by a mobile user based on an application of Markov chain. the model relegates the behavior of ranging error into four main categories associated with four states of the Markov process. the parameters of distributions of ranging error in each Markov state are extracted from empirical data collected from a measurement calibrated ray tracing ( RT) algorithm simulating a typical office environment. the analytical derivation of parameters of the Markov model employs the existing path loss models for the first detected path and total multipath received power in the same office environment. Results of simulated errors from the Markov model and actual errors from empirical data show close agreement

Estimation of Spatial Fields of Nlos/Los Conditions for Improved Localization in Indoor Environments

A major challenge in indoor localization is the presence or absence of line-of-sight (LOS). The absence of LOS, denoted as non-line-of-sight (NLOS), directly affects the accuracy of any localization algorithm because of the induced bias in ranging. The estimation of the spatial distribution of NLOS-induced ranging bias in indoor environments remains a major challenge. In this paper, we propose a novel crowd-based Bayesian learning approach to the estimation of bias fields caused by LOS/NLOS conditions. The proposed method is based on the concept of Gaussian processes and exploits numerous measurements. The performance of the method is demonstrated with extensive experiments