CIR Parametric Rules Precocity For Ranging Error Mitigation In IR-UWB

The cutting-edge technology to support high ranging accuracy within the indoor environment is Impulse Radio Ultra Wide Band (IR-UWB) standard. Besides accuracy, IR-UWB’s low-complex architecture and low power consumption align well with mobile devices. A prime challenge in indoor IR-UWB based localization is to achieve a position accuracy under non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and multipath propagation (MPP) conditions. Another challenge is to achieve acceptable accuracy in the conditions mentioned above without any significant increase in latency and computational burden. This dissertation proposes a solution for addressing the accuracy and reliability problem of indoor localization system satisfying acceptable delay or computational complexity overhead. The proposed methodology is based on rules for identification of line-of-sight (LOS) and NLOS and the range error bias estimation and correction due to NLOS and MPP conditions. The proposed methodology provides accuracy for two major application domains, namely, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and indoor tracking and navigation (ITN). This dissertation offers two different solutions for the localization problem. The first solution is a rules-based classification of LOS / NLOS and geometric-based range correction for WSN. In the first solution, the Boolean logic based classification is designed for identification of LOS/NLOS. The logic is based on channel impulse response (CIR) parameters. The second solution is based on fuzzy logic. The fuzzy based solution is appealing well for the stringent precision requirements in ITN. In this solution, the parametric Boolean logic from the first solution is converted and expanded into rules. These rules are implemented into a fuzzy logic based mechanism for designing a fuzzy inference system. The system estimates the ranging errors and correcting unmitigated ranges. The expanded rules and designed methodology are based on theoretical analysis and empirical observations of the parameters. The rules accommodate the parameters uncertainties for estimating the ranging error through the relationship between the input parameters uncertainties and ranging error using fuzzy inference mechanism. The proposed solutions are evaluated using real-world measurements in different indoor environments. The performance of the proposed solutions is also evaluated in terms of true classification rate, residual ranging errors’ cumulative distributions and probability density distributions, as well as outage probabilities. Evaluation results show that the true classification rate is more than 95%. Moreover, using the proposed fuzzy logic based solution, the residual errors convergence of 90% is attained for error threshold of 10 cm, and the reliability of the localization system is also more than 90% for error threshold of 15 cm

Identification and Mitigation of NLOS based on Channel Information Rules for Indoor UWB Localization

Indoor localization is an emerging technology that can be utilized for developing products and services for commercial usage, public safety, military applications and so forth. Commercially it can be applied to track children, people with special needs, help navigate blind people, locate equipment, mobile robots, etc. The objective of this thesis is to enable an indoor mobile vehicle to determine its location and thereby making it capable of autonomous localization under Non-light of sight (NLOS) conditions. The solution developed is based on Ultra Wideband (UWB) based Indoor Positioning System (IPS) in the building. The proposed method increases robustness, scalability, and accuracy of location. The out of the box system of DecaWave TREK1000 provides tag tracking features but has no method to detect and mitigate location inaccuracies due to the multipath effect from physical obstacles found in an indoor environment. This NLOS condition causes ranges to be positively biased, hence the wrong location is reported. Our approach to deal with the NLOS problem is based on the use of Rules Classifier, which is based on channel information. Once better range readings are achieved, approximate location is calculated based on Time of Flight (TOF). Moreover, the proposed rule based IPS can be easily implemented on hardware due to the low complexity. The measurement results, which was obtained using the proposed mitigation algorithm, show considerable improvements in the accuracy of the location estimation which can be used in different IPS applications requiring centimeter level precision. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated experimentally using an indoor positioning platform in a laboratory environment, and is shown to be significantly better than conventional approaches. The maximum positioning error is reduced to 15 cm for NLOS using both an offline and real time tracking algorithm extended from the proposed approach

Probabilistic Graphical Models: an Application in Synchronization and Localization

Die Lokalisierung von mobilen Nutzern (MU) in sehr dichten Netzen erfordert häufig die Synchronisierung der Access Points (APs) untereinander. Erstens konzentriert sich diese Arbeit auf die Lösung des Problems der Zeitsynchronisation in 5G-Netzwerken, indem ein hybrider Bayesischer Ansatz für die Schätzung des Taktversatzes und des Versatzes verwendet wird. Wir untersuchen und demonstrieren den beträchtlichen Nutzen der Belief Propagation (BP), die auf factor graphs läuft, um eine präzise netzwerkweite Synchronisation zu erreichen. Darüber hinaus nutzen wir die Vorteile der Bayesischen Rekursiven Filterung (BRF), um den Zeitstempel-Fehler bei der paarweisen Synchronisierung zu verringern. Schließlich zeigen wir die Vorzüge der hybriden Synchronisation auf, indem wir ein großes Netzwerk in gemeinsame und lokale Synchronisationsdomänen unterteilen und so den am besten geeigneten Synchronisationsalgorithmus (BP- oder BRF-basiert) auf jede Domäne anwenden können. Zweitens schlagen wir einen Deep Neural Network (DNN)-gestützten Particle Filter-basierten (DePF)-Ansatz vor, um das gemeinsame MU-Sync&loc-Problem zu lösen. Insbesondere setzt DePF einen asymmetrischen Zeitstempel-Austauschmechanismus zwischen den MUs und den APs ein, der Informationen über den Taktversatz, die Zeitverschiebung der MUs, und die AP-MU Abstand liefert. Zur Schätzung des Ankunftswinkels des empfangenen Synchronisierungspakets nutzt DePF den multiple signal classification Algorithmus, der durch die Channel Impulse Response (CIR) der Synchronisierungspakete gespeist wird. Die CIR wird auch genutzt, um den Verbindungszustand zu bestimmen, d. h. Line-of-Sight (LoS) oder Non-LoS (NLoS). Schließlich nutzt DePF particle Gaussian mixtures, die eine hybride partikelbasierte und parametrische BRF-Fusion der vorgenannten Informationen ermöglichen und die Position und die Taktparameter der MUs gemeinsam schätzen.Mobile User (MU) localization in ultra dense networks often requires, on one hand, the Access Points (APs) to be synchronized among each other, and, on the other hand, the MU-AP synchronization. In this work, we firstly address the former, which eventually provides a basis for the latter, i.e., for the joint MU synchronization and localization (sync&loc). In particular, firstly, this work focuses on tackling the time synchronization problem in 5G networks by adopting a hybrid Bayesian approach for clock offset and skew estimation. Specifically, we investigate and demonstrate the substantial benefit of Belief Propagation (BP) running on Factor Graphs (FGs) in achieving precise network-wide synchronization. Moreover, we take advantage of Bayesian Recursive Filtering (BRF) to mitigate the time-stamping error in pairwise synchronization. Finally, we reveal the merit of hybrid synchronization by dividing a large-scale network into common and local synchronization domains, thereby being able to apply the most suitable synchronization algorithm (BP- or BRF-based) on each domain. Secondly, we propose a Deep Neural Network (DNN)-assisted Particle Filter-based (DePF) approach to address the MU joint sync&loc problem. In particular, DePF deploys an asymmetric time-stamp exchange mechanism between the MUs and the APs, which provides information about the MUs' clock offset, skew, and AP-MU distance. In addition, to estimate the Angle of Arrival (AoA) of the received synchronization packet, DePF draws on the Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm that is fed by the Channel Impulse Response (CIR) experienced by the sync packets. The CIR is also leveraged on to determine the link condition, i.e. Line-of-Sight (LoS) or Non-LoS (NLoS). Finally DePF capitalizes on particle Gaussian mixtures which allow for a hybrid particle-based and parametric BRF fusion of the aforementioned pieces of information and jointly estimate the position and clock parameters of the MUs

Environmental Cross-Validation of NLOS Machine Learning Classification/Mitigation with Low-Cost UWB Positioning Systems

[Abstract] Indoor positioning systems based on radio frequency inherently present multipath-related phenomena. This causes ranging systems such as ultra-wideband (UWB) to lose accuracy when detecting secondary propagation paths between two devices. If a positioning algorithm uses ranging measurements without considering these phenomena, it will face critical errors in estimating the position. This work analyzes the performance obtained in a localization system when combining location algorithms with machine learning techniques applied to a previous classification and mitigation of the propagation effects. For this purpose, real-world cross-scenarios are considered, where the data extracted from low-cost UWB devices for training the algorithms come from a scenario different from that considered for the test. The experimental results reveal that machine learning (ML) techniques are suitable for detecting non-line-of-sight (NLOS) ranging values in this situation.Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2016-045Xunta de Galicia; ED431G/01Agencia Estatal de Investigación de España; TEC2016-75067-C4-1-

Accurate Range-based Indoor Localization Using PSO-Kalman Filter Fusion

Accurate indoor localization often depends on infrastructure support for distance estimation in range-based techniques. One can also trade off accuracy to reduce infrastructure investment by using relative positions of other nodes, as in range-free localization. Even for range-based methods where accurate Ultra-WideBand (UWB) signals are used, non line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions pose significant difficulty in accurate indoor localization. Existing solutions rely on additional measurements from sensors and typically correct the noise using a Kalman filter (KF). Solutions can also be customized to specific environments through extensive profiling. In this work, a range-based indoor localization algorithm called PSO - Kalman Filter Fusion (PKFF) is proposed that minimizes the effects of NLOS on localization error without using additional sensors or profiling. Location estimates from a windowed Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and a dynamically adjusted KF are fused based on a weighted variance factor. PKFF achieved a 40% lower 90-percentile root-mean-square localization error (RMSE) over the standard least squares trilateration algorithm at 61 cm compared to 102 cm

Bias Compensation for UWB Ranging for Pedestrian Geolocation Applications

We present an effective bias compensation method to process none-line-of-sight (NLoS) and long distance line-of-sight (LD-LoS) ultra wideband (UWB) range measurement signals used to aid a pedestrian inertial navigation system (INS). The common UWB bias compensation techniques use machine learning methods to identify and remove the bias in the measurements. These techniques are computationally expensive and require extensive prior data. Here, we propose to use an algorithmic compensation technique that accounts for the bias by estimating it using the Schmidt-Kalman filter (SKF). Next, we exploit the positivity of the error in the UWB range measurements to propose a novel constrained sigma point based correction filtering that can be used atop the SKF for further improvement in the positioning accuracy of the UWB-aided pedestrian inertial navigation. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods

Edge inference for UWB ranging error correction using autoencoders

Indoor localization knows many applications, such as industry 4.0, warehouses, healthcare, drones, etc., where high accuracy becomes more critical than ever. Recent advances in ultra-wideband localization systems allow high accuracies for multiple active users in line-of-sight environments, while they still introduce errors above 300 mm in non-line-of-sight environments due to multi-path effects. Current work tries to improve the localization accuracy of ultra-wideband through offline error correction approaches using popular machine learning techniques. However, these techniques are still limited to simple environments with few multi-path effects and focus on offline correction. With the upcoming demand for high accuracy and low latency indoor localization systems, there is a need to deploy (online) efficient error correction techniques with fast response times in dynamic and complex environments. To address this, we propose (i) a novel semi-supervised autoencoder-based machine learning approach for improving ranging accuracy of ultra-wideband localization beyond the limitations of current improvements while aiming for performance improvements and a small memory footprint and (ii) an edge inference architecture for online UWB ranging error correction. As such, this paper allows the design of accurate localization systems by using machine learning for low-cost edge devices. Compared to a deep neural network (as state-of-the-art, with a baseline error of 75 mm) the proposed autoencoder achieves a 29% higher accuracy. The proposed approach leverages robust and accurate ultra-wideband localization, which reduces the errors from 214 mm without correction to 58 mm with correction. Validation of edge inference using the proposed autoencoder on a NVIDIA Jetson Nano demonstrates significant uplink bandwidth savings and allows up to 20 rapidly ranging anchors per edge GPU

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

WiFi Access Points Line-of-Sight Detection for Indoor Positioning Using the Signal Round Trip Time

The emerging WiFi Round Trip Time measured by the IEEE 802.11mc standard promised sub-meter-level accuracy for WiFi-based indoor positioning systems, under the assumption of an ideal line-of-sight path to the user. However, most workplaces with furniture and complex interiors cause the wireless signals to reflect, attenuate, and diffract in different directions. Therefore, detecting the non-line-of-sight condition of WiFi Access Points is crucial for enhancing the performance of indoor positioning systems. To this end, we propose a novel feature selection algorithm for non-line-of-sight identification of the WiFi Access Points. Using the WiFi Received Signal Strength and Round Trip Time as inputs, our algorithm employs multi-scale selection and Machine Learning-based weighting methods to choose the most optimal feature sets. We evaluate the algorithm on a complex campus WiFi dataset to demonstrate a detection accuracy of 93% for all 13 Access Points using 34 out of 130 features and only 3 s of test samples at any given time. For individual Access Point line-of-sight identification, our algorithm achieved an accuracy of up to 98%. Finally, we make the dataset available publicly for further research

A loose-coupled fusion of inertial and UWB assisted by a decision-making algorithm for localization of emergency responders

Combining different technologies is gaining significant popularity among researchers and industry for the development of indoor positioning systems (IPSs). These hybrid IPSs emerge as a robust solution for indoor localization as the drawbacks of each technology can be mitigated or even eliminated by using complementary technologies. However, fusing position estimates from different technologies is still very challenging and, therefore, a hot research topic. In this work, we pose fusing the ultrawideband (UWB) position estimates with the estimates provided by a pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) by using a Kalman filter. To improve the IPS accuracy, a decision-making algorithm was developed that aims to assess the usability of UWB measurements based on the identification of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions. Three different data fusion algorithms are tested, based on three different time-of-arrival positioning algorithms, and experimental results show a localization accuracy of below 1.5 m for a 99th percentile.This work has been partially supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2019 and Project UID/CTM/00264/2019 of 2C2T - Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, funded by National Founds through FCT/MCTES. The work of A. G. Ferreira and D. Fernandes was supported by the FCT under Grant SFRH/BD/91477/2012 and Grant SFRH/BD/92082/2012