Validation of a novel radio location technique by a deterministic propagation model

A radio location system operates by measuring physical quantities related to radio signals traveling between a mobile terminal (MT) and a set of fixed base stations (BSs). In order to reduce the implementation complexity and the signalling overhead, the solution presented makes use of a single BS to locate unmodified MTs. The novel algorithm applies a triangulation technique supported by minimal information about the environment in the BS neighborhood. The proposed algorithm is compatible with the architecture of 3G cellular networks, as it relies on CDMA (code division multiple access) signalling and a BS array antenna for the estimation of the time delay and of the angle of arrival, respectively. Despite its modest implementation complexity, the proposed algorithm can predict the MT position with a fairly good accuracy, as demonstrated by numerical tests performed by resorting to a fully 3D deterministic propagation model developed at the University of Pisa.