Optimization of WLAN Indoor Location Network Based on Signal Coverage Requirement

This paper presents the optimal networking strategy based on signal coverage requirement in wireless local area network (WLAN) indoor location environment. Up to now, much attention has been paid for the improvement of various positioning algorithms to guarantee the location efficiency in WLAN environment. However, the layout of access points (APs) and corresponding topological structures also significantly influence the accuracy performance. Therefore, in order to fill this gap, the optimization of WLAN indoor location network is introduced. Firstly, the indoor signal propagation model is analyzed in order to obtain the field distributions and calculate the requirement matrix. Then, the requirement matrix is utilized to optimize the numbers and positions of APs with best signal coverage performance. Furthermore, in the target location region with dimensions of 66.4×24.9m², the feasibility and effectiveness of optimal WLAN networking strategy are verified by the typical positioning algorithm nearest neighbor (NN) respectively in the straight corridors and regular office rooms.