Time delay based location estimation in decode-and-forward cooperative relay networks

In this paper, we study the fundamental limits for time delay based location estimation in decode-and-forward (DF) cooperative relay networks. The Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) expression for location estimation of source node in cooperative relay networks is derived under DF relaying strategy. The theoretical limits are investigated under different node topologies. Specifically, the effects of node positions on the location estimation accuracy are studied assuming that the locations of the destination and relay nodes are known. The results show that the node positions affect the CRLB for location estimation significantly in cooperative relay networks. In addition, increasing the number of relay nodes in the cooperative relay networks improves the estimation accuracy.