Received signal strength based location estimation of a wireless LAN client

We consider the problem of identifying the location of a mobile client in an IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN. We propose an estimation algorithm that utilizes received signal strength (RSS) measurements provided by most 802.11b physical layer implementations. In contrast to traditional radio map-based methods that require a burdensome map building phase, the proposed algorithm requires no prior training by employing a probabilistic RSS model that is derived from indoor signal propagation models and the blueprint of the building in which the location estimation system is being deployed. Experimental studies demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method.