Calibration-free WLAN location system based on dynamic mapping of signal strength

ABSTRACT

In this work we present a calibration-free system for locating wireless local area network devices, based on the radio frequency characteristics of such networks. Calibration procedures are applied in a great number of proposed location techniques and are considered to be not practical or a considerable barrier to wider adoption of such methods. Thus, we addressed issues related to some aspects of location systems through, an architecture based on wireless sniffers and by constructing a location model based on signal propagation models, in which its parameters are calculated in real time. This guarantee good self-sufficiency and adaptation capacity to the proposed system, once it does not need human intervention to work, neither from the network administrator or the wireless user being located. Moreover, a probabilistic method was used for estimating wireless devices positions, based on the previous constructed model. We later demonstrate the feasibility of our approach by reporting results of field tests in which the proposed technique was implemented and validated in a real-world indoor environment.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Wireless communication

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Network topology
      C.2.3 Network Operations
          Subjects: Network management; Network monitoring
  C.4 PERFORMANCE OF SYSTEMS
      Subjects: Measurement techniques

  G. Mathematics of Computing
  G.3 PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
      Subjects: Distribution functions; Experimental design

General Terms:
Experimentation, Measurement, Performance, Security

Keywords:
RF-based location estimation, calibration-free, propagation model, wireless LAN, wireless sniffers