Ranging Error Mitigation for Through-the-Wall Non-Line-of-Sight Conditions

Abstract

Accurate ranging and localization in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions is an open research problem. In indoor environments, NLOS causes ranging and location errors due to reflections, refraction, and other propagation phenomena. This article proposes a method to mitigate ranging errors caused by through-the-wall (TTW) NLOS conditions. We develop a TTW ranging model that has less parameters than the conventional ranging model found in the literature and evaluate it using measurements from ultrawideband radios. The developed ranging model expresses the difference between NLOS and line-of-sight (LOS) ranges, i.e., bias, in terms of walls’ relative permittivity and thickness. NLOS ranges expressed with the proposed TTW ranging model are used as input to a trilateration algorithm. The proposed method is evaluated via simulations, and it is shown that localization using the simplified ranging model as input to the trilateration algorithm effectively mitigates NLOS ranging errors, resulting in location estimates that are close to LOS location estimates.