Designing beacon mobility to improve target localization from range measurements

Traditionally, multiple fixed beacons are required to localize a target node using methods such as trilateration. Under this scenario, localization accuracy can be greatly affected by the geometric configuration of the beacons. In this paper, the fixed beacons are replaced by a single mobile beacon that takes range measurements from multiple locations in order to localize a stationary target. The mobility pattern of the beacon thus replaces geometric configuration as one of the major factors affecting localization accuracy. The mobility pattern can either be predetermined to minimize average localization error or the pattern can be determined during the localization process.