UWB positioning with virtual anchors and floor plan information

This paper describes an indoor positioning method using ultra-wideband (UWB) signals from one single transmitter at a known location together with a-priori floor plan information. The position of the receiver is estimated from the signal reflections in the room walls and the direct signal path. Therefore, the algorithm is inherently robust to non-line-of-sight conditions, which are considered a key problem in range-based positioning. We introduce likelihood models for the individual range measurements that correspond to single and double reflections. Using the room geometry, these reflections can be mapped to virtual anchors at known positions and the multilateration problem can be solved using statistical techniques. Simulation results show that this approach of position estimation is a promising candidate for robust and accurate localization.