A change-detection approach to mobile node localization in bounded domains

The paper presents a novel algorithm based on a change-detection approach to localize nodes moving in a bounded region where the transversal direction has much more limited extent compared to the longitudinal one (e.g., roads, rails, corridors, etc.). The proposed method allows a mobile node to detect the time instant it crosses a radiofrequency source, either fixed or mobile, that transmits a signal of opportunity. The detection is based on a generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) aimed at discriminating whether the angle-of-arrival (AOA) estimates obtained from such signal are significantly different from zero or not. The detected crossing events can be then used by the mobile node to improve the accuracy of its position estimate. Simulation results are provided for a realistic application scenario, which demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can achieve satisfactory localization performance with low computational complexity, thus representing a possible alternative to state-of-art position estimation methods in transversally-bounded localization domains.