RSSI-based localization enhancement by exploiting interference signals

Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)-based localization is of interest in indoor localization systems. In this study, we propose a method to improve localization accuracy using interference-oriented fluctuation. We estimate the distance between target and beacon nodes by utilizing the nodes located around them. When the beacon node transmits a signal to the target for measuring the distance, the surrounding nodes also transmit a copy of the signal. Such signals cause interference patterns at the beacon, thereby randomizing the RSSI. Our developed statistical signal processing enables the estimation of the strength of the received signal with the randomized RSSI. We numerically show that the distance between the target and beacon nodes is estimated with lower error than when using the conventional method. In addition, such accurate distance estimation allows significant improvement in localization performance. Our approach is useful for indoor localization systems, for example, those in medical and industrial applications.