TOA Estimation Techniques: A Comparison

This chapter introduces time‐of‐arrival (TOA) techniques used in many localization systems. It focuses on wideband TOA estimation techniques and describes ultra‐wideband localization methods. The chapter discusses different categories of TOA techniques that include correlation‐based approaches, deconvolution methods, maximum likelihood‐based methods, subspace‐based methods, and blind signal separation‐based approaches. It presents mathematical details of the introduced techniques. These techniques are compared in terms of complexity, sensitivity to noise, performance in closely spaced and distant paths scenarios, and a priori information needed as input. The chapter investigates blind TOA techniques and also introduces a new technique based on independent component analysis. Finally, it discusses multiband range estimation that enables cognitive radios to attain higher localization performance. In order to help the reader understand these concepts better, some TOA estimation examples and their relevant MATLAB codes are also incorporated.