Precise Indoor Localization: Rapidly-Converging 2D Surface Correlation-Based Fingerprinting Technology Using LTE Signal

This study proposes a 2D surface correlation-based indoor localization technology using LTE fingerprinting with an accuracy of several meters. The most important problem with RF fingerprinting is that the location discernment of signal strength becomes exceedingly low as the distance from the RF signal source increases. Instantaneous RSS measurement based conventional fingerprinting involves the installation of several signal sources to improve location discernment. However, additional installations of LTE base stations (BSs) are impossible. To improve location discernment, the proposed technology utilizes a spatial RSS pattern extracted using the Pedestrian-Dead Reckoning during user movement. The use of the proposed technology greatly improves the accuracy and availability of LTE signals using the pattern. Additionally, the following two points should be considered. First, the spatially accumulated pattern contains location errors that can cause pattern distortion. The proposed technology performs pattern correction through feature matching using RSS mark and crossroad locations. Second, the accuracy of pattern matching may be decreased prior to sufficient pattern accumulation. For the rapid convergence of the pattern matching, the proposed technology performs correlation pattern analysis. This approach detects the point in which the discernment is increased by pattern accumulation and limits the search range around the matching point. To verify the performance, we conducted tests in a shopping mall where only one LTE BS ID is available. Consequently, the convergence distance of pattern matching was improved by 69% after pattern analysis. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the localization error after convergence improved from 4.16 m to 2.82 m.