Precise indoor localization using PHY layer information

  • Authors:
  • Souvik Sen;Romit Roy Choudhury;Bozidar Radunovic;Tom Minka

  • Affiliations:
  • Duke University;Duke University;Microsoft Research, UK;Microsoft Research, UK

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 10th ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Networks
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

This paper shows the viability of precise indoor localization using physical layer information in WiFi systems. We find that channel frequency responses across multiple OFDM sub-carriers can be suitably aggregated into a location fingerprint. While these fingerprints vary over time and environmental mobility, we notice that their core structure preserves certain properties that are amenable to localization. We demonstrate these ideas through a functional prototype, implemented on off-the-shelf Intel 5300 cards (that export per-subcarrier information to the driver). We evaluate the prototype using the existing APs inside a busy building, a cafeteria, and a museum, and demonstrate localization accuracies in the granularity of 1m × 1m boxes, called spots. Results show that our system, PinLoc, is able to localize users to a spot with 90% mean accuracy, while incurring less than 6% false positives. We believe this holds promise towards an important development in indoor localization.