METHOD TO OBTAIN ACCURATE VERTICAL COMPONENT ESTIMATES IN 3D POSITIONING

• US 20140303929A1
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Umm Al-Qura University
• Original Assignee: Umm Al-Qura University
• Inventors: KHALAF-ALLAH, MOHAMED
• Application Number:
  US13/856,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20140303929A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/152
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence

Abstract

The method to obtain accurate vertical component estimates in 3D positioning provides a closed-form least-squares solution based on time-difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements for the three-dimensional source location problem. The method provides an extension of an existing closed-form algorithm. The method utilizes the full set of the available TDOA measurements to increase the number of nuisance parameters. These nuisance parameters are range estimates from the source to the sensors, which the method uses for delivering accurate estimates of the vertical component of the source'"'"'s location, even when quasi-coplanar sensors are employed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to obtain accurate vertical component estimates in 3D positioning of a radiating source, comprising the steps of:

using known locations of an array of N sensors, N≧

5, in a 3-D Cartesian coordinate system;

using the array of sensors to observe time difference of arrival (TDOA) signals from a radiating source located at an unknown position in the 3-D Cartesian coordinate system;

iteratively using a single sensor of the sensor array as a reference sensor during the s time difference of arrival observation, thereby assisting determination of a Euclidian vector estimating the 3-D position of the radiating source;

extracting nuisance parameter 3-D range estimates from the TDOA observation, the nuisance parameter 3-D range estimates being used to increase estimation accuracy of the radiating source'"'"'s height;

determining a best sensor of the sensor array based on comparative measurements of the iteratively used reference sensor;

determining a minimum height difference between the radiating source and the best sensor of the sensor array; and

adjusting a known vertical position of the best sensor by the minimum height difference, thereby improving accuracy of estimation of the radiating source'"'"'s height.

2. The computer-implemented method to obtain accurate vertical component estimates in 3D positioning according to claim 1, wherein said observations comprise computing a set of measurements characterized by the relation:

3. The computer-implemented method to obtain accurate vertical component estimates in 3D positioning according to claim 2, wherein said minimum height determination step further comprises performing an intermediate computation according to the relation:

4. The computer-implemented method to obtain accurate vertical component estimates in 3D positioning according to claim 3, wherein said best sensor known vertical position adjustment step comprises a final calculation according to the relation:

{circumflex over (z)}_s=z<sub>best—

sensor</sub>±

h_min,

where h_min is said minimum height difference.

5. A computer software product, comprising a non-transitory medium readable by a processor, the non-transitory medium having stored thereon a set of instructions for performing a method to obtain accurate vertical component estimates in 3D positioning of a radiating source, the set of instructions including:

(a) a first sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to use known locations of an array of N sensors, N≧

5, in a 3-D Cartesian coordinate system;

(b) a second sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to use said array of sensors to observe time difference of arrival (TDOA) signals from a radiating source located at an unknown position in said 3-D Cartesian coordinate system;

(c) a third sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to iteratively use a single sensor of said sensor array as a reference sensor during said time difference of arrival observation thereby assisting determination of a Euclidian vector estimating the 3-D position of said radiating source;

(d) a fourth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to extract nuisance parameter 3-D range estimates from said TDOA observation, said nuisance parameter 3-D range estimates being used to increase estimation accuracy of said radiating source'"'"'s height;

(e) a fifth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to determine a best sensor of said sensor array based on comparative measurements of said iteratively used reference sensor;

(f) a sixth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to determine a minimum height difference between said radiating source and said best sensor of said sensor array; and

(g) a seventh sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to adjust a known vertical position of said best sensor by said minimum height difference thereby improving accuracy of measurement of said radiating source'"'"'s height.

6. The computer product according to claim 5, wherein said observations comprise an eighth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to compute a set of measurements characterized by the relation:

7. The computer product according to claim 6, further comprising a ninth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to perform an intermediate minimum height determining computation according to the relation:

8. The computer product according to claim 7, further comprising a tenth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to perform a final vertical position adjustment calculation according to the relation:

{circumflex over (Z)}_s=z<sub>best—

sensor</sub>±

h_min,

where h_min is said minimum height difference.