Método Basado en Multilateración para Geolocalización y Sincronización en Redes UMTS

Abstract

In this work, a method in order to jointly estimate the position of the different User Equipments (UEs) and the Relative Time Differences (RTDs) between base stations in UMTS networks is proposed. This method is based on the hyperbolic multilateration technique defined from the Time Differences of Arrival (TDOAs) and the resolution of a nonlinear system of equations. A comparative study between two well-known iterative algorithms, Gauss-Newton and Levenberg-Marquardt, is obtained by employing real data collected from drive tests in urban and sub-urban areas. The accuracy of the obtained results is mainly related to multipath errors associated with the measurements carried out by UEs, and with errors introduced by the numerical method. By considering that, it can be concluded that Levenberg-Marquardt gives better results, providing faster convergence, higher accuracy and more robustness, provided that its parameters are properly optimized.