An algorithm for mapping the positions of point scatterers

Abstract

We investigate the feasibility of mapping point scatterers based only on multipath signal component delay estimates, i.e., no angle-of-arrival information is assumed to be available. In this work we focus on the generation of input data to a point scatterer mapping algorithm that was recently proposed in (Rydstrom, 2008). In an effort to make the mapping problem computationally tractable in ultra-wide band networks, we first propose a mechanism that detects the presence of new point scatterers in an environment, and reduces the number of unwanted signal components due to other scattering objects in the environment. We also propose to group signal components into clusters, and base delay estimates on the cluster arrival times, instead of on individual signal components. Computer simulations of an ultra-wide band network indicate that reasonably accurate point scatterer mapping should indeed be feasible in some scenarios using only estimates of signal component delay.