Cooperative joint synchronization and localization using time delay measurements

In this paper a novel algorithm is proposed for joint synchronization and localization in ad hoc networks. The proposed algorithm is based on broadcast messaging, with number of messages linear to the number of nodes, versus quadratic for techniques based on two-way message exchange. The identifiability of network synchronization problem is improved by introducing localization constraints. Hence, the proposed algorithm does not require a full set of measurements. Numerical results are provided using a model based on wireless LAN specifications. In scenarios with missing data, the proposed algorithm significantly improves synchronization and localization performance compared to commonly used techniques.