Millimeter Wave Position Location using Multipath Differentiation for 3GPP using Field Measurements

TL;DR

This paper explores millimeter wave cellular positioning, leveraging multipath differentiation and field measurements to achieve sub-meter accuracy in indoor environments, enhancing 3GPP standards.

Contribution

It introduces a map-based position location algorithm using multipath data validated with real field measurements at mmWave frequencies.

Findings

Achieved mean accuracy of 5.72 cm at 28 GHz and 6.29 cm at 140 GHz.

Validated the algorithm in an indoor environment with distances up to 32.3 m.

Demonstrated real-time feasible complexity of the proposed method.

Abstract

3GPP air interface standards support meter-level position location of a user in a cellular network. With wider bandwidths and narrow antenna beamwidths available at mmWave frequencies, cellular networks now have the potential to provide sub-meter position location for each user. In this work, we provide an overview of 3GPP position location techniques that are designed for line-of-sight propagation. We discuss additional measurements required in the 3GPP standard that enable multipath-based non-line-of-sight position location. Further, we validate the concepts in this paper by using field data to test a map-based position location algorithm in an indoor office environment which has dimensions of 35 m by 65.5 m. We demonstrate how the fusion of angle of arrival and time of flight information in concert with a 3-D map of the office provides a mean accuracy of 5.72 cm at 28 GHz and 6.29 cm at 140 GHz, over 23 receiver distances ranging from 4.2 m to 32.3 m, using a single base station in line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight. We also conduct a theoretical analysis of the typical error experienced in the map-based position location algorithm and show that the complexity of the map-based algorithm is low enough to allow real-time implementation.