Novel reliable range-free geo-localization algorithm in wireless networks: Centre of the smallest communication overlap polygon (CSCOP)

Abstract

This paper presents a novel range-free geo-localization algorithm in wireless networks. The algorithm does not require ranging devices. It uses node connectivity to estimate the location of unknown (location unaware) nodes based on two or more anchor (location aware) nodes. The algorithm works in two steps. In the first step, the True Intersection Points (TIPs) that constitute the vertices of the smallest communication overlap polygon (SCOP) of the anchor nodes' communication ranges are found. The second step estimates the location of the unknown node at the center of the SCOP which is formed from these TIPs. The performance is evaluated through MatLab simulation and compares favorably to state-of-the-art algorithms: Centroid, improved version of CPE and Mid-perpendicular localization algorithms. The results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms in location accuracy which is a serious drawback of range-free localization methods when compared to range-based.