Suitability of indoor propagation models for fingerprint based positioning in femtocell networks

Emerging femtocell networks are conceived to extend radio coverage indoors, giving support to a high variety of services. In enterprise scenarios, the demand of reliable and accurate indoor Location Based Services (LBS) is gaining momentum. The femtocell network infrastructure can be used to provide location services based on Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) and fingerprint location techniques. In this paper, an analysis of different propagation models has been carried out to evaluate their suitability for reducing calibration efforts during fingerprint calibration stage. For that purpose, a procedure including both a simulation process and a measurement campaign has been defined. Results obtained will allow adjusting indoor propagation models parameters and evaluating their applicability for reducing calibration effort while improving accuracy in location fingerprint techniques.