Impact of Wi-Fi network coverage planning on the logistics objects’ location accuracy

Siberian State University of Telecommunicatios and Information Science, 630102, 86, Kirov str. c. Novosibirsk, Russia

^* Corresponding author: kokoreva@sibguti.ru

Abstract

The use of Wi-Fi networks to construct a system for determining the object’s location inside warehouses is the simplest and most cost-effective way of solving the logistical problems. The positioning in such a system is based on measuring the received signal strength level with the application of the lateration (trilateration) method to calculate the target’s coordinates. This method requires taking into account the electromagnetic environment in the room and the fulfillment of certain requirements for the construction of a network serving as a positioning tool. Incorrect access points placement in the premises leads to a significant positioning error, unacceptable in most cases of the system’s application. The article isdevoted to the improvement of the positioning accuracy by the network structure correction in accordance with the coverage and frequency planning. To implement the lateration algorithm for the determination of the distances between a mobile object and an access point, three radio wave propagation models were used, selected from a variety of similar models after the preliminary analytical and experimental studies. The power loss coefficients used in the models for the signal’s passing through partitions and floors were adapted to the configuration and features of the rooms in which the experiments were conducted.