Locating sensor nodes through correlations
View Patent ↗A method is provided for estimating distances between sensor nodes. The method includes receiving a temporal sequence of measurements of a selected local environmental condition from each of the sensor nodes. The method includes determining an amount of correlation between the measurements of the selected local environmental condition that were received from two or more of the sensor nodes. The method also includes estimating distances between the two or more of the sensor nodes based on the determined amount of correlation.
1. A method for determining relative positions of nodes of a network, comprising:
receiving at a hardware device a temporal sequence of measurements of a selected local environmental condition from each of a plurality of sensor nodes;
determining at the hardware device an amount of correlation between the measurements of the selected local environmental condition received from two or more of the sensor nodes; and
estimating at the hardware device distances between the two or more of the sensor nodes based on the determined amount of correlation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining is made without one of the two or more of the nodes transmitting a communication to the other of the two of the nodes.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the correlation is a spatial correlation between the measurements from the two ore more of the nodes.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the received measurements have time stamps representing the times of the measurements.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nodes are mobile devices.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nodes are nodes of a communication network.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more of the nodes do not include a GPS location-determining device.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of determining is made without one of the two or more of the nodes transmitting a communication to the other of the two ore more of the nodes.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor nodes are anchorite nodes.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining includes determining a 2-point cumulant between two of the sensor nodes.
11. A method for determining relative positions of nodes of a network, comprising:
receiving at a central receiver for a plurality of sensor nodes dispersed in a sensor network a temporal sequence of measurements of a selected local environmental condition from each of the plurality sensor nodes;
determining at the central receiver an amount of correlation between the measurements of the selected local environmental condition received from two or more of the sensor nodes; and
estimating at the central receiver distances between the two or more of the sensor nodes based on the determined amount of correlation.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of determining is made without one of the two or more of the nodes transmitting a communication to the other of the two of the nodes.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the correlation is a spatial correlation between the measurements from the two or more of the nodes.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the received measurements have time stamps representing the times of the measurements.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the nodes are mobile devices.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the nodes are nodes of a communication network.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the two or more of the nodes do not include a GPS location-determining device.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of determining is made without one of the two or more of the nodes transmitting a communication to the other of the two ore more of the nodes.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor nodes are anchorite nodes.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of determining includes determining a 2-point cumulant between two of the sensor nodes.
21. A method for determining relative positions of nodes of a network, comprising:
establishing an initial spatial map representing spatial positioning of a plurality of sensors of a sensor network;
receiving a temporal sequence of measurements of a selected local environmental condition from each of the plurality of sensor nodes;
determining an amount of correlation between the measurements of the selected local environmental condition received from two or more of the sensor nodes;
generating distance measurements between the two or more of the sensor nodes based on the determined amount of correlation; and
updating the initial spatial map based on the distances estimated.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the step of determining is made without one of the two or more of the nodes transmitting a communication to the other of the two of the nodes.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the correlation is a spatial correlation between the measurements from the two or more of the nodes.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein each of the received measurements have time stamps representing the times of the measurements.
25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the nodes are mobile devices.
26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the nodes are nodes of a communication network.
27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the two or more of the nodes do not include a GPS location-determining device.
28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the step of determining is made without one of the two or more of the nodes transmitting a communication to the other of the two ore more of the nodes.
29. The method of claim 21 , wherein the sensor nodes are anchorite nodes.
30. The method of claim 21 , wherein the step of determining includes determining a 2-point cumulant between two of the sensor nodes.