Performance of TDOA and AOA localization techniques for different base-stations topologies

Time difference of arrival (TDOA) and angle ofarrival (AOA) localization techniques provide satisfactory positioning performance utilizing multiple base-stations (BSs). However, their performance depends on the BSs topology, whichmay restrict localization zones. The significance of the BSstopology increases when the localization needs line-of-sight (LoS)communication and the transmitter utilizes directional antennasfor signal transmission – e.g., unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)with directional antennas. In this work, in order to study theimpact of the BSs topology on the performance of the aeriallocalization with LoS communication, we model two well-knownTDOA and one AOA localization techniques with the minimumnumber of required BSs. After analyzing their system model,we derive a closed form expression for the covered area onthe ground by the directional antenna of an aerial transmitter.The covered area determines a region where the BSs should belocated in to be exposed to the LoS communication. From theMATLAB simulation results, we can determine the impact of theBSs topology on the localization accuracy and explain the role ofthe BSs topology in conjunction with the geometric dilution ofprecision (GDOP) and standard deviation (SD) of TDOA/AOAmeasurements.