Optimal Sensor Placement and Velocity Configuration for TDOA-FDOA Localization and Tracking of a Moving Source

This article addresses the problem of moving source localization in 3-D using the time-difference-of-arrival and frequency-difference-of-arrival measurements without accurate sensor location information. Different from the previous studies, we focus on improving the localization performance by introducing two approaches with a limited number of sensors, including optimal sensor placement and velocity configuration, as well as successive measurements for a time period. This article first determines the sensor placement and velocity (including speed and orientation) configuration to achieve optimal localization based on a criterion devised from the Fisher information matrix, in which the restrictions for the two-stage weighted-least-squares (TSWLS) positioning algorithm and the geographical conditions are taken into considerations. Then, to utilize successive measurements while the source is in motion, we separate the sensor velocity into two components for achieving the localization optimality and compensating the source motion, and propose a practical sensor placement and velocity configuration strategy. Finally, combining with the TSWLS-based prelocalization, Kalman filtering and the proposed sensor motion strategy, we develop a source tracking scheme that simultaneously obeys the optimal sensor placement and velocity configuration during tracking. Mathematical analyses and numerical simulations validate the optimal sensor placement and the efficiencies of the source tracking scheme. © 2024 IEEE.