Systems and methods for precise radio frequency localization using time difference of arrival

An apparatus, comprising:

• a memory for storing instructions;
• one or more processing units to execute instructions for controlling a plurality of wireless sensor nodes in a wireless network architecture and asynchronously determining locations of the plurality of wireless sensor nodes;
• and
• radio frequency (RF) circuitry to transmit communications to and receive communications from the plurality of wireless sensor nodes each including a wireless device with RF circuitry to enable bi-directional communications with the RF circuitry of the apparatus in the wireless network architecture,
• wherein the one or more processing units of the apparatus are configured to execute instructions
• to transmit a first communication to a first and a second wireless sensor node each having a known location, and a third wireless sensor nodes having an unknown location,
• to receive a second communication with an acknowledgement packet from the third wireless sensor node,
• to determine time difference of arrival information between the apparatus and the first wireless sensor node based on when each of the apparatus and the first wireless nodes receive the acknowledgement packet from the third wireless sensor node, and
• to determine time difference of arrival information of the reception of the second communication between each of the apparatus and the second wireless sensor node,
• wherein a transmission time of the first communication being transmitted from the apparatus is used as a time reference for each of the apparatus and the first wireless node.

An asynchronous system for localization of nodes in a wireless network architecture, comprising:

• a first, a second, and a third wireless nodes each having known locations and including a wireless device with one or more processing units and RF circuitry for transmitting and receiving communications in the wireless network architecture;
• and
• a fourth wireless node having an unknown location and including a wireless device with RF circuitry to enable communications with the first, the second, and the third wireless nodes in the wireless network architecture,
• wherein the one or more processing units of the first wireless node are configured to execute instructions
• to receive a first communication with a forward packet from the fourth wireless node,
• to transmit a second communication to the second, the third, and the fourth wireless nodes in response to the forward packet, and
• to determine time difference of arrival information of the reception of the first communication between each of the first and the second wireless nodes,
• wherein a transmission time of the second communication being transmitted from the first wireless node is used as a time reference for each of the first and second wireless nodes.