Method and system for identification and mitigation of errors in non-line-of-sight distance estimation

An apparatus for characterizing a waveform path, the apparatus comprising:

• a training database with training data, the training database being assembled from waveforms transmitted between at least one pair of wireless devices, the training database being configured to provide line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight labels and feature vectors representing aspects of waveforms transmitted between the training wireless devices to a learning unit;
• the learning unit configured to learn a function using the training data, the function being nonparametric with respect to features representing aspects of a waveform transmitted via the waveform path between a first wireless device and a second wireless device;
• an evaluating unit configured to characterize the waveform path by evaluating the function learned with a feature vector extracted from the waveform received at the first wireless device from the second wireless device to make a decision regarding a presence of an obstruction between the first and second wireless devices or to determine a likelihood of an obstruction between the first and second wireless devices;
• and
• a reporting unit configured to report the decision or likelihood of an obstruction between the first and second wireless devices to a device accessible to a user, another wireless device, or a different physical or logical layer in a wireless network including multiple wireless devices.