Localization as a feature of mmWave communication

Abstract

mmWave (millimeter-Wave) is a very promising technology for the future wireless communication. To mitigate its high attenuation characteristics, mmWave communication frequently employs directional beamforming for both transmission and reception. Localization commonly takes advantage of directionality in RF frequencies in urban and indoor environments. In this paper, we use lessons learned from classical RF-based localization for discussing a set of feasible localization approaches in the context of mmWave bands. We further map the requirements of each discussed localization approach to design requirements for future mmWave devices and assess the expected accuracy of such approaches for a set of realistic scenarios. Our results show that mmWave-based localization is promising in both its availability and accuracy, even in the presence of a limited number of localization anchor nodes.