A Preliminary Study of Machine-Learning-Based Ranging with LTE Channel Impulse Response in Multipath Environment

Alternative navigation technology to global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) is required for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in multipath environments (such as urban areas). In urban areas, long-term evolution (LTE) signals can be received ubiquitously at high power without any additional infrastructure. We present a machine learning approach to estimate the range between the LTE base station and UGV based on the LTE channel impulse response (CIR). The CIR, which includes information of signal attenuation from the channel, was extracted from the LTE physical layer using a software-defined radio (SDR). We designed a convolutional neural network (CNN) that estimates ranges with the CIR as input. The proposed method demonstrated better ranging performance than a received signal strength indicator (RSSI)-based method during our field test.