Mesh Analysis of Elevation Angle Estimation Via RF Signal Phase in Linear Array Antennas

Signal parameters such as phase, path loss, time delay, and frequency shift differ based on the spatial orientation and position of the receiver antenna. Utilizing these parameter differences, the positioning methods attempt to determine the transmitter location. One of these methods, Angle of Arrival uses array antennas and phase difference to find the angle between the array axis and propagation direction. This study focuses on the performance of elevation angle estimation in an indoor environment with a vertically positioned antenna array. The estimation is based on the phase difference of the signal captured by the array elements. Simulations were conducted for a realistic office environment using ray tracing methods to obtain the phases of the signals received by the antenna array elements. The phase information was then used to estimate the elevation angle. Statistical analysis was employed to examine the estimations of the elevation angle, and error distributions were obtained. This discussion assesses the practicality of this method in a real-world scenario.