Title: Algorithmic approach for clandestine localisation and tracking in short-range environments

Authors: Saif Al-Kuwari; Stephen D. Wolthusen

Addresses: Information Security Group, Department of Mathematics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK; Department of Information and Research, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.O. Box 22711, Doha, Qatar. ' Information Security Group, Department of Mathematics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK; Norwegian Information Security Laboratory, Gjøvik University College, P.O. Box 191, N-2802 Gjøvik, Norway

Abstract: Target tracking applications have recently evolved becoming essential intelligence and law enforcement tools. Traditionally, long-range communications, such as cellular networks, have been used for this purpose. Such conventional tracking approach, however, usually suffers from several accuracy implications due to location measurement errors. This is exemplified in densely cluttered and indoor environments where measurements are severely affected by excessive environmental and physical noise. Additionally, most localisation and tracking mechanisms today are based on active approach where targets actively cooperate in the tracking process, or at least are aware of it. Clearly, such approach is not suitable for law enforcement applications where targets are suspects or criminals. In this paper, we adopt an algorithmic approach to build an agent-based passive tracking system. We develop a number of algorithms to initiate and maintain this tracking system while consistently preserving passivity.

Keywords: passive localisation; agent-based tracking; trilateration; agent recruitment; target tracking; intelligence community; law enforcement; agent-based systems; multi-agent systems; clandestine localisation; suspects; criminals.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCNDS.2012.048826

International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, 2012 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.311 - 327

Received: 20 Apr 2010
Accepted: 14 Dec 2010
Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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