Map-Free Single-Anchor Position Localization Using Multipath Uncertainty at Upper Mid-Band

Abstract

Future 5G-Advanced and 6G systems will exploit directional wideband channels for path-based localization, yet map-free indoor positioning remains challenging because extracted multipath components (MPCs) vary widely in localization reliability. This paper presents an uncertainty-aware map-free single-anchor localization framework using 16.95~GHz indoor directional channel measurements collected at NYU WIRELESS in Brooklyn, New York. Per-MPC angular covariance is estimated from the local consistency of neighboring pattern-de-embedded power delay profile (PDP) observations and propagated into geometric localization through weighted fusion of point-type and line-type constraints. Measurements across 20 links with TX--RX separations from 11~m to 97~m show that the proposed covariance-weighted method achieves a mean localization error of 3.86~m, a median of 2.66~m, and 70\% of links within 5~m using five retained MPCs. It outperforms the power-weighted and unweighted variants under identical point/line constraints, as well as the literature baselines. These results indicate that local directional consistency provides reliability information beyond received power alone and demonstrate a practical map-free approach for future indoor directional systems.

6 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for presentation at the 2026 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM), Macao, China, December 2026