Bearing estimation using Planar Circular Photodiode Arrays.

A novel sensor architecture, called Planar Circular Photodiode Array (PCPA) has been proposed recently to provide bearing estimations of modulated light sources. The sensor device consists of a circular photodiode (PD)-array, where each PD measures the detected intensities of the light sources. The light sources use unique modulation frequencies, thus can be identified in frequency domain during the measurement process. Given the locations of the light sources and the estimated bearings, angle of arrival localization methods can be used to determine the position of the sensor. In this paper the operation of the sensor is reviewed; the architecture of a real sensor is introduced; and numerous measurements are presented to characterize the potential accuracy and sensitivity properties of the PCPA. A real positioning example is also provided to illustrate the potential application of the sensor.