Categories of Wireless Positioning Systems
Basically, a wireless local-positioning system consists of at least two separate hardware components: a measuring unit that usually carries the major part of the system “intelligence” and a signal transmitter. The transmitter in the simplest case is just a beacon. Depending on the functionality of these components and their interaction, a systematic classification of wireless local positioning systems can be made.
根据这些组件的功能及其相互作用，可以对无线本地定位系统进行系统分类。
根据系统拓扑结构进行分类（System Topologies）：
As indicated before, system topology is one possible way to classify the different types of wireless positioning systems. Table 1 provides an overview over the possible nomenclature ：
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Remote Positioning | 从远程站点到移动设备的测量 |
| Self-Positioning | 从移动单元到通常固定的转发器（地标）的测量 |
| Indirect Remote Positioning | 自定位系统，将测量结果数据传输到远程站点 |
| Indirect Self-Positioning | 远程定位系统，将测量结果数据传输到移动单元 |
A first distinction is made between self- and remote- positioning systems.
In a self-positioning system, the measuring unit is mobile. This unit receives the signals of several transmitters in known locations and has the capability to calculate its actual position based on the measured signals.
在自定位系统中，测量站是移动的。测量站接收几个信号发射端（位置已知）发射的信号，这样测量站就能够根据测量信号计算出自己的位置。
Remote-positioning systems work the other way round; their signal transmitter is mobile and several fixed measurement units receive the transmitter’s signal. In a master station, the results of all measurement units are collected, and the transmitter’s position is calculated. The major advantage of remote-positioning systems is that the mobile device can be small, cheap, and power efficient. On the other hand, this advantage is paid for by the need for a complex system and backbone network, thus, an expensive infrastructure. It severely depends on the application if a remote-positioning or a self-positioning system is better suited. Choosing the wrong approach can increase the overall system cost by more than a factor of 10. This fact emphasizes that it is hardly possible to build a single system that covers a very broad applications range.
远程定位系统反过来工作; 他们的信号发射器是移动的，几个固定的测量单元接收发射器的信号。 在主站中，收集所有测量单元的结果，并计算发射器的位置。 远程定位系统的主要优点是移动设备可以小巧，便宜且节能。 另一方面，这种优势的代价是复杂的系统和骨干网络的需求，因此需要昂贵的基础设施。 如果远程定位系统或自定位系统更适合，则严重依赖于应用。 选择错误的方法会使整体系统成本增加10倍以上。这一事实强调，构建覆盖非常广泛的应用范围的单一系统几乎是不可能的。
If a local-positioning system provides a wireless data link, it is, of course, possible to transmit the measurement result 1) from a self-positioning measurement unit to the remote side or 2) vice versa.
The first case can be thought of as indirect-remote-positioning while the second case is named indirect self-positioning.
如果本地定位系统提供无线数据链路，则当然可以将测量结果1）从自定位测量单元发送到远程侧或2）反之亦然。
第一种情况可以被认为是间接远程定位，而第二种情况被称为间接自定位。
个人观点，最后引进了两种分类，间接远程定位以及间接自定位，目的就是为了解决某系统中需要自定位和远程定位问题的折中方案。
