{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]],"date-time":"2026-03-09T21:31:37Z","timestamp":1773091897338,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,4]],"date-time":"2020-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1599177600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Low frequency ultrasounds in air are widely used for real-time applications in short-range communication systems and environmental monitoring, in both structured and unstructured environments. One of the parameters widely evaluated in pulse-echo ultrasonic measurements is the time of flight (TOF), which can be evaluated with an increased accuracy and complexity by using different techniques. Hereafter, a nonstandard cross-correlation method is investigated for TOF estimations. The procedure, based on the use of template signals, was implemented to improve the accuracy of recursive TOF evaluations. Tests have been carried out through a couple of 60 kHz custom-designed polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hemicylindrical ultrasonic transducers. The experimental results were then compared with the standard threshold and cross-correlation techniques for method validation and characterization. An average improvement of 30% and 19%, in terms of standard error (SE), was observed. Moreover, the experimental results evidenced an enhancement in repeatability of about 10% in the use of a recursive positioning system.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s20185042","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,4]],"date-time":"2020-09-04T12:20:06Z","timestamp":1599222006000},"page":"5042","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["A Recursive Algorithm for Indoor Positioning Using Pulse-Echo Ultrasonic Signals"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3391-1698","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Salvatore A.","family":"Pullano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2705-8718","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Giovanna","family":"Bianco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6392-5383","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Davide C.","family":"Critello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michele","family":"Menniti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"La Gatta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LRO\u2014London Research Organization, 207 Regent Street, London W1B3HH, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6163-7804","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonino S.","family":"Fiorillo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3077","DOI":"10.1109\/JSEN.2018.2890568","article-title":"Characterization and optimization of level measurement by an ultrasonic sensor system","volume":"19","author":"Rocchi","year":"2019","journal-title":"IEEE Sens. 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