Localization is one of the substantial issues in wireless sensor networks. The key problem for the mobile beacon localization is how to choose the appropriate beacon trajectory. However, little research has been done on it. In this paper, firstly, we deduce the number of positions for a beacon to send a packet according to the acreage of ROI (region of interest); and next we present a novel method based on virtual force to arrange the positions in arbitrary ROI; then we apply TSP (travelling salesman problem) algorithm to the positions sequence to obtain the optimal touring path, i.e. the reduced beacon trajectory. When a mobile beacon moves along the touring path, sending RF signals at every position, the sensors in ROI can work out their position with trilateration. Experimental results demonstrate that the localization method, based on the beacon reduced path, is efficient and has flexible accuracy.
