Target Detection and Parameter Estimation for MIMO Radar Systems

We investigate several target detection and parameter estimation techniques for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system. By transmitting independent waveforms via different antennas, the echoes due to targets at different locations are linearly independent of each other, which allows the direct application of many data-dependent beamforming techniques to achieve high resolution and excellent interference rejection capability. In the absence of array steering vector errors, we discuss the application of several existing data-dependent beamforming algorithms including Capon, APES (amplitude and phase estimation) and CAPES (combined Capon and APES), and then propose an alternative estimation procedure, referred to as the combined Capon and approximate maximum likelihood (CAML) method. Via several numerical examples, we show that the proposed CAML method can provide excellent estimation accuracy of both target locations and target amplitudes. In the presence of array steering vector errors, we apply the robust Capon beamformer (RCB) and doubly constrained robust Capon beamformer (DCRCB) approaches to the MIMO radar system to achieve accurate parameter estimation and superior interference and jamming suppression performance.     

Adaptive Arrays for Multiple Simultaneous Desired Signals

Steered beam adaptive arrays for multiple simultaneous desired signals are discussed. It is shown that the performance of a steered beam adaptive array depends upon the range of input signal strengths and the choice of the steering vector. Optimum steering vectors for various input signal strengths are given. All choices of steering vectors are equally effective in the rejection of jammers.     

非圆特征恢复特征空间投影鲁棒波束形成

提出了一种利用非圆特征恢复思想的鲁棒波束形成方法。该方法在特征空间投影技术的基础上,进一步利用波束形成器输出的非圆特征参数构造代价函数,通过角度搜索使代价函数最大化来修正主瓣中心指向,在保证鲁棒性的同时尽可能提升波束形成器的输出性能。同时,该方法不需要设置用户参数,且适用于任意阶非圆信号,对于旁瓣干扰信号的非圆特性不敏感,具有广泛的应用背景。最后分别针对二阶非圆信号情形和高阶非圆信号情形进行了仿真,仿真结果验证了该方法的有效性和优越性。     

The Effect of Random Steering Vector Errors in the Applebaum Adaptive Array

The effect of random errors in the steering vector of an Applebaum adaptive array is examined. Each component of the steering vector is assumed to have a random error component uncorrelated between elements. The array output signal-to-interferenceplus-noise ratio (SINR) is computed as a function of the error variance. It is shown that the array output SINR becomes more sensitive to steering vector errors as more elements are added to the array and as the received desired signal power becomes larger. The variance of the steering vector error that may be tolerated depends on the required desired signal dynamic range. The larger the dynamic range that must be accommodated, the smaller the error variance must be.     

Weak Signal Detection in Non-Gaussian Noise of Unknown Level

An adaptive threshold detector to test for the presence of a weak signal in additive non-Gaussian noise of unknown level is discussed. The detector consists of a locally optimum detector, a noise level estimator, and a decision device. The detection threshold is made adaptive according to the information provided by the noise level estimator in order to keep a fixed false-alarm probability. Asymptotic performance characteristics are obtained indicating relationships among the basic system parameters such as the reference noise sample size and the underlying noise statistics. It is shown that, as the reference noise sample size is made sufficiently large, the adaptive threshold detector attains the performance of a corresponding locally optimum detector for detecting the weak signal were the noise level known.     

Outlier resistant adaptive matched filtering

Robust adaptive matched filtering (AMF) whereby outlier data vectors are censored from the covariance matrix estimate is considered in a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) setting. It is known that outlier data vectors whose steering vector is highly correlated with the desired steering vector, can significantly degrade the performance of AMF algorithms such as sample matrix inversion (SMI) or fast maximum likelihood (FML). Four new algorithms that censor outliers are presented which are derived via approximation to the MLE solution. Two algorithms each are related to using the SMI or the FML to estimate the unknown underlying covariance matrix. Results are presented using computer simulations which demonstrate the relative effectiveness of the four algorithms versus each other and also versus the SMI and FML algorithms in the presence of outliers and no outliers. It is shown that one of the censoring algorithms, called the reiterative censored fast maximum likelihood (CFML) technique is significantly superior to the other three censoring methods in stressful outlier scenarios.     

Robust adaptive radar detection in the presence of steering vector mismatches

In this paper, we consider the problem of robust radar detection in the presence of Gaussian disturbance with unknown covariance matrix. We design and assess three new robust adaptive detectors, capable of operating in the presence of unknown discrepancies between the nominal and the actual steering vector. Remarkably the new decision rules exhibit a bounded constant false alarm rate (CFAR) behavior and allow, through the regulation of a design parameter, to trade off target sensitivity with sidelobes energy rejection. Finally, computer simulations show that the proposed detectors achieve a visible performance improvement, in many situations of practical interest, over the traditional adaptive detection algorithms, especially in the presence of severe steering vector mismatches.     

CFAR detection in clutter with unknown correlation properties

We develop a constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) approach for detecting a random N-dimensional complex vector in the presence of clutter or interference modeled as a zero mean complex Gaussian vector whose correlation properties are not known to the receiver. It is assumed that estimates of the correlation properties of the clutter/interference may be obtained independently by processing the received vectors from a set of reference cells. We characterize the detection performance of this algorithm when the signal to be detected is modeled as a zero-mean complex Gaussian random vector with unknown correlation matrix. Results show that for a prescribed false alarm probability and a given signal-to-clutter ratio (to be defined in the text), the detectability of Gaussian random signals depends on the eigenvalues of the matrix R_c^-1R_s. The nonsingular matrix R_c and the matrix R_s are the correlation matrices of clutter-plus-noise and signal vectors respectively. It is shown that the “effective” fluctuation statistics of the signal to be detected is determined completely by the eigenvalues of the matrix R_c^-1R_s. For example the signal to be detected has an effective Swerling II fluctuation statistics when all eigenvalues of the above matrix are equal. Swerling I fluctuation statistics results effectively when all eigenvalues except one are equal to zero. Eigenvalue distributions between these two limiting cases correspond to fluctuation statistics that lie between Swerling I and II models     

Cyclostationarity-exploiting direction finding algorithms

Many modulated communication signals exhibit a cyclostationarity (or periodic correlation) property, corresponding to the underlying periodicity arising from carrier frequencies or baud rates. By exploiting cyclostationarity, the signal direction of arrival (DOA) estimation can be significantly improved. We propose two new direction finding beamformer algorithms that exploit cyclostationarity. These algorithms show very attractive estimation performance over conventional beamforming methods, as depicted by simulation results.     

Regenerative hybrid arrays for interference suppression

The authors propose two regenerative hybrid adaptive arrays in which a self-generated reference signal is obtained through a detection-modulation procedure from the array output. The proposed arrays do not depend on spectrum spreading and are therefore applicable when this feature is not available. It is shown that at steady state the performance of these regenerative hybrid arrays is approximately the same as that of a hybrid array with a perfect reference signal. As to transient behavior, these arrays are shown to converge if the available imperfect steering vector can result in a few dB output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio with the self-generated reference disabled     

Addressing Uncertainty in UAV Navigation Decision-Making

We present an analytic framework for modeling and measuring uncertainty for the scenario of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) cooperatively searching for a moving target. Uncertainty exists in a UAVs assessment of teammate locations, target locations, and sensor results. As is frequently done, our framework employs probabilistic maps to represent uncertain information regarding the UAVs environment. We present new methods to update the probabilistic maps when information arrives from onboard sensors or teammate UAVs. When new information is missing or delayed, we propose a novel and straightforward diffusion approach to update probabilistic maps. The UAVs make navigation decisions based on response to potential fields generated by the probabilistic maps. Since map data have uncertainty, this leads to decision-making in uncertainty. We conclude by describing how uncertainty in the environment translates into a unique measure, velocity vector dispersion (D_V), which describes the uncertainty in the UAVs navigation decision. Thresholds related to D_V may be useful to guide real-time decision policies. We present simulation results that show how the use of diffusion affects the time to locate targets. We also describe how D_V varies during UAV flight and comment on its utility.     

基于三迭代与二阶锥规划的机载MIMO雷达稳健降维STAP方法

针对机载多输入多输出(MIMO)雷达空时自适应处理(STAP)中期望目标导向矢量的失配问题,提出一种基于三迭代(TRIA)与二阶锥规划(SOCP)的稳健降维MIMO-STAP方法。首先将MIMO-STAP权矢量分解为发射、接收、多普勒3个低维权矢量的Kronecker积,然后分别限定实际发射、接收、多普勒导向矢量与假定导向矢量之间的误差范数边界,通过优化最差性能,利用SOCP对各个低维权矢量进行三迭代求解,最后进行权矢量合成。该方法在保证机载MIMO雷达获取稳健STAP性能的同时,通过三迭代降维处理,能够有效降低训练样本数需求与运算复杂度,因此更具有实际应用价值。仿真结果验证了算法的有效性。     

On-board regeneration of uplink signals using a blind multichannelestimator

We propose a restoration method to compensate distortions caused by cross-polarization interference (CPI) and multipath propagation when multichannel transmission is employed in the uplink of an on-board-processing (OBP) satellite. The proposed baseband signal processing architecture is numerically robust and efficient as vector operations are avoided by efficient orthogonal transformations. Since the algorithm is based on higher-than-second-order statistics, the method is very effective in severe distortion conditions where a traditional, perfectly trained Kalman multichannel filter obtains poor performance     

一种简化的机载MIMO雷达杂波特征相消器

针对机载多输入多输出(MIMO)雷达杂波抑制问题,提出一种简化的杂波特征相消器(EC).根据杂波在空时二维平面的先验分布离线构造杂波子空间.以此替代由协方差矩阵特征值分解(EVD)得到的杂波子空间,从而将最优权简化为一个确知投影矩阵与目标信号空时二维导向矢量的乘积,避免了传统EC方法中复杂的协方差矩阵估计和EVD运算,...     

鲁棒成形极化敏感阵列波束的方法及极化估计

基于极化敏感阵列,提出了一种鲁棒成形阵列波束的方法。该方法首先将阵列的数据模型进行了重新描述,从而获得了信号波达角(DOA)和极化解耦的模型。借助于该模型并对信号的两个极化方向分别进行鲁棒约束,设计出了一个新的鲁棒空域波束空间成形矩阵,利用该矩阵可以获得信号两个极化分量的鲁棒估计。基于特征值分解的方法,最后给出了估计信号极化参数的方法。分析和数值仿真实验均表明:提出的方法,在对DOA估计误差以及阵列位置误差等造成的阵列失配具有较强鲁棒性的同时,也能有效抑制干扰和噪声,进而提升了极化参数估计的性能。     

Decision fusion rules in multi-hop wireless sensor networks

The decision fusion problem for a wireless sensor network (WSN) operating in a fading environment is considered. In particular, we develop channel-aware decision fusion rules for resource-constrained WSNs where binary decisions from local sensors may need to be relayed through multi-hop transmission in order to reach a fusion center. Each relay node employs a binary relay scheme whereby the relay output is inferred from the channel impaired observation received from its source node. This estimated binary decision is subsequently transmitted to the next node until it reaches the fusion center. Under a flat fading channel model, we derive the optimum fusion rules at the fusion center for two cases. In the first case, we assume that the fusion center has knowledge of the fading channel gains at all hops. In the second case, we assume a Rayleigh fading model, and derive fusion rules utilizing only the fading channel statistics. We show that likelihood ratio (LR) based optimum decision fusion statistics for both cases reduce to respective simple linear test statistics in the low channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. These suboptimum detectors are easy to implement and require little a priori information. Performance evaluation, including a study of the robustness of the fusion statistics with respect to unknown system parameters, is conducted through simulations.     

Improved clutter mitigation performance using knowledge-aided space-time adaptive processing

This paper presents a framework for incorporating knowledge sources directly in the space-time beamformer of airborne adaptive radars. The algorithm derivation follows the usual linearly-constrained minimum-variance (LCMV) space-time beamformer with additional constraints based on a model of the clutter covariance matrix that is computed using available knowledge about the operating environment. This technique has the desirable property of reducing sample support requirements by "blending" the information contained in the observed radar data and the a priori knowledge sources. Applications of the technique to both full degree of freedom (DoF) and reduced DoF beamformer algorithms are considered. The performance of the knowledge-aided beam forming techniques are demonstrated using high-fidelity simulated X-band radar data     

Error Analysis of the Optimal Antenna Array Processors

The optimal weights of an antenna array processor, which maximizes the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the absence of errors, are computed using the noise-alone matrix inverse (NAMI) and the steering vector in the look direction or the signal-plus-noise matrix inverse (SPNMI) and the steering vector. In practice the estimated steering vector as well as the estimated optimal weights are corrupted by random errors. This paper has analyzed the effects of these errors on the performance of the NAMI processor and the SPNMI processor by deriving analytic expressions for the output signal power, output noise power, output SNR, and the array gain as a function of the error variance. The treatment is for a general array configuration and no assumption about a particular array geometry is made.     

Adaptive detection using low rank approximation to a data matrix

Using an accurate formula for the error in approximating a low rank component, we calculate the performance of adaptive detection based on reduced-rank nulling. In this principal component inverse (PCI) method, one temporarily regards the interference as a strong signal to be enhanced. The resulting estimate of the interference waveform is subtracted from the observed data, and matched filtering is used to detect signal components in the residual waveform. We also present a generalized likelihood-ratio test (GLRT) for adaptively detecting a low rank signal in the presence of low rank interference. This approach leads to a test which is closely related to the PCI method and extends the PCI method to the case where strong signal components are present in the data. A major accomplishment of the work is our calculation of the statistics of the output of the matched filter for the case in which interference cancellation and signal detection are carried out on the same observed data matrix. That is, no separate data is used for adaptation. Examples are presented using both simulated data and real, active-sonar reverberation data from the ARSRP, the Acoustic Reverberation Special Research Program of the Office of Naval Research