SAR image formation via semiparametric spectral estimation

A new algorithm, referred to as the SPAR (Semiparametric) algorithm, is presented herein for target feature extraction and complex image formation via synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The algorithm is based on a flexible data model that models each target scatterer as a two-dimensional (2-D) complex sinusoid with arbitrary unknown amplitude and constant phase in cross-range and with constant amplitude and phase in range. By attempting to deal with one corner reflector, such as one dihedral or trihedral, at a time, the algorithm can be used to effectively mitigate the artifacts in the SAR images due to the flexible data model. Another advantage of SPAR is that it can be used to obtain initial conditions needed by other parametric target feature extraction methods to reduce the total amount of computations needed. Both numerical and experimental examples are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm     

DOA and polarization estimation via signal reconstruction with linear polarization-sensitive arrays

This paper addresses the problem of direction-of-arrival(DOA) and polarization estimation with polarization sensitive arrays(PSA), which has been a hot topic in the area of array signal processing during the past two or three decades. The sparse Bayesian learning(SBL) technique is introduced to exploit the sparsity of the incident signals in space to solve this problem and a new method is proposed by reconstructing the signals from the array outputs first and then exploiting the reconstructed signals to realize parameter estimation. Only 1-D searching and numerical calculations are contained in the proposed method, which makes the proposed method computationally much efficient. Based on a linear array consisting of identically structured sensors, the proposed method can be used with slight modifications in PSA with different polarization structures. It also performs well in the presence of coherent signals or signals with different degrees of polarization. Simulation results are given to demonstrate the parameter estimation precision of the proposed method.     

舵面铰链力矩的估算

本文以某一飞行器为例,详细论述了如何利用常规测力试验数据和工程估算的方法计算舵面铰链力矩上限的过程,对于以后的铰链力矩试验有较大的指导意义.     

Signal Resolution via Digital Inverse Filtering

Research in numerous areas is directed toward the resolution of multiple overlapping signals in a noisy environment. These areas include radar, sonar, speech, seismology, and electrophysiology. Sometimes matched filters are used; other times inverse filters are employed. This paper discusses one approach to the analysis of the resolution of inverse filters. Our method is to compromise the trade-off between signal resolution and the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A performance measure for the inverse or deconvolution filter is defined as a quantity proportional to the harmonic mean of the resolution and the SNR. An optimum output pulse duration is obtained using this criterion, where the pulse shape has been previously selected and the input signal waveform is known. In addition, upper and lower bounds for the output pulse duration are presented. Graphs are given which allow the designer to select the optimum inverse filter output pulse duration for a desired signal resolution and an estimated SNR.     

Direction-of-arrival estimation using signal subspace modeling

A computationally viable algorithm for estimating the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of multiple wavefields that are incident on an array of sensors is developed. The geometry of the array is unrestricted and the incident wavefields may be generated by mixtures of incoherent and coherent emitting sources. In the approach taken, the sensor signals are modeled as a noise-contaminated linear combination of steering vectors which are functionally dependent on a set of DOA parameters. These parameters are to be chosen so that this sensor signal model is most compatible with empirically measured data (i.e., snapshot data). An iterative procedure is developed for selecting the most data compatible set of DOA parameters in both the snapshot domain and the array covariance matrix domain. Critical to the success of such iterative solution procedures is the generation of quality DOA parameters to initialize the algorithm. A sequential beamforming method for this initialization is presented. Numerical examples to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithmic approach are given     

A novel multistage estimation of signal parameters

A multistage estimation scheme is presented for estimating the parameters of a received carrier signal possibly phase-modulated by unknown data and experiencing very high Doppler, Doppler rate, etc. Such a situation arises, for example, in the case of the Global Positioning Systems (GPS). In the proposed scheme, the first-stage estimator operates as a coarse estimator of the frequency and its derivatives, resulting in higher RMS estimation errors but with a relatively small probability of the frequency estimation error exceeding one-half of the sampling frequency (an event termed cycle slip). The second stage of the estimator operates on the error signal available from the first stage, refining the overall estimates, and in the process also reduces the number of cycle slips. The first-stage algorithm is a modified least-squares algorithm operating on the differential signal model and referred to as differential least squares (DLS). The second-stage algorithm is an extended Kalman filter, which yields the estimate of the phase as well as refining the frequency estimate. A major advantage of the proposed algorithm is a reduction in the threshold for the received carrier power-to-noise power spectral density ratio (CNR) as compared with the threshold achievable by either of the algorithms alone     

Efficient implementation of Capon and APES for spectral estimation

Both the Capon and APES estimators can be shown to belong to the class of matched-filterbank spectral estimators and can be used to obtain complex spectral estimates that have more narrow spectral peaks and lower sidelobe levels than the fast Fourier transform (FFT) methods. It can also be shown that APES has better statistical performance than Capon. In this paper, we address the issue of how to efficiently implement Capon and APES for spectral estimation     

Linear FM signal parameter estimation from discrete-timeobservations

The authors consider the problem of estimating the parameters of a complex linear FM signal from a finite number of noisy discrete-time observations. An estimation algorithm is proposed, and its asymptotic (large sample) performance is analyzed. The algorithm is computationally simple, consisting of two fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) accompanied by one-dimensional searches for maxima. The variance of the estimates is shown to be close to the Cramer-Rao lower bound when the signal-to-noise ratio is 0 dB and above. The authors applied the algorithm to the problem of estimating the kinematic parameters of an accelerating target by pulse-Doppler radar. A representative test case was used to exhibit the usefulness of the algorithm for this problem, and to verify the analytical results by Monte Carlo simulations     

Synchronized perturbation elimination and DOA estimation via signal selection mechanism and parallel deep capsule networks in multipath environment

State-of-the-art model-driven Direction-Of-Arrival (DOA) estimation methods for multipath signals face great challenges in practical application because of the dependence on the precise multipath model. In this paper, we introduce a framework, based on deep learning, for synchronizing perturbation auto-elimination with effective DOA estimation in multipath environment. Firstly, a signal selection mechanism is introduced to roughly locate specific signals to spatial subregion via frequency domain filters and compressive sensing-based method. Then, we set the mean of the correlation matrix’s row vectors as the input feature to construct the spatial spectrum by the corresponding single network within the parallel deep capsule networks. The proposed method enhances the generalization capability to untrained scenarios and the adaptability to non-ideal conditions, e.g., lower SNRs, smaller snapshots, unknown reflection coefficients and perturbational steering vectors, which make up for the defects of the previous model-driven methods. Simulations are carried out to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method.     

Adaptive pulse compression via MMSE estimation

Radar pulse compression involves the extraction of an estimate of the range profile illuminated by a radar in the presence of noise. A problem inherent to pulse compression is the masking of small targets by large nearby targets due to the range sidelobes that result from standard matched filtering. This paper presents a new approach based upon a minimum mean-square error (MMSE) formulation in which the pulse compression filter for each individual range cell is adaptively estimated from the received signal in order to mitigate the masking interference resulting from matched filtering in the vicinity of large targets. The proposed method is compared with the standard matched filter and least-squares (LS) estimation and is shown to be superior over a variety of stressing scenarios.     

General direction-of-arrival estimation: a signal subspace approach

A high-resolution algorithm is presented for resolving multiple incoherent and coherent plane waves that are incident on an array of sensors. The incident sources can be a mixture of narrowband and broadband sources, and, the geometry of the array is unrestricted. The algorithm makes use of a fundamental property possessed by those eigenvectors of the array spectral density matrix that are associated with eigenvalues that are larger than the sensor noise level. Specifically, it is shown that these eigenvectors can each be represented as linear combinations of the steering vectors identifying the incident plane waves. This property is then used to solve the important special cases of incoherent sources incident on a general array and coherent sources incident on an equispaced linear array. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the high-resolution performance achieved with this approach relative to that obtained with MUSIC and spatial smoothed MUSIC in which the coherent-signal-subspace focusing method is used     

Comparison of signal estimation using calibrated and uncalibrated arrays

We consider the problem of separating and estimating the waveform of superimposed signals received by an array of sensors. If the array is well calibrated it is possible to first estimate the directions of arrival (DOA) of the signals and then use this information to separate the signals. When the array is not calibrated, but the array elements have the same unknown gain pattern, up to an unknown multiplicative factor and the phases of the elements are arbitrary and unknown, it is possible to estimate the array steering vectors and then use this information for signal estimation. We compare the quality of the estimated signals in the calibrated case with the quality of the estimated signals in the uncalibrated case, in terms of the output signal-to-interference ratio (SIRO) and output signal-to-noise ratio (SNRO).     

Super resolution SAR imaging via parametric spectral estimationmethods

Super resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image formation via sophisticated parametric spectral estimation algorithms is considered. Parametric spectral estimation methods are devised based on parametric data models and are used to estimate the model parameters. Since SAR images rather than model parameters are often used in SAR applications, we use the parameter estimates obtained with the parametric methods to simulate data matrices of large dimensions and then use the fast Fourier transform (FFT) methods on them to generate SAR images with super resolution. Experimental examples using the MSTAR and Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) data illustrate that robust spectral estimation algorithms can generate SAR images of higher resolution than the conventional FFT methods and enhance the dominant target features     

Resolution of a 2π ambiguity problem in multiple frequencyspectral estimation

An algorithm is proposed to resolve a fundamental 2π ambiguity problem occurring in multiple frequency spectral estimation. Given M frequencies f_m, and I separate frequency estimators with unambiguous bandwidths F_i, the ambiguity problem can be stated as solving for the fm, given the estimator outputs, α_mi, (1⩽m⩽M;1⩽i⩽I) where f_m=α_mi+K_miF_i and K_mi is some integer. The proposed algorithm exhaustively resolves all possible α_mi groupings into single frequency values using a noise insensitive technique that exchanges system bandwidth for noise protection. The correct multiple frequencies are then defined as the single frequencies that repeat a specified number of times. A complete analysis is included     

Super resolution time delay estimation via MODE-WRELAX

We consider estimating time delays and amplitudes (real- or complex-valued) from the superposition of very closely spaced signals with known shapes. The well-known high resolution MODE (Method Of Direction Estimation) algorithm, which was originally proposed for angle estimation in array processing, is modified and used with our efficient time delay estimation method WRELAX (Weighted Fourier transform and RELAXation based) algorithm to deal with this problem. The proposed method is referred to as MODE-WRELAX. MODE-WRELAX provides better accuracy than MODE and higher resolution than WRELAX. Moreover, it can be used for both complex- and real-valued signals (including those with highly oscillatory correlation functions). Numerical results show that the MODE-WRELAX estimates can approach the corresponding Cramer-Rao bound. Efficient implementation of the algorithm is also discussed     

Angle and polarization estimation in a coherent signal environment

It is shown how a uniform linear array of crossed dipoles may be used with the ESPRIT algorithm and spatial smoothing techniques to estimate the arrival directions and polarizations of incoming coherent plane waves. Some examples showing typical performance are presented. One method of smoothing can be used where it is necessary to estimate both the arrival angles and polarizations of signals. Two other methods can be used when only the arrival angles are of interest     

Safety estimation of structural systems via interval analysis

Considering that the uncertain information has serious influences on the safety of structural systems and is always limited, it is reasonable that the uncertainties are generally described as interval sets. Based on the non-probabilistic set-theoretic theory, which is applied to measuring the safety of structural components and further combined with the branch-and-bound method for the probabilistic reliability analysis of structural systems, the non-probabilistic branch-and-bound method for determining the dominant failure modes of an uncertain structural system is given. Meanwhile, a new system safety measuring index obtained by the non-probabilistic set-theoretic model is investigated. Moreover, the compatibility between the classical probabilistic model as well as the proposed interval-set model will be discussed to verify the physical meaning of the safety measure in this paper. Some numerical examples are utilized to illustrate the validity and feasibility of the developed method.     

Ground-multi path mitigation via polarization steering of GPS signal

Multipath (MP) is the dominant error source in Global Positioning System (GPS) code-based position solutions requiring high accuracy. A technique is introduced here to mitigate error due to ground-reflected MP signals. The technique uses two orthogonal dipoles to capture the direct GPS signal and the ground-reflected GPS signal. Adjusting the amplitude and phase of the received voltage between the two dipoles can reduce the impact of MP error. Theoretical derivations of this technique are performed for a GPS signal upon reflection from dry soil, seawater, and fresh water. The theoretical results are verified with a real world experiment on the aforementioned surfaces. GPS pseudo-range (PR) and carrier-to-noise ratio (C/No) measurements for specific satellites are used to verify the predicted theoretical results.