With 7 FiguresSensor array signal processing deals with the problem of extracting information from a collection of measurements obtained from sensors distributed in space. The number of signals present is assumed to be finite, and each signal is parameterized by a finite number of parameters. Based on measurements of the array output, the objective is to estimate the signals and their parameters. This research area has attracted considerable interest for several years. A vast number of algorithms has appeared in the literature for estimating unknown signal parameters from the measured output of a sensor array.The interest in sensor array processing stems from the many applications where emitter waveforms are nlcasured at several points in space and/or time. In radar applications, as discussed in Chaps. 2 and 3, the objective is to determine certain parameters associated with each return signal; these may include bearing, elevation, doppler shift, etc. By using an array of antenna receivers, the accuracy with which the signal parameters can be determined is greatly improved when compared to single-receiver systems.As the signal environment becomes more dense in both space and frequency, sensor arrays will playa more significant role in the field ofradio and microwave communications. Communication satellites placed in geostationary orbits are faced with an increasing amount of channel interference because of limited space and a limited frequency band. By utilizing the spatial selectivity that may be obtained with an array of sensors, satellites operating in the same frequency band can be placed close together without unacceptable interference. Mobile communication systems are faced with the same problem. An increasing demand for mobile telephones and a limited bandwidth has increased the number of base stations serving an area. If a base station is equipped with a collection of receiving antennas, the spatial dimension can be used to distinguish emitters. By appropriately processing the output of the antenna array, undesirable noise and interference can be suppressed in favor of the signal-of-interest.Underwater arrays with acoustical sensors (hydrophones) are frequently used in surveillance. Several hydrophones are either towed behind a vessel or dropped in the ocean to passively measure acoustical energy from other vessels. The objective is to detect and estimate incoming signals in order to locate and identify vessels. In geophysical exploration the ground is often excited by a detonation, and waves reflected from boundaries between layers in the earth are sensed by an array of geophones. By identifying the wavefronts arriving at the array, information about the structure of the earth is inferred.
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