DOA estimation of wideband sources using a harmonic source model and uniform linear array

We consider here the problem of estimation of DOA’s of multiple wideband sources incident on a uniform linear array (ULA) in the presence of spatially and temporally white Gaussian noise (WGN). The approach presented here builds up on the IQML algorithm suggested by Bresler and Macovski for the case of narrowband DOA estimation. It is shown that the concept of ARMA model for the observed data vector for the narrowband case can be generalized to model an appropriately stacked, space-time data vector obtained by combining the spacetime samples. The coefficients of the corresponding 2-D predictor polynomial can be used to represent the null subspace of the wideband array steering matrix, and rooting of the polynomial at each frequency, separately, gives the DOA estimates. These separate estimates at multiple frequencies are combined into a single DOA estimate in a least squares sense. This leads to the formulation of an IQML-like procedure for the spatial parameter estimation of wideband sources. Like its narrowband counterpart, the proposed approach is applicable to both noncoherent and coherent sources. The performance of the proposed method is studied via extensive computer simulations and by comparison with the CR bounds.