Alternative Approaches for Target Velocity Estimation Using the Hough Transform in MIMO Radar Systems

Recently it has been shown that Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna systems have the potential to significantly improve the performance of communication systems compared to single antenna systems. An effective method of multiple-input multiple-output radar target detection and parameter estimation is proposed in this paper. Such contemporary approach for moving target velocity estimation is the application of a mathematical transform of the received input signals. The Hough transforms is very suitable for this case. Its application allows target parameter estimation maintaining low levels of the signal to noise ratio. In the present paper an original algorithm for two stage velocity estimation of a moving on a straight line target is proposed. To estimate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm a comparative analysis of the achieved results using two techniques – Doppler and Hough transform is carried out. A Monte-Carlo analysis of the two velocity estimation techniques is done based on the same parameters of surveillance radar. The numerical and graphical results show that both estimators make possible to estimate velocity with the same accuracy. An alternative three stage combined approach for velocity estimation is also considered. This algorithm combines the advantages of both Doppler and Hough detectors, and decreases vie computational burden. The effectiveness of the algorithms proposed is formulated in terms of quality parameters – the accuracy estimation and the probability of detection. The quality parameters are estimated using the Monte-Carlo simulation approach. Compared are the results of detection achieved by both analytical and simulational approaches.