A New Kind of Method for DOA Estimation Based on Blind Source Separation and MVDR Beamforming

Direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is the base of the underwater target orientation and tracking. Based on the average time-delayed correlation matrices, a new kind of plural blind source separation method using the singular value decomposition is proposed. The array manifold is estimated based on it. Then combining the complex blind source separation method with the high resolution method, a new kind of method for DOA estimation is proposed. Namely, the array signal is separated firstly, then reconstructing the array signal according to the separation matrix and separated signals. Lastly the DOA is estimated by minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming method. And this new method was tested by the narrowband simulation data. Results show that this method can complete the real-time estimation of the target orientation and estimate the number of targets. And this new method is superior to the single MVDR method in the request of the sensors number, signal-to-noise and snapshots number to achieve the same results under same condition. At the same time, it has higher resolution than single MVDR algorithm.