An optimal Prior-knowLEDGE-based DOA estimation method

In some applications involving line spectra or direction of arrival (DOA) estimation, we may have known a priori information. This information could consist of known frequencies in Magnetoencephalography (MEG) or mechanical signals, or of known DOA's in a RADAR urban scenario. With this fact in mind we propose an optimal method for array processing that exploits the information of the known DOA's for estimating the unknown DOA's as accurately as possible. This new Prior-knowLEDGE (PLEDGE) method is based on the method of direction estimation (MODE) approach. To show the benefits of incorporating prior-knowledge we also present the corresponding stochastic Cramér-Rao Bound (CRB). Finally, we apply PLEDGE for estimating frequencies in the current spectrum of an induction motor to perform the diagnosis on rotor bars.