Interlaced Double-Precision 2-D Angle Estimation Algorithm Using L-Shaped Nested Arrays

Abstract

This letter presents a novel algorithm for two-dimensional (2-D) angle estimation using L-shaped nested arrays (NAs) that consist of two orthogonal two-level NAs. The elevation estimation in high precision is achieved based on the information of azimuth estimation in low precision and the azimuth estimation in high precision is achieved based on the information of elevation estimation in low precision. Therefore, the algorithm is named interlaced double-precision (IDP) 2-D angle estimation algorithm. The proposed algorithm can achieve 2-D angle estimation with unknown source number and without pair matching based on the minimum-norm (MN) technique and the least-square (LS) technique. The maximal estimable source number is ( $M^{2}/4 + M/2-1$ ) by the proposed algorithm using L-shaped NAs with $M$ physical sensors in each axis.