ToA-based Algorithm of Joint Filtering of Coordinates And Time of Transmission for MLAT systems

Abstract

The accuracy of radio radiation source (RRS) coordinates determination in MLAT systems is largely determined by the algorithm used. Traditionally, the MPS use one-step estimates of RRS coordinates obtained by the least squares method (LSM), where differences in measurements of RRS signal reception moments at different receiving stations (RS) are used as input data. This approach ignores some of the information contained in the observations - the moments and period of radio signal emission from RRS. The algorithm of joint filtration of RRS coordinates and time of transmission (ToT) for sampling of sequential observations is presented. The results of modeling of different algorithms for determination of RRS coordinates are presented, and the advantages of the proposed algorithm in comparison with the traditional algorithm based on the TDoA method are shown. Estimation of ToT and its filtration at a known period allows you to get closer to the accuracy provided by Time of Flight (ToF) method, which can not be implemented directly for MLAT systems. This hypothesis was confirmed by modeling with the use of two types of trajectories - circular movement and straight-line movement.