Broadband DOA estimation by virtual scaling array

This paper presents a broadband DOA estimation method based on a virtual scaling array that uses one steering vector for the frequency band of interest. This method is different from coherent broadband DOA estimation methods in that no spatial re-sampling or interpolation is needed. It is also different from the incoherent method in that one covariance matrix and one steering vector are used for the frequency band. The broadband steering vector and the covariance matrix are constructed in the frequency domain. The conventional beamforming and MVDR can then be used to calculate the spatial spectrum. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show the validity of the proposed method. The simulation results show that the virtual scaling array method has a better resolution than that of the incoherent broadband method. The development in this paper is based on a circular array, but it can be used for any array that can be described as a closed form