A generalized least squares registration algorithm with Earth-centered Earth-fixed (ECEF) coordinate system [radar sensor fusion applications]

The registration problem is a prerequisite process for radar networking systems to estimate and correct systematic errors accurately. Some classical registration algorithms are all based on stereographic projection, which introduces errors to the registration of the long distance sensors. We present a generalized least squares registration algorithm (ECEF-GLS) in an Earth-centered Earth-fixed coordinate system. The new approach solves the registration between the long distance sensors, and the covariance of the estimation achieves the Cramer-Rao bound (CRLB), ignoring the errors of the linear model. Simulated data are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Comparisons are made to the ECEF-LS algorithms proposed by Zhou.