A design method for small sensor arrays in angle of arrival estimation

The use of small sensor arrays in modern signal processing systems has recently become more common due to the increase in computational processing power and interest in intelligent sensing and surveillance. However, not much information is available on the design of small sensor arrays having arbitrary geometry, that effectively can accomplish these tasks. In this paper we address the problem of designing such small sensor array systems for angle of arrival (AOA) estimation algorithms. Two different cost functions are derived and their applicability is demonstrated in simulation. The accuracy of the AOA estimates is also studied for two different array configurations.