Kyungjung Kim

A survey of various propagation models for mobile communication

In order to estimate the signal parameters accurately for mobile systems, it is necessary to estimate a systems propagation characteristics through a medium. Propagation analysis provides a good initial estimate of the signal characteristics. The ability to accurately predict radio-propagation behavior for wireless personal communication systems, such as cellular mobile radio, is becoming crucial to system design. Since site measurements are costly, propagation models have been developed as a suitable, low-cost, and convenient alternative. Channel modeling is required to predict path, loss and to characterize the impulse response of the propagating channel. The path loss is associated with the design of base stations, as this tells us how much a transmitter needs to radiate to service a given region. Channel characterization, on the other hand, deals with the fidelity of the received signals, and has to do with the nature of the waveform received at a receiver. The objective here is to design a suitable receiver that will receive the transmitted signal, distorted due to the multipath and dispersion effects of the channel, and that will decode the transmitted signal. An understanding of the various propagation models can actually address both problems. This paper begins with a review of the information available on the various propagation models for both indoor and outdoor environments. The existing models can be classified into two major classes: statistical models and site-specific models. The main characteristics of the radio channel - such as path loss, fading, and time-delay spread - are discussed. Currently, a third alternative, which includes many new numerical methods, is being introduced to propagation prediction. The advantages and disadvantages of some of these methods are summarized. In addition, an impulse-response characterization for the propagation path is also presented, including models for small-scale fading, Finally, it is shown that when two-way communication ports can be defined for a mobile system, it is possible to use reciprocity to focus the energy along the direction of an intended user without any explicit knowledge of the electromagnetic environment in which the system is operating, or knowledge of the spatial locations of the transmitter and the receiver.

Solution of time domain electric field Integral equation using the Laguerre polynomials

In this paper, we propose a numerical method to obtain a solution for the time domain electric field integral equation (TD-EFIE) for arbitrary shaped conducting structures. This method does not utilize the customary marching-on in time (MOT) solution method often used to solve a hyperbolic partial differential equation. Instead we solve the wave equation by expressing the transient behaviors in terms of Laguerre polynomials. By using these causal orthonormal basis functions for the temporal variation, the time derivatives can be handled analytically. In order to solve the wave equation, we introduce two separate testing procedures, a spatial and temporal testing. By introducing first the Galerkin temporal testing procedure, the MOT procedure is replaced by a recursive relation between the different orders of the weighted Laguerre polynomials. The other novelty of this approach is that through the use of the entire domain Laguerre polynomials for the expansion of the temporal variation of the current, the spatial and the temporal variables can be separated and the temporal variables can be integrated out. For convenience, we use the Hertz vector as the unknown variable instead of the electric current density. To verify our method, we compare the results of a TD-EFIE and inverse Fourier transform of a frequency domain EFIE.

A deterministic least-squares approach to space-time adaptive processing (STAP)

A direct data domain (D/sup 3/) least-squares space-time adaptive processing (STAP) approach is presented for adaptively enhancing signals in a nonhomogeneous environment. The nonhomogeneous environment may consist of nonstationary clutter and could include blinking jammers. The D/sup 3/ approach is applied to data collected by an antenna array utilizing space and in time (Doppler) diversity. Conventional STAP generally utilizes statistical methodologies based on estimating a covariance matrix of the interference using data from secondary range cells. As the results are derived from ensemble averages, one filter (optimum in a probabilistic sense) is obtained for the operational environment, assumed to be wide sense stationary. However for highly transient and inhomogeneous environments the conventional statistical methodology is difficult to apply. Hence, the D/sup 3/ method is presented as it analyzes the data in space and time over each range cell separately. The D/sup 3/ method is deterministic in approach. From an operational standpoint, an optimum method could be a combination of these two diverse methodologies. This paper represents several new D/sup 3/ approaches. One is based on the computation of a generalized eigenvalue for the signal strength and the others are based on the solution of a set of block Hankel matrix equations. Since the matrix of the system of equations to be solved has a block Hankel structure, the conjugate gradient method and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) can be utilized for efficient solution of the adaptive problem. Illustrative examples presented in this paper use measured data from the multichannel airborne radar measurements (MCARM) database to detect a Sabreliner in the presence of urban, land, and sea clutter. An added advantage for the D/sup 3/ method in solving real-life problems is that simultaneously many realizations can be obtained for the same solution for the signal of interest (SOI). The degree of variability amongst the different results can provide a confidence level of the processed results. The D/sup 3/ method may also be used for mobile communications.

Adaptive processing using a single snapshot for a nonuniformly spaced array in the presence of mutual coupling and near-field scatterers

This paper presents an adaptive technique to extract the signal of interest (SOI) arriving from a known direction in the presence of strong interferers using a single snapshot of data. The antenna elements in this method can be nonuniformly spaced and there can be mutual coupling between them. In addition, near-field scatterers can also be present. First, the voltages induced in the antenna elements of the array due to interferers, mutual coupling between the elements, and near-field scatterers is preprocessed by applying a transformation matrix to these voltages through a rigorous electromagnetic analysis tool. This electromagnetic preprocessing technique transforms the voltages that are induced in a nonuniformly spaced array containing real antenna elements to a set of voltages that will be produced in a uniform linear virtual array (ULVA) containing omnidirectional isotropic point radiators. In the transformation matrix we would like to include various electromagnetic effects like mutual coupling between the antenna elements, presence of near-field scatterers and the platform effects on which the antenna array is mounted. This transformation matrix when applied to the actual measured voltages yields an equivalent set of voltages that will be induced in the ULVA. A direct data domain least squares adaptive algorithm is then applied to the processed voltages to extract the SOI in the presence of interferers. Limited numerical examples are presented to illustrate the novelty of the proposed method.

Transient electromagnetic scattering from dielectric objects using the electric field Integral equation with Laguerre polynomials as temporal basis functions

In this paper, we propose a time-domain electric field integral equation (TD-EFIE) formulation for analyzing the transient electromagnetic response from three-dimensional (3-D) dielectric bodies. The solution method in this paper is based on the Galerkins method that involves separate spatial and temporal testing procedures. Triangular patch basis functions are used for spatial expansion and testing functions for arbitrarily shaped 3-D dielectric structures. The time-domain unknown coefficients of the equivalent electric and magnetic currents are approximated using a set of orthonormal basis function that is derived from the Laguerre functions. These basis functions are also used as the temporal testing functions. Use of the Laguerre polynomials as expansion functions for the transient portion of response enables one not only to handle the time derivative terms in the integral equation in an analytic fashion but also completely separates the space and the time variables. Thus, the time variable along with the Courant condition can be eliminated in a Galerkin formulation using this procedure. We also propose an alternative formulation using a different expansion of the magnetic current. The total computational cost for this new method is similar to that of an implicit marching-on in time (MOT)-EFIE scheme, even though at each step this procedure requires more computations. Numerical results involving equivalent currents and far fields computed by the two proposed methods are presented and compared.

Solution of large dense complex matrix equations utilizing wavelet-like transforms

This paper presents the wavelet-like transforms, which are quite different from the wavelet transform for the solution of large dense complex matrix equations. From a purely numerical standpoint, these wavelet-like transforms are not true orthogonal transforms as the condition number of the resulting matrix changes after the thresholding. These effects are illustrated through examples.

Exploiting early time response using the fractional Fourier transform for analyzing transient radar returns

This paper presents a new technique for estimating parameters of damped sinusoids and impulse-like responses utilizing both early and late time transient scattering responses. Transient scattering responses are composed of damped sinusoids at late times and impulse-like components at early times. Due to the impulse-like components, it is difficult to extract meaningful damped sinusoids when analyzing the complete data set. In this paper, the entire time-domain response is used to extract the signal parameters of interest utilizing both the early and late times. The fractional Fourier transform (FrFT), especially the half Fourier transform (HFT), is used to analyze the data for parameter identification. Impulse or Gaussian-like pulses can be easily separated from the late time damped exponentials in the HFT domain, as they have similar functional representations. In addition, the damped exponentials have a turn on time which needs to be solved for. Results from two examples show that the new technique is applicable for signals that are composed of damped exponentials with a turn-on time and short pulse-like components.

Direction of arrival estimation based on temporal and spatial processing using a direct data domain (D/sup 3/) approach

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the direction of arrival (DOA) of the signal of interest (SOI) in the presence of both coherent and noncoherent interferences and multipath components utilizing a combined temporal and spatial processing technique based on a direct data domain approach. The concept of cyclostationarity, which deals with the temporal information of the SOI, is used to extract signals having the same cycle frequency and null out the co-channel interferences and additive noise. Hence, the signal detection capability can be significantly increased over conventional filtering when the length of the data record is limited. The main contribution of the paper is that by combining temporal and spatial processing based on a direct data domain approach one can handle number of signals along with their various coherent and noncoherent multipaths and interferences which can exceed the number of antenna elements. Hence, this methodology may be advantageous over conventional spatial processing when the number of degrees of freedom can never exceed the number of antenna elements in the array. However, the number of multipaths and interferers at the same cycle frequency has to be less than approximately 66 % of the antenna elements. Since we do not form a covariance matrix of the data, this method is quite suitable for short data lengths or when the environment is quite dynamic. Hence, in the proposed algorithm, while the estimation of the cyclic array covariance matrix is avoided, we develop a new matrix form using extremely short data samples. As a result, the computational load in the proposed approach is relatively reduced and the robustness of the estimation of SOI is significantly improved when the number of available snapshots is extremely limited. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of this method.

DOA estimation utilizing directive elements on a conformal surface

In this paper we present a methodology on how to use directive elements in an adaptive array methodology. Typically one uses isotropic elements having practically no gain then the signal level is increased by putting hundreds and thousands of these elements together. In this paper we demonstrate a methodology where the elements can be arbitrarily spaced and may even be non-planar. In addition it is shown how to deal with nonuniformly spaced and non-planar arrays. We illustrate these principles in a direction of arrival (DOA) estimation utilizing directive elements.

Beamspace space-time adaptive processing for conformal array radars

This paper presents a beamspace space-time adaptive processing (STAP) approach to conformal array radar applications. The spatial channels in beamspace STAP are designed to have the same phase center, but different beam orientations and/or shapes. The joint-domain localized (JDL) algorithm and /spl Sigma//spl Delta/-STAP (employing sum and difference beams) are two special cases of beamspace-STAP. This paper develops a theory for a generalized beamspace STAP and applies it to conformal arrays. The desired beam pattern characteristics for beamspace STAP are identified with supportive examples. In practice, the beam pattern sidelobe structure is not controllable because of near-field effects, mutual coupling, and various other errors. A practically feasible design that employs a low sidelobe mainbeam combined with a few non-tapered beams (sum and/or difference beams) is developed in this paper. An iterative method is used to synthesize the desired conformal array patterns for beamspace-STAP. Several beamspace-STAP examples for a cylindrical array and a dome-shaped array, as representatives of conformal arrays, perform very well and the results are consistent with the theory.