Low complexity covariance-based DOA estimation algorithm

The aim of this work is to present an alternative method for estimating the direction-of-arrival (DoA), that is, the incoming angle, of a signal impinging on an antenna array. The proposed method is similar to ESPRIT (estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques) algorithm, which is the most widely used technique for this application. The new algorithm exploits the structural similarities between ESPRIT and the Tong-Xu-Kailath method for blind channel equalization. The result is an ESPRIT-like algorithm for DoA estimation with substantially reduced computational complexity. Simulation results are included to verify the properties and performance of the new covariance-based DoA algorithm, in comparison to ESPRIT and to the theoretical Cramer-Rao lower bound.