The Source Numer Estimation Based on the Beam Eigenvalue Method

This paper presents a new method to estimate the number of signals impinging on a uniform linear array based on the beam eigenvalue method (BEM). The source number estimation is an essential premise of high resolution DOA (direction of arrival) estimation. All these existing methods to estimate the source number arc based on the covariance matrix of receiving signals. Through analyzing the space power spectrum and the correlation of the line array, the covariance matrix is constructed in a new way .The eigenvalue of this new covariance matrix is called beam eigenvalue.The BEM could be effect for both uncorrelated and correlated signals simultaneously without spatial smoothing , and has higher resolving power than MUSIC.