DOA Estimation Using Virtual ESPRIT with Successive Baselines and Coprime Baselines

In this paper, we exploit the idea of virtual ESPRIT (VESPA) to develop a multi-baseline VESPA (MB-VESPA) approach for direction finding. Specially, we define several cumulant matrices to provide ambiguous direction estimates under different baselines. Fine and unambiguous estimation is then obtained by a simple refinement step. Two refine approaches, termed as successive baseline approach and coprime baseline approach, are subsequently introduced. MB-VESPA shares all the advantages of the VESPA. It is simple, closed-form, search-free, and is applicable to irregularly linear array. In addition, it is free of the impact on the sensor gain uncertainties.