Parameter estimation for distributed source based on propagator method

The propagator method is suggested to estimate the central direction of arrival and angular spread for both incoherently and coherently distributed sources. For incoherently distributed sources, a first order Taylor series expansion of the the steering vector is derived which is similar to point sources. The nominal steering vector is analyzed to satisfy Vandermonde matrix for coherently distributed source with small angular spread. The proposed method is a possible alternative to MUSIC for the parameter estimation for both coherently and incoherently distributed sources. In addition, the algorithm can be used for sources with different forms of distribution function with lower computational complexity. Simulation results clearly demonstrate that the proposed method is not only effective, but also enjoys better SNR performance compared with MUSIC.