Patent ID: 6853961

Claim:
A process for estimating a correlation matrix of signals of unknown characteristics, which are received by an array comprising a number N of sensors, to process signals received by said array, said sensors receiving at least first signals of unknown characteristics and second signals of known characteristics, the first and second signals together forming sensor signals, the process comprising: a) determining a correlation matrix {circumflex over (R)}s or Rs,α of the signals of known characteristics; b) estimating a correlation matrix {circumflex over (R)}x of the sensor signals; c) forming a matrix A equal to A={circumflex over (R)}s −1/2 {circumflex over (R)}x {circumflex over (R)}s −1/2 ; d) decomposing the matrix A into eigenelements to obtain its eigenvalues λ i and its eigenvectors u i , with λ 1 ≦λ 2 ≦ . . . ≦λ N e) constructing a matrix B having eigenvectors v1 substantially equal to the eigenvectors u i of the matrix A, and eigenvalues γ i equal to the eigenvalues λ 1 to within a constant, a value of a constant β being determined based on N-P smallest eigenvalues of the matrix A, P being a number of jammers or interfering signals, with λ 1 ≦β≦λ N-P ; and f) determining an estimated correlation matrix {circumflex over (R)}b of interfering signals based on the estimated matrix {circumflex over (R)}s and the matrix B, such that {circumflex over (R)}b={circumflex over (R)}s 1/2 B {circumflex over (R)}s 1/2 .