Direct Trajectory Estimation of Moving Emitters with Distributed Stations and Performance Analysis to Station Location Errors

For trajectory estimation of moving emitters, we propose a one-step method based on widely distributed stations. Benefiting from the distributed multi-station geometry, the proposed method makes full use of the potential Doppler frequency, angle and time delay information to determine the emitter trajectory. Compared with traditional methods, this approach combines measurement extraction and trajectory estimation in a single step, yielding a superior solution. To obtain a theoretical benchmark, we derive corresponding Cramer-Rao bounds with compact-form for the interested trajectory parameters. Moreover, considering the effects of the station location errors, we establish the mathematical relations between the station location errors and the deviation of the trajectory for moving emitter. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to verify the superiority of the proposed method and the correctness of the theoretical analysis.