Target tracking and localization with ambiguous phase measurements of sensor networks

When tracking a target using phase-only signal returns, range ambiguities are a major issue. In this work, a look-up table between phase measurement space and target location space is constructed for phase measurement mapping. Solving such problems via solutions to Diophantine equations has been used to locate candidate locations. Here we show how such target location ambiguity can also be resolved over time when the underlying target is in motion and where issues of clutter are treated via a phase distribution discrimination method. That is, a probability density function of the ambiguous phase-only measurement that takes both sensor noise and target motion distributions into account is derived based on directional statistics. This approach to solving phase ambiguity under significant clutter conditions has promising results. Refereed/Peer-reviewed