Phase technologies of signal processing. Direction-of-arrival estimation

Signal reception by three omnidirectional equidistant receivers in-line to each other arranged as a single three-pole system (tripole) is investigated. The Schrödinger equation is transformed to a first-order difference equation with argument lag, and the Poisson wave equation - to the second-order difference equation. These difference equations in the phase interpretation (equiphase time and synchronous base) allow direction-of-arrival estimation by geometrical techniques using the tripole without recourse to the notion of signal propagation velocity. To a first approximation, the first-order phase solutions yield the target angle, and the second order phase solutions - the target distance. The proposed methods allow high-frequency target scanning (24 frames per second with an angle of view of 36×36 degrees).