Abstract

The rapidly changing military signal environment has reduced the probability of detecting and correctly identifying signal emitters with conventional signal analysis techniques. Increasingly complex waveforms covering large spectral bandwidths are now being used. In addition, the number of active emitters has increased dramatically. Coupled with this rapidly rising processing load is the use of techniques designed to counter the signal database identification process; for example intentionally increasing the parameter limits of the emitter or changing one or more of the emitter operating parameters. The problem of spectral analysis in this type of environment is somewhat like the problem of visual perception: we want to know what is "out there" but we do not want to know fine details unless we need to. Qualitative understanding means knowing the number and rough properties of objects present in the environment. In the case of signal analysis, this would correspond to the number, rough properties, and types of emitters.

© 1997 Optical Society of America