Decentralized array processing using the MODE algorithm (Q1345179)

Centralized methods for source location using sensor arrays have computational and communication burdens that increase significantly with the number of sensors in the array. This paper introduces two methods for decentralized array processing, based on the recently proposed MODE algorithm. For prescribed nonoverlapping subarrays, both methods are shown to be statistically optimal in the sense that asymptotically, they provide the most accurate decentralized estimates of source location parameters. The accuracy of the two decentralized methods is compared to the centralized Carmér-Rao bound, both analytically and numerically, in order to provide indications about the loss of accuracy associated with decentralized processing.