Single-Snapshot Localization Using Sparse Extremely Large Aperture Arrays

Abstract: This paper investigates single-snapshot direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation and target localization with coherent sparse extremely large aperture arrays (ELAAs) in automotive radar applications. Far-field and near-field signal models are formulated for distributed bistatic configurations. To enable noncoherent processing, a single-snapshot MUSIC (SS-MUSIC) algorithm is proposed to fuse local spectra from individual subarrays and extended to near-field localization via geometric intersection. For coherent processing, a single-snapshot ESPRIT (SS-ESPRIT) method with ambiguity dealiasing is developed to fully exploit the aperture of sparse ELAAs for high-resolution angle estimation. Simulation results demonstrate that SS-ESPRIT provides superior angular resolution for closely spaced far-field targets, while SS-MUSIC offers robustness in near-field localization and flexibility in hybrid scenarios.