Target motion analysis using angular measurements and underwater sound pressure levels

Area of Science:

• Acoustics
• Signal Processing
• Oceanography

Background:

• Passive sonar systems typically rely on bearing-only measurements for target motion analysis.
• Particle filter methods show strong performance but can be further enhanced.
• Existing methods often lack comprehensive environmental data integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve target motion analysis (TMA) in passive sonar by incorporating received sound pressure levels (SPLs) alongside bearing information.
• To investigate the use of conical angle measurements for enhanced TMA realism.
• To assess the impact of environmental data on underwater acoustic tracking.

Main Methods:

• Combining bearing information with received underwater sound pressure levels (SPLs) using existing hydrophone sensors.
• Estimating underwater transmission losses via simulations using environmental data.
• Investigating the use of conical angle measurements (bearing and elevation) for improved target characterization.
• Utilizing simulated data for performance evaluation under various conditions.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrates improved target motion analysis performance, particularly in scenarios lacking observer maneuvers.
• Integrating sound pressure levels enhances tracking accuracy compared to bearing-only methods.
• Conical angle measurements provide a more comprehensive characterization of underwater acoustic paths, including bottom-bounce.
• Simulations confirm the benefits of incorporating SPLs and environmental data into passive sonar tracking.

Conclusions:

• Combining bearing data with sound pressure levels offers a significant advancement in passive sonar target motion analysis.
• The method is sensor-efficient, leveraging existing hydrophone capabilities.
• Conical angle measurements and environmental data integration enhance the robustness and realism of passive sonar tracking systems.