Moving Target Indicators (MTI) are airborne radar systems designed to detect and track moving vehicles or aircrafts. In this paper, we address the problem of detecting hazardous collision targets to avoid them. One of the best known solutions to solve this problem is given by the so-called Space-Time Adaptive Processing (STAP) algorithms which optimally filter the target signal from interference and noise exploiting the specific relationship between Direction Of Arrival (DOA) and Doppler for the ground clutter. However, these algorithms require an antenna array and multiple reception channels that increase cost and complexity. The authors propose an alternative solution using a single antenna only. In addition to the standard Doppler shift related to the radial speed, the orthoradial speed of any target can be estimated if using a long integration time. Dangerous targets and ground clutter have different signatures in the radial- rthoradial velocity plane. An optimal detector is then proposed based on the oblique projection onto the signal subspace orthogonal to the clutter subspace. The theoretical performances of this detector are derived and a realistic radar scene simulation shows the benefits of this new MTI detector.

Monitoring some types of events can be very challenging depending on where data is collected. Hence, the use of in-situ wireless sensor networks combined with observing satellites can be very useful. These two technologies are often used to monitor systems separately but it is rare that data collected each one is used mutually to consolidate a view of the system state. We propose an architecture composed of WSN and LEO satellites. This architecture has to handle links' disruptions. In this study, the architecture relies on DTN. The main issue of this architecture is the routing within the whole network. The scenario we interest in is based on wildfires monitoring and detection. © 2011 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.

The affine combination of two adaptive filters that simultaneously adapt on the same inputs has been actively investigated. In these structures, the filter outputs are linearly combined to yield a performance that is better than that of either filter. Various decision rules can be used to determine the time-varying parameter for combining the filter outputs. A recently proposed scheme based on the ratio of error powers of the two filters has been shown by simulation to achieve nearly optimum performance. The purpose of this paper is to present a first analysis of the statistical behavior of this error power scheme for white Gaussian inputs. Expressions are derived for the mean behavior of the combination parameter and for the adaptive weight mean-square deviation. Monte Carlo simulations show good to excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions.

Many sampling formulas are available for processes in baseband (-a,a) at the Nyquist rate a/π. However signals of telecommunications have power spectra which occupate two bands or more. We know that PNS (periodic non-uniform sampling) allow an errorless reconstruction at rate smaller than the Nyquist one. For instance PNS2 can be used in the two-bands case (-a,-b)∪(b,a) at the Landau rate (a-b)/π We prove a set of formulas which are available in cases more general than the PNS2. They take into account two sampling sequences which can be periodic or not and with same mean rate or not.

The development of robust ECG denoising techniques is important for automatic diagnoses of cardiac diseases. Based on a previously suggested nonlinear dynamic model for the generation of realistic synthetic ECG, we introduce a modified ECG dynamical model with 18 state variables to further include morphology variations. A marginalized particle filter is proposed for tracking this modified nonlinear state-space model which has linear substructures. Quantitative evaluations on the MIT-BIH database show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the extended Kalman filter-based algorithms and can better handle non-Gaussian distributions.

A simulator for the evaluation of the radar signature of raindrops within wake vortices is presented. Simulated Doppler spectrum of raindrops within vortices let to think that it could be a potential criterion for identifying wake vortex hazard in rainy weather.

In the framework of the aircraft global optimization, for future and upcoming programs, the main objective of current research is to increase aircraft maneuverability and thus Electrical Flight Control System (EFCS) autonomy. A possible solution is to increase the number of redundant flight parameter sensors. This paper proposes an algorithm using PLS (Partial Least Squares) to estimate a flight parameter from independent sensor measurements. The estimates are then used as so-called “software” or “virtual” sensors. This algorithm is based on an iterative processing and thus can be used in real time in the embedded flight computer. Furthermore, the resulting flight parameter estimates can be used to detect failures. In that way, different detection strategies are proposed and results show that this method can lead to robust detections.

This paper proposes new transmission schemes for the delivery of satellite services. In the proposed scenarios, mobile terminals are allowed to forward the signal received from the satellite. This scheme provides spatial diversity just like MIMO transmission schemes. Moreover, the coverage area is extended because masked terminals have an additional opportunity to get the service from neighboring terminals. We use the paradigm of cooperative communications to compare the advantages and limitations of several scenarios in hybrid terrestrial/satellite systems. In particular, we study the following basic transmission scheme: in a first time slot, the satellite sends its signal and, in a second time slot, mobile terrestrial terminals are relaying the satellite signal. An analysis framework is proposed and applied to this cooperation scenario at the destination terminal. The framework is modeling the cooperation process and clearly separates the control part from the data user part. The paper outlines the importance of the control part by evaluating the relay selection policy on a basic hybrid satellite/ad hoc system. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

NPR (noise power ratio) and EVM (error vector magnitude) measurements are used to characterize linear or nonlinear distortions and degradations in digital modulators, microwave or RF amplifiers and transmission links. These methods are also used in system simulations. Each of these methods results in an equivalent noise power that can be added to the thermal noise in the link budget in order to compute the BER (bit error rate). In this paper we examine the conditions necessary for these two measurements (or simulations) to give the same value for this equivalent noise. From this identity, it is possible to use either one or the other method with the goal to simplify simulation software or test benches particularly in the case of wide bandwidth measurements.

The world of telecommunications converging towards IP, the telecommunication satellite systems have to follow the trend to stay competitive and to be integrated to the Internet world. We first remind the issues of convergence in satellite communications, then we list the different convergence architectures conceivable in satellite systems and describe the limits of current systems in term of IP convergence. Our choice is devoted to the IP/GSE architecture for the forward link. Then, we specify the GSE-Alt protocol, inspired from GSE but adapted to the return link. The deployment of new services and the evolution of existing services are possible and made easier thanks to the IP layer. Both layers GSE and GSE-Alt optimize the transport of the IP packets. In order to propose a communication support allowing various quality of service (QoS) needs, we specify several mechanisms allowing a great coherence of the quality of service treatments at the different protocol levels. Finally, to allow an interconnection and an integration of the satellite world to the Internet world, we study the requirements in term of IP routing deployment. Therefore, we specify an architecture allowing the satellite to make the switching at the IP level. This convergence of the satellite towards an "all IP" system is the base required to its transparent insertion to the rest of the telecommunication world.