Codifference correlator for impulsive signals and noise

摘要

A complex signal correlator such as can be implemented in a correlation detector system affords a unique algorithm which estimates the codifference correlation between two complex signals based on the sum and difference of codifference estimates, each codifference estimate having equivalently associated therewith a dispersion estimate. Typical embodiments provide a receiving antenna and a receiver inclusive of the codifference correlator, wherein radio frequency waves are down converted and sampled, the sampled signals are correlated with a reference signal contained in a memory, and the resultant correlation signal is detected and transduced. The inventive correlator is based on an alpha-stable distribution and, in comparison with conventional alpha-stable distribution-based correlators, can more effectively operate in a realm wherein alpha is less than one.