L/sup 2/ time delay estimation by means of Laguerre functions

A straightforward method for the estimation of continuous time delays in narrowband signals is proposed. Delay estimation is especially of interest for those areas in signal processing that deal with the time delay of arrival (TDOA). The new method involves a parameterization of the identification problem in the Laguerre functions. This formalism is chosen due to the nature of the signals. Then the delay is obtained from a finite number of input/output Laguerre coefficients by using l/sup 2/ norm optimal estimation. Estimation bounds are given and experiments from ultrasonic applications are presented.