ABSTRACT
Signal and data processing is the manipulation of physical data to develop information for decision making. Three elements join to influence signal and data processing in the underwater environment: the character of the incoming signal, the type of noise and interference, and the ocean channel through which they propagate and interact. The addition of basic parameter estimation and displays enables the man to conduct more diverse signal and data processing functions. The simplest man/machine allocation is an array of hydrophones and human ears; this system still constitutes a baseline for detection and classification of contacts. Spatial decomposition is accomplished when the array is set to receive/emit signals from a given direction and to a certain degree reject signals from all other directions. Temporal decomposition involves the viewing of a dynamic scene, that is, signal, noise, and channel, over a series of observation time gates.
