The Wigner-Ville Transform as an Information Theoretic Tool in Radio-frequency Signal Analysis

TL;DR

This paper explores the Wigner-Ville transform as an information measurement tool in radio-frequency signal analysis, demonstrating its ability to detect weak signals with high sensitivity and without extensive training.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interpretation of the Wigner-Ville transform as an information-theoretic measure, enhancing signal detection in noisy environments using Tsallis' entropy.

Findings

Wigner-Ville-based detection shows over 15 dB sensitivity advantage.

Method improves sensing of transient and weak signals.

No extensive training routines required for detection.

Abstract

This paper presents novel interpretations to the field of classical signal processing of the Wigner-Ville transform as an information measurement tool. The transform's utility in detecting and localizing information-laden signals amidst noisy and cluttered backgrounds, and further providing measure of their information volumes, are detailed herein using Tsallis' entropy and information and related functionals. Example use cases in radio frequency communications are given, where Wigner-Ville-based detection measures can be seen to provide significant sensitivity advantage, for some shown contexts greater than 15~dB advantage, over energy-based measures and without extensive training routines. Such an advantage is particularly significant for applications which have limitations on observation resources including time/space integration pressures and transient and/or feeble signals, where Wigner-Ville-based methods would improve sensing effectiveness by multiple orders of magnitude. The potential for advancement of several such applications is discussed.