This paper deals with the estimation of the noise covariance matrices of systems described by state-space models. Stress is laid on the systematic survey and classification of both the recursive and batch processing methods proposed in the literature with a special focus on the correlation methods. Besides the correlation methods, representatives of other groups are introduced also with respect to their basic idea, estimate properties, assumptions and possible extensions, and user-defined parameters. Common and dual properties of the methods are highlighted, and a simulation comparison using exemplary MATLAB implementations of the methods is provided.
KEYWORDSadaptive systems, noise covariance matrix, state estimation, state-space model, system identification
INTRODUCTIONKnowledge of a system model is a key prerequisite for many state estimation, signal processing, fault detection, and optimal control problems. The model is often designed to be consistent with random behaviour of the system quantities and properties of the measurements. While the deterministic part of the model often arises from mathematical modelling on the basis of physical, chemical, or biological laws governing the behaviour of the system, the statistics of the stochastic part are often difficult to find by the modelling and have to be identified using the measured data. Incorrect description of the noise statistics may result in significant worsening of estimation, signal processing, detection, or control quality or even in a failure of the underlying algorithms.In the last 5 decades, therefore, a significant research interest has been focused on a design of the methods for the estimation of the properties of the stochastic part of the model. The attention has been devoted to both the input-output models 1-5 and the state-space (SS) models 6-14 and both recursive and batch processing methods. This paper focuses on the methods estimating the properties of the stochastic part of the system described by an SS model discrete in time. In particular, the methods estimating the covariance matrices (CMs) † of noises in the state and measurement equation from a sequence of measured data are of interest. The methods are further denoted as the noise CM estimation methods.