extension of the signature matching embodiment to non cdma radiolocation fig1 shows an example of an interference pattern generated for a cdma encoded transmitter and a random array of 12 antennas the invention describes a system and method for locating transmitters to a known precision using a virtual interference pattern of expected phase difference of arrival signals from hypothetical transmitters transmitting from grid points within the boundaries of a random antenna array to estimate source location the virtual inference pattern can be fully exposed by using orthogonal projection or by examining a trajectory of limited points across the pattern the virtual interference pattern can be thought of in terms of weighting the measured signal at each antenna by a set of complex exponentials representing the relative phase delays from each point in the space this gives for every point in the space a sum of sinusoids of the form u2211 k u2062 uf603 cos u2061 u03b8 k u03c6 k uf604 2 where u03b8 k and u03c6 k are the relative phase delays at the k th antenna for the received signal and the hypothetical signal originating from spatial grid location u03c9 x y respectively the sum of sinusoidal terms will have a maximum where the argument u03b8 k u2212 u03c6 k is equal to any multiple of u03c0 or equivalently where the relative distances to the antenna from the transmitter and the point u03c9 x y.