METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CATEGORIZING UNEXPLAINED RESIDUALS

A method and apparatus for performing continuous variance analysis (CVA) to characterize a data set. Data set values may be associated with any source, including measurements of a received signal and/or measurements of natural and/or man-made phenomena. CVA generates an output matrix that contains a measure of variation for a plurality of ranges (or windows) of data elements within a data set positioned at known locations within the data set. CVA output can be interpreted visually by a technician and/or using automatic numerical analysis. CVA is compatible with any apparatus/approach that uses numerical analysis to generate a predicted model based upon stored library models and/or linear/nonlinear components. CVA is compatible with any programming language and can be readily added to new and/or existing apparatus to compliment existing capabilities. CVA is less complex than conventional techniques, and requires less computer processing capacity, yet results in more readily interpretable results.