System and method for spatially diverse radar signal processing

• US 20060238411A1
• Filed: 10/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Richards, James L., Fullerton, Larry W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/147
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/72 for two-dimensional tracking, e.g. combination of angle and range tracking, track-while-scan radar

Abstract

An ultra wideband radar system for detecting objects where at least one of the radar system or the object is moving. The radar may be scanned in at least one dimension, which may include angle or range. The system includes a scan combiner that combines scan information in accordance with a trajectory characteristic of a moving object and/or of a moving platform on which the radar resides. Scans may be combined by integration or filtering. A fast calculation method is described wherein the scans are combined into subsets and subsets are shifted in accordance with the trajectory characteristics before further combination. The scan information is combined in accordance with trajectory characteristics to enhance the object signal to noise. Further features are described wherein the scan information is combined according to a family of candidate trajectories and/or object positions.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an object by using a radar, said radar affixed to a platform, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of radar scans;

obtaining a trajectory for said platform;

combining said plurality of radar scans in accordance with said trajectory to produce a combined scan; and

detecting said object using said combined scan.

2. A method for detecting a target by using a radar system, said radar system being affixed to a platform, comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining composite trajectory characteristics for said platform relative to said target;

b. producing a plurality of radar scans;

c. combining at least two of said plurality of radar scans in accordance with said composite trajectory characteristics to produce at least one combined scan; and

d. detecting a target based upon said at least one combined scan.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of obtaining composite trajectory characteristics further comprises the steps of:

a1. obtaining trajectory characteristics of said platform;

a2. obtaining trajectory characteristics of said target; and

a3. generating said composite trajectory characteristics based upon said trajectory characteristics of said platform and said trajectory characteristics of said target.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said radar system is an ultra wideband (UWB) radar system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein one of said platform or said target is stationary.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said composite trajectory characteristics are based upon at least one measurement.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said composite trajectory characteristics are based upon at least one trajectory model.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said combining includes filtering.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said combining is in accordance with one of a range dimension or an angle dimension.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said radar system coherently detects said received signals.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of said platform or said target is a projectile.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

triggering an explosive device when said platform is a desired distance from said target.

13. A method for detecting a target by using a radar system, said radar system affixed to a platform having a trajectory, said method comprising the steps of:

1) producing a plurality of radar scans;

2) generating an estimated platform trajectory;

3) generating a candidate target trajectory;

4) generating a relative trajectory representing the difference between the estimated platform trajectory and the candidate target trajectory;

5) producing a combined scan by combining the plurality of radar scans in accordance with the relative trajectory; and

6) determining the detection of a target based on the combined scan.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of:

repeating steps 4 through 6 for a plurality of additional estimated platform trajectories.

15. The method of claim 13, further including the step of:

repeating steps 4 through 6 for a plurality of additional candidate target trajectories.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the estimated platform trajectory represents a stationary position.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the candidate target trajectory represents a stationary position.

18. A radar system for detecting an object, said radar system affixed to a platform, said radar system comprising:

a radar receiver, said radar receiver producing a plurality of scans;

a trajectory source, said trajectory source sourcing a relative trajectory from said platform to said object;

a combiner, said combiner combining said plurality of scans in accordance with said relative trajectory to produce a combined scan; and

a detector, said detector detecting said object using said combined scan.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein the combiner includes a filter.

20. The system as in claim 19, wherein the filter is one of an integrator, a moving average, a decaying exponential, a Butterworth, or a Bessel filter.