Radar visibility model

• US 20090015460A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerostar International LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.), Vista Research, Inc. (Guidepoint Global LLC)
• Original Assignee: Vista Research, Inc. (Guidepoint Global LLC)
• Inventors: Fox, Philip A., Maresca, Joseph W. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,026,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/522 using transmissions of interrupted pulse modulated waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/886 for alarm systems alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2922 by using a controlled threshold

Abstract

A land-based Smart-Sensor System and several system architectures for detection, tracking, and classification of people and vehicles automatically and in real time for border, property, and facility security surveillance is described. The preferred embodiment of the proposed Smart-Sensor System is comprised of (1) a low-cost, non-coherent radar, whose function is to detect and track people, singly or in groups, and various means of transportation, which may include vehicles, animals, or aircraft, singly or in groups, and cue (2) an optical sensor such as a long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor, whose function is to classify the identified targets and produce movie clips for operator validation and use, and (3) an IBM CELL supercomputer to process the collected data in real-time. The Smart Sensor System can be implemented in a tower-based or a mobile-based, or combination system architecture. The radar can also be operated as a stand-alone system.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether a target of interest located within the resolution cells in a target area of interest is detectable with a radar system from the location and elevation of the radar system, comprising the steps of:

(a) developing a topographic map of the terrain in the target area of interest;

(b) mapping the radar resolution cells onto the topographic map; and

(c) determining the radar propagation to each resolution cell on the topographic map to determine if the radar has sufficient signal-to-noise (SNR) to detect the target of interest.

2. The method of claim 1 where the radar can be coherent or non-coherent.

3. The method of claim 1 where the radar propagation includes the effects of multi-path.

4. The method of claim 1 where the radar propagation includes the effects of environmental conditions.

5. The method of claim 1 where the terrain map includes man-made features such as buildings and various structures.

6. The method of claim 1 where the terrain map includes vegetation such as trees.

7. The method of claim 1 where the knowledge of the detectability of said target is used to track said target.

8. The method of claim 7 where a track is maintained even though the SNR of said target is insufficient in one or more resolution cells to detect said target in those resolution cells.

9. The method of claim 1 where such method is used to locate the position and elevation of said radar to maximize the coverage of the radar.

10. The method of claim 1 where such method is used to locate the position and elevation of said radar to obtain a specific coverage area for the radar.

11. A method for determining whether a target of interest located within the pixels in a target area of interest is visible to an optical sensor system from the location and elevation of the optical sensor system, comprising the steps of:

(a) developing a topographic map of the terrain in the target area of interest;

(b) mapping the pixels in the optical sensor system image onto the topographic map; and

(c) determining the line-of-sight propagation to each pixel on the topographic map to determine if the target of interest is sufficiently visible for detection.

12. The method of claim 11 where the optical sensor can operate at any frequency from visible to long wavelength infrared.

13. The method of claim 11 where said propagation to said target location will depend on the frequency of the optical sensor being used.

14. The method of claim 11 where said sensor system is a long wavelength infrared sensor system.

15. The method of claim 11 where the optical sensor system propagation includes the effects of environmental conditions.

16. The method of claim 11 where the terrain map includes man-made features such as buildings and various structures.

17. The method of claim 11 where the terrain map includes vegetation such as trees.

18. The method of claim 11 where the knowledge of the detectability of said target is used to track said target.

19. The method of claim 18 where a track is maintained even though the SNR of said target is insufficient in one or more resolution cells to detect said target in those resolution cells.

20. The method of claim 11 where such method is used to locate the position and elevation of said optical sensor system to maximize the coverage of the sensor system.

21. The method of claim 11 where such method is used to locate the position and elevation of said optical sensor system to obtain a specific coverage area for the sensor system.