Identification of ground targets in airborne surveillance radar returns
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating the identification of features on the ground in the returns of a ground surveillance system mounted on board an air-borne vehicle, including the steps of storing a first image of an area on the ground displaced from a point directly beneath the vehicle at the same time as substantially the same area is surveyed by the surveillance system, storing a second image of an area substantially beneath the vehicle, and varying the time interval between the steps of storing said first and second images in direct dependence on the ground speed of the vehicle and so that said first and second image relate to substantially the same area on the ground.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are described for use during testing of air-borne ground surveillance radar installations to provide positive identification of targets and other ground features in the recorded or displayed radar returns. The apparatus includes a first imaging system, such as a film camera (6), arranged to film an area (3) on the ground ahead of the aircraft (1) which is also surveyed by the surveillance radar (2), a second imaging system, such as another film camera (7), arranged to film an area on the ground directly below the aircraft and a synchronisation unit (9) operating in dependence of the aircraft'"'"'s ground speed (V) and either marking or labelling the films and the radar returns or controlling the timing of operations of the camera (6 and 7) and a radar return recorder (4) so that images produced by the second camera (7) are correlated with the image and the radar return stored and recorded by the camera (6) and recorder (4) respectively to facilitate analysis of test data relating to the performance of the radar installation.
101 Citations
8 Claims
- 1. A method for facilitating the identification of features on the ground in the returns of a ground surveillance system mounted on board an air-borne vehicle, including the steps of storing a first image of an area on the ground displaced from a point directly beneath the vehicle at the same time as substantially the same area is surveyed by the surveillance system, storing a second image of an area substantially beneath the vehicle, and varying the time interval between the steps of storing said first and second images in direct dependence on the ground speed of the vehicle and so that said first and second image relate to substantially the same area on the ground.
- 6. Ground feature identification apparatus for use on board an airborne vehicle comprising means for storing images of respective areas of the ground, which areas are displaced from each other along the direction of travel of the vehicle and one of which is at least much nearer to or directly beneath the vehicle than the other, and further including synchronizing means having an input for receiving data indicative of the ground speed of the vehicle and which is operable to ensure such operation of the means for storing images that the ready identification of corresponding ones of the stored images containing views of the same ground portions is facilitated.
Specification