Ranging, detection and resolving in a multislope frequency modulated waveform radar system
First Claim
1. In a multislope linear frequency modulated waveform radar system comprising means for transmitting and receiving radar signals and for processing received frequency modulated waveform radar signals to produce magnitude detected target signals, a method of processing the magnitude detected target signals to resolve targets corresponding to the magnitude detected target signals, said method comprising the steps of:
- centroiding magnitude detected target signals to provide centroided target signals, wherein the magnitude detected target signals comprise a set of detections observed for each phase (slope segment) of the frequency modulated waveform;
associating the centroided target signals using a maximum likelihood estimation procedure to predict the filter position for the next phase, and wherein the associating step groups the detection from each phase by expecting hits to be within a gate size of a projected target doppler filter location, and wherein the projected doppler filter location and the gate size depend on all previous phase observations;
eliminating the number of targets to minimize the number of ghosts by reducing the number of candidate targets that correlate in a predetermined number of phases by grouping all paths with a selected number of common hits; and
computing velocity and range for the remaining detected targets.
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Abstract
A maximum likelihood estimator and range-only-initialization target detection method employed to detect and resolve targets in a multislope linear frequency modulated waveform radar. The method resolves a large number of target returns without a large amount of signal processing and without creating a significant number of false alarms, or ghosts. The method simultaneously estimates range and doppler for each target. The method rejects undesired long-range targets that fold into target regions, and processes target regions of interest around a nearest target to reduce signal processing throughput requirements. Using a K out of N detection rule, the method detects targets that compete with mainlobe rain clutter, mainlobe ground clutter, and receiver leakage. The method simultaneously estimates target parameters and optimally resolves any number of targets. The method is limited only by the number of frequency modulation ranging slopes, the slope values, and the doppler filter resolution set by the radar waveform design. The method has the ability to process and detect extended targets.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a multislope linear frequency modulated waveform radar system comprising means for transmitting and receiving radar signals and for processing received frequency modulated waveform radar signals to produce magnitude detected target signals, a method of processing the magnitude detected target signals to resolve targets corresponding to the magnitude detected target signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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centroiding magnitude detected target signals to provide centroided target signals, wherein the magnitude detected target signals comprise a set of detections observed for each phase (slope segment) of the frequency modulated waveform; associating the centroided target signals using a maximum likelihood estimation procedure to predict the filter position for the next phase, and wherein the associating step groups the detection from each phase by expecting hits to be within a gate size of a projected target doppler filter location, and wherein the projected doppler filter location and the gate size depend on all previous phase observations; eliminating the number of targets to minimize the number of ghosts by reducing the number of candidate targets that correlate in a predetermined number of phases by grouping all paths with a selected number of common hits; and computing velocity and range for the remaining detected targets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification