Three-dimensional radar display
First Claim
1. A method of generating a radar image from a radar signal, comprising the steps of:
- (a) converting said radar signal to digital information comprising echo amplitude information and polar coordinate information, said polar coordinate information including a range, an elevation angle, and an azimuth angle;
(b) converting said polar coordinate information to radar image coordinate information expressed in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system having a horizontal coordinate, a vertical coordinate, and a depth coordinate, said three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system representing position in relation to a certain viewpoint;
(c) storing said echo amplitude information as radar image values in a radar image frame buffer at addresses corresponding to said horizontal coordinate and said vertical coordinate; and
(d) displaying said radar image values as image intensities on a display unit at positions corresponding to said addresses.
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Accused Products
Abstract
By performing rotation and translation operations, a radar display converts a radar signal to radar image information expressed in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system with horizontal, vertical, and depth coordinates related to a certain viewpoint. Terrain and target information is converted to the same coordinate system and combined with the radar image information, producing a realistic three-dimensional display. Clipping is performed in the depth direction to eliminate portions of the radar image disposed behind terrain or target images. Terrain and target images disposed behind the radar image are reduced in intensity, but not clipped. Perspective projection and zoom transformations may also be carried out.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of generating a radar image from a radar signal, comprising the steps of:
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(a) converting said radar signal to digital information comprising echo amplitude information and polar coordinate information, said polar coordinate information including a range, an elevation angle, and an azimuth angle; (b) converting said polar coordinate information to radar image coordinate information expressed in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system having a horizontal coordinate, a vertical coordinate, and a depth coordinate, said three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system representing position in relation to a certain viewpoint; (c) storing said echo amplitude information as radar image values in a radar image frame buffer at addresses corresponding to said horizontal coordinate and said vertical coordinate; and (d) displaying said radar image values as image intensities on a display unit at positions corresponding to said addresses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A radar display apparatus for generating a three-dimensional radar image from a radar signal, comprising:
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a radar signal processor for converting said radar signal to digital information comprising echo amplitude information and polar coordinate information, said polar coordinate information comprising a range, an elevation angle, and an azimuth angle; a three-dimensional radar image generator, coupled to said radar signal processor, for converting said polar coordinate information to radar image coordinate information expressed in a three-dimensional coordinate system having a horizontal coordinate, a vertical coordinate, and a depth coordinate, said three-dimensional coordinate system representing position as seen from a certain viewpoint; a radar image frame buffer coupled to said three-dimensional radar image generator, for storing said echo amplitude information as radar image values at addresses corresponding to said horizontal coordinate and said vertical coordinate; and a display unit coupled to said radar image frame buffer, for displaying said radar image values as image intensities at positions corresponding to said addresses. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification