Two-port synthetic aperature radar system for radar detection of targets

• US 5,563,601 A
• Filed: 08/16/1985
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Cataldo, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US06/766,309
• Time in Patent Office: 4,071 Days
• Field of Search: 343/5 CM, 343/5 FT, 343/55 A, 342/27-28, 342/25, 342/159-164, 342/99, 342/1-4, 342/25, 342/185, 342/104, 342/113, 342/115, 364/516, 364/517
• US Class Current: 342/25.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/52 Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/9023 combined with interferometric techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/9029 specially adapted for moving target detection within a single SAR image or within multiple SAR images taken at the same time

Abstract

Doppler signals from a two-port radar system are spectrally processed and searched for a pattern of points wherein clutter at a first instant of time is subsequently replaced by low-level returns indicating the movement of a target. The rate of change of the low-level signals, along the same range bin but different Doppler bins, is indicative of target azimuth position relative to the boresight of the radar antenna. The difference between the total Doppler detected from the target and the Doppler for the azimuth position of the black hole detection is the Doppler for the relative radial velocity of the target. Not only is the black hole and shadow (lack of detection) detectable but more measurable and detectable is the clutter signal difference with the target motion.

Claims

1. In a two-port synthetic aperture Doppler radar system, a method for detecting a moving target comprising the steps of

detecting the absence of a radar signal return at a point, at a first instant of time;

subsequently detecting a change of signal level, from the point, to a clutter signal indicative of movement of the target;

storing a series of points at which the changed signal level occurs;

detecting signals from an apparent target at each port;

measuring the difference of the signals from the apparent target and an actual moving target; and

processing said signals and said difference of said signals by searching for a black hole in the same range bin as the detected target, the potential moving target being associated with the potential black hole, by interrogating the range Doppler bin before and after the range Doppler bin of the detected target and black hole and measuring and storing the value thereof and measuring each aperture in the same manner, the rate of change of a detected target in the same range bin being determinative of total Doppler velocity which includes an azimuth component and a radial velocity component thereby determining the radial velocity of the actual target relative to the two ports.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determination of said radial velocity component is by simple vector subtraction.

3. A two-port synthetic aperture radar system for detecting a moving target, said system comprising

means for storing Doppler target returns from first and second ports;

first and second means connected at their inputs to the outputs of the storing means for separately spectrally processing the respective returns from the first and second ports and generating corresponding vector information therefrom;

matrix means connected at its inputs to the separate outputs of the first and second spectral processing means for subtracting the vector information from each other; and

means connected at its inputs to the outputs of the spectral processing means and the matrix means for generating information regarding target azimuth position and target radial velocity by searching for a black hole in the same range bin as the detected target, the potential moving target being associated with the potential black hole, by interrogating the range Doppler bin before and after the range Doppler bin of the detected target and black hole and measuring and storing the value thereof and measuring each aperture in the same manner, the rate of change of a detected target in the same range bin being determinative of total Doppler velocity which includes an azimuth component and a radial velocity component thereby determining the radial velocity of the actual target relative to the two ports.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for spectrally processing the returns includes means for performing fast Fourier transforms thereon.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said radial velocity is determined by simple vector subtraction in said means connected at its inputs to the outputs of said spectral processing means.