Reducing scattering center data using magnitude-based reduction

• US 7,616,151 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Chul J., Harkins, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bythrow; Peter M
• Application Number:
  US12/138,711
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 342/169, 342/175, 342/195, 342/197, 345/421, 345/423, 345/426, 707/100, 707/101, 702189-195
• US Class Current: 342/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4052 by simulation of echoes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4082 using externally generated reference signals, e.g. via remote reflector or transponder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A method to reduce scattering centers (SC) includes receiving a set of SC data points representing an object. The method also includes reducing SC data points associated with a first region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the first region, reducing SC data points associated with a second region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the second region, combining the reduced SC data points associated with the first region and the second region to form a reduced set of SC data points, comparing the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points to determine if the reduced set of SC data points meets a set of comparison metrics and if the reduced set of SC data points meets the set of comparison metrics, performing another iteration of the reducing.

Claims

1. A method to reduce scattering centers (SC) comprising:

receiving a set of SC data points representing an object, the object comprising a first region and a second region;

using a computer processor for;

reducing SC data points associated with the first region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the first region;

reducing SC data points associated with the second region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the second region;

combining the reduced SC data points associated with the first region and the second region to form a reduced set of SC data points;

comparing the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points to determine if the reduced set of SC data points meets a set of comparison metrics; and

performing another iteration of reducing the SC data points by region based on the magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points for each region if the reduced set of SC data points meets the set of comparison metrics.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the computer processor for:

segregating the SC data points associated with the first region by SC type; and

segregating the SC data points associated with the second region by SC type,

wherein the SC type comprises physical optic (PO) Single Bounce (SB), diffraction (DF) SB and PO multi-bounce (MB).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein reducing SC data points associated with the first region comprises reducing the SC data points associated with the first region by SC type, and

wherein reducing SC data points associated with the second region comprises reducing the SC data points associated with the second region by SC type.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points based on a set of comparison metrics comprises comparing the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points based on a set of comparison metrics comprising at least one of:

a similarity metric;

a maximum amplitude metric;

a length metric;

or

a relative maximum amplitude metric.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the first region and the second region by processing fields in the received SC data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the SC types by processing fields in the received SC data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a set of scattering center (SC) data points representing an object comprises receiving a set of scattering center (SC) data points from a radar signature modeling tool.

8. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions to reduce scattering centers (SC), the instructions causing a machine to:

receive a set of SC data points representing an object, the object comprising a first region and a second region;

reduce SC data points associated with the first region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the first region;

reduce SC data points associated with the second region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the second region;

combine the reduced SC data points associated with the first region and the second region to form a reduced set of SC data points;

compare the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points to determine if the reduced set of SC data points meets a set of comparison metrics; and

if the reduced set of SC data points meets the set of comparison metrics, perform another iteration of reducing the SC data points by region based on the magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points for each region.

9. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions causing a machine to:

segregate the SC data points associated with the first region by SC type; and

segregate the SC data points associated with the second region by SC type,

wherein the SC type comprises physical optic (PO) Single Bounce (SB), diffraction (DF) SB and PO multi-bounce (MB).

10. The article of claim 9 wherein the instructions causing a machine to reduce SC data points associated with the first region comprises instructions causing a machine to reduce the SC data points associated with the first region by SC type, and

wherein the instructions causing a machine to reduce SC data points associated with the second region comprises the instructions causing a machine to reduce the SC data points associated with the second region by SC type.

11. The article of claim 8 wherein the instructions causing a machine to compare the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points based on a set of comparison metrics comprises instructions causing a machine to comparing the reduced set of data points with the received set of SC data points based on a set of comparison metrics comprising at least two of:

a similarity metric;

a maximum amplitude metric;

a length metric;

or

a relative maximum amplitude metric.

12. The article of claim 8, further comprising instructions causing a machine to:

determine the first region and the second region by processing fields in the received SC data; and

determine the SC types by processing fields in the received SC data.

13. The article of claim 8 wherein the instructions causing a machine to receive a set of scattering center (SC) data points representing an object comprises instructions causing a machine to receive a set of scattering center (SC) data points from a radar signature modeling tool.

18. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising circuitry to:

determine the first region and the second region by processing fields in the received SC data; and

determine the SC types by processing fields in the received SC data.

14. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry to;

receive a set of SC data points representing an object from a radar signature modeling tool, the object comprising a first region and a second region;

reduce SC data points associated with the first region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the first region;

reduce SC data points associated with the second region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the second region;

combine the reduced SC data points associated with the first region and the second region to form a reduced set of SC data points;

compare the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points to determine if the reduced set of SC data points meets a set of comparison metrics; and

if the reduced set of SC data points meets the set of comparison metrics, perform another iteration of reducing the SC data points by region based on the magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points for each region.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the circuitry comprises at least one of a processor, a memory, programmable logic and logic gates.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising circuitry to:

segregate the SC data points associated with the first region by SC type; and

segregate the SC data points associated with the second region by SC type,

wherein the SC type comprises physical optic (PO) Single Bounce (SB), diffraction (DF) SB and PO multi-bounce (MB)

wherein the circuitry to reduce SC data points associated with the first region comprises circuitry to reduce the SC data points associated with the first region by SC type, and

wherein the circuitry to reduce SC data points associated with the second region comprises the circuitry to reduce the SC data points associated with the second region by SC type.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the circuitry to compare the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points based on a set of comparison metrics comprises circuitry to compare the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points based on a set of comparison metrics comprising:

a similarity metric;

a maximum amplitude metric;

a length metric; and

a relative maximum amplitude metric.

19. A method to reduce scattering centers (SC) comprising:

using a computer for;

receiving a set of SC data points representing an object from a radar signature modeling tool, the object comprising a first region and a second region;

reducing SC data points associated with the first region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the first region;

reducing SC data points associated with the second region based on magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points associated with the second region;

combining the reduced SC data points associated with the first region and the second region to form a reduced set of SC data points;

comparing the reduced set of SC data points with the received set of SC data points to determine if the reduced set of SC data points meets a set of comparison metrics comprising;

a similarity metric;

a maximum amplitude metric;

a length metric; and

a relative maximum amplitude metric.

performing another iteration of reducing the SC data points by region based on the magnitudes of intensity of the SC data points for each region if the reduced set of SC data points meets the set of comparison metrics.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

using the computer for;

segregating the SC data points associated with the first region by SC type; and

segregating the SC data points associated with the second region by SC type,

wherein the SC type comprises physical optic (PO) Single Bounce (SB), diffraction (DF) SB and PO multi-bounce (MB).

wherein reducing SC data points associated with the first region comprises reducing the SC data points associated with the first region by SC type, and

wherein reducing SC data points associated with the second region comprises reducing the SC data points associated with the second region by SC type.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining the first region and the second region by processing fields in the received SC data; and

determining the SC types by processing fields in the received SC data.