Monopulse radar signal processing for rotorcraft brownout aid application

• US 7,633,429 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Controls Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Controls Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Yang, Ken, Liu, Guoqing
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor; John B
• Application Number:
  US12/357,921
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 342 33- 36, 342/80, 342/107, 342/113, 342/120, 342/123, 342133-135, 342139-142, 342179-180, 342/195, 342/197
• US Class Current: 342/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4445 amplitude comparisons monopulse, i.e. comparing the echo signals received by an antenna arrangement with overlapping squinted beams
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4472 with means specially adapted to airborne monopulse systems clutter elimination using Doppler effect: G01S13/449
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/935 for terrain-avoidance

Abstract

A method, system and computer program is disclosed for reducing range and angular ambiguities in a target data matrix output from a real beam monopulse radar sensor within a single beam for use in terrain morphing applications employed by brownout take-off and landing aid systems. One or more range bins are calculated to selectively determine one or more range segments from one or more targets of interest. Range resolution enhancement processing is employed to the selectively determined one or more range segments to obtain a range of target scatter locations. A monopulse angle bin is estimated from the obtained range of target scatter locations and one or more control inputs. Elevation and azimuth angular binning is applied to the estimated monopulse angle bin to obtain a smaller coverage area among one or more possible target areas. One or more shortest-range bins in a two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid is selected from the smaller coverage area, which generate the target data output matrix from the selected one or more shortest-range bins in the two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid.

Claims

1. A method of reducing range and angular ambiguities in a target data matrix output from a real beam monopulse radar sensor within a single beam for use in terrain morphing applications employed by brownout take-off and landing aid systems, comprising the steps of:

calculating one or more range bins disposed at a ground interception point and between at least one near and far boundary points of an antenna elevation beam to selectively determine one or more range segments from one or more targets of interest;

adaptively applying range resolution enhancement processing to said selectively determined one or more range segments to obtain a range of target scatter locations;

estimating a monopulse angle bin from said obtained range of target scatter locations and one or more control inputs;

adaptively applying elevation and azimuth angular binning to said estimated monopulse angle bin to obtain a smaller coverage area among one or more possible target areas;

selecting one or more shortest-range bins in a two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid from said smaller coverage area; and

generating said target data output matrix from said selected one or more shortest-range bins in said two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adaptively applying range super resolution processing employs Capon Beamforming (CB) filtering to pass a frequency f of interest undistorted while attenuating all other frequencies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of estimating said monopulse angle bin is obtained by selecting from at least one case of interest, consisting of:

(1) elevation monopulse only;

(2) simultaneous azimuth and elevation monopulse; and

(3) alternative azimuth and elevation monopulse.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting one or more shortest-range bins in said two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid, groups all range bins that are located in the same azimuth bin, groups all elevation bins that are located in the same elevation bin, and the first range bin in the same group are selected.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of selecting one or more shortest-range bins in said two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid further comprises the steps of:

performing motion compensation on said grouped range and elevation bins for eliminating Doppler effect due to relative motion between an aircraft and an illuminated target; and

obtaining a target height estimation from an object elevation angle measurement and a radar height data output from said one or more control inputs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the target data output matrix comprises:

one or more azimuth angle vectors;

one or more elevation angle vectors;

a vector indicating a range to said real beam monopulse radar sensor; and

a vector indicating intensity and height of said one or more targets of interest.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating one or more range bins is based upon an aircraft'"'"'s attitude parameters and guide angle, and said monopulse radar'"'"'s radar beam pointing angles and height above ground level.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said (1) elevation monopulse only case of interest is configured for aiming said monopulse radar system to attain target elevation angle measurement and no monopulse is applied to the azimuth dimension.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said (2) simultaneous azimuth and elevation monopulse case of interest is further configured for amplitude comparison, first to the azimuth dimension, second to the elevation dimension and third grouped in range bins that are in the same azimuth and elevation bins.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of adaptively applying elevation angular binning further comprises the sub-steps of:

determining a ground coverage of a beam in slant range;

selecting a smallest beam in slant range between a covered range bin number and a bin number upper bounder as an elevation angular bin number; and

determining a bin number upper bounder by a display monitor resolution.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of adaptively applying azimuth binning further comprises the sub-steps of:

calculating an azimuth coverage of a beam on the ground; and

determining an azimuth angular bin number.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of performing motion compensation further includes the steps of:

calculating a Doppler frequency value based on an aircraft velocity in a direction of a radar beam pointing angle of said real beam monopulse radar sensor and a radar wavelength; and

calculating a range migration amount to be corrected based on said calculated Doppler frequency and a radar waveform sweeping rate.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of obtaining a target height estimation is employed together with a digital cartographic database to generate a synthetic three-dimensional view of an illuminated terrain.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said generated target data output matrix is a data matrix for image synthesis in said terrain morphing applications.

15. A system for generating a target data matrix providing a reduction in range and angular ambiguities output from a real beam monopulse radar sensor within a single beam for use in terrain morphing applications employed by brownout take-off and landing aid systems, comprising:

means for calculating one or more range bins disposed at a ground interception point and between at least one near and far boundary point of an antenna elevation beam to selectively determine one or more range segments from one or more targets of interest;

means for adaptively applying range super resolution processing to said selectively determined one or more range segments to obtain a range of target scatter locations;

means for estimating a monopulse angle bin from said obtained range of target scatter locations and one or more control inputs;

means for adaptively applying elevation and azimuth angular binning to said estimated monopulse angle bin to obtain a smaller coverage area among one or more possible target areas;

means for selecting one or more shortest-range bins in a two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid from said smaller coverage area; and

means for generating said target data output matrix from said selected one or more shortest-range bins in said two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for adaptively applying range super resolution processing employs a Capon Beamforming (CB) filter to pass a frequency f of interest undistorted while attenuating all other frequencies.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for estimating said monopulse angle bin is obtained by selecting from at least one case of interest, consisting of:

(1) elevation monopulse only;

(2) simultaneous azimuth and elevation monopulse; and

(3) alternative azimuth and elevation monopulse.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for selecting one or more shortest-range bins in said two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid further comprises:

means for grouping all range bins that are located in the same azimuth bin;

means for grouping all elevation bins that are located in the same elevation bin; and

means for selecting the first range bin in the same group.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for selecting one or more shortest-range bins in said two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid further comprises:

means for performing motion compensation on said grouped range and elevation bins for eliminating Doppler effect due to relative motion between an aircraft and an illuminated target; and

means for obtaining a target height estimation from an object elevation angle measurement and a radar height data output from said one or more control inputs.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the target data output matrix comprises:

one or more azimuth angle vectors;

one or more elevation angle vectors;

a vector indicating a range to said real beam monopulse radar sensor; and

a vector indicating intensity and height of said one or more targets of interest.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for calculating one or more range bins is based upon an aircraft'"'"'s attitude parameters and guide angle, and said monopulse radar'"'"'s radar beam pointing angles and height above ground level.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said (1) elevation monopulse only case of interest is configured for aiming said monopulse radar system to attain target elevation angle measurement and no monopulse is applied to the azimuth dimension.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein said (2) simultaneous azimuth and elevation monopulse case of interest is further configured for amplitude comparison, first to the azimuth dimension, second to the elevation dimension and third grouped in range bins that are in the same azimuth and elevation bins.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for adaptively applying elevation angular binning further comprises:

means for determining a ground coverage of a beam in slant range;

means for selecting a smallest beam in slant range between a covered range bin number and a bin number upper bounder as an elevation angular bin number; and

means for determining a bin number upper bounder by a display monitor resolution.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for adaptively applying azimuth angular binning further comprises:

means for calculating an azimuth coverage of a beam on the ground; and

means for determining an azimuth angular bin number.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for performing motion compensation further comprises:

means for calculating a Doppler frequency value based on an aircraft velocity in a direction of a radar beam pointing angle of said real beam monopulse radar sensor and a radar wavelength; and

means for calculating a range migration amount to be corrected based on said calculated Doppler frequency and a radar waveform sweeping rate.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for obtaining a target height estimation is employed together with a digital cartographic database to generate a synthetic three-dimensional view of an illuminated terrain.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein said generated target data output matrix is a data matrix for image synthesis in said terrain morphing applications.

29. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of reducing range and angular ambiguities in a target data matrix output from a real beam monopulse radar sensor within a single beam for use in terrain morphing applications employed by brownout take-off and landing aid systems, comprising the steps of:

calculating one or more range bins disposed at a ground interception point and between at least one near and far boundary point of an antenna elevation beam to selectively determine one or more range segments from one or more targets of interest;

adaptively applying range super resolution processing to said selectively determined one or more range segments to obtain a range of target scatter locations;

estimating a monopulse angle bin from said obtained range of target scatter locations and one or more control inputs;

adaptively applying elevation and azimuth angular binning to said estimated monopulse angle bin to obtain a smaller coverage area among one or more possible target areas;

selecting one or more shortest-range bins in a two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid from said smaller coverage area; and

generating said target data output matrix from said selected one or more shortest-range bins in said two-dimensional (2D) azimuth and elevation grid.