Technique for mitigating multipath impacts on azimuth accuracy in a monopulse interrogator

• US 7,675,456 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, Kyle, Alon, Yair, Karam, Mostafa A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barker; Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US11/871,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 342/45, 342/149
• US Class Current: 342/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4418 with means for eliminating radar-dependent errors in angle measurements, e.g. multipath effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/781 Secondary Surveillance Radar [SSR] in general

Abstract

A method for mitigating multipath impacts on azimuth accuracy in a monopulse interrogator is accomplished by calculating samples of monopulse ratio for samples of antenna boresight angles based on data received from an interrogation of a target. Samples of traditional target azimuth from the samples of monopulse ratio are calculated. A mean of the samples of traditional target azimuth is calculated. An alternative target azimuth from the samples of monopulse ratio is calculated. Whether a multipath signal exists is determined from observing a standard deviation of the samples of traditional target azimuth, and using the mean of the traditional target azimuth if a multipath signal does not exist and using the alternative target azimuth if a multipath signal does exist.

Claims

1. A method for mitigating multipath impacts on azimuth accuracy in a monopulse interrogator the steps of the method comprising:

calculating samples of monopulse ratio for samples of antenna boresight angle using interrogation replies from a target;

calculating samples of traditional target azimuth from the samples of monopulse ratio;

calculating a mean of the samples of traditional target azimuth;

calculating a standard deviation of the samples of traditional target azimuth from the samples of monopulse ratio; and

comparing the standard deviation to a predetermined threshold to determine if a multipath signal exists.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating a magnitude for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating a quadrature angle for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating a magnitude for the quadrature angle for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating a real part for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio; and

calculating an alternative target azimuth from the samples of target monopulse ratio.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising outputting the mean of the samples of traditional target azimuth if the multipath signal does not exist and outputting the alternative target azimuth if the multipath signal does exist,

wherein the multipath signal does exist if the standard deviation is above a predetermined value and the multipath signal does not exist if the standard deviation is not above a predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

searching for antenna boresight angles at which one or more minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio occur; and

searching for antenna boresight angles at which one or more maxima of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle occur.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining a target azimuth region using the one or more minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and the one or more maxima of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the alternative target azimuth is calculated from the samples of monopulse ratio within the target azimuth region.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining the target azimuth region if there are only two minima of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio and only one maximum of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angles includes excluding a region of antenna boresight angles between the two minima of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio and choosing a non-excluded region of antenna boresight angles near the lowest minimum of the two minima of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angles as the target azimuth region.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein determining the target azimuth region if there is only one minimum of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio and only one maximum of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angles includes excluding a region of antenna boresight angle between the minimum of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio and the maximum of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle and choosing a non-excluded region of antenna boresight angle near the minimum of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio as the target azimuth region.

9. A method for mitigating multipath impacts on azimuth accuracy in a monopulse interrogator, the steps of the method comprising:

calculating samples of monopulse ratio for samples of antenna boresight angle using interrogation replies from a target;

calculating a magnitude for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating a quadrature angle for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating a magnitude for each quadrature angle for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating a real part for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating samples of traditional target azimuth from the samples of monopulse ratio;

calculating a mean of the samples of traditional target azimuth;

calculating a standard deviation of the samples of traditional target azimuth;

comparing the standard deviation to a predetermined threshold to determine if a multipath signal exists, the multipath signal does exist if the standard deviation is above a predetermined value and the multipath signal does not exist if the standard deviation is not above a predetermined value; and

outputting the mean of the samples of traditional target azimuth if the multipath signal does not exist.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

calculating an alternative target azimuth from the samples of monopulse ratio;

searching for antenna boresight angles at which one or more minima of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio occur; and

searching for antenna boresight angles at which one or more maxima of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle occur.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining a target azimuth region using the one or more minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and the one or more maxima of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the alternative target azimuth is calculated from the samples of monopulse ratio within the target azimuth region.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the target azimuth region if there are only two minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and only one maximum of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angles includes excluding a region of antenna boresight angles between the two minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and choosing a non-excluded region of antenna boresight angles near the lowest minimum of the two minima of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle as the target azimuth region.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the target azimuth region if there is only one minimum of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and only one maximum of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angles includes excluding a region of antenna boresight angles between the minimum of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and the maximum of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle and choosing a non-excluded region of antenna boresight angles near the minimum of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio as the target azimuth region.

15. A method for mitigating multipath impacts on azimuth accuracy in a monopulse interrogator the steps of the method comprising:

calculating samples of monopulse ratio for samples of antenna boresight angles from an interrogation of a target;

calculating a magnitude for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating a quadrature angle for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating a real part for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio;

calculating samples of traditional target azimuth from the samples of monopulse ratio;

calculating a mean of the samples of traditional target azimuth;

searching for antenna boresight angles at which one or more minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio occur;

searching for antenna boresight angles at which one or more maxima of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angles occur;

determining a target azimuth region using the one or more minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and the one or more maxima of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle;

calculating an alternative target azimuth from the samples of monopulse ratio within the target azimuth region;

comparing a standard deviation to a predetermined threshold to determine if a multipath signal exists, wherein the multipath signal does exist if the standard deviation is above a predetermined threshold value and the multipath signal does not exist if the standard deviation is not above a predetermined threshold value; and

outputting the mean of the samples of traditional target azimuth if the multipath signal does not exist and outputting the alternative target azimuth if the multipath signal does exist.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein determining the target azimuth region if there are only two minima of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio and only one maximum of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angles includes excluding a region of antenna boresight angles between the two minima of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio and choosing a non-excluded region of antenna boresight angles near the lowest minimum of the two minima of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angle as the target azimuth region.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein determining the target azimuth region if there is only one minimum of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and only one maximum of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angles includes excluding a region of antenna boresight angles between the minimum of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and the maximum of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle and choosing a non-excluded region of antenna boresight angles near the minimum of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio as the target azimuth region.

18. A monopulse interrogator comprising:

an antenna for interrogating a target and receiving data from the target;

a monopulse ratio calculation module connected to the antenna for receiving the target data and calculating samples of monopulse ratio for samples of antenna boresight angles using the samples of data;

a traditional target azimuth calculation module connected to the monopulse ratio calculation module for receiving the samples of monopulse ratio and calculating a mean of traditional target azimuths using the samples of monopulse ratio;

an alternative target azimuth calculation module connected to the monopulse ratio calculation module for receiving the samples of monopulse ratio and calculating a second target azimuth using the samples of monopulse ratio; and

an azimuth selection module connected to the traditional target azimuth calculation module for receiving the mean of the traditional target azimuth and connected to the alternative target azimuth calculation means for receiving the alternative target azimuth, the azimuth selection module selecting the mean of the traditional target azimuths if multipath signals do not exist, or the alternative target azimuth if multipath signals exist.

19. The monopulse interrogator of claim 18 wherein the monopulse calculation module further calculates a magnitude for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio a quadrature angle for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio, a magnitude for each quadrature angle for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio, and a real part for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio.

20. The monopulse interrogator of claim 19 wherein the traditional target azimuth calculation module calculates a standard deviation of the samples of traditional target azimuth.

21. The monopulse interrogator of claim 20 wherein the azimuth selection module receives the standard deviation from the traditional azimuth calculation module and determines if the standard deviation is above a predetermined threshold value, and wherein if the standard deviation is above a predetermined threshold value, then multipath signals exist and if the standard deviation is not above a predetermined threshold value, then multipath signals do not exist.

22. The monopulse interrogator of claim 21 wherein the alternative target azimuth calculation module receives the magnitude for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio and the magnitude for each quadrature angle for each of the samples of the monopulse ratio from the monopulse ratio calculation module, and

wherein the alternative target azimuth calculation module searches for antenna boresight angles at which one or more minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio occur, and searches for antenna boresight angles at which one or more maxima of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angles occur.

23. The monopulse interrogator of claim 22 wherein the alternative target azimuth calculation module determines a target azimuth region using the one or more minima of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio and the one or more maxima of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angles.

24. The monopulse interrogator of claim 23 wherein the alternative target azimuth calculation module receives the monopulse ratio from the monopulse ratio calculation means and calculates the alternative target azimuth using the monopulse ratio in the target azimuth region.

25. The monopulse interrogator of claim 24 wherein if there are only two minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and only one maximum of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angle, the alternative target azimuth calculation module excludes a region of antenna boresight angles between the two minima of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and chooses a non-excluded region of antenna boresight angle near the lowest minimum of the two minima of the magnitudes of the plurality of quadrature angles as the target azimuth region, and

wherein if there is only one minimum of the magnitude of the samples of monopulse ratio and only one maximum of the magnitude of the samples of quadrature angle, the alternative target azimuth calculation module excludes a region of antenna boresight angles between the minimum of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio and the maximum of the magnitudes of the samples of quadrature angle and chooses a non-excluded region of antenna boresight angles near the minimum of the magnitudes of the samples of monopulse ratio as the target azimuth region.