Interferometric signal processing

• US 7,898,461 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GroundProbe Pty Ltd. (Orica Limited)
• Original Assignee: GroundProbe Pty Ltd. (Orica Limited)
• Inventors: Reeves, Bryan, Stickley, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor; John B
• Application Number:
  US12/818,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20100289693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 342/28, 342/114, 342/156, 342/160, 342/179, 342/197
• US Class Current: 342/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/414 Discriminating targets with respect to background clutter

Abstract

Systems and methods of error handling in interferometric signal processing for a ground based slope monitoring system are described. Uncorrected movement data is extracted from interferometric radar measurements of a relatively stable reference. The movement data is corrected for changes in atmospheric conditions as a function of changes in a refractive index of the air and an offset induced at zero range.

Claims

1. A method of error handling in interferometric signal processing for a ground based slope monitoring system by:

selecting a relatively stable reference;

extracting uncorrected movement data from interferometric radar measurements of the relatively stable reference;

correcting the uncorrected movement data for changes in atmospheric conditions by;

estimating change in a radar signal speed due to changes in a refractive index of the air; and

estimating an offset induced at zero range;

and displaying the corrected movement data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating an offset includes estimating the offset as zero.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating an offset includes estimating the offset by measuring a radar signal from a feedhorn.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting a relatively stable reference includes selecting a relatively stable section of a slope.

5. The method of claim 1 further including:

identifying disturbances in the corrected movement data; and

displaying regions affected by the disturbances.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein displaying regions affected by the disturbances includes masking the regions.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of identifying disturbances includes identifying blocking disturbances caused by short-term blockage of the radar signal.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of identifying disturbances includes identifying blocking disturbances caused by vehicles.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of identifying disturbances includes identifying random disturbances caused by long-term interference.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of identifying disturbances includes identifying random disturbances caused by vegetation.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of identifying disturbances includes identifying disturbances in the corrected movement data by detecting variations in short-term and long-term signal coherence.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of comparing the long-term coherence of a data point to a disturbance mask threshold and classifying the data point as disturbed if the long-term coherence is less than the disturbance mask threshold.

13. The method of claim 11 further including the step of comparing a ratio of short-term coherence to long-term coherence of a data point to a blocking mask threshold and classifying the data point as blocking mask if the ratio is less than the blocking mask threshold.

14. An anomaly detection and correction module for a ground based radar slope monitoring system comprising:

an atmospheric correction module comprising a processor programmed to correct slope movement measurements obtained using interferometric signal processing for anomalies caused by atmospheric changes; and

a disturbance detection module comprising a processor programmed to identify disturbances that cause errors in the slope movement measurements.

15. The anomaly detection and correction module of claim 14 wherein the disturbance detection module is programmed to mask regions affected by the errors.

16. The anomaly detection and correction module of claim 14 further comprising input to the atmospheric correction module from a weather sensing module.

17. A method of atmospheric correction of movement data comprising multiple data points in a ground based slope monitoring system by:

selecting at least one atmospheric correction region;

deducing displacement data within the selected region;

determining a search space;

calculating a cost function for a grid of points within the search space;

using a minimisation algorithm to determine an interferometric signal processing correction slope and offset; and

applying the interferometric signal processing correction slope and offset to the movement data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of a using a minimisation algorithm includes calculating local minima within the search space and using the local minima to seed a multidimensional minimisation algorithm to find true minima.

19. A ground based slope monitoring system of the type comprising at least a radar module generating interferometric movement measurements of a slope further comprising:

an atmospheric correction module that corrects slope movement measurements for anomalies caused by atmospheric changes by;

selecting a relatively stable reference;

extracting uncorrected movement data from interferometric radar measurements of the relatively stable reference;

correcting the uncorrected movement data for changes in atmospheric conditions by;

estimating change in a radar signal speed due to changes in a refractive index of the air; and

estimating an offset induced at zero range.

20. The ground based slope monitoring system of claim 19 further comprising:

a disturbance detection module that identifies disturbances that cause errors in the corrected movement data.

21. The ground based slope monitoring system of claim 19 comprising a video module that provides visual images of the slope.

22. The ground based slope monitoring system of claim 19 wherein the relatively stable reference is a relatively stable section of a slope.