Radar clutter suppression system
First Claim
1. A method of suppressing sidelobe clutter in a radar signal processing system that receives a radar video stream from a radar antenna scanner and applies Sensitivity Control (SC) processing to the radar video stream based on an SC threshold profile that defines an echo return intensity threshold over range, the method implemented by a processor of the radar signal processing system and comprising the steps of:
- receiving the radar video stream from the radar antenna scanner;
determining estimates of the sidelobe clutter contribution levels (herein;
sidelobe estimates) based on a buffer of the radar video stream and an antenna beam pattern response model of the radar antenna stored in memory of the radar signal processing system, the stored antenna beam pattern response model representing the radar antenna response level across an azimuthal range centered about a main beam of the radar antenna;
selectively modifying the SC threshold profile based on the determined sidelobe estimates to selectively reduce the sensitivity of the SC processing based on the determined sidelobe estimates; and
applying SC processing to the radar video stream based on the selectively modified SC threshold profile to generate an SC processed radar video stream having reduced sidelobe clutter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Sidelobe suppression methods and systems for use in processing radar video streams generated by rotational radar antenna scanners. The sidelobe suppression methods function in parallel with traditional Sensitivity Control (SC) processing by selectively reducing sensitivity where necessary depending on sidelobe suppression schemes that can be either directional, omni-directional (non-directional), or a combination of these.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of suppressing sidelobe clutter in a radar signal processing system that receives a radar video stream from a radar antenna scanner and applies Sensitivity Control (SC) processing to the radar video stream based on an SC threshold profile that defines an echo return intensity threshold over range, the method implemented by a processor of the radar signal processing system and comprising the steps of:
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receiving the radar video stream from the radar antenna scanner; determining estimates of the sidelobe clutter contribution levels (herein;
sidelobe estimates) based on a buffer of the radar video stream and an antenna beam pattern response model of the radar antenna stored in memory of the radar signal processing system, the stored antenna beam pattern response model representing the radar antenna response level across an azimuthal range centered about a main beam of the radar antenna;selectively modifying the SC threshold profile based on the determined sidelobe estimates to selectively reduce the sensitivity of the SC processing based on the determined sidelobe estimates; and applying SC processing to the radar video stream based on the selectively modified SC threshold profile to generate an SC processed radar video stream having reduced sidelobe clutter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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10. A sidelobe clutter suppression system for a radar signal processing system that receives a radar video stream from a radar antenna scanner and applies Sensitivity Control (SC) processing to the radar video stream based on an SC threshold profile that defines an echo intensity threshold over range, the system comprising:
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a processor; and memory associated with the processor; and wherein the processor is configured to; receive the radar video stream from the radar antenna scanner; generate estimates of the sidelobe clutter contribution levels (herein;
sidelobe estimates) based on a buffer of the radar video stream and an antenna beam pattern response model of the radar antenna stored in memory, the stored antenna beam pattern response model representing the radar antenna response level across an azimuthal range centered about a main beam of the radar antenna;selectively modify the SC threshold profile based on the generated sidelobe estimates to selectively reduce the sensitivity of the SC processing based on the generated sidelobe estimates; and apply SC processing to the radar video stream based on the selectively modified SC threshold profile to generate an SC processed radar video stream having reduced sidelobe clutter. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification