Terrain following radar with smart scan

1 . A method for smart scanning by a Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) radar, the method comprising:

receiving terrain information and known obstacle information from a plurality of databases;

receiving radar data from the TF/TA radar;

fusing the terrain information and known obstacle information with the radar data to generate fused data;

adding unknown obstacle information with associated uncertainty information determined as a function of range and elevation to the fused data to generate scanning points information;

utilizing the scanning points information to select each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information to schedule a next radar scan by the TF/TA radar with a scan threshold for the uncertainty information; and

based on the next radar scan by the TF/TA radar, generating a command to clear each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising scheduling scanning of each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information with a required revisit rate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the associated uncertainty information includes uncertainty in data of the plurality of databases.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating the unknown obstacle information as potential towers or hazards with the associated uncertainty information determined as the function of range and elevation.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radar data includes range and elevation of the TF/TA radar.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding mission information to the scanning points information to determine scanning of points of interest.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising avoiding scanning of certain areas based on the mission information.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the TF/TA radar is located on a platform, the method further comprising calculating critical points along a terrain from the fused data with unknown obstacle information to generate a maximum flight angle for the platform to clear obstacles in the terrain.

9 . A Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) radar comprising:

a receiver configured to receive terrain information and known obstacle information from a plurality of databases and to receive radar data for the TF/TA radar;

a processor configured to:

fuse the terrain information and known obstacle information with the radar data to generate fused data; and

add unknown obstacle information with associated uncertainty information determined as a function of range and elevation to the fused data to generate scanning schedule points information; and

a scan controller configured to utilize the scanning points information to select each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information to schedule a next radar scan by the TF/TA radar with a scan threshold for the uncertainty information;

wherein the processor is further configured to generate, based on the next radar scan, a command to clear each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information.

10 . The TF/TA radar of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to schedule scanning of each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information with a required revisit rate.

11 . The TF/TA radar of claim 2 , wherein the associated uncertainty information includes uncertainty in data of the plurality of databases.

12 . The TF/TA radar of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate the unknown obstacle information as potential towers or hazards with the associated uncertainty information determined as the function of range and elevation.

13 . The TF/TA radar of claim 9 , wherein the radar data includes range and elevation of the TF/TA radar.

14 . The TF/TA radar of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to add mission information to the scanning points information to determine scanning of points of interest.

15 . The TF/TA radar of claim 14 , wherein the scan controller is configured to avoid scanning of certain areas based on the mission information.

16 . The TF/TA radar of claim 9 , wherein the TF/TA radar is located on a platform, the processor further configured to calculate critical points along a terrain from the fused data with unknown obstacle information to generate a maximum flight angle for the platform to clear obstacles in the terrain.

17 . A Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) radar comprising:

means for receiving terrain information and known obstacle information from a plurality of databases;

means for receiving radar data from the TF/TA radar;

means for fusing the terrain information and known obstacle information with the radar data to generate fused data;

means for adding unknown obstacle information with associated uncertainty information determined as a function of range and elevation to the fused data to generate scanning points information;

means for utilizing the scanning points information to select each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information to schedule a next radar scan by the TF/TA radar with a scan threshold for the uncertainty information; and

means for generating, based on the next radar scan by the TF/TA radar, a command to clear each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information.

18 . The TF/TA radar of claim 17 , further comprising means for scheduling scanning of each point from the fused data with unknown obstacle information with a required revisit rate.

19 . The TF/TA radar of claim 17 , further comprising means for calculating the unknown obstacle information as potential towers or hazards with the associated uncertainty information determined as the function of range and elevation.

20 . The TF/TA radar of claim 17 , further comprising means for adding mission information to the scanning points information to determine scanning of points of interest.