System for enhanced detection of a target

1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the following method:

providing phase-range data associated with a return pulse of a radar device and second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the radar device;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference;

differentiating the difference; and

discriminating a target from clutter by using the differentiated difference to identify coordinates satisfying a velocity threshold associated with the clutter.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein providing phase-range data and second phase-range data comprises providing an array of phase data as a function of range data and a second array of second phase data as a function of second range data.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein discriminating comprises discriminating the target from the clutter by using the differentiated difference to identify coordinates associated with a velocity exceeding clutter velocity.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein discriminating comprises:

identifying clutter behavior; and

filtering-out coordinates of the differentiated difference associated with the clutter behavior.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein identifying clutter behavior comprises at least one of identifying an anomalous change of velocity and identifying an anomalous change of amplitude.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein providing comprises providing phase-range data associated with a return pulse of one of a plurality of radar devices and second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the one of the plurality of radar devices.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for extracting the phase-range data and second phase-range data from an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal taken from an intermediate frequency signal of a radar device.

8. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the following method:

providing phase-range data associated with a return pulse of a radar device, second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the radar device, and amplitude-range data associated with at least one of the return pulse and the successive return pulse;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference;

creating a subset of coordinates from the amplitude-range data that satisfy an amplitude threshold associated with the clutter;

building an amplitude mask from the subset;

applying the amplitude mask to the difference;

differentiating the masked difference; and

discriminating a target from clutter by identifying coordinates from the differentiated masked difference satisfying a velocity threshold associated with the clutter.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein discriminating comprises discriminating the target from the clutter by using the differentiated difference to identify coordinates associated with a velocity exceeding clutter velocity.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein discriminating comprises:

identifying clutter behavior; and

filtering-out coordinates of the differentiated masked difference associated with the clutter behavior.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein identifying clutter behavior comprises at least one of identifying an anomalous change of velocity and identifying an anomalous change of amplitude.

12. A system for discrimination of a target from clutter, the system comprising:

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the following method:

providing phase-range data associated with a return pulse of a radar device and second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the radar device;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference;

differentiating the difference; and

discriminating the target from the clutter by using the differentiated difference to identify coordinates satisfying a velocity threshold associated with the clutter; and

at least one computing device for executing the computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable medium.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one computing device comprises at least one processor and an at least temporary memory.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:

means for non-invasively acquiring an intermediate frequency signal of the radar device; and

means for downconversion of the intermediate frequency signal to an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal associated with the phase-range data and the second phase-range data.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the means for downconversion comprises:

a coherent oscillator for generating a coherent oscillator signal; and

a mixer for mixing the intermediate frequency signal and the coherent oscillator signal.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the system is substantially free of a coherent radar device.

17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising the radar device, and wherein the radar device is in electrical communication with the means for downconversion.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the radar device comprises a non-coherent radar device in electrical communication with the means for downconversion.

19. The system of claim 14 , comprising a display for showing the discriminated target substantially free of clutter.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the system is substantially free of a coherent radar device.

21. The system of claim 12 , wherein the target comprises at least a portion of a watercraft.

22. The system of claim 12 , wherein the target comprises a submarine periscope.

23. The system of claim 12 , wherein the target comprises at least one of a human and a land vehicle.

24. The system of claim 12 , wherein the clutter comprises sea clutter.

25. The system of claim 12 , wherein the clutter comprises at least one of terrain clutter, rain clutter, and discrete clutter.

26. A method for discrimination of a target from clutter, comprising:

providing phase-range data associated with a return pulse of a radar device, second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the radar device, and amplitude-range data associated with at least one of the return pulse and the successive return pulse;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference;

creating a subset of coordinates from the amplitude-range data that satisfy an amplitude threshold associated with the clutter;

building an amplitude mask from the subset;

applying the amplitude mask to the difference;

differentiating the masked difference; and

discriminating the target from the clutter by identifying coordinates from the differentiated masked difference satisfying a velocity threshold associated with the clutter.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising deriving the phase-range data, the second phase-range data and the amplitude-range data from an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal associated with an intermediate frequency signal of the radar device.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising downconverting the intermediate frequency signal with a coherent oscillator signal to produce the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein downconverting comprises downconverting to produce the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal in an analog format, and wherein the method further comprises converting the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal from the an analog format into a digital format.

30. The method of claim 28 , further comprising non-invasively acquiring the intermediate frequency signal from the radar device.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein non-invasively acquiring comprises non-invasively acquiring the intermediate frequency signal from a non-coherent radar device.

32. The method of claim 26 , further comprising displaying the discriminated target substantially free of clutter.

33. The method of claim 26 , wherein discriminating comprises discriminating the target from the clutter by using the differentiated masked difference to identify coordinates associated with a velocity exceeding clutter velocity.

34. The method claim 26 , wherein discriminating comprises:

identifying clutter behavior; and

filtering-out coordinates of the differentiated masked difference associated with the clutter behavior.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein identifying clutter behavior comprises at least one of identifying an anomalous change of velocity and identifying an anomalous change of amplitude.

36. A method for discrimination of a target from clutter using an intermediate frequency signal of a non-coherent radar device, comprising:

acquiring the intermediate frequency signal from the non-coherent radar device;

manipulating the intermediate frequency signal to provide phase-range data associated with a return pulse of the non-coherent radar device and second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the non-coherent radar device;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference;

differentiating the difference; and

identifying at least one disturbance in a slope of the differentiated difference satisfying a velocity threshold.

37. A method for discrimination of a target from clutter using an intermediate frequency signal of a non-coherent radar device, comprising:

acquiring the intermediate frequency signal from the non-coherent radar device;

manipulating the intermediate frequency signal to provide phase-range data associated with a return pulse of the non-coherent radar device and second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the non-coherent radar device;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference;

manipulating the intermediate frequency signal to provide amplitude-range data associated with at least one of the return pulse and the successive return pulse;

building an amplitude mask from at least a portion of the amplitude-range data;

applying the amplitude mask to the difference;

differentiating the masked difference; and

identifying at least one disturbance in a slope of the differentiated masked difference satisfying a velocity threshold.

38. The method of claim 37 , further comprising displaying coordinates of the at least one disturbance in the slope that satisfy the velocity threshold.

39. The method of claim 37 , further comprising creating a subset of coordinates from the amplitude-range data that satisfy an amplitude threshold, and wherein building comprises building the amplitude mask from the subset.

40. A method for substantial removal of relative phase variations from a non-coherent radar device to discriminate a target from clutter, comprising:

non-invasively acquiring an intermediate frequency signal from the radar device;

downconverting the intermediate frequency signal with a coherent oscillator signal to produce an in-phase signal having an analog format and quadrature signal having an analog format;

converting the analog format of the in-phase signal and quadrature signal into a digital format;

using the in-phase signal and quadrature signal to provide phase-range data associated with a return pulse of the radar device, second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the radar device, and amplitude-range data associated with at least one of the return pulse and the successive return pulse;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference;

creating a subset of coordinates from the amplitude-range data that satisfy an amplitude threshold associated with the clutter;

building an amplitude mask from the subset;

applying the amplitude mask to the difference;

differentiating the masked difference; and

discriminating the target from the clutter by identifying coordinates from the differentiated masked difference satisfying a velocity threshold associated with the clutter.

41. A method of non-invasively cohering a non-coherent radar device, comprising:

acquiring an intermediate frequency signal from the non-coherent radar device;

manipulating the intermediate frequency signal to provide phase-range data associated with a return pulse of the non-coherent radar device and second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the non-coherent radar device;

manipulating the intermediate frequency signal to provide amplitude-range data associated with at least one of the return pulse and the successive return pulse;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference:

building an amplitude mask from at least a portion of the amplitude-range data;

applying the amplitude mask to the difference to obtain a masked difference; and

differentiating the masked difference.

42. The method of claim 41 , further comprising creating a subset of coordinates from the amplitude-range data that satisfy an amplitude threshold, and wherein building comprises building the amplitude mask from the subset.

43. A method of non-invasively cohering a non-coherent radar device, comprising:

acquiring an intermediate frequency signal from the non-coherent radar device;

manipulating the intermediate frequency signal to provide phase-range data associated with a return pulse of the non-coherent radar device and second phase-range data associated with a successive return pulse of the non-coherent radar device;

comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference; and

differentiating the difference.

44. An enhanced detection system, comprising:

a coherent oscillator for generating a coherent oscillator signal;

a mixer for mixing the coherent oscillator signal and an intermediate frequency signal of a non-coherent radar device to downconvert the intermediate frequency signal to an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal in an analog format;

an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog format of the in-phase signal and quadrature signal into a digital format;

a digital signal processor for receiving the in-phase signal and quadrature signal in the digital format and providing phase-range data of a return pulse of the non-coherent radar device and second phase-range data of a successive return pulse of the non-coherent radar device;

a computing device for comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference, differentiating the difference, and discriminating a target from clutter by using the differentiated difference to identify coordinates satisfying a velocity threshold associated with the clutter; and

a display for showing the discriminated target substantially free of clutter.

45. The system of claim 44 , further comprising the non-coherent radar device.