Method for detecting a target
View Patent ↗An improved radar system and method for detecting targets is described. The invention discriminately detects and analyzes a target by sub-dividing it into sections, and then, in combination with a sliding window integrator, assimilates accumulated high resolution channel and low resolution channel data to construct a complete image.
1. A method for detecting a target comprising:
Receiving multiple radar signals of different resolution through a plurality of channels; said plurality of channels comprise at least a first channel and a second channel, said first channel receives the highest resolution signal of any channel of said plurality of channels;
Accumulating radar sweep data from said series of lower resolution transmitted signals;
Forming a continuous sum of N range cells by adding the magnitudes of N range cells;
Updating the continuous sum as each sweep is performed by adding the magnitude of the newest range cell to the sum of the previous N range cells and subtracting the magnitude of the oldest range cell;
Zeroing the continuous sum at the beginning of each sweep;
Integrating accumulation data from each channel.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the channel receiving a higher resolution signal divides a target into individualized smaller pieces, each with a smaller radar cross-section than the original target.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the channel receiving a lower resolution signal non-coherently integrates multiple range cells.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the number of range cells are proportional to a given target length.
5. A method for detecting a target comprising:
Receiving multiple radar signals of different resolution through a plurality of channels; said plurality of channels comprise at least a first channel and a second channel, said first channel processing a higher resolution signal than said second channel; said second channel processing a higher resolution signal than any channel of said plurality of channels, excluding said first channel;
Accumulating radar sweep data in said series of lower resolution channels using a sliding window range integrator;
Integrating the output from each channel.
6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the size of number of range cells used to calculate the output of the sliding window integrator channel is proportional to a given target length.
7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said channel processing said series of radar signals at a higher resolution divides a target into individualized smaller pieces, each with a smaller radar cross-section than the original target.
8. A method for detecting a target comprising:
receiving said signal through a plurality of channels; said plurality of channels comprise at least a first and a second channel, said second channel processing said series of radar signals at a higher resolution than said first channel; said second channel processing said series of radar signals at a lower resolution than any channel of said plurality excluding said first channel;
accumulating radar sweep data from said lower resolution channels;
forming a continuous sum of range cells from said accumulated radar sweep data by adding the magnitudes of said range cells;
updating said continuous sum as each sweep is performed by adding the magnitude of the newest range cell to the continuous sum and subtracting the magnitude of the oldest range cell from the continuous sum;
zeroing the continuous sum at the beginning of each sweep.
integrating the output from each channel.
9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said channel processing said series of radar signals at a higher resolution divides a target into individualized smaller pieces, each with a smaller radar cross-section than the original target.
10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said channel processing said series of radar signals at a lower resolution non-coherently integrates multiple range cells.
11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the number of range cells used to calculate the continuous sum are proportional to a given target length.
12. A method for detecting a target comprising:
Transmitting a radar signal, said signal dividing said target into a plurality of returns, said returns having a smaller radar cross section than said target;
Receiving said signal through a first and second channel, said first channel being a radar signal output channel, said second channel being a sliding window range integrator channel;
Accumulating radar sweep data from said series of lower resolution transmitted signals in said sliding window range integrator channel;
Forming a continuous sum of range cells by adding the magnitudes of said range cells;
Updating the said continuous sum as each sweep is performed by adding the magnitude of the newest range cell to the said continuous sum of the previous N range cells and subtracting the magnitude of the oldest range cell from said continuous sum;
Zeroing the continuous sum at the beginning of each sweep;
Integrating the output of each channel.
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the number of range cells used to calculate the continuous sum are proportional to a given target length.