System and method for volume visualization in ultra-wideband radar imaging system

1. A method of operating an ultra-wideband radar imaging system comprising processor operatively coupled to an antenna with at least one receiver and a plurality of transmitters operating in multi-static mode, the method comprising:

receiving by said at least one receiver a plurality of signals, each respectively representing return data in a channel associated with the receiver and one of the transmitters among said plurality of transmitters, thus giving rise to a plurality of spatial data channels;

among said plurality of spatial data channels selecting, by the processor, data channels for further processing; and

providing, by the processor, volume visualization by processing data corresponding merely to the selected spatial data channels,

wherein selecting, by the processor, spatial data channels for further processing comprises:

generating a two-dimensional map of a plurality of representative channels corresponding to said plurality of spatial data channels;

dividing the generated two-dimensional map into a plurality of collection areas, each matching a contribution criterion, wherein the contribution criterion requires substantially equal contribution of all representative channels mapped to a given collection area;

collecting from each collection area N N max representative channels, where N max is a threshold indicative of a maximal number of channels to be collected from a collection area; and

selecting spatial data channels corresponding to the collected representative channels.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the two-dimensional map comprises projecting representative locations characterizing the representative channels on a two-dimensional plane substantially perpendicular to the antenna's direction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collection areas are obtained by dividing the generated two-dimensional map into equal-size squares with the side's size defined by the wavelength of transmitted/received signals.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold Nmax is predefined in accordance with a shape of antenna and/or characteristics of a target.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold Nmax is configured as adaptive to scene conditions and/or imaging scenario.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein N Nmax representative channels are collected from a given collection area in an arbitrary manner.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the spatial data channels is selected in accordance with relative distance of corresponding representative channels from adjacent voxels corresponding to a region of interest.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein selecting the spatial data channels comprises assigning to each representative channel a distance score corresponding to a relative distance of two adjacent voxels from the respective channel and selecting spatial data channels corresponding to the representative channels with distance score matching a distance criterion.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the assigned distance score corresponds to a ratio R between respective relative distance and an operating wavelength λ of the radar.

10. An ultra-wideband radar imaging system comprising a volume visualization unit operatively coupled to an antenna with at least one receiver and a plurality of transmitters operating in multi-static mode, wherein:

said at least one receiver is configured to receive a plurality of signals, each respectively representing return data in a channel associated with the receiver and one of the transmitters among said plurality of transmitters, and

said volume visualization unit is configured:

to digitalize said plurality of signals thus giving rise to a plurality of spatial data channels;

to select among said plurality of spatial data channels data channels for further processing; and

to provide volume visualization by processing data corresponding merely to the selected spatial data channels,

wherein selecting the spatial data channels by the volume visualization unit comprises:

generating a two-dimensional map of a plurality of representative channels corresponding to said plurality of spatial data channels;

dividing the generated two-dimensional map into a plurality of collection areas, each matching a contribution criterion, wherein the contribution criterion requires substantially equal contribution of all representative channels mapped to a given collection area;

collecting from each collection area N≦N max representative channels, where N max is a threshold indicative of a maximal number of channels to be collected from a collection area; and

selecting spatial data channels corresponding to the collected representative channels.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the volume visualization unit is further configured to select at least part of the spatial data channels in accordance with relative distance of corresponding representative channels from adjacent voxels corresponding to a region of interest.

12. A volume visualization unit to be used in conjunction with an ultra-wideband radar comprising an antenna with at least one receiver and a plurality of transmitters operating in multi-static mode, wherein said volume visualization unit is configured:

to digitalize a plurality of signals each respectively representing return data in a channel associated with said at least one receiver and one of the transmitters among said plurality of transmitters thus giving rise to a plurality of spatial data channels;

to select among said plurality of spatial data channels data channels for further processing; and

to provide volume visualization by processing data corresponding merely to the selected spatial data channels,

wherein selecting the spatial data channels comprises:

generating a two-dimensional map of a plurality of representative channels corresponding to said plurality of spatial data channels;

dividing the generated two-dimensional map into a plurality of collection areas, each matching a contribution criterion, wherein the contribution criterion requires substantially equal contribution of all representative channels mapped to a given collection area;

collecting from each collection area N≦N max representative channels, where N max is a threshold indicative of a maximal number of channels to be collected from a collection area; and

selecting spatial data channels corresponding to the collected representative channels.

13. The volume visualization unit of claim 12 further configured to generate the two-dimensional map using projecting representative locations characterizing the representative channels on a two-dimensional plane substantially perpendicular to the antenna's direction.

14. The volume visualization unit of claim 12 further configured to obtain the collection areas by dividing the generated two-dimensional map into equal-size squares with the side's size defined by the wavelength of transmitted/received signals.

15. The volume visualization unit of claim 12 further configured to collect N≦Nmax representative channels from a given collection area in an arbitrary manner.

16. The volume visualization unit of claim 12 further configured to select at least part of the spatial data channels in accordance with relative distance of corresponding representative channels from adjacent voxels corresponding to a region of interest.

17. The volume visualization unit of claim 16 further configured to select the spatial data channels using assigning to each representative channel a distance score corresponding to a relative distance of two adjacent voxels from the respective channel and selecting spatial data channels corresponding to the representative channels with distance score matching a distance criterion.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for operating an ultra-wideband radar imaging system comprising an antenna with at least one receiver and a plurality of transmitters operating in multi-static mode, the computer readable program code for:

selecting among a plurality of spatial data channels data channels for further processing, wherein the plurality of spatial data channels corresponds to a received plurality of signals, each respectively representing return data in a channel associated with said at least one receiver and one of the transmitters among said plurality of transmitters;

providing volume visualization by processing data corresponding merely to the selected spatial data channels,

wherein selecting spatial data channels for further processing comprises:

generating a two-dimensional map of a plurality of representative channels corresponding to said plurality of spatial data channels;

dividing the generated two-dimensional map into a plurality of collection areas, each matching a contribution criterion, wherein the contribution criterion requires substantially equal contribution of all representative channels mapped to a given collection area;

collecting from each collection area N≦N max representative channels, where N max is a threshold indicative of a maximal number of channels to be collected from a collection area; and

selecting spatial data channels corresponding to the collected representative channels.