Method and apparatus for stacking multi-temporal MAI interferograms

1. A method of stacking multi-temporal multiple aperture SAR interferometry (MAI) interferogram, comprising:

imaging a target using an imaging radar that radiates a beam a portion of which is directed toward the target;

producing one or more multi-temporal interferometric pairs using photographed data obtained by the imaging radar as a result of the imaging of the target;

generating, by a processor, a forward-looking InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) interferogram and a backward-looking InSAR interferogram of the one or more multi-temporal interferometric pairs;

generating, by the processor, a residual forward-looking interferogram and a residual backward-looking interferogram by removing low-frequency phase components from the forward-looking InSAR interferogram and the backward-looking InSAR interferogram;

generating, by the processor, a stacked forward-looking interferogram and a stacked backward-looking interferogram by separately stacking the residual forward-looking interferogram and the residual backward-looking interferogram; and

generating, by the processor, a stacked MAI interferogram based on a phase difference between the stacked forward-looking interferogram and the stacked backward-looking interferogram.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising correcting, by the processor, an error in a residual phase of the stacked MAI interferogram using a polynomial model generated based on location and altitude information corresponding to each pixel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the stacked MAI interferogram comprises generating the stacked MAI interferogram using the phase difference calculated by complex conjugate multiplication of the stacked forward-looking interferogram and the stacked backward-looking interferogram.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the residual forward-looking interferogram and the residual backward-looking interferogram comprises:

filtering by removing, by the processor, high frequency components from the forward-looking InSAR interferogram or the backward-looking the InSAR interferogram; and

calculating, by the processor, the phase difference by complex conjugate multiplication of the filtered backward-looking InSAR interferogram and the forward-looking interferogram or complex conjugate multiplication of the filtered forward-looking InSAR interferogram and the backward-looking interferogram.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the generating the residual forward-looking interferogram and the residual backward-looking interferogram comprises generating the residual interferograms so that each of the residual forward-looking interferogram and the residual backward-looking interferogram includes a phase component and noise related to a motion in an along-track direction of an independent satellite sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the forward-looking InSAR interferogram and the backward-looking InSAR interferogram comprises:

generating, by the processor, single look complex (SLC) images of a forward-looking imaging radar and a backward-looking imaging radar with respect to master and slave images of the multi-temporal interferometric pairs;

accurately co-registering, by the processor, the SLC images; and

generating, by the processor, the forward-looking InSAR interferogram and the backward-looking InSAR interferogram using complex conjugate multiplication.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute a method of stacking multi-temporal multiple aperture SAR interferometry (MAI) interferogram, comprising:

program instructions that produce one or more multi-temporal interferometric pairs using photographed data of a target;

program instructions that generate a forward-looking InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) interferogram and a backward-looking InSAR interferogram of the one or more multi-temporal interferometric pairs;

program instructions that generate a residual forward-looking interferogram and a residual backward-looking interferogram by removing low-frequency phase components from the forward-looking InSAR interferogram and the backward-looking InSAR interferogram;

program instructions that generate a stacked forward-looking interferogram and a stacked backward-looking interferogram by separately stacking the residual forward-looking interferogram and the residual backward-looking interferogram; and

program instructions that generate a stacked MAI interferogram based on a phase difference between the stacked forward-looking interferogram and the stacked backward-looking interferogram,

wherein an imaging radar that radiates a beam a portion of which is directed toward the target images the target and thereby generates the photographed data of the target.

8. An apparatus for stacking multi-temporal MAI interferogram, comprising a processor configured to:

produce one or more multi-temporal interferometric pairs using photographed data of a target;

generate a forward-looking InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) interferogram and a backward-looking InSAR interferogram of the one or more multi-temporal interferometric pairs;

generate a residual forward-looking interferogram and a residual backward-looking interferogram by removing low-frequency phase components from the forward-looking InSAR interferogram and the backward-looking InSAR interferogram;

generate a stacked forward-looking interferogram and a stacked backward-looking interferogram by separately stacking the residual forward-looking interferogram and the residual backward-looking interferogram; and

generate a stacked MAI interferogram based on a phase difference between the stacked forward-looking interferogram and the stacked backward-looking interferogram,

wherein an imaging radar that radiates a beam a portion of which is directed toward the target images the target and thereby generates the photographed data of the target.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

correct an error in a residual phase of the stacked MAI interferogram using a polynomial model generated based on location and altitude information corresponding to each pixel.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the stacked MAI interferogram using a phase difference calculated by complex conjugate multiplication of the stacked forward-looking interferogram and the stacked backward-looking interferogram.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

filter by removing high frequency components from the forward-looking InSAR interferogram or the backward-looking the InSAR interferogram; and

calculate the phase difference by complex conjugate multiplication of the filtered backward-looking InSAR interferogram and the forward-looking interferogram or complex conjugate multiplication of the filtered forward-looking InSAR interferogram and the backward-looking interferogram.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the residual interferograms so that each of the residual forward-looking interferogram and the residual backward-looking interferogram includes a phase component and noise related to a motion in an along-track direction of an independent satellite sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate single look complex (SLC) images of a forward-looking imaging radar and a backward-looking imaging radar with respect to master and slave images of the multi-temporal interferometric pairs;

accurately co-register the SLC images; and

generate the forward-looking InSAR interferogram and the backward-looking InSAR interferogram using complex conjugate multiplication.