Optimum Processing of Unequally Spaced Radar Pulse Trains for Clutter Rejection

A train of radar pulses from one resolution cell can be processed coherently to reject echoes from external clutter and detect targets moving radially with respect to the clutter. Optimum methods of signal processing are defined for systems in which the interpulse spacings are multiply staggered to avoid target blind speeds. Likelihood ratio tests are developed for systems in which the target Doppler frequency is known a priori and for systems employing a bank of filters to cover the target Doppler band. To implement such tests, the N pulses in the train are added with complex weights and the amplitude of the sum compared with a detection threshold. The set of weights which maximizes the average signal-to-clutter ratio is also computed for a single-filter system with unknown target Doppler frequency. When the clutter autocorrelation function is exponential, the clutter covariance matrix can be inverted analytically. This latter result is useful for comparing different interpulse-spacing codes for a particular system application.     

A CFAR Design for a Window Spanning Two Clutter Fields

When the heterogeneous clutter field spanning the spatial sampling sliding window can be modeled as two contiguous homogeneous clutter fields with the statistical parameters of each field unknown and independent from field to field and with the transition point between fields also not known, then the cell-averaging constant false alarm rate (CFAR) performance significantly degrades, yielding target masking effects and loss of false alarm regulation. For the same defined and encountered environment spanning the sliding window, the performance degradation effects are shown to be largely eliminated when a newly developed class of CFAR tests is employed. These tests are designated as heterogeneous clutter estimating CFARs (HCE-CFAR). The test initially involves the combined use of multiple hypothesis testing and maximum likelihood estimation procedures to estimate the statistical parameters of each of the two fields, and the transition point between them, and then makes use of the relevant estimated clutter field parameters to effect the final decision rule. HCE-CFAR designs are presented for both the cases when the contiguous fields have Rayleigh first-order probability distributions, and log-normal probability distribution. However, the focus of the development and the conducted performance evaluation is for the Rayleigh clutter cases.     

Radar detection in clutter

Clutter is defined as any unwanted radar return. The presence of clutter in a range/Doppler cell complicates the detection of a target return signal in that cell. In order to quantify the effect of clutter on the probability of detection, we must first specify sets of models suitable for representing the clutter and target. The simplest and most common model for clutter is based on the gamma density. We include two additional models, the NCG and NCGG clutter models for low grazing angles. They are motivated by physical arguments, the latter of which can accommodate the well-known phenomenon of speckle. Using one of these models for clutter together with one of several models for targets, we determine, in a range/Doppler cell, expressions for probabilities of detection of a target in the presence of clutter. It is important to control the probability of false alarms. The presence of clutter in a cell necessitates an increase in the detection threshold setting in order to control false alarms, thus lowering the probability of detection. If the clutter level is unknown, then we need to take measurements of the clutter and use it to adjust the threshold. The more clutter samples we take, the better the estimate of the clutter level and the less is the resulting detection loss. Using the expressions for the probability of detection in clutter, we can quantify the detection loss for a pair of commonly used constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) techniques and investigate how the loss varies with different parameter values, especially with regard to the number of clutter samples taken to estimate the clutter level.     

区域杂波估计的多目标跟踪方法

高斯粒子概率假设密度（PHD）滤波往往假定杂波密度参数已知,这种做法对于实际应用是不现实的。此外,杂波的参数值通常依赖于环境条件,可能随时间发生变化。因此,多目标跟踪算法中需要实时准确估计杂波密度的参数。基于此,提出了一种多目标跟踪的区域杂波估计方法。首先根据量测信息在线估计出场景中的杂波数目,然后估计落入目标附近感兴趣区域的杂波数,并估计每个目标感兴趣区域杂波强度。仿真结果表明,在复杂场景下算法的跟踪性能明显优于未进行杂波估计的多目标跟踪算法,提高了跟踪的实时性和跟踪精度。     

A Generalized Clutter Computation Procedure for Airborne Pulse Doppler Radars

A general procedure for analyzing ground clutter effects in airborne pulse Doppler radars is described. The quantity computed is the expected clutter power at the output of any specified range gate/ Doppler filter processing cell. The procedure has been computerized and is quite general with respect to antenna gain pattern, clutter cross section variation, PRF, pulse and range gate shapes, and the various receiver processing functions. It is applicable only to distributed ground clutter and linear processing, and excludes the dynamic effects of continuous antenna scanning. To exemplify the use of the procedure, two studies conducted for a postulated high PRF radar are described, and the results are presented.     

Polarization diversity detection in compound-Gaussian clutter

We present the problem of polarization diversity detection in compound-Gaussian clutter with unknown covariance matrix. To this end we assume that a set of secondary data, free of signal components and with the same covariance structure of the cell under test, is available. Due to the lack of a uniformly most powerful (UMP) detector we resort to a design procedure based upon the Rao and the Wald tests. Specifically we first derive the Rao and the Wald tests assuming that the covariance matrix is known, and then we substitute into the derived decision rules a suitable estimate of the clutter covariance. Interestingly, the newly proposed detectors share the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property with respect to the texture statistical characterization. Moreover simulation results have shown that the Wald test based detector ensures a performance level higher than the Rao test. We have also conducted a further performance analysis, in the presence of real clutter data and in comparison with the previously proposed generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) based receivers, which highlights that, in general, the Wald test receiver outperforms its counterparts. Finally, since the newly proposed decision rules as well as the previously designed GLRTs do not ensure the CFAR property with respect to the clutter covariance matrix, we have developed a sensitivity analysis on the probability of false alarm (P/sub fa/), based on simulated clutter with covariance matrix estimated from real radar data. The results have shown that (P/sub fa/) is only slightly affected by variations in the clutter correlation properties and hence the CFARness is substantially achieved.     

Optimal polarimetric detection of radar target in a slowlyfluctuating environment of clutter

It is shown that in a situation where a radar target is distant enough from the radar and is included in a natural or artificial clutter environment in such a manner that the conventional detection methods fail, it is possible to improve the radar detection performance by using appropriate signal processing on two orthogonal polarization states. A CFAR (constant false alarm rate) polarimetric detection system based on the study of the polarization difference between clutter and target is proposed. Since the polarization state of the clutter echoes fluctuates slowly from cell to cell, an autoregressive model can be applied to the components of the polarization vector to predict the detection thresholds needed to follow the polarization state variation. The detection thresholds are determined to maintain a false alarm probability equal to 10^-6. The presence of a target registers as a significant variation of the estimation error of the polarization vector. Results obtained from measurements of simple and canonical targets with artificial clutter are presented, and these results validate the principle of polarimetric detection     

利用神经网络的海杂波幅度分布参数估计方法

海杂波是制约对海雷达探测性能的主要因素之一,掌握其特性,具有十分重要的意义。经典海杂波统计模型在参数估计方法上以传统统计学理论为基础,在样本数较少的情况下,估计结果往往较差,导致建模准确度下降。此外,在复杂非均匀探测背景下,难以实现海杂波模型参数的准确实时估计。针对该问题,文章将深度神经网络模型引入海杂波参数估计领域,通过构建合理的模型,使其具备海杂波幅度分布模型的高精度参数估计能力。该方法采用直方图统计的方法进行数据预处理,合理划分输入数据标签的分组区间,构建数据集训练神经网络,并利用测试数据得到神经网络估计结果。仿真数据和X波段IPIX雷达实测数据验证结果表明,与传统数理统计估计方法相比,该算法明显提升了海杂波统计模型参数估计精度。     

Discrimination Between Log-Normal and Weibull Clutter

Two simple tests are presented for classifying a set of clutter samples into either the log-normal or Weibull distribution. The results obtained by Monte Carlo simulation have shown that both of these tests are only slightly inferior to the test based on the ratio of maximized likelihoods. An application to constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) processing is also discussed.     

Biparametric CFAR procedures for lognormal clutter

The authors consider procedures for constant false alarm rate in lognormal clutter, accounting for variations of both the scale and a shape parameter of the clutter. Adaptivity to both parameters is obtained through biparametric estimation based on a sliding window surrounding the radar cell under test. Some procedures exploiting best linear unbiased estimation (BLUE) are presented and compared to a previous procedure called Log-t, which uses maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). The comparison is carried on for both a homogeneous clutter environment and for instances of inhomogeneous environment (clutter edges and spurious targets). In the latter instances, some advantages of BLUE procedures which stem from the opportunity of censoring are highlighted     

分数傅立叶变换用于抑制SAR杂波背景检测慢速动目标

慢速运动目标在时、空、频域上都落入主杂波区。利用单通道SAR图像中静止背景的信息抑制静止杂波,可改善检测动目标的性能。分数傅立叶变换是线性变换,不存在交叉项,采用分数傅立叶变换搜索匹配动目标信号,使其能量汇聚。对称计算旋转角正负对称的分数傅立叶变换,在两个对称的分数傅立叶域中得到两个复信号,这两个复信号中静止背景的模处处相同,而包含动目标的区域,模的幅度有很大差别,计算对称的分数傅立叶域信号对应位置模的差,取绝对值,可对消静止背景,敏锐地检测动目标。实测数据表明本算法有效。     

On Clutter Modeling and the Spectra of Two-Dimensional Gauss-Markov Random Signals

The spectral properties of two-dimensional isotropic clutter signals are examined for the cases in which 1) the clutter has an exponential spatial autocorrelation function, and 2) the clutter is a two-dimensional Gauss-Markov random signal. The one- and twodimensional power spectral densities before and after antenna filtering are obtained, and some of the differences and similarities between these two models are discussed in the context of spectral analysis.     

High resolution radar clutter statistics

The generalized compound probability density function (GC-pdf) is presented for modeling high resolution radar clutter. In particular, the model is used to describe deviation of the speckle component from the Rayleigh to Weibull or other pdfs with longer tails. The GC-pdf is formed using the generalized gamma (GΓ) pdf to describe both the speckle and the modulation component of the radar clutter. The proposed model is analyzed and thermal noise is incorporated into it. The validation of the GC-pdf with real data is carried out employing the statistical moments as well as goodness-of-fit tests. A large variety of experimental data is used for this purpose. The GC-pdf outperforms the K-pdf in modeling high resolution radar clutter and reveals its structural characteristics     

基于SVM算法的虚假航迹识别

针对云雨杂波和主被动干扰导致多雷达传感器产生虚假目标航迹的问题,利用支持向量机(SVM)算法的自主学习能力,通过构建基于数据驱动的判别模型进行虚假航迹识别。针对航迹起始得到的目标潜在航迹,利用人工智能数据驱动、自学习的特点,设计了SVM算法。通过对已标记真假的目标航迹样本进行离线学习,形成虚假航迹识别的SVM分类器,实现了基于数据驱动的判别模型代替先验知识规则约束的固定模型,并在工程应用中,利用SVM分类器在线识别虚假航迹,完成实时剔除。通过实测雷达数据实验验证,该算法的目标虚假航迹准确率高达95%以上,完全满足实际的工程应用需求。相比基于阈值或规则进行硬性判断的传统虚假航迹识别方法,所提出的算法不仅提高了准确率,还具有较高的实时性,能够适应复杂多变的杂波环境,在实际应用中具有更强的适应性和实用性。因此,提出的基于SVM算法的虚假航迹识别方法对于密集杂波场景下的虚假航迹剔除问题具有显著的实际应用价值。     

Adaptive detection threshold optimization for tracking in clutter

The adaptive optimization of detection thresholds for tracking in clutter is investigated for the probabilistic data association (PDA) filter. Earlier work on this problem by T.E. Fortmann et al. (1985) involved an approximate steady-state analysis of the state error covariance and is only suitable for time-invariant systems. Furthermore, the method requires numerous assumptions and approximations about the error covariance update equation, and uses a cumbersome graphical optimization algorithm. In this work we propose two adaptive schemes for threshold optimization, namely prior and posterior optimization algorithms which minimize the mean-square state estimation error over detection thresholds which depend on data up to the previous and current time-step, respectively. These algorithm are suitable for real-time implementation in time-varying systems. Some simulation results are presented     

Detection of obstacles in the flight path of an aircraft

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with members of the aircraft industry, recently developed technologies for a new supersonic aircraft. One of the technological areas considered for this aircraft is the use of video cameras and image-processing equipment to aid the pilot in detecting other aircraft in the sky. The detection techniques should provide high detection probability for obstacles that can vary from subpixel to a few pixels in size, while maintaining a low false alarm probability in the presence of noise and severe background clutter. Furthermore, the detection algorithms must be able to report such obstacles in a timely fashion, imposing severe constraints on their execution time. Approaches are described here to detect airborne obstacles on collision course and crossing trajectories in video images captured from an airborne aircraft. In both cases the approaches consist of an image-processing stage to identify possible obstacles followed by a tracking stage to distinguish between true obstacles and image clutter, based on their behavior. For collision course object detection, the image-processing stage uses morphological filter to remove large-sized clutter. To remove the remaining small-sized clutter, differences in the behavior of image translation and expansion of the corresponding features is used in the tracking stage. For crossing object detection, the image-processing stage uses low-stop filter and image differencing to separate stationary background clutter. The remaining clutter is removed in the tracking stage by assuming that the genuine object has a large signal strength, as well as a significant and consistent motion over a number of frames. The crossing object detection algorithm was implemented on a pipelined architecture from DataCube and runs in real time. Both algorithms have been successfully tested on flight tests conducted by NASA.     

一种基于角度-多普勒补偿的均匀圆形天线机载雷达杂波抑制方法

采用均匀圆形相控阵天线的机载雷达杂波分布随距离变化而变化,各距离单元的杂波不再满足独立同分布的条件,造成统计型空时自适应处理(STAP)器性能下降。基于此,本文建立了均匀圆形天线机载雷达模型,对其杂波分布进行了分析,得出了空间角随阵元数非线性变化的特性造成其杂波距离维分布非均匀的结论。研究了一种均匀圆形天线机载雷达杂波抑制方法,该方法先通过修正的角度 多普勒补偿(MADC)预处理消除在杂波谱中心处的非均匀,再利用基于导数更新(DBU)技术进一步减小在其他方位杂波的非均匀程度。仿真结果表明了该方法的有效性。     

Radar CFAR Thresholding in Clutter and Multiple Target Situations

Radar detection procedures involve the comparison of the received signal amplitude to a threshold. In order to obtain a constant false-alarm rate (CFAR), an adaptive threshold must be applied reflecting the local clutter situation. The cell averaging approach, for example, is an adaptive procedure. A CFAR method is discussed using as the CFAR threshold one single value selected from the so-called ordered statistic (this method is fundamentally different from a rank statistic). This procedure has some advantages over cell averaging CFAR, especially in cases where more than one target is present within the reference window on which estimation of the local clutter situation is based, or where this reference window is crossing clutter edges.     

Radar Target Detection and Map-Matching Algorithm Studies

Results of a study of adaptive threshold target detection and map-matching algorithms are presented. Log threshold processing is shown to be preferred over linear threshold processing when the clutter data surrounding the target cell is contaminated by other targets, decoy corner reflectors, or bright clutter cells. Whereas previous studies have resorted to extensive Monte-Carlo simulations of log threshold algorithms, the results were obtained using a novel analytical approach based upon Parseval's theorem.