Super resolution SAR imaging via parametric spectral estimationmethods

Super resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image formation via sophisticated parametric spectral estimation algorithms is considered. Parametric spectral estimation methods are devised based on parametric data models and are used to estimate the model parameters. Since SAR images rather than model parameters are often used in SAR applications, we use the parameter estimates obtained with the parametric methods to simulate data matrices of large dimensions and then use the fast Fourier transform (FFT) methods on them to generate SAR images with super resolution. Experimental examples using the MSTAR and Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) data illustrate that robust spectral estimation algorithms can generate SAR images of higher resolution than the conventional FFT methods and enhance the dominant target features     

P-3 ultra-wideband SAR: description and examples

Under the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA)/ASTO sponsorship, through a contract from the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) has developed an ultrawideband (UWB) very high frequency (VHF)/ultrahigh frequency (UHF) fully polarimetric airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for studying the detection of foliage-obscured objects. The radar is installed in the NAWC P-3 testbed aircraft and takes advantage of existing ERIM-built multimode, fully-polarimetric X/L/C-band SAR hardware. This paper describes the radar and presents some examples of its capabilities including polarimetric imagery and two-pass interferometric surface height estimates     

Comparison of C- and X-band InSAR data for 3D characterization ofan urban area

In this paper we offer an overview of a number of algorithms suitable for 3D characterization of an urban environment from interferometric SAR data. By means of these algorithms we compare fine resolution C- and X-band SAR measurements over the same area to understand what useful information can be derived from these measurements. In addition we examine the similarities and differences of these data sets that are acquired with different frequency bands, bandwidths, and radar look direction. These data sets are recorded over Los Angeles, California, by the C-band NASA/JPL AIRSAR system, and by X-band Intermap Star-3i system. We analyze the original range measurements as reconstructed after the phase unwrapping procedure, the bald earth topography that we were able to retrieve, and the 3D shapes of some of the buildings in the UCLA area. Our results show that both data sets provide useful information of urban 3D characteristics. The better ground resolution of the X-band system results in better building shape extraction. Lower resolution of the C-band data, surprisingly, was not a limiting factor for extraction of large building structures. We demonstrate that it is possible to extract the terrain elevation model (bald earth topography), and the heights of large building structures by means of our algorithms     

一种高效的数字地图高程数据存储格式

分析了DMA的DTED和USGS的DEM高程数据存储格式，比较了其异同，提出了一种高效的数字地图高程数据的存储格式并实现了存取算法。实验表明，该存储格式结构简单、便于扩展、容易实现，是一种Windows下进行数字地图数据交换的有效的文件存储格式，已经被用于数字地图三维可视化软件Terrain和新近开发的综合低空突防系统分布式仿真平台中作为数字地图数据的交换格式。     

加强机载交通和地形避撞告警功能提高自治飞行能力

从飞机的安全间隔保障和空中避撞告警，以及飞机的地形避撞和近地警告两个问题的现有手段和正在发展中的某些新概念、新技术出发，说明交通和地形信息资源的开发利用，有助于更好地增强机上信息环境，发挥交通和避撞的告警和显示功能，提高自治飞行（ＡｕｔｏｎｏｍｏｕｓＦｌｉｇｈｔ）能力；在未来空域环境中过渡到飞机避撞责任由驾驶员和管制员双方分担。重点介绍机载间隔保障系统（ＡＳＡＳ）概念，其所用的广播式自动相关监视（ＡＤＳ－Ｂ）和驾驶舱交通信息显示（ＣＤＴＩ）技术，此外也介绍预测型近地警告和利用地形数据库的仿前视地形复现技术。     

基于微服务的栅格地图网络化分发技术设计与实现

介绍了栅格地图数据网络化分发技术设计及其应用, 实现了地图引擎和地图数据的解耦。通过研究 栅格地图数据结构和OGC 接口标准,提出一种基于微服务的地图服务框架,设计了面向网络的卫星影像、地 形高程数据解析算法和Restful 分发接口,该技术可为多源异构地图引擎提供地图数据源及服务。经过试验, 机载GIS 引擎及非嵌GIS 引擎均可调用、显示该服务,该技术可广泛应用于机载后舱、地面站、网信体系等领域, 未来网络条件成熟也可应用于机载前舱。     

单光子激光雷达数据去噪与滤波算法

单光子激光雷达获取的点云数据存在大量噪声,这给数据的处理带来了挑战。基于局部距离统计提出了改进的点云去噪算法,对单光子激光雷达点云原始数据进行去噪。然后基于统计分析方法改进了点云滤波算法,对去噪后的点云数据进行滤波处理。利用新提出的算法与传统算法去噪和滤波后得到的点云进行比较,并与传统激光雷达的数字地形模型(DTM)数据进行对比。计算得到MABEL地面点云相对于传统激光雷达高程的均方根误差RMSE为2.98m,相关系数R^2为0.9938。进一步对地面点云插值得到剖面数字高程模型(DEM)数据,其相对于传统激光雷达高程的均方根误差RMSE为2.85m,相关系数R^2为0.9931。实验结果显示,提出的单光子激光雷达点云去噪和滤波算法优于传统算法,与传统激光雷达DTM数据具有较好的相关性,能够精确的恢复地形信息。     

CCRS C/X-airborne synthetic aperture radar: An Rand D tool for the ERS-1 time frame

The airborne synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) system developed for the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) is described. It consists of two radars, at C-band and X-band. Each radar incorporates the following features: dual-channel receivers and dual-polarized antennas; a high quality, 7-look, real-time processor; a sensitivity time control for range-dependent gain control; a motion-compensation system for antenna steering in azimuth and elevation; and baseband I and Q signal phase rotation. The system also uses a high-power transmitter with a low-power back-up. The SAR maps to either side of the aircraft, at high or low resolution, at incidence angles which in high resolution span 0° to 80°. Radar operating parameters, data products, key specifications and the motion compensation scheme used are presented. Properties of the real-time imagery are discussed and examples of C-band SAR data in the three operating modes are given     

SAR极坐标格式成像算法对运动目标响应特性

运动目标的合成孔径雷达（SAR）成像特征是SAR地面运动目标指示（SAR/GMTI）系统进行运动目标检测、成像和重定位的基础。为此,从信号二维解耦合校正距离徙动角度推导和分析了极坐标格式算法（PFA）对运动目标的响应特性,揭示了极坐标格式转换过程中的距离插值和方位插值对运动目标距离徙动的校正原理。理论分析表明：PFA在完成对静止目标成像的同时,还能够自动校正所有运动目标的线性距离徒动,且校正过程无需目标运动信息,因此对于径向运动目标,在忽略波前弯曲条件下PFA也能够对其进行完全聚焦。最后,通过仿真数据处理对理论分析结果进行了验证,表明PFA作为一种运动目标成像预处理方法具有很大的应用前景。     

Performance improvement for constellation SAR using signal processing techniques

A new concept of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) implementation has recently been proposed - the constellation of small spaceborne SAR systems. In this implementation, several formation-flying small satellites cooperate to perform multiple space missions. We investigate the possibility to produce high-resolution wide-area SAR images and fine ground moving-target indicator (GMTI) performance with constellation of small spaceborne SAR systems. In particular, we focus on the problems introduced by this particular SAR system, such as Doppler ambiguities, high sparseness of the satellite array, and array element errors. A space-time adaptive processing (STAP) approach combined with conventional SAR imaging algorithms is proposed which can solve these problems to some extent. The main idea of the approach is to use a STAP-based method to properly overcome the aliasing effect caused by the lower pulse-repetition frequency (PRF) and thereby retrieve the unambiguous azimuth wide (full) spectrum signals from the received echoes. Following this operation, conventional SAR data processing tools can be applied to focus the SAR images fully. The proposed approach can simultaneously achieve both high-resolution SAR mapping of wide ground scenes and GMTI with high efficiency. To obtain array element errors, an array auto-calibration technique is proposed to estimate them based on the angular and Doppler ambiguity analysis of the clutter echo. The optimizing of satellite formations is also analyzed, and a platform velocity/PRF criterion for array configurations is presented. An approach is given to make it possible that almost any given sparse array configuration can satisfy the criterion by slightly adjusting the PRF. Simulated results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.     

A multiresolution approach to discrimination in SAR imagery

We develop and test a new algorithm for discriminating man-made objects from natural clutter in synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imagery. This algorithm exploits characteristic variations in speckle pattern as image resolution is varied from course to fine. We model these variations as an autoregression in scale, and then use the autoregressive model to define a multiresolution log-likelihood ratio discriminant. We incorporate this discriminant into the existing Lincoln Laboratory SAR system for automatic target recognition (ATR), and test the augmented system by applying it to millimeter-wave SAR imagery having 0.3 m resolution and representing 56 square kilometers of terrain. At a probability of detection of 0.95, the addition of the multiresolution discriminant reduces the number of natural-clutter false alarms by a factor of six.     

FOPEN SAR imaging using UWB step-frequency and random noisewaveforms

The detection and identification of targets obscured by foliage have been topics of great interest. Several synthetic aperture radar (SAR) experiments have demonstrated promising images of terrain and man-made objects obscured by dense foliage, by using either linear frequency modulation (LFM) or step-frequency waveforms. We present here the methodology and results of a comparative study on foliage penetration (FOPEN) SAR imaging using ultrawideband (UWB) step-frequency and random noise waveforms. A statistical-physical foliage transmission model is developed for simulation applications. The foliage obscuring pattern is analyzed by means of the technique of paired echoes. The results of the comparative study demonstrates the ability of a UHF band UWB random noise radar to be used as a FOPEN SAR. Advantages of the random noise radar system include covert detection and immunity to radio frequency interference (RFI)     

RFI suppression for ultra wideband radar

An estimate-and-subtract algorithm is presented for the real-time digital suppression of radio frequency interference (RFI) in ultrawideband (UWB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems used for foliage- and ground-penetrating imaging. The algorithm separately processes fixed- and variable-frequency interferers. Excision of estimated targets greatly reduces bias in RFI estimates, thereby reducing target energy loss and sidelobe levels in SAR imagery. Performance is demonstrated on data collected with the Army Research Laboratory's UWB rail SAR.     

Calibration of complex polarimetric SAR imagery using backscattercorrelations

A technique for calibration of multipolarization synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imagery is described. If scatterer reciprocity and lack of correlation between co- and cross-polarized radar echoes (for azimuthally symmetric distributed targets) are assumed, the effects of signal leakage between the radar data channels can be removed without the use of known ground targets. If known targets are available, all data channels can be calibrated relative to one another and radiometrically as well. The method is verified with simulation and application to airborne SAR data     

合成孔径雷达系统建模、仿真与信号处理初探

作为雷达技术发展历史中的里程碑,合成孔径雷达(SAR)通过使用空中合成天线阵列技术及先进的目标回波信号处理技术能够提供清晰的地球表面图像。由于它的这一突出特点,SAR已经成为许多飞行器的重要任务载荷并被广泛应用于军事及民用领域。从航空电子系统总体需求角度出发,为了深刻理解SAR系统的工作原理并得到更好的SAR图像产品,有必要对系统数学模型的建立、SAR回波信号的仿真以及信号处理算法进行深入的研究。本文试图从这三方面讨论SAR系统设计中的关键问题。     

Depth of Field for SAR with Aircraft Acceleration

Processing synthetic array radar (SAR) data is difficult if the depth of field is small. Aircraft acceleration can severely reduce the depth of field and thereby increase the processing. The effects of aircraft acceleration on the depth of field for three types of SAR processing are analyzed: (1) conventional processing (range-Dopper processing), (2) variable pulse-repetition frequency (PRF) (PRF changes to compensate for aircraft acceleration), and (3) polar format. Polar format is a technique for processing high resolution SAR which has a much larger depth of field in the ground plane than conventional processing. On the other hand, aircraft acceleration will limit the vertical depth of field for polar format to about the same value as for conventional processing. In addition, for polar format, the only component of aircraft acceleration that limits the vertical depth of field is the component normal to the slant plane containing the velocity and range vectors. Vector notation is used to graphically show the effects of aircraft acceleration. In addition to better insight, the vector notation gives equations for SAR compensation that do not depend on a specific coordinate system.     

A technique for enhanced slant range resolution for SAR systems inknowledge-based environment

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an airborne (or spaceborne) radar mapping technique for generating high resolution maps of surface target areas including terrain. High resolution is achieved by coherently combining the returns from a number of radar transmissions. The resolution of the images is determined by the parameters of the emissions, with more data giving greater resolution. A requirement of the Microwave Radar Division's SAR radar is to provide classification of targets. This paper presents a technique for enhancing slant range resolution in SAR images by dithering the carrier centre frequency of the transmitted signal. The procedure controls the radar waveforms so they will optimally perform the classification function, rather than provide an image of best quality. It is shown that a Knowledge-Based engineering approach to determining the waveform of the radar gives considerably improved performance as a classifier of targets (of large radar cross-section), even though the corresponding image is degraded     

3-D E-CSAR imaging of a T-72 tank and synthesis of its SAR reconstructions

The results of three-dimensional (3-D) imaging of a T-72 tank using its angular azimuthal (turntable) and linear elevation synthetic aperture data at X band are presented. This is achieved using an accurate and computationally efficient wavefront (Fourier-based) reconstruction algorithm for elevation and circular (E-CSAR) data. The E-CSAR 3-D images are then used to synthesize 2-D spotlight and stripmap slant plane synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the target at a desired range and squint angle. For this purpose, a procedure is introduced that incorporates the spatially varying azimuthal and elevation Doppler signatures of individual reflectors on the target as well as the mean range, azimuth, and elevation of the flight path. Results using the E-CSAR images of the T-72 tank are provided.     

Layover solution in multibaseline SAR interferometry

In this work, spectral estimation techniques are used to exploit baseline diversity of a multichannel interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system and overcome the layover problem. This problem arises when different height contributions collapse in the same range-azimuth resolution cell, due to the presence of strong terrain slopes or discontinuities in the sensed scene. We propose a multilook approach to counteract the presence of multiplicative noise, which is due to the extended nature of natural targets; to this purpose we extend the RELAX algorithm to the multilook data scenario (M-RELAX). A thorough performance analysis of nonparametric (beamforming and Capon) and parametric (root MUSIC and M-RELAX) techniques is carried out based on Monte Carlo simulations and Cramer-Rao lower bounds (CRLB) calculation. The results suggest the superiority of parametric methods over nonparametric ones.     

Phase quantized SAR signal processing: theory and experiments

A complete theory of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing from phase-only data is presented, for both analogue and coded raw signals and reference functions. Appropriate processing architectures are presented as well as quality indexes to judge performance of the selected coding. The analysis encompasses both images and interferometric fringes for interferometry SAR (IFSAR) application. Theoretical results are validated by a large number of experiments, comparing the performance of the suggested coding levels, and their combinations between raw and reference functions. Experiments are extended until the comparison of final digital elevation models