Improved SAR target detection via extended fractal features

The utility of the extended fractal (EF) feature is evaluated for the enhancement of the focus of attention (FOA) stage of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) automatic target recognition (ATR) system. Unlike more traditional SAR detection features that distinguish target pixels from the background only on the basis of contrast, the EF feature is sensitive to both the contrast and size of objects. Furthermore, the structure for the EF feature computational algorithm lends itself to very fast implementation, and it can be shown that the new feature has a CFAR-like (constant false alarm rate) property. We demonstrate the improved performance using the new feature by testing a number of different detection approaches over two databases of SAR imagery     

基于数值计算的机载SAR空变运动补偿算法

针对机载合成孔径雷达(SAR)高分辨率宽测绘带(HRWS)成像问题,在分析结合两步运动误差补偿的距离徙动算法基础上,提出一种基于数值计算的空变运动误差补偿算法。通过对粗聚焦图像进行分块,在子块的两维波数域进行空变运动补偿,补偿的相位包括方位相位误差、距离相位误差以及方位和距离的耦合相位,因此该算法在复杂航迹、高分辨和宽测绘带情况下仍具有较好的鲁棒性。最后对SAR仿真数据和实测数据进行处理,并与结合两步运动误差补偿的距离徙动算法进行比较,处理结果表明该算法能够更好地补偿空变运动误差。     

Moving Targets Processing in SAR Spatial Domain

This paper presents a novel technique to estimate the initial coordinates and velocity vector of moving targets, including those with velocities above the Nyquist limit, using a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor without increasing the pulse repetition frequency (PRF). The basic reasoning is that, although the returned echoes may be undersampled in the azimuth direction, their phase and amplitude are informative with respect to the moving target trajectory parameters. Therefore, the so-called blind angle ambiguity, inherent to systems using a single SAR sensor, is overcome. The proposed method samples the data in the spatial domain, along the signature curve which depends on the moving target trajectory parameters. The resulting algorithm is a highly efficient (from the computational point of view) ID matched filter. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is illustrated using simulated SAR data and real data from the MSTAR public release data set, corresponding to a static SAR scene and a static BTR-60 with simulated motion.     

一种基于盲同态解卷积的SAR成像自聚焦算法

针对大气扰动及飞行平台不稳引起机载合成孔径雷达(SAR)图像散焦的问题,提出了一种新的自聚焦算法来估算运动误差。该算法是基于运动误差函数及场景散射函数平滑特性的差异来进行估计的,利用复对数变换将图像的幅度与相位信息分离,进而分别对相位及幅度信息进行处理。运动误差通常为慢变函数,而场景的散射信息具有某种随机特性。因此,经过复对数变换后,运动误差及散射信息可以通过滤波器进行分离,将相位中的随机噪声去除,从而保留了慢变的运动误差函数。为了去除噪声信息,需要建立一个平滑滤波器,利用Daubechies小波的尺度函数构造Riesz基向量,从而建立了正交子空间,通过所建立信号子空间及噪声子空间组建平滑滤波器,最终可以获得准确的运动误差。在实验部分,分别利用仿真数据及实测数据对本文方法进行验证,最终结果分析表明该方法具有很高的估计精度及执行效率。     

一种基于高阶统计量的SAR图像自聚焦算法

 提出了一种基于高阶统计量分析的相位误差估计算法,用于SAR 图像自聚焦。该算法从复图像域出发,通过循环移位及加窗处理孤立强点目标,利用高阶累积量对高斯噪声的抑制能力,在距离压缩相位历史域估计相位误差。由于避免了对加性噪声及干扰很敏感的差分运算,相位误差的估计结果有很好的鲁棒性。仿真及实测数据的处理结果证明了该算法的可行性。     

基于复Shearlet域高斯混合模型的SAR图像去噪

 结合双树复小波的平移不变性、多分辨率性和剪切波变换的灵活可选的多方向性,提出一种新的图像表达方法——复Shearlet变换。针对合成孔径雷达(Synthetic Aperture Radar,SAR)图像的相干噪声特点,建立了复Shearlet系数域的高斯混合模型(Gaussian Mixture Model,GSM),在此基础上应用贝叶斯最小二乘法进行系数估计,最后进行复Shearlet反变换得到去噪以后的SAR图像。仿真结果和分析表明:本文提出的算法相比其他变换域去噪算法,不仅去噪后的图像的峰值信噪比(Peak Signal to Noise Ratio, PSNR)有所提高,而且去噪后的图像更平滑,且与Shearlet域高斯混合模型相比,本文算法速度快了两倍多。     

Robust autofocus algorithm for ISAR imaging of moving targets

A robust autofocus approach, referred to as AUTOCLEAN (AUTOfocus via CLEAN), is proposed for the motion compensation in ISAR (inverse synthetic aperture radar) imaging of moving targets. It is a parametric algorithm based on a very flexible data model which takes into account arbitrary range migration and arbitrary phase errors across the synthetic aperture that may be induced by unwanted radial motion of the target as well as propagation or system instability. AUTOCLEAN can be classified as a multiple scatterer algorithm (MSA), but it differs considerably from other existing MSAs in several aspects: (1) Dominant scatterers are selected automatically in the 2D image domain; (2) scatterers may not be well isolated or very dominant; (3) phase and RCS information from each selected scatterer are combined in an optimal way; (4) the troublesome phase unwrapping step is avoided. AUTOCLEAN is computationally efficient and involves only a sequence of FFTs. Another good feature associated with AUTOCLEAN is that its performance can be progressively improved by assuming a larger number of dominant scatterers for the target. Numerical and experimental results have shown that AUTOCLEAN is a very robust autofocus tool for ISAR imaging     

New SAR Processor Based on Matched Subspace Detectors

This paper deals with a new synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Processor based on a subspace detector designed for man-made target (MMT) detection. As MMTs are more accurately decribed by a set of canonical elements than with isotropic points, we develop a new algorithm which aims at using new models, instead of the isotropic point model commonly used in SAR processors. A subspace detector matched to canonical elements is included in the SAR processing. The implementation and the optimization of subspace detector SAR (SDSAR) algorithm is described. Simple examples of MMT detection in simulations and real data with a target hidden in a forest show the power of our approach. The SDSAR algorithm is shown to be the first robust and tractable algorithm relying on realistic scattering assumptions about the target.     

Moving target imaging algorithm for SAR data

A digital processing algorithm for fine-resolution imaging of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) moving targets is described. The targets may have any translational and rotational motion components relative to the data collection platform. The algorithm requires the presence of up to three prominent points in the image of the target; the signals from these points provide estimates of the unknown target motion parameters. Phase compensation and data formatting based on these estimates eliminate motion-induced phase errors. This algorithm has been implemented on a VAX computer and used to process both simulated and real SAR data of moving targets. Results obtained using the simulated data are presented     

High-resolution SAR imaging with angular diversity

We propose to use the APES (amplitude and phase estimation) approach for the spectral estimation of gapped data and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging with angular diversity. A relaxation-based algorithm, referred to as GAPES (Gapped-data APES), is proposed, which includes estimating the spectrum via APES and filling in the gaps via a least squares (LS) fitting. For SAR imaging with angular diversity data fusion, we perform one-dimensional (1-D) windowed fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) in range, use the GAPES algorithm to interpolate the gaps in the aperture for each range, apply 1-D inverse FFTs (IFFTs) and dewindow in range, and finally apply the two-dimensional (2-D) APES algorithm to the interpolated matrix to obtain the 2-D SAR image. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm     

A Model for Generating Synthetic VHF SAR Forest Clutter Images

We propose a model for generating low-frequency synthetic aperture radar (SAR) clutter that relates model parameters to physical characteristics of the scene. The model includes both distributed scattering and large-amplitude discrete clutter responses. The model also incorporates the SAR imaging process, which introduces correlation among image pixels. The model may be used to generate synthetic clutter for a range of environmental operating conditions for use in target detection performance evaluation of the radar and automatic target detection/recognition algorithms. We derive a statistical representation of the proposed clutter model's pixel amplitudes and compare with measured data from the CARABAS-II SAR. Simulated clutter images capture the structure and amplitude responses seen in the measured data. A statistical analysis shows an order of magnitude improvement in model fit error compared with standard maximum-likelihood (ML) density fitting methods.     

Modeling and a Correlation Algorithm for Spaceborne SAR Signals

A mathematical model of a spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) response is presented. The associated SAR system performance, in terms of the resolution capability, is also discussed. The analysis of spaceborne SAR target response indicates that the SAR correlation problem is a two-dimensional one with a linear shift-variant response function. A new digital processing algorithm is proposed here in order to realize an economical digital SAR correlation system. The proposed algorithm treats the two-dimensional correlation by a combination of frequency domain fast correlation in the azimuth dimension and a time-domain convolver type of operation in the range dimension. Finally, digitally correlated SEASAT satellite SAR imagery is used in an exemplary sense to validate the SAR response model and the new digital processing technique developed.     

基于深度卷积网络的SAR图像目标检测识别

在SAR图像解译应用领域,目标的自动检测与识别一直是该领域的研究重点和热点,也是该领域的研究难点。针对SAR图像的目标检测与识别方法一般由滤波、分割、特征提取和目标识别等多个相互独立的步骤组成。复杂的流程不仅限制了SAR图像目标检测识别的效率,多步骤处理也使模型的整体优化难以进行,进而制约了目标检测识别的精度。采用近几年在计算机视觉领域表现突出的深度学习方法来处理SAR图像的目标检测识别问题,通过使用CNN、Fast RCNN以及Faster RCNN等模型对MSTAR SAR公开数据集进行目标识别及目标检测实验,验证了卷积神经网络在SAR图像目标识别领域的有效性及高效性,为后续该领域的进一步研究应用奠定了基础。     

一种横向机动弹道下SAR成像算法

针对横向机动弹道下SAR成像回波方位向和距离向严重耦合、弹载SAR平台实时性要求高的特点,提出了一种基于频谱分析的扩展SAR成像算法。首先,以初始距离相同的目标作为成像处理对象,建立了横向机动下弹载SAR成像模型,分析了回波相位和瞬时距离的泰勒展开;然后,采用包含水平面速度和偏航加速度参数的相位因子依次进行距离徙动校正、二次相位补偿和多普勒中心频率补偿,实现了SAR图像的精确聚焦。该算法处理流程简单、实时性高,适合横向机动弹道下的中等分辨率的大斜视成像,给出了算法流程,仿真验证了算法有效性。     

SAR data focusing using seismic migration techniques

The focusing of synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) data using migration techniques quite similar to those used in geophysics is treated. The algorithm presented works in the ω-k_x domain. Because time delays can be easily accommodated with phase shifts that increase linearly with ω, range migration poses no problem. The algorithm is described in plane geometry first, where range migration and phase history can be exactly matched. The effects of the sphericity of the Earth, of the Earth's rotation, and of the satellite trajectory curvature are taken into account, showing that the theoretically achievable spatial resolution is well within the requirements of present day and near future SAR missions. Terrestrial swaths as wide as 100 km can be focused simultaneously with no serious degradation. The algorithm has been tested with synthetic data, with Seasat-A data, and with airplane data (NASA-AIR). The experimental results fully support the theoretical analysis     

Target prescreening based on a quadratic gamma discriminator

This work presents the development, analysis and validation of a new target discrimination module for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery based on an extension of gamma functions to 2-D. Using the two parameter constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) stencil as a prototype, a new stencil based on 2-D gamma functions is used to estimate the intensity of the pixel under test and its surroundings. A quadratic discriminant function is created from these estimates, which is optimally adapted with least squares in a training set of representative clutter and target chips. This discriminator is called the quadratic gamma discriminator (QGD). The combination of the CFAR and the QGD was tested in realistic SAR environments and the results show a large improvement of the false alarm rate with respect to the two-parameter CFAR, both with high resolution (1 ft) fully polarimetric SAR and with one polarization, 1 m SAR data     

曲线轨迹下前视多通道SAR解模糊成像算法

前视合成孔径雷达（SAR）存在左右模糊问题，在直线航迹下，目标关于航线对称模糊，模糊关系不随航线变化，可利用波束形成进行全孔径解模糊处理；但在曲线航迹下，目标的模糊关系具有空变性，不能全孔径解模糊成像。针对这一问题，分析了曲线航迹下目标模糊关系的空变特性，提出一种前视多通道SAR快速后向投影子孔径处理解模糊成像算法。首先进行子孔径划分，在每个子孔径内目标的模糊关系近似不变，每个子孔径分别成像，然后通过波束形成对每幅子图像进行解模糊处理，最后融合子图像得到最终的成像结果。算法有效解决了曲线轨迹下目标模糊关系的空变性对解模糊的影响，仿真实验验证了算法的有效性。     

一种新颖的超高分辨率SAR频率域反投影成像算法

超高分辨率条件下,机载合成孔径雷达（SAR）发射信号带宽大,合成孔径时间比较长,对成像处理算法的精度和效率要求较高。现有近似频率域处理和时间域滤波反投影（FBP）算法聚焦SAR数据时均存在诸多问题。基于微局部分析方法,提出了一种新颖的频率域滤波反投影（FD-FBP）成像处理方案。首先,利用Keystone变换简化了数据距离多普勒（RD）域徙动表达式。然后,在RD域进行反投影操作,对参考位置处反投影数据进行移位、相位补偿和FFT等操作即可以得到图像,从而在保证算法精确性的前提下有效降低了运算效率,实现了频率域方法的高效率和时间域方法的精确性特点的结合。最后,点目标仿真和实测数据处理以及与FBP等算法的对比验证了该方法的有效性。     

Modified Frequency Scaling Algorithm for FMCW SAR Data Processing

This paper presents a modified frequency scaling algorithm for frequency modulated continuous wave synthetic aperture radar （FMCW SAR） data processing. The relative motion between radar and target in FMCW SAR during reception and between transmission and reception will introduce serious dilation in the received signal. The dilation can cause serious distortions in the reconstructed images using conventional signal processing methods. The received signal is derived and the received signal in range-Doppler domain is given. The relation between the phase resulting from antenna motion and the azimuth frequency is analyzed. The modified frequency scaling algorithm is proposed to process the received signal with serious dilation. The algorithm can effectively eliminate the impact of the dilation. The algorithm performances are shown by the simulation results.     

调频连续波SAR改进的频率尺度变换算法(英文)

本文提出了一种调频连续波SAR改进的频率尺度变换算法。调频连续波SAR在运动过程中持续不断地发射和接收信号,这种运动导致了回波信号的伸缩,对波前重建产生了严重的影响。推导了回波信号模型,给出了信号的距离-多普勒域表达式,分析了由于天线不断运动而导致的相位变化与方位向频率之间的关系。改进的频率尺度变换算法补偿了这种相位变化,实现了目标的精确成像,仿真结果表明了分析的正确性和算法的有效性。