OS-CFAR thresholding in decentralized radar systems

In a decentralized detection scheme, several sensors perform a binary (hard) decision and send the resulting data to a fusion center for the final decision. If each local decision has a constant false alarm rate (CFAR), the final decision is ensured to be CFAR. We consider the case that each local decision is a threshold decision, and the threshold is proportional, through a suitable multiplier, to a linear combination of order statistics (OS) from a reference set (a generalization of the concept of OS thresholding). We address the following problem: given the fusion rule and the relevant system parameters, select each threshold multiplier and the coefficients of each linear combination so as to maximize the overall probability of detection for constrained probability of false alarm. By a Lagrangian maximization approach, we obtain a general solution to this problem and closed-form solutions for the AND and OR fusion logics. A performance assessment is carried on, showing a global superiority of the OR fusion rule in terms of detection probability (for operating conditions matching the design assumptions) and of robustness (when these do not match). We also investigate the effect of the hard quantization performed at the local sensors, by comparing the said performance to those achievable by the same fusion rule in the limiting case of no quantization     

Computation of binary integration detection probabilities

Efficient algorithms are described for computing the probability of detection for a binary integration when the probability of a threshold crossing changes from sample to sample. A binary integrator is exceeded (a hit occurs) in a sequence of N trials and declares a detection if the number of hits is at least as large as some number M, where O>     

Quantization of PMT Signals for Meteorological Satellites

Quantization rules are examined for a satellite radiometer in the visual range. Effects of photomultiplier tube (PMT) noise on the detection of cloud brightness levels are of particular interest because the expected radiance levels are high. Effects of area integration are considered to improve the probability of detection at high radiance levels.     

基于均匀性判定规则的统计MIMO雷达多通道融合检测技术

针对统计MIMO雷达各观测通道统计特性不一致的情况,提出了一种多通道融合检测技术。该技术利用均匀性判定规则,选择一组均匀的、"被认为是具有较高信杂噪比"的局部检验统计量来构建全局检验统计量,即新的检测器。给出了新检测器的设计步骤和均匀性判定规则,并利用全概率公式证明了新检测器的虚警概率与每一操作步骤中过门限概率的关系,从而为仿真得出检测门限提供了理论基础。仿真结果表明,在不同通道间信噪比分布类型条件下,新检测器的检测性能具有较强的稳健性,且与不同条件下性能最优的检测器相比,其性能损失很小。     

Mean-Level Detection of Nonfluctuating Signals

Analysis of the performance of a mean-level threshold in the detection of nonfluctuating signals is performed. Formulas for the probability of detection are derived and a simple recursive method that can be used for computations is described. Binary integration is discussed, and it is shown that the loss in sensitivity due to the use of an adaptive threshold followed by binary integration is only a fraction of a decibel when compared with optimum binary integration. Binary integration results are given for both fluctuating and nonfluctuating signals.     

从探测概率的角度评价飞机的隐身性能

采用雷达散射截面(RCS)均值来衡量飞机的隐身性能并不能给出足够充分的信息,从信号检测概率的角度来衡量飞机的可探测性可以提供更完整的信息。本文从探测概率的角度详细分析了4种典型隐身飞机RCS起伏数据与虚警概率、探测概率、探测距离、信噪比(SNR)等参数间的关系,并给出了完整的推导过程,采用此方法可以对任意飞机目标在给定雷达参数下的可探测性进行准确计算。一般在雷达性能评估中需要用到RCS起伏模型,本文对飞机目标回波信号进行检测分析时采用数值计算方法,信号的概率密度函数(PDF)直接来源于原始回波起伏信号,避免了模型拟合带来的回波特性失真,且不会产生大的计算误差。通过对比分析计算结果发现:单脉冲检测下回波信号均值中值比越大,回波取值范围越小,则信号的检测概率越小,其中均值中值比一般相差3倍以上时可以得到明显不同的检测概率;在快起伏假设下,非相参积累检测的积累脉冲数Nin即便较小,也能得到较大的信噪比增益,此增益可能大于Nin。     

Detection of Slow Fluctuating Targets with Frequency Diversity Channels

In this paper an exact closed-form expression for the radar detection probability is derived and results are plotted for a frequency diversity radar receiver. The receiver model performs post-detection integration on all received pulses in all diversity channels. The target model assumed is the slow fluctuating Rayleigh-distributed (Swerling case I target) scatterer. Each of the M frequency diverse channels receives N amplitude-correlated returns to give a total of NM post square-law detection integrations. The tabulated data falls between the two extreme cases, that for which all the returns are amplitude-correlated and that for which each return is independent. The plotted results fall close to the figures obtained through simple empirical relationships.     

Contiguous pulse binary integration analysis

The probability of detecting m or more pulses contiguously-that is, in a row-from a pulse train of n pulses is determined when the detection of each pulse is an independent Bernoulli trial with probability p. While a general closed-form expression for this probability is not known, we present an analytical procedure that gives the exact expression for the probability of interest for any particular case. We also present simple asymptotic expressions for these probabilities and develop bounds on the probability that the number of pulses that must be observed before m contiguous detections is greater than or less than some particular number. We consider the implications for binary integration in radar and electronic warfare problems     

Adaptive False Alarmrm Regulation in Double Threshold Radar Detection

In practical situations the false alarm probability in double threshold radar detection, sometimes known as binary integration with sliding window detection, is dependent on the nonstationarity and azimuthal correlation of the clutter which is present. Control of the false alarm probability can be achieved, to a certain extent, by the adjustment of the second threshold in the detection process. In this study two adaptive control techniques which are based on the statistical characteristics of the data are compared. Comparing the results for a technique based on first-order statistics with one based on second-order statistics, it is shown that the second-order, or correlation sensitive, technique can give a reduction of 30 to 45 percent in the false alarm probability with no corresponding loss in the detection probability. An interesting aspect of the results is the fact that the effects of the size of the sample area and the bias in the correlation estimator are clearly evident.     

Evaluating Radar Detection Probabilities by Steepest Descent Integration

The probability of detection for radars employing noncoherent integration and a fixed threshold or cell-averaging constant false alarm rate (CA-CFAR) processor is computed by numerical contour integration in the complex plane. The technique is applied to both nonfluctuating and chi-squared fluctuating targets. A bound on the truncation error allows for a simple stopping rule for the numerical integration. The method has applicability to many problems in radar detection theory.     

Optimal m-ary data fusion with distributed sensors

An optimal data fusion rule is derived for an m-ary detection problem. Each detector determines a local decision using a local decision rule and transmits the local decision to the fusion center. Considering the reliability of local detectors, local decisions are combined to produce the final decision. In this study, based upon the maximum posterior probability concept, optimal decision rules for m-ary detection problems are proposed for the local detector and the data fusion center     

Blind adaptive decision fusion for distributed detection

We consider the problem of decision fusion in a distributed detection system. In this system, each detector makes a binary decision based on its own observation, and then communicates its binary decision to a fusion center. The objective of the fusion center is to optimally fuse the local decisions in order to minimize the final error probability. To implement such an optimal fusion center, the performance parameters of each detector (i.e., its probabilities of false alarm and missed detection) as well as the a priori probabilities of the hypotheses must be known. However, in practical applications these statistics may be unknown or may vary with time. We develop a recursive algorithm that approximates these unknown values on-line. We then use these approximations to adapt the fusion center. Our algorithm is based on an explicit analytic relation between the unknown probabilities and the joint probabilities of the local decisions. Under the assumption that the local observations are conditionally independent, the estimates given by our algorithm are shown to be asymptotically unbiased and converge to their true values at the rate of O(1/k/sup 1/2/) in the rms error sense, where k is the number of iterations. Simulation results indicate that our algorithm is substantially more reliable than two existing (asymptotically biased) algorithms, and performs at least as well as those algorithms when they work.     

Sliding Window Detection Probabilities

A method is proposed for computing sliding window detection probabilities which have applications in track-while-scan acquisition logic and radar detection theory. The sliding window probability is the probability of achieving m successes out of n consecutive events at least once by the Nth opportunity. Expressions are derived for these probabilities as a function of N and p (the per-event success probability) for 1 ? n ? 4 and m ? n. Tabulated results are presented for the mean and standard deviation of the detection delay associated with each m/n logic.     

Centralized and distributed multisensor integration withuncertainties in communication networks

Algorithms in which each sensor is represented in a local coordinate system and the communication networks between sensors have uncertainties are considered. The algorithms are general and can be applied to various integration tasks. The effects of the communication network uncertainties are minimized in the local estimation and central fusion processes. In the centralized multisensor integration, the local measurements and local measurement models are transferred to the central coordinate system and the optimal integration is obtained at the central process. In contrast, the local measurements, together with the previous central estimate transmitted from the communication network, are locally processed in the distributed multisensor integration algorithm. Because the distributed algorithm uses the communication networks twice, more errors are introduced, so that when the uncertainties are large, the centralized algorithm is preferred. Although the algorithms are developed in the three-dimensional coordinate system, with straightforward extension they can be applied to N-dimensional coordinate systems     

Detection Probabilities for Log-Normally Distributed Signals

The amplitude and power of a large family of radio signals are observed to have log-normal probability density functions. Among these are signals propagated through random inhomogeneous media, a notable example being low frequency atmospheric radio noise. Of greater importance are certain radar targets that have been observed to have essentially log-normal density functions. Both ships and space vehicles may fall into this category. Curves of probability of detection vs. signal-to-noise ratio for the case of log-normal signals in Gaussian noise have been computed and are presented in this paper. The curves apply for square-law detection with varying degrees of postdetection linear integration. Both fully correlated and completely uncorrelated fluctuating signals are considered. It is shown that for log-normal signal distributions having large variances, the probability of detection differs significantly from that obtained using curves based on an assumed Rayleigh signal distribution.     

Envelope Threshold Detection in a Class of Non-Gaussian Interference

This paper considers the detection of a sinusoidal or chirp signal imbedded in wideband FM interference (as might be generated by some types of active jamming), such that after pulse compression or other integration, the interference can be approximated by a sum of sinusoids of independent phase. The detection probability in such non-Gaussian noise is compared to that for Gaussian noise, with the Gaussian result approached, as required, in the limit that the number of sinusoids in the sum increases without bound. For detection using a comparison of the envelope with a threshold which yields a given false-alarm probability (CFAR detection), the detection probability is improved over the case of Gaussian noise, so that the usual approach basing the design on Gaussian noise would be conservative. Using a threshold determined from the envelope mean, the FM interference yields a lower false-alarm probability than for Gaussian noise, with detection probability only slightly degraded.     

Low-altitude target detection by coastline operated marine radar

Relevant to a Richian family of fluctuating targets with a composite background of sea-plus-land clutter, the performance prediction of a radar operating in near-coastal regions is elucidated by assuming noncoherent integration of the pulses. Considering the dominance of land clutter, a modified K-distributed statistic is indicated for the overall clutter envelope; and the corresponding probability of false alarm and probability of detection are deduced for fixed threshold detection (s) based on N pulses integrated in the presence of the sea-plus-land clutter and the noise. Even when the target offers a dominant scattered echo, the worst situations of the land clutter affecting the detection performance are indicated     

Optimal distributed decision fusion

The problem of decision fusion in distributed sensor systems is considered. Distributed sensors pass their decisions about the same hypothesis to a fusion center that combines them into a final decision. Assuming that the sensor decisions are independent of each other for each hypothesis, the authors provide a general proof that the optimal decision scheme that maximizes the probability of detection at the fusion for fixed false alarm probability consists of a Neyman-Pearson test (or a randomized N-P test) at the fusion and likelihood-ratio tests at the sensors     

A recursive method for calculating binary integration detectionprobabilities

The calculation of the probability of detection for a binary integration when the probability of a threshold crossing changes from sample to sample is presented. The significance of the algorithm is that it uses a simple recursion relation which provides a computationally efficient means of performing the calculation