Automatic target recognition using enhanced resolution SAR data

Using advanced technology, a new automatic target recognition (ATR) system has been developed that provides significantly improved target recognition performance compared with ATR systems that use conventional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image-processing techniques. This significant improvement in target recognition performance is achieved by using a new superresolution image-processing technique that enhances SAR image resolution (and image quality) prior to performing target recognition. A computationally efficient two-level implementation of a template-based classifier is used to perform target recognition. The improvement in target recognition performance achieved using superresolution image processing in this new ATR system is quantified     

Comments with reply, on `A new look at nonseparable syntheticaperture radar processing' by A. Di Cenzo

The commenters point out that the idea using a two-dimensional digital correlation technique to perform synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) processing, presented as new in the above-titled paper (see ibid., vol.24, p.218-23, May 1988), was described by them as early as 1978 and has since been described by other authors. They discuss some of these earlier studies. The author replies that he was unaware of the earlier work, and that he did not intend to convey the impression that the nonseparable transform domain processor that he presented was the first     

OGSRN: Optical-guided super-resolution network for SAR image

Although Convolutional Neural Networks(CNNs) have significantly improved the development of image Super-Resolution(SR) technology in recent years, the existing SR methods for SAR image with large scale factors have rarely been studied due to technical difficulty. A more efficient method is to obtain comprehensive information to guide the SAR image reconstruction.Indeed, the co-registered High-Resolution(HR) optical image has been successfully applied to enhance the quality of SAR image due to it...     

Effects of Reduced SAR Azimuth Processing

Several approaches are evaluated for reducing the large data handling and processing loads associated with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging systems. The effects of data abbreviation on SAR images were studied theoretically as well as experimentally with SEASAT-A data. Image degradation was measured in terms of azimuth resolution and signal-to-clutter ratio. It was found that the degradation of image quality to data rate reduction is graceful. With high time-bandwidth product signals, little or no azimuth resolution degradation was noticed with several data bandwidth reduction techniques that achieve data reduction factors of up to 8. The signal-to-clutter ratio was found to decrease slowly with increasing reduction in data rate.     

Synthetic aperture radar image formation from compressed data usinga new computation technique

A convolution technique is proposed that allows direct reconstruction of the processed synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) image from the digitally-sampled, block-encoded raw data. This computational compression technique reduces the number of arithmetic operations from that required by fast Fourier transform (FFT) convolution for SAR processing. SAR phase histories are block encoded and directly processed into an image where only arithmetic additions are required for the processing. For SAR data previously block encoded, the processing time is reduced by a factor of 100 or more. A speed-up of three times over SAR processing by FET convolution has been demonstrated when both computation of the block encoding and subsequent direct processing are included in the time. SAR image quality measurements for a method of block encoding called vector quantization at compression ration ranging from 5:1 to 50:1 show image degradation proportional to the compression ratio. For a 5:1 compression radio, image quality measurements show minimal degradation     

Performance complexity study of several approaches to automatictarget recognition from SAR images

A framework which allows for the direct comparison of alternate approaches to automatic target recognition (ATR) from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is described and applied to variants of several ATR algorithms. This framework allows comparisons to be made on an even footing while minimizing the impact of implementation details and accounts for variation in image sizes, in angular resolution, and in the sizes of orientation windows used for training. Alternate approaches to ATR are characterized in terms of the best achievable performance as a function of the complexity of the model parameter database. Several approaches to ATR from SAR images are described and the performance achievable by each for a range of database complexities is studied and compared. These approaches are based on a likelihood test under a conditionally Gaussian model, log-magnitude least squared error, and quarter power least squared error. All approaches are evaluated for a wide range of parameterizations and the dependence on these parameters of both the resulting performance and the resulting database complexity is explored. Databases for all of the approaches are trained using identical sets of images and their performance is assessed under identical testing scenarios in terms of probability of correct classification, confusion matrices, and orientation estimation error. The results indicate that the conditionally Gaussian approach outperforms the other two approaches on average for both target recognition and orientation estimation, that accounting for radar power fluctuation improves performance for all three methods, and that the conditionally Gaussian approach normalized for power delivers average performance that is equal or superior to all other considered approaches     

Strapdown inertial measurement units for motion compensation forsynthetic aperture radars

It is shown that synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) motion can be compensated by using an antenna-mounted strapdown inertial measurement unit (IMU) as the motion sensing system, but sensor and system errors affect SAR image quality. A strapdown IMU consists of three accelerator channels and three gyro channels. Strapdown IMU errors include gyro-scale and accelerometer-scale factor and bias errors, velocity error, platform tilt, and errors induced by limited inertial sensor bandwidth. The effects of these errors on the SAR image quality are presented in terms of the SAR impulse response. IMU errors that cause low-frequency phase errors (less than one cycle per array time) are categorized in terms of quadratic and cubic phase errors. IMU errors that cause high-frequency phase errors (greater than one cycle per array time) are categorized in terms of the integrated sidelobe ratio and peak sidelobe ratio. A motion compensation system conceptualization is described wherein a strapdown IMU is attached to an antenna and transfer-aligns to the aircraft's master navigator     

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     

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 Data Compression Technique for Synthetic Aperture Radar Images

A data compression technique is developed for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. The technique is based on an SAR image model and is designed to preserve the local statistics in the image by an adaptive variable rate modification of block truncation coding (BTC). A data rate of approximately 1.6 bit/pixel is achieved with the technique while maintaining the image quality and cultural (pointlike) targets. The algorithm requires no large data storage and is computationally simple.     

Polar format algorithm for bistatic SAR

Matched filtering (MF) of phase history data is a mathematically ideal but computationally expensive approach to bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image formation. Fast backprojection algorithms (BPAs) for image formation have recently been shown to give improved O(N/sup 2/ log/sub 2/N) performance. An O(N/sup 2/ log/sub 2/N) bistatic polar format algorithm (PFA) based on a bistatic far-field assumption is derived. This algorithm is a generalization of the popular PFA for monostatic SAR image formation and is highly amenable to implementation with existing monostatic image formation processors. Limits on the size of an imaged scene, analogous to those in monostatic systems, are derived for the bistatic PFA.     

Feature enhancement and ATR performance using nonquadratic optimization-based SAR imaging

We present an evaluation of the impact of a recently proposed synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging technique on feature enhancement and automatic target recognition (ATR) performance. This image formation technique is based on nonquadratic optimization, and the images it produces appear to exhibit enhanced features. We quantify such feature enhancement through a number of criteria. The findings of our analysis indicate that the new feature-enhanced SAR image formation method provides images with higher resolution of scatterers, and better separability of different regions as compared with conventional SAR images. We also provide an ATR-based evaluation. We run recognition experiments using conventional and feature-enhanced SAR images of military targets, with three different classifiers. The first classifier is template based. The second classifier makes a decision through a likelihood test, based on Gaussian models for reflectivities. The third classifier is based on extracted locations of the dominant target scatterers. The experimental results demonstrate that the new feature-enhanced SAR imaging method can improve the recognition performance, especially in scenarios involving reduced data quality or quantity.     

适用于非合作发射源的合成孔径雷达无源成像方法

 合成孔径雷达(SAR)具有突出的高分辨率成像能力,在民用和军用领域体现出重要的应用价值。在复杂的作战环境中,提高SAR的电子对抗性能成为SAR技术发展考虑的重要方面。提出一种新的SAR无源成像方法,该成像方法将单部机载SAR接收机或多部机载SAR接收机在不同位置处接收到的回波信号相关,对相关后的信号采用滤波反投影方法进行成像,可重建场景的辐射率。该成像方法不需要已知发射源的波形和位置信息,适用于非合作发射源,具有良好的电子对抗性,并且适用于任意载机飞行轨迹、多基SAR等情形。仿真验证以双基情形为例,验证了该SAR无源成像方法的有效性,并分析了影响成像质量的各关键因素。     

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     

运动补偿用惯性器件误差对SAR成像分辨率的影响研究

 为提高合成孔径雷达（SAR）系统的性价比,必须根据SAR成像分辨率的要求和整体系统参数,设计相应精度的运动补偿用捷联惯导系统。在确定SAR运动补偿系统方案和安装方式的基础上,分析不同方向的加速度计和陀螺仪误差对天线相位中心位置测量误差的影响,并利用位置测量误差与SAR成像分辨率之间的关系,进一步明确了不同方向的加速度计和陀螺仪对SAR成像分辨率的影响。研究表明：基于SAR的工作原理和安装方式,x方向加速度计和y方向陀螺仪对SAR成像分辨率的影响明显比其他惯性器件严重;相同误差水平的惯性器件对SAR成像分辨率的影响随着合成孔径时间和工作波长的不同而不同,时间越长,波长越短,影响则越严重。SAR成像仿真证明了结论的正确性。研究结果对于研制高性价比SAR成像运动补偿系统有一定的理论指导意义。     

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。     

块自适应球形矢量量化算法压缩SAR原始数据

提出使用块自适应球形矢量量化算法压缩SAR原始数据,该算法充分利用SAR原始数据经过自适应块处理之后在较小的数据块范围内具有稳定高斯分布的特点,使用格型矢量技术中的球形码书量化器进行量化,可以提高算法的压缩性能。通过运用球形矢量量化算法对SAR原始数据进行压缩、解压缩获取相应的SAR图像与块自适应量化和块自适应矢量量化经过同样过程得到SAR图像进行比较分析,得出块自适应球形格矢量量化算法是算法复杂度和算法性能之间比较好的折中。     

SAR干扰效果研究

研究了对干扰前不同图像质量的合成孔径雷达(SAR)的干扰效果问题。从干扰前SAR图像质量指标积分旁瓣比(ISLR)入手,提出等效信干比的概念,建立积分旁瓣比与等效信干比的关系,分析等效信干比与发现概率、错误概率的关系,最后确定不同图像质量所对应的所需信干比。     

基于SAR图像匹配结果可信度评价的INS/SAR自适应Kalman滤波算法

在惯性导航系统（INS）/合成孔径雷达（SAR）组合导航系统中,SAR图像易受斑点噪声的影响,图像匹配的精度对整个导航系统精度的影响十分明显,能够准确地分析SAR图像匹配过程中的误差特性,利用有效的图像匹配信息辅助INS进行组合定位尤为重要。针对上述问题,在加权Hausdorff距离匹配算法的基础上,对影响SAR图像匹配精度的因素进行了分析,提出了一种基于模糊推理的匹配结果可信度评价准则,经过可信度筛选,将有效的匹配信息与INS进行组合;对合理范围内的匹配误差变化引起量测噪声统计特性发生变化,进而导致Kalman滤波精度下降的问题,研究采用改进的Sage-Husa自适应滤波算法对量测噪声方差阵进行动态调整,使其更加接近系统的当前状态。搭建仿真验证平台对所提算法进行了验证,结果表明,该算法能够在合理的匹配误差范围内,有效地筛选出可信的图像匹配结果,相比常规Kalman滤波算法,显著地提升了INS/SAR组合导航系统水平方向的定位精度。     

Geometric accuracy in airborne SAR images

Uncorrected across-track motions of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) platform can cause both a severe loss of azimuthal positioning accuracy in, and defocusing of, the resultant SAR image. It is shown how the results of an autofocus procedure can be incorporated in the azimuth processing to produce a fully focused image that is geometrically accurate in azimuth. Range positioning accuracy is also discussed, leading to a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of geometric accuracy. The system considered is an X-band SAR