Track-While-Scan Algorithm in a Clutter Environment

A track-while scan (TWS) algorithm is developed for targets in a clutter environment. The problem has been studied using only the position measurements [1, 5-8], but the simulation results have not been satisfactory. Modern processing techniques (FFT processor) ) in air traffic control and surveillance radar receivers provide both position and radial velocity. The radial velocity measurement may be conveniently used in the target-track correlation process, which will reduce the association ambiguity in the clutter environment. t. In the clear environment the algorithm using the position and radial velocity measurements has been treated in [3, 4]. A TWS algorithm, using both position and radial velocity measurements for targets in a clutter environment, is presented here. The algorithm obtained is nonlinear and adaptive. In order to evaluate the improvement due to radial velocity measurement a simulation has been performed on a digital computer. The algorithm was run with and without radial velocity measurements to compare its performances. An improvement was noted especially when the target path included an accelerated portion.     

基于导航雷达实测数据的CFAR检测算法分析

为提高导航雷达在复杂环境中的目标检测能力,研究了修正中值(MMD)检测器在导航雷达中的应用,并与经典非参量广义符号(GS)检测器和参量最小选择(SO)检测器的检测结果进行对比。仿真结果表明:GS检测器对海上单一目标有较好的检测性能,但是在多目标环境下的检测性能严重下降;SO检测器虽然对上述环境有较好的检测性能,但是由于杂波包络分布类型难以准确已知,杂波抑制能力较差;MMD检测器在多目标环境下有较好的检测性能和杂波抑制能力。     

Time-frequency method for detecting an accelerating target in sea clutter

The authors design a time-frequency (TF) method for use in high-frequency surface-wave radar (HFSWR) for detecting a small accelerating target in sea clutter. The clutter is modelled by pseudo targets moving with Bragg velocity towards and away from the radar. The design is based on the Wigner distribution (WD) defined by Chan (type-III WD, in our terminology) rather than the WD defined by Claasen and Mecklenbrauker (1980) (2times type-I WD, in our terminology). Like the type-I WD, the type-III WD also concentrates a chirp signal onto a straight line in the TF plane. The type-III WD has the following advantages: 1) Its range of unambiguously measurable frequencies (RUMF) is [-pi,pi] rad/s, whereas for the type-I WD the RUMF is [-pi/2,pi/2] rad/s. 2) It allows a target separated from the clutter by pi rad/s to be detected, whereas the type-I WD coalesces such a target with the clutter and thereby mask it. An ambiguity function (AF) was defined corresponding to the type-III WD and use it to derive a smoothed type-III WD that mitigates the clutter. The smoothed type-III WD method is applied to real radar data and shown to be superior to the conventional Fourier transform method. The advantages of the type-III WD over the type-I WD are also demonstrated. The design principles laid out in the paper can also be used to develop a TF method for use in air traffic control radar (ATCR) for detecting an accelerating target in land clutter     

Stap using knowledge-aided covariance estimation and the fracta algorithm

In the airborne space-time adaptive processing (STAP) setting, a priori information via knowledge-aided covariance estimation (KACE) is employed in order to reduce the required sample support for application to heterogeneous clutter scenarios. The enhanced FRACTA (FRACTA.E) algorithm with KACE as well as Doppler-sensitive adaptive coherence estimation (DS-ACE) is applied to the KASSPER I & II data sets where it is shown via simulation that near-clairvoyant detection performance is maintained with as little as 1/3 of the normally required number of training data samples. The KASSPER I & II data sets are simulated high-fidelity heterogeneous clutter scenarios which possess several groups of dense targets. KACE provides a priori information about the clutter covariance matrix by exploiting approximately known operating parameters about the radar platform such as pulse repetition frequency (PRF), crab angle, and platform velocity. In addition, the DS-ACE detector is presented which provides greater robustness for low sample support by mitigating false alarms from undernulled clutter near the clutter ridge while maintaining sufficient sensitivity away from the clutter ridge to enable effective target detection performance     

A novel target detection approach based on adaptive radar waveform design

To resolve problems of complicated clutter, fast-varying scenes, and low signal-clutterratio (SCR) in application of target detection on sea for space-based radar (SBR), a target detection approach based on adaptive waveform design is proposed in this paper. Firstly, complicated sea clutter is modeled as compound Gaussian process, and a target is modeled as some scatterers with Gaussian reflectivity. Secondly, every dwell duration of radar is divided into several sub-dwells. Regular linear frequency modulated pulses are transmitted at Sub-dwell 1, and the received signal at this sub-dwell is used to estimate clutter covariance matrices and pre-detection. Estimated matrices are updated at every following sub-dwell by multiple particle filtering to cope with fast-varying clutter scenes of SBR. Furthermore, waveform of every following sub-dwell is designed adaptively according to mean square optimization technique. Finally, principal component analysis and generalized likelihood ratio test is used for mitigation of colored interference and property of constant false alarm rate, respectively. Simulation results show that, considering configuration of SBR and condition of complicated clutter, 9 dB is reduced for SCR which reliable detection requires by this target detection approach. Therefore, the work in this paper can markedly improve radar detection performance for weak targets.     

基于实测数据的海杂波与海面小目标特征分析

目标特性是雷达目标检测识别等精细化处理的基础。设计检测器主要是设计 1个检测统计量,使之在有无目标时有尽可能大的差别。经典的检测主要用幅度特性、相关性等。利用 X波段雷达 2~5级海况下航道浮标实测数据,分别对比分析海况连续变化下海杂波和海面小目标的时间相关性、空间相关性、相对平均幅度(RelativeAver-ageAmplitude,RAA)、相对多普勒峰高(RelativeDopplerPeakHeight,RDPH)和相对多普勒向量熵(RelativeVector Entropy,RVE)5种特征的变化情况。大量实测数据验证表明,随着海况等级增加,海杂波与海面小目标的时空强相关数值逐渐变小:2~5级海况下,RAA具有较好的可区分性;2~3级海况下,RDPH据有较好的可区分性,4~5级海况下区分效果不理想;5级海况下,RVE的具有较好的可分效果。结论对于海杂波背景下雷达目标特征检测方法优化设计具有重要意义。     

Adaptive Radar Detection in Doubly Nonstationary Autoregressive Doppler Spread Clutter

The problem of adaptive radar detection in clutter which is nonstationary both in slow and fast time is addressed. Nonstationarity within a coherent processing interval (CPI) often precludes target detection because of the masking induced by Doppler spreading of the clutter. Across range bins (i.e., fast time), nonstationarity severely limits the amount of training data available to estimate the noise covariance matrix required for adaptive detection. Such difficult clutter conditions are not uncommon in complex multipath propagation conditions where path lengths can change abruptly in dynamic scenarios. To mitigate nonstationary Doppler spread clutter, an approximation to the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) detector is presented wherein the CPI from the hypothesized target range is used for both clutter estimation and target detection. To overcome the lack of training data, a modified time-varying autoregressive (TVAR) model is assumed for the clutter return. In particular, maximum likelihood (ML) estimates of the TVAR parameters, computed from a single snapshot of data, are used in a GLRT for detecting stationary targets in possibly abruptly nonstationary clutter. The GLRT is compared with three alternative methods including a conceptually simpler ad hoc approach based on extrapolation of quasi-stationary data segments. Detection performance is assessed using simulated targets in both synthetically-generated and real radar clutter. Results suggest the proposed GLRT with TVAR clutter modeling can provide between 5–8 dB improvement in signal-to-clutter plus noise ratio (SCNR) when compared with the conventional methods.     

Detection of small objects in clutter using a GA-RBF neural network

Detection of small objects in a radar or satellite image is an important problem with many applications. Due to a recent discovery that sea clutter, the electromagnetic wave backscatter from a sea surface, is chaotic rather than purely random, computational intelligence techniques such as neural networks have been applied to reconstruct the chaotic dynamic of sea clutter. The reconstructed sea clutter dynamical system which usually takes the form of a nonlinear predictor does not only provide a model of the sea scattering phenomenon, but it can also be used to detect the existence of small targets such as fishing boats and small fragments of icebergs by observing abrupt changes in the prediction error. We applied a genetic algorithm (GA) to obtain an optimal reconstruction of sea clutter dynamic based on a radial basis function (RBF) neural network. This GA-RBF uses a hybrid approach that employes a GA to search for the optimum values of the following RBF parameters: centers, variance, and number of hidden nodes, and uses the least square method to determine the weights. It is shown here that if the functional form of an unknown nonlinear dynamical system can be represented exactly using an RBF net (i.e., no approximation error), this GA-RBF approach can reconstruct the exact dynamic from its time series measurements. In addition to the improved accuracy in modeling sea clutter dynamic, the GA-RBF is also shown to enhance the detectability of small objects embedded in the sea. Using real-life radar data that are collected in the east coast of Canada by two different radar systems: a ground-based radar and a satellite equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), we show that the GA-RBF network is a reliable detector for small surface targets in various sea conditions and is practical for real-life search and rescue, navigation, and surveillance applications     

IPIX雷达海尖峰统计特性研究

根据雷达海尖峰构成原理,以K分布为模型,提出了海尖峰的统计特性分析方法,并使用该方法对IPIX雷达实测海杂波数据进行了统计特性分析,分析结果证明了该方法的有效性。     

Data fusion for ground moving target tracking

The aim of ground surveillance is the large scale, continuous and near real time determination of a dynamical ground picture. This task comprises detection and tracking of moving single targets and convoys, mobile weapon systems, and military equipment. The sensors of choice are airborne Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radar and synthetic aperture radar (SAR). As ground target tracking often suffers from dense target situations, high clutter, and low visibility, the integration and fusion of external background information is essential for providing precise and continuous tracks. We present Multi Hypotheses techniques for tracking several targets in complex ground situations with clutter. Methods to incorporate topographic information, in particular digital road maps, are described and demonstrated.     

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     

Optimal Target t Designation Techniques

Studies of signal processing techniques are presented for achieving optimal autonomous acquisition of stationary targets located in a moderately intense nonhomogeneous radar ground clutter background. The process of target acquisition comprises three basic functions: 1) target detection, 2) target selection or designation, and 3) reacquiring the target for tracking. It is the second of these functions, i.e., autonomous designation of a target, that is the subject of this discussion. Theoretical analyses and predictions of the probability of correct target designation for two acquisition search methods are presented and compared with results achieved using real radar imagery.     

某雷达模拟器的目标与杂波信号模拟强度研究

建立了雷达模拟器中目标、地物杂波、海杂波、气象杂波的信号强度计算模型,根据相对运动关系解算出各目标与杂波信号的强度,并按时间流程存储在对应的数据表中,从而信号源将产生相应强度的信号注入雷达模拟台,以便后端雷达模拟台能在雷达威力覆盖范围内准确地显示出目标与杂波强度变化。通过仿真软件在雷达训练模拟器中的功能测试,实现了目标与杂波仿真效果,满足了雷达模拟训练的要求。     

海杂波谱的机理及时变特性分析

针对海杂波背景下目标检测问题的实际需求,在机理分析的基础上,利用实测数据对海杂波谱的时变特性进行了分析。首先,分析了波束照射区域内由海表面波浪运动引起的多普勒频移和展宽现象,以及随雷达工作参数之间的依赖关系;然后,对已有海杂波谱机理研究结果进行了分析和总结。在此基础上,利用加窗的周期图法估计得到海杂波的时间-多普勒谱,进而从相关时间的统计特性、谱宽与时域海杂波拖尾程度的依赖关系两个层面对海杂波谱的时变特性进行了分析。分析结果可为海杂波谱建模、海杂波抑制及目标检测方法设计提供理论指导。     

基于杂波对消-自聚焦的多通道SAR-GMTI

对超高频(UHF)波段多通道合成孔径雷达(SAR)动目标检测技术进行研究,解决了长相干积累时间导致动目标在方位向散焦严重的问题。采用分块自聚焦技术对多通道SAR地面移动目标指示(GMTI)系统自适应杂波抑制后的SAR图像进行处理,改善杂波抑制后的SAR图像中动目标的聚焦情况,增强动目标与周围剩余杂波的对比度,进而提高恒虚警率(CFAR)检测的性能。与传统杂波抑制后直接进行CFAR检测方法相比较,该方法降低了检测虚警概率。实测数据处理结果显示动目标的信杂比明显提高,动目标方位向聚焦成功,证明了该方法的有效性。     

航迹规划中雷达探测空间的生成

从飞机突防习行任务规划出发，综合考虑地球曲率、陆地（或海洋）的反射和杂波干扰、大气折射和吸收损耗等因素的影响，采用临界散射截面法生成了对空警戒雷达在不同地貌、发现概率下，对不同雷达散射截面的目标的探测空间。计算并分析了飞行高度、目标雷达散射截面、发现概率和地貌等因素对雷达探测空间的影响，以便选择低探测概率的飞行走廓，这对制定和实施安全突防飞行策略有实际意义。     

Multi-Target/Multi-Sensor Tracking using Only Range and Doppler Measurements

A new approach is described for combining range and Doppler data from multiple radar platforms to perform multi-target detection and tracking. In particular, azimuthal measurements are assumed to be either coarse or unavailable, so that multiple sensors are required to triangulate target tracks using range and Doppler measurements only. Increasing the number of sensors can cause data association by conventional means to become impractical due to combinatorial complexity, i.e., an exponential increase in the number of mappings between signatures and target models. When the azimuthal resolution is coarse, this problem will be exacerbated by the resulting overlap between signatures from multiple targets and clutter. In the new approach, the data association is performed probabilistically, using a variation of expectation-maximization (EM). Combinatorial complexity is avoided by performing an efficient optimization in the space of all target tracks and mappings between tracks and data. The full, multi-sensor, version of the algorithm is tested on simulated data. The results demonstrate that accurate tracks can be estimated by exploiting spatial diversity in the sensor locations. Also, as a proof-of-concept, a simplified, single-sensor range-only version of the algorithm is tested on experimental radar data acquired with a stretch radar receiver. These results are promising, and demonstrate robustness in the presence of nonhomogeneous clutter.     

Knowledge-based system for multi-target tracking in a littoral environment

The paper addresses how to efficiently exploit the knowledge-base (KB), e.g. environmental maps and characteristics of the targets, in order to gain improved performance in the tracking of multiple targets via measurements provided by a ship-borne radar operating in a littoral environment. In this scenario, the nonhomogeneity of the surveillance region makes the conventional tracking systems (not using the KB) very sensitive to false alarms and/or missed detections. It is demonstrated that an effective use of the KB can be exploited at various levels of the tracking algorithms so as to significantly reduce the number of false alarms, missed detections, and false tracks and improve true target track life. The KB is exploited at two different levels. First, some key parameters of the tracking system are made dependent upon the track location, e.g., sea, land, coast, meteo zones (i.e., zones affected by meteorological phenomena) etc. Second, modifications are introduced to cope with a priori identified regions nit hi high clutter density (e.g. littoral areas, roads, meteo zones etc.). To evaluate the behavior of the proposed knowledge-based tracking systems, extensive results are presented using both simulated and real radar data     

Target detection trials with a millimeter wave radar system

Unobstructed, large RCS targets, similar radar targets surrounded by moving foliage, and small targets in severe clutter have been used as test cases for two pre-processing algorithms and several threshold levels in an experimental millimeter wave radar system. The rather conventional "six-out-of-eight" pulse radar selection method with binary output has been compared to an algorithm that accepts a target if the pre-defined trigger level is crossed by the average of the eight consecutive pulses. In this case, however, the output is an analog value corresponding to the relative average video amplitude. In terms of plotted video, this process seems to give a slightly better combination of false alarm rate and detection probability. Large targets are easier to detect from foliage clutter with the conventional method.