US 2006/0132354 A1Published application

Method of detecting a target

AssigneeQinetiq Limited

InventorsGavin Beard, Robert Horey, Richard Lane, Samantha Lycett

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Abstract

A method for processing returns from a sensor, such as a radar system, in order to identify targets is provided. The method uses a track before detect routine to integrate data from several scans in order to give better discrimination. In running the track before detect routine however a number of possible target motions are postulated and the data combined accounting for such motions. A result above a threshold may then be indicative to a target present and moving with the postulated velocity. The method gives more accurate target detection as the combined data at the correct target motion postulate is more consistent than transient noise and clutter. Once a target has been identified it is preferably removed from the data set in searching for additional targets.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of detecting a target in data from a scene comprising the steps of;

i) taking a main data set comprising a series of scans of the scene, each scan comprising a plurality of data points corresponding to different parts of the scene,
ii) taking a first scan and calculating, for each data point in the first scan, an integrated data value at a predetermined number of postulated target velocities, each integrated data value being calculated using that data point in the first scan and data points in other scans that would correspond to a target moving at the postulated target velocity,
iii) identifying the greatest integrated data value and recalculating the remaining integrated data values excluding any data points which contributed to the greatest integrated data value,
iv) identifying for each data point in the first scan whether any of the integrated data values is above a threshold, and
v) using an integrated data value above the threshold as indication of a target.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.