Method for determining detecting thresholds of a constant false alarm rate device of a sensor and associated devices and method

A method of observing an environment by a sensor adapted to observe the environment, the sensor being part of a detection system comprising:

• a sensor adapted to observe an environment,
• a constant false alarm rate detection device of the sensor, the constant false alarm rate detection device being provided with an estimator adapted to determine an estimate of parameters related to noises affecting the sensor according to parameters related to the environment the sensor is observing, and
• a calculator,
• the method for observing including:
• a step of implementing a method for determining detection thresholds of the constant false alarm rate detection device,
• a step of receiving waves from the environment, and
• a step of analyzing the waves received by the constant false alarm rate detection device, in order to determine if the waves contain only noise, the analysis being based on the determined thresholds.

A calculator adapted to determine detection thresholds of a constant false alarm rate detection device of a sensor,

• the sensor being adapted to observe an environment, the constant false alarm rate detection device being provided with an estimator adapted to determine an estimate of parameters related to noises affecting the sensor depending on parameters related to the environment observed by the sensor,
• the calculator being adapted to:
• estimatie parameters related to the noise affecting the sensor, in order to obtain a parameter vector,
• calculate first detection thresholds for the constant false alarm rate detection device, the first thresholds being computed so that, for all possible configurations of the parameter vector, the constant false alarm rate detection device operates at a predefined false alarm probability,
• characterize estimation errors of the estimator of the constant false alarm rate detection device, in order to obtain parameters relating to estimation errors, and
• correct the value of the first detection thresholds in order to obtain second detection thresholds, the step of correcting taking into account the parameters relating to the estimation errors, the second detection thresholds being the thresholds determined for the constant false alarm rate detection device.