Angle width discriminator/altitude line detector radar
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsSteven J. Clancy, James F. Whatley, Dennis Heinke
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Abstract
A pulse radar for acquiring a target while rejecting the altitude line is described wherein a plurality of target reports from a scanning antenna are examined and rejected if the pattern of target reports at an apparent range extends along a scanning angle too large to be a valid target and selected if the pattern of target reports at a range extends along a limited scanning angle indicative of a target having a valid target size. Target reports rejected during a prior scan may be used as a basis for rejecting target reports of a current scan.
Claims4
A method for operating a pulse radar for acquiring a target comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a sequence of signals from an antenna, said antenna radiating most of the electromagnetic energy in a narrow beam having a predetermined beam width;
- scanning said antenna to direct said beam along a predetermined path represented by a plurality of path increments, connected in series;
- receiving reflected signals emanating from said antenna;
- integrating a plurality of said reflected signals arriving at said antenna at a predetermined time interval corresponding to a range cell and path increment for said directed beam to provide an output signal;
- thresholding said output signal to provide a target report at times when the amplitude of the output signal is greater than a predetermined value;
- repeating the steps of receiving and thresholding for a plurality of time intervals for each of a plurality of path increments for said directed beam;
- storing said target reports;
- comparing the occurrence of said target reports as a function of said plurality of path increments and range cell location with a plurality of predetermined target report patterns;
- and
- selecting target reports having an occurrence matching one of said predetermined target report patterns indicative of a target having a valid target size.
A method for operating a pulse radar for acquiring a target comprising the steps of:
- transmiting a sequence of signals from an antenna, said antenna radiating most of the electromagnetic energy in a narrow beam having a predetermined beam width;
- scanning said antenna to direct said beam along a predetermined path represented by a plurality of path increments, connected in series;
- receiving reflected signals emanating from said antenna;
- integrating a plurality of said reflected signals arriving at said antenna at a predetermined time interval corresponding to a range cell and path increment for said directed beam to provide an output signal;
- thresholding said output signal to provide a target report at imes when the amplitude of the output signal is greater than a predetermined value;
- repeating the steps of receiving and thresholding for a plurality of time intervals for each of a plurality of path increments for said directed beam;
- storing said target reports;
- comparing the occurrence of said target reports as a function of said plurality of path increments and range cell location with a plurality of predetermined target report patterns;
- rejecting target reports which within at least one range cell extends over a plurality of path increments that is too large to be a valid target;
- and
- selecting target reports having an occurrence matching one of said predetermined target report patterns indicative of a target having a valid target size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.