Terrain elevation measurement by interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR)

A method of computing an elevation array comprising steps of:

• generating elevation corrected first, second and third image arrays so as to substantially remove layover effects;
• generating a first phase interferogram from the elevation corrected first and second image arrays;
• generating a second phase interferogram from the elevation corrected third image array;
• computing a weighted average phase interferogram from the first and second phase interferograms;
• and
• processing the weighted average phase interferogram to generate the computed elevation array.

A method of computing an elevation array comprising steps of:

• pre-processing first and second image arrays to generate an initial elevation array;
• processing the first image array to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected first image array based on the initial elevation array;
• processing the second image array to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected second image array based on the initial elevation array;
• generating a phase interferogram from the elevation corrected first and second image arrays;
• and
• processing the phase interferogram to generate the computed elevation array.

A computing machine comprising:

• a processor;
• a first module to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected first image array from a first image array;
• a second module to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected second image array from a second image array;
• a third module to generate a phase interferogram from the elevation corrected first and second image arrays;
• and
• a fourth module to generate a computed elevation array from the phase interferogram.

A computing machine comprising:

• a processor;
• a first module to substantially remove layover effects and generate elevation corrected first, second and third image arrays;
• a second module to generate a first phase interferogram from the elevation corrected first and second image arrays;
• a third module to generate a second phase interferogram from the elevation corrected third image array;
• a fourth module to compute a weighted average phase interferogram from the first and second phase interferograms;
• and
• a fifth module to generate a computed elevation array from the weighted average phase interferogram.

A computing machine comprising:

• a processor;
• a first module to preprocess first and second image arrays to generate an initial elevation array;
• a second module to process the first image array to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected first image array based on the initial elevation array;
• a third module to process the second image array to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected second image array based on the initial elevation array;
• a fourth module to generate a phase interferogram from the elevation corrected first and second image arrays;
• and
• a fifth module to process the phase interferogram to generate the computed elevation array.

A computer readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of modules for controlling a processor, the plurality of modules comprising:

• a first module to control the processor to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected first image array from a first image array;
• a second module to control the processor to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected second image array from a second image array;
• a third module to control the processor to generate a phase interferogram from the elevation corrected first and second image arrays;
• and
• a fourth module to control the processor to generate a computed elevation array from the phase interferogram.

A computer readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of modules for controlling a processor, the plurality of modules comprising:

• a first module to control the processor to substantially remove layover effects and generate elevation corrected first, second and third image arrays;
• a second module to control the processor to generate a first phase interferogram from the elevation corrected first and second image arrays;
• a third module to control the processor to generate a second phase interferogram from the elevation corrected third image array;
• a fourth module to control the processor to compute a weighted average phase interferogram from the first and second phase interferograms;
• and
• a fifth module to control the processor to generate a computed elevation array from the weighted average phase interferogram.

A computer readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of modules for controlling a processor, the plurality of modules comprising:

• a first module to control the processor to pre-process first and second image arrays to generate an initial elevation array;
• a second module to control the processor to process the first image array to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected first image array based on the initial elevation array;
• a third module to control the processor to process the second image array to substantially remove layover effects and generate an elevation corrected second image array based on the initial elevation array;
• a fourth module to control the processor to generate a phase interferogram from the elevation corrected first and second image arrays;
• and
• a fifth module to control the processor to process the phase interferogram to generate the computed elevation array.