Agile pseudo-noise coded ranging ladar
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorPeter J. Wheel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method of dynamically optimizing an acquisition range of a radar system, including modulating a CW radar signal with a PN code that has an adjustable code frequency of modulation and an adjustable chip length. The method includes transmitting the modulated radar signal and receiving a return radar signal, based on the transmitted radar signal. The method continuously measures a SNR of the received return radar signal, and adaptively tunes the adjustable code frequency of modulation, and adaptively tunes the adjustable chip length, based on the continuously measured SNR. In this manner, the acquisition range of the radar system is optimized.
Claims28
A radar system for acquiring a target comprising:
- a waveform generator for generating a programmable pseudo-noise (PN) code of a variable code modulation frequency and a variable chip length,
- a transmitter for transmitting a continuous wave (CW) radar signal modulated in accordance with the programmable PN code,
- a receiver adapted to receive a radar return based on the transmitted radar signal, and
- a processor for processing the received radar return and acquiring the target, such processor including
- a first tuning control signal provided to the waveform generator for adjusting the code modulation frequency, and
- a second tuning control signal provided to the waveform generator for adjusting the chip length,
- wherein the waveform generator adjusts the code modulation frequency and the chip length, in response to the first and second tuning control signals, to optimize target acquisition.
A ladar system for acquiring an image of a target comprising:
- a waveform generator for generating a programmable pseudo-noise (PN) code of a variable code modulation frequency and a variable chip length,
- an optical transmitter for transmitting a continuous wave (CW) laser signal modulated in accordance with the programmable PN code,
- an optical receiver adapted to receive an image of the target based on the transmitted laser signal, and
- a processor for processing the received image of the target, such processor including
- a first tuning control signal provided to the waveform generator for adjusting the code modulation frequency, and
- a second tuning control signal provided to the waveform generator for adjusting the chip length,
- wherein the waveform generator adjusts the code modulation frequency and the chip length, in response to the first and second tuning control signals, to optimize the received image of the target.
A method of dynamically optimizing an acquisition range of a radar system, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) modulating a CW radar signal with a PN code including an adjustable code frequency of modulation and an adjustable chip length;
- (b) transmitting the modulated radar signal;
- (c) receiving a return radar signal based on the transmitted radar signal;
- (d) continuously measuring a SNR of the received return radar signal;
- and
- (e) adaptively tuning the adjustable code frequency of modulation, and adaptively tuning the adjustable chip length, based on the continuously measured SNR;
- thereby optimizing the acquisition range of the radar system.
A ladar system for acquiring an image of a target comprising:
- a waveform generator for generating a programmable pseudo-noise (PN) code of a variable code modulation frequency and a variable chip length, and
- an optical transmitter for transmitting a laser signal modulated in accordance with the PN code,
- an optical receiver including optical detectors for at least two pixels each adapted to receive an image signal of the target based on the transmitted laser signal, and
- a processor for processing each received image signal, such processor measuring a relative delay time between each image signal, the processor including
- a first tuning control signal provided to the waveform generator for adjusting the code modulation frequency, and
- a second tuning control signal provided to the waveform generator for adjusting the chip length,
- wherein the waveform generator adjusts the code modulation frequency and the chip length, in response to the first and second tuning control signals, to optimize acquisition of the image signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.