Methods and system suppressing clutter in a gain-block, radar-responsive tag system

A method for suppressing clutter during communication between a radar system and tag devices, said radar system adapted to transmit a radar signal including linear frequency modulation imparted on at least one radar pulse, receive and process tag echo pulses transmitted from at least one tag in response to the radar system's transmission of the radar signal and process tag echo pulses by employing a reversed-chirp de-ramp pulse in order to provide a de-ramp waveform that is matched to incoming tag echoes;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• using the radar system to transmit a radar signal including linear frequency modulations imparted on the at least one radar pulse by the radar system for receipt by at least one tag, wherein the radar system is adapted for processing the tag echo and;
• using the radar system to receive and process tag echo pulses transmitted from at least one tag in response to the radar system's transmission of the radar signal;
• and
• using the radar system to process the at least one tag's echo pulses using a reversed linear frequency ‘de-ramp’ reference pulse in order to correctly process the at least one tag's echo pulses and obtain data transmitted by the tag.

A system for communicating between radar and tag devices, said system comprising at least one tag, said tag comprising:

• a tag receiver receiving radar pulse signals including linear frequency modulations imparted on the at least one radar pulse by a radar system transmitting the radar signals;
• a tag processor processing said radar pulse signals to reverse the direction, in time, of the received radar pulse signal's linear frequency modulation and to delay, by a specified time epoch, prior to transmission, by the tag, of a response pulse;
• and
• a tag transmitter for retransmitting data from said tag, where the data is modulated, by the tag, onto the reversed-chirp waveform to be transmitted.