Sensitivity enhancement system
AssigneeColorado State University Research Foundation
InventorsChandrasekaran Venkatachalam, Cuong M. Nguyen, Nitin Bharadwaj
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Abstract
Sensitivity is a critical aspect of weather radar systems. Such systems not only detect atmospheric patterns but often need to precisely measure weak precipitation echoes. Embodiments of the invention use pulse compression techniques to increase the sensitivity of weather radar systems. These techniques can include sending two waveforms into a region of interest, where the second waveform is designed based on knowledge about the first waveform. Such systems can enhance the sensitivity of weather radars about 10 dB.
Claims20
A weather radar system comprising:
- a transmitter configured to transmit a first waveform and a second waveform into a region of interest, wherein the first waveform and the second waveform are different and/or independent from one another;
- a receiver configured to receive first echoes and second echoes scattered from the region of interest, wherein the first echoes correspond with the first transmitted signal and the second echoes correspond with the second transmitted signal;
- and
- a computer system coupled at least with the receiver, wherein the computer system is configured to filter the second echoes based on information about either or both the first waveform and the first echoes.
A method for increasing the sensitivity of a radar system, the method comprising:
- transmitting a first waveform into the atmosphere from a weather radar system;
- transmitting a second waveform, different and/or independent from the first waveform, into the atmosphere from the weather radar system;
- receiving echoes from the atmosphere in response to the first waveform and the second waveform;
- and
- filtering echoes of the second waveform based on information about either or both the first waveform and the echoes from the first waveform.
A method for designing waveforms for a dual-waveform weather radar system, the method comprising:
- determining, by a computer system, the frequency and bandwidth of the first waveform and the second waveform;
- determining, by a computer system, the duration of the first waveform and the second waveform;
- assigning, by a computer system, pulse codes to the first waveform;
- computing, by a computer system, the range resolution of the first waveform;
- determining, by a computer system, the bandwidth of the second waveform from the range resolution of the first waveform;
- and
- assigning, by a computer system, pulse codes to the second waveform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.