System and method for partitioning acquisition volumes using rotated covariance

A method for searching a radar acquisition volume, comprising:

• receiving, by a communications unit, the radar acquisition volume;
• identifying, by a command and decision unit, an acquisition face of the acquisition volume;
• rotating the acquisition face by a rotation angle;
• partitioning, by the command and decision unit, the rotated acquisition face by:
• determining a maximum number of beams that can be searched in a predetermined time period;
• defining a beam lattice for the rotated acquisition face;
• calculating beam center elevations for each beam in the beam lattice;
• and
• identifying, based on the beam center elevations, a maximum elevation line that uses a number of beams less than or equal to the maximum number of beams that can be searched in the predetermined time period,
• wherein an area of the rotated acquisition face bounded by the maximum elevation line defines a partitioned portion;
• and
• generating, by a radar beam controller, a search of each partitioned portion.

A radar system for searching a radar acquisition volume comprising:

• a command and decision unit configured to:
• identify an acquisition face of the acquisition volume;
• rotate the acquisition face by a rotation angle;
• and
• partition the rotated acquisition face into partitioned portions in which each partitioned portion is searchable within a predetermined time period by:
• determining a maximum number of beams that can be searched in the predetermined time period;
• selecting an elevation line of the rotated acquisition face;
• determining a first number of radar beams that can be placed on the rotated acquisition face under the selected elevation line;
• comparing the first number of radar beams to the maximum number of radar beams;
• and
• iteratively repositioning the selected elevation line to identify a highest elevation line for which the first number of radar beams is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams;
• wherein an area of the rotated acquisition face bounded by the highest elevation line defines the partitioned portion;
• and
• a radar beam controller configured to generate a search of each partitioned portion.

A radar system for searching a radar acquisition volume comprising:

• a command and decision unit configured to:
• identify an acquisition face of the acquisition volume;
• rotate the acquisition face by a rotation angle;
• and
• partition the rotated acquisition face into partitioned portions in which each partitioned portion is searchable within a predetermined time period by:
• determining a maximum number of beams that can be searched in the predetermined time period;
• defining a beam lattice for the rotated acquisition face;
• calculating beam center elevations for each beam in the beam lattice;
• and
• identifying, based on the beam center elevations, a maximum elevation line that uses a number of beams less than or equal to the maximum number of beams that can be searched in a predetermined time period,
• wherein an area of the rotated acquisition face bounded by the maximum elevation line defines the partitioned portion;
• and
• a radar beam controller configured to generate a search of each partitioned portion.