Method of detecting a clutter return at a sensor

摘要

There is disclosed a method for counteracting the effect which crags and other such environmental formations can have on radar returns or returns in similar sensor systems. In particular it has been found that the gaps between crags can lead to false detections because of firstly the function of certain signal processors which compare the high frequency return from a certain cell to a low frequency return from that cell, and secondly the effect of smearing of the returns from one cell to another. The invention seeks to mitigate this effect by selecting the maximum low frequency return from a group of range cells as the high frequency offset.

主权项

1. A method for detecting a clutter return at a sensor, the method comprising:
a) receiving a signal comprising a return from a first range cell and a return from a second range cell; b) filtering the return from the first range cell according to frequency to determine: a component of the return from the first range cell that is in a first frequency band and a component of the return from the first range cell that is in a second frequency band, c) filtering the return from the second range cell according to frequency to determine a component of the return from the second range cell that is in the second frequency band, d) calculating from
I the magnitude of the component of the return from the first range cell that is in the second frequency band; andII the magnitude of the component of the return from the second range cell that is in the second frequency band, an estimated clutter residue in the component of the return from the first range cell that is in the first frequency band, such that the estimated clutter residue in the component of the return from the first range cell that is in the first frequency band may be discarded.