Method and apparatus for estimating radar signal polarisation

摘要

This invention relates to a method and apparatus by which a coarse estimate of radar signal polarisation can be obtained. An array comprises at least three differently directed detectors. The polarisation is estimated by measuring an amplitude relationship, such as a ratio of amplitudes, for two adjacent detectors and for two non-adjacent detectors. This provides sufficient information to obtain a coarse estimate of the polarisation state, obtainable by using the value of the amplitude relationship for the two adjacent detectors together with a look-up table to estimate values of the amplitude relationship for the two non-adjacent detectors for different polarisation states, and then comparing the measured and estimated values for this amplitude relationship.