Radar processor

Claim 2

A radar system processor for detecting signals in the presence of clutter comprising: means for deriving signals from reflections of directively radiated groups of at least three radar pulses in which the interpulse periods in each group are equal; detector means for extracting components of received signals phase related to said pulses; means for sampling said components at intervals in time corresponding to ranges of reflections; means for storing the sequences of samples generated by said sampling means during said interpulse periods; a plurality of velocity filters; said filters having means for weighting each sequence of stored samples with weighting coefficients; at least some of said weighting coefficients being different for different velocity filters; and means for normalizing the outputs of different ones of said velocity filters as a function of said clutter passing through said different filters.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said clutter normalizing means comprises: means for integrating signals from said receiver for different ranges on successive pulses of an azimuth direction of a radar antenna and subtracting different amounts of said clutter from different filter outputs.

Claim 4

The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein: samples of said clutter are stored as logarithmic functions of said samples.

Claim 5

The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein: the outputs of said velocity filters are logarithmic functions of said samples.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 wherein: samples of both in-phase and quadrature phase components of said samples are stored and the sum of the squares of the velocity filtered in-phase and quadrature phase samples of each of said samples are produced.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 wherein: said means for storing said sequence of samples comprises means for digitizing said samples and storing summed outputs of said velocity filters during the final interpulse period of each group of three interpulse periods.

Claim 8

A radar system comprising: means for directively radiating groups of three radar pulses in which the interpulse periods in each group are equal and for receiving reflections of said pulses; means for extracting components of received signals phase related to said pulses; means for sampling said components at intervals which are a function of range; means for storing the sequences of said samples generated during sequential interpulse periods in said group; a plurality of velocity filters; each of said filters having means for weighting each sequence of stored samples with weighting coefficients; at least some of said coefficients being different for different velocity filters; and means for normalizing the outputs of said velocity filters as a function of signals passing through some of said filters.

Claim 9

A radar system comprising: means for directively radiating groups of three radar pulses in which the interpulse periods in each group are equal and for receiving reflections of said pulses; means for extracting components of received signals phase related to said pulses; means for sampling said components at intervals which are a function of range; means for storing the sequences of said samples generated during sequential interpulse periods in said group; a plurality of velocity filters; each of said filters having means for weighting each sequence of stored samples with weighting coefficients; at least some of said coefficients being different for different velocity filters; and means for normalizing the outputs of said velocity filters as a function of signals passing through some of said filters.

Claim 10

A radar system comprising: means for directively radiating groups of three radar pulses in which the interpulse periods in each group are equal and with each pulse in said group radiated substantially in the same direction; means for extracting components of received signal phase related to said pulses in the presence of clutter; means for sequentially sampling said components; means for storing the sequences of said samples generated during sequential interpulse periods in said group; a plurality of velocity filters; means for weighting the outputs of said filters with different weighting coefficients; and means for normalizing the outputs of different ones of said velocity filters as a function of said clutter passing through said different filters.

Claim 11

A radar system comprising: means for directively radiating groups of three radar pulses in which the interpulse periods in each group are equal and with each pulse in said group radiated substantially in the same direction; means for extracting components of received signal phase related to said pulses in the presence of clutter; means for sequentially sampling said components; means for storing the sequences of said samples generated during sequential interpulse periods in said group; a plurality of velocity filters; means for weighting the outputs of said filters with different weighting coefficients; and means for normalizing the outputs of different ones of said velocity filters as a function of said clutter passing through said different filters.

Claim 12

A radar system comprising: means for deriving signals in the presence of clutter from directively radiated groups of three radar pulses in which the interpulse periods in each group are equal; means for extracting components of received signals which are phase related to said radar pulses; means for sampling said components at predetermined intervals; means for storing the sequences of said samples generated during sequential interpulse periods in said group; and a plurality of velocity filters; each of said filters having means for weighting each sequence of stored samples with weighting coefficients, some of which are different for different velocity filters and for normalizing the outputs of different ones of said velocity filters as a function of the portions of said clutter which pass through said different filters; and the outputs of said velocity filters being logarithmic functions of said samples.

Claim 13

A radar system comprising: means for deriving signals in the presence of clutter from directively radiated groups of three radar pulses in which the interpulse periods in each group are equal; means for extracting components of received signals which are phase related to said radar pulses; means for sampling said components at predetermined intervals; means for storing the sequences of said samples generated during sequential interpulse periods in said group; and a plurality of velocity filters; each of said filters having means for weighting each sequence of stored samples with weighting coefficients, some of which are different for different velocity filters and for normalizing the outputs of different ones of said velocity filters as a function of the portions of said clutter which pass through said different filters; and the outputs of said velocity filters being logarithmic functions of said samples.

Claim 14

A radar system processor comprising: means for deriving reflected signals from groups of three radar pulses directively radiated substantially in the same direction; means for extracting components of received signals phase related to said pulses and containing clutter; means for sampling said components at predetermined intervals corresponding to predetermined ranges; means for storing the sequences of said samples generated during sequential interpulse periods in each group; a plurality of velocity filters; each of said filters having means for weighting each sequence of stored samples with weighting coefficients; means for normalizing the outputs of different ones of said velocity filters as a function of the portions of said clutter passing through said different filters; means for integrating said signals on successive received pulses at different times from objects at different distances producing said reflected signals; and means for subtracting different amounts of said stored clutter from different outputs of said filters.

Claim 15

A radar system processor comprising: means for deriving reflected signals from groups of three radar pulses directively radiated substantially in the same direction; means for extracting components of received signals phase related to said pulses and containing clutter; means for sampling said components at predetermined intervals corresponding to predetermined ranges; means for storing the sequences of said samples generated during sequential interpulse periods in each group; a plurality of velocity filters; each of said filters having means for weighting each sequence of stored samples with weighting coefficients; means for normalizing the outputs of different ones of said velocity filters as a function of the portions of said clutter passing through said different filters; means for integrating said signals on successive received pulses at different times from objects at different distances producing said reflected signals; and means for subtracting different amounts of said stored clutter from different outputs of said filters.

Claim 16

A radar system comprising: means for directively radiating a plurality of radar pulses; means for receiving and processing reflected target and clutter echo signals of said radar pulses comprising a plurality of filters having different bandpass characteristics; and means for normalizing the outputs of said filters as a function of a long term average of background clutter passing through one or more of said filters.

Claim 17

A radar system comprising: means for directively radiating a plurality of radar pulses; means for receiving and processing reflected target and clutter echo signals of said radar pulses comprising a plurality of filters having different bandpass characteristics; and means for normalizing the outputs of said filters as a function of a long term average of background clutter passing through one or more of said filters.

Claim 18

The radar system in accordance with claim 11 wherein: said normalizing means comprises means for integrating said reflected echo signals for different ranges on successive pulses of an azimuth direction of the radiated pulses.

Claim 19

The radar system in accordance with claim 11 wherein: said radiated pulses have substantially equal interpulse periods.

Claim 20

A radar system comprising: means for deriving signals having a clutter portion from directively radiated groups of three or more radar pulses in which interpulse periods in each group are equal; and means for extracting components of received signals which are phase related to said radar pulses through a plurality of different velocity filters each weighted with different coefficients and having outputs which are normalized as a function of a long term average of background clutter passing through one or more of said filters.

Claim 21

A radar system comprising: means for deriving signals having a clutter portion from directively radiated groups of three or more radar pulses in which interpulse periods in each group are equal; and means for extracting components of received signals which are phase related to said radar pulses through a plurality of different velocity filters each weighted with different coefficients and having outputs which are normalized as a function of a long term average of background clutter passing through one or more of said filters.

Claim 22

The radar system in accordance with claim 14 wherein: the outputs of said filters are logarithmic functions of samples of said components.