Radar video processing system

Claim 2

A radar video processing system comprising: first means responsive to signals received from range bins, defining range intervals, for providing a hit code for each range bin, the hit code being a function of the video returns from the range bin; second means for storing the hit codes from a selected number of range bins related in azimuth and elevation; and third means responsive to the hit codes in said second means for operating on said hit codes to determine the position of a target as a function of the hit code amplitudes and patterns of hit codes in selected adjacent range bins, said third means including comparing means for comparing the amplitudes of said code hits to select a predetermined number of code hits adjacent in at least one direction to determine the position of a target along said direction.

Claim 3

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said third means includes comparing means for determining the relative amplitudes of code hits in range bins adjacent in azimuth and elevation, and processing means for processing a first selected group of code hits from range bins in adjacent azimuth positions and the same elevation to derive a target azimuth position and for processing a second selected group of code hits from range bins in the same azimuth position but adjacent elevations to derive a target elevation position.

Claim 4

The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said third means further includes correlating means for correlating the code hits from a preselected pattern of adjacent range bins to provide a target detection signal when the amplitudes of the code hits in said pattern correspond to any one of a group of acceptable hit patterns, said third means further including means responsive to said target detection signals for utilization in the derivation of said target azimuth and elevation position.

Claim 5

The system as recited in claim 3 further including counting means responsive to said target detection signals for providing process inhibiting signals when said correlating means provides a predetermined number of successive target detection signals.

Claim 6

A radar video prOcessing system of the type receiving a succession of multibit numerical codes, each code number being a function of the peak of video returns from a different range-interval-defining range bin provided in response to radar pulses transmitted sequentially in elevation at several elevation positions at each of a sequence of azimuth positions, to provide target position signals, the system comprising: first means for successively receiving said numerical codes and for storing at selected locations therein codes from adjacent range bins for each range interval; and second means for relating the codes in selected ones of said adjacent range bins to derive target position signals as a function of the actual numbers of selected ones of said codes.

Claim 7

A radar video prOcessing system of the type receiving a succession of multibit numerical codes, each code number being a function of the peak of video returns from a different range-interval-defining range bin provided in response to radar pulses transmitted sequentially in elevation at several elevation positions at each of a sequence of azimuth positions, to provide target position signals, the system comprising: first means for successively receiving said numerical codes and for storing at selected locations therein codes from adjacent range bins for each range interval; and second means for relating the codes in selected ones of said adjacent range bins to derive target position signals as a function of the actual numbers of selected ones of said codes.

Claim 8

The radar video processing system as recited in claim 5 further including means for correlating code numbers to provide target detection signals when the code numbers in selected range bin patterns are at least equal to predetermined values, said second means including means responsive to said target detection signals to provide said target position signals as a function thereof.

Claim 9

The radar video processing system as recited in claim 6 wherein said correlating means include means for correlating codes in a n X n range bin pattern to provide a target detection signal for the center range bin when the code of center range bin and the code of at least one adjacent range bin are at least equal to said predetermined values, said second means further including means for storing selected ones of codes of range bin patterns providing said target detection signals and further including means for processing said selected codes to provide said target position signal.

Claim 10

The radar video processing system as recited in claim 7 wherein said means for storing in said second means store up to r codes from r adjacent range bins in the same elevation and up to r codes from r adjacent range bins in the same azimuth, where r is greater than n.

Claim 11

The radar video processing system as recited in claim 8 wherein n 3 and r 5.

Claim 12

The radar video processing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said second means includes means relating the codes in range bins defining a n X n pattern for providing a target detection signal when the numerical value of the code of the center range bin and the code of at least one other range bin are equal or greater than preselected values and second means including storing and processing means responsive to the target detection signals for storing and processing the codes of up to r selected range bins which are adjacent in azimuth at the same elevation to provide an azimuth target position signal and for storing and processing the codes of up to r selected range bins which are adjacent in elevations at the same azimuth to provide an elevation target position signal.

Claim 13

The radar video processing system as recited in claim 10 wherein said first means include two memories for storing the codes of adjacent range bins, and said second means includes a buffer memory for storing the codes of up to r selected range bins which are adjacent in azimuth at the same elevation and the codes of up to r selected range bins which are adjacent in elevation at the same azimuth.

Claim 14

A radar video processing system for processing returns from radar pulses transmitted sequentially at several elevations at each of a plurality of sequential azimuth positions comprising: means for quantizing the video returns from each range bin into a code; means for storing the codes of range bins related in azimuth and elevation; means for correlating said codes to determine the relative values of said codes and patterns formed thereby; and means responsive to the means for correlating for processing codes from range bins in a selected azimuth position and a selected elevation to provide signals indicative of a tArget''s elevation and azimuth respectively.

Claim 15

A radar video processing system for processing returns from radar pulses transmitted sequentially at several elevations at each of a plurality of sequential azimuth positions comprising: means for quantizing the video returns from each range bin into a code; means for storing the codes of range bins related in azimuth and elevation; means for correlating said codes to determine the relative values of said codes and patterns formed thereby; and means responsive to the means for correlating for processing codes from range bins in a selected azimuth position and a selected elevation to provide signals indicative of a tArget''s elevation and azimuth respectively.

Claim 16

The radar video processing system as recited in claim 12 wherein each code is a multibit code whose numerical value is a function of the peak of the video returns from the range bin, and means responsive to said correlating means for providing a target detection signal when the codes in any one of a preselected group of patterns are of at least predetermined numerical values.

Claim 17

A radar video processing system of the type receiving signals from each of a plurality of range-interval-defining range bins in a direction in which a radar pulse is transmitted, the pulses being transmitted sequentially at several elevations at each of a plurality of sequential azimuth positions, the system comprising: first means receiving signals from each range bin to develop for the range bin a multibit code whose numerical value is a function of the peak amplitude of the received signals; memory means for receiving said multibit codes and for storing the codes of range bin adjacent in elevation and azimuth in discrete locations therein; code-correlating means for correlating the codes of a predetermined number of adjacent range bins to provide target detection signals when the numerical values of the correlated codes are at least equal to preselected values and are arranged in any one of predetermined patterns; and azimuth and elevation processing means responsive to said target detection signals and to the relative numerical values of the codes from adjacent range bins for providing a target azimuth signal as a function of the numerical values of codes from a preselected number of adjacent range bins in adjacent azimuth positions at the same elevation and a target elevation signal as a function of the numerical values of codes from a preselected number of adjacent range bins in adjacent elevations at the same azimuth.

Claim 18

A radar video processing system of the type receiving signals from each of a plurality of range-interval-defining range bins in a direction in which a radar pulse is transmitted, the pulses being transmitted sequentially at several elevations at each of a plurality of sequential azimuth positions, the system comprising: first means receiving signals from each range bin to develop for the range bin a multibit code whose numerical value is a function of the peak amplitude of the received signals; memory means for receiving said multibit codes and for storing the codes of range bin adjacent in elevation and azimuth in discrete locations therein; code-correlating means for correlating the codes of a predetermined number of adjacent range bins to provide target detection signals when the numerical values of the correlated codes are at least equal to preselected values and are arranged in any one of predetermined patterns; and azimuth and elevation processing means responsive to said target detection signals and to the relative numerical values of the codes from adjacent range bins for providing a target azimuth signal as a function of the numerical values of codes from a preselected number of adjacent range bins in adjacent azimuth positions at the same elevation and a target elevation signal as a function of the numerical values of codes from a preselected number of adjacent range bins in adjacent elevations at the same azimuth.