Estimating target range-Doppler image slope for maneuver indication

摘要

This paper presents a simple method of target maneuver indication (TMI) from high range resolution (HRR) radar measurements. The HRR TMI (HTMI) relates the slope of a target's range-Doppler image to the underlying turn rate when the target undergoes a turn maneuver. As an intermediate product of range profile formation process of an HRR radar, this approach provides an easy and quick indication of target maneuverability and, under favorable conditions, an estimate of such a maneuver (the turn rate and turn radius). The target maneuver indication can be incorporated into a target tracker to determine whether the target is decelerating or accelerating and to estimate the curvature of a turn so as to improve tracking accuracy. In this paper, we first formulate the target maneuver indicator from HRR radar measurements. Various methods for slope and slope rate estimation are then presented. The simulation environment is described together with the software tools used to generate target RF signatures. Simulation results are presented to show the operation and performance of the simple maneuver indicator for various encounter scenarios. Finally, the use of the HMTI method for maneuvering target tracking is discussed with performance metrics of timeliness, tracking sensitivity, and track accuracy as well as target identity confidence when HRR range profiles are also used for identification.