Fred C Brace

US Patent:

6943724, Sep 13, 2005

Filed:

Aug 21, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/645365

Inventors:

Fred C. Brace - Littleton CO, US
Joe V. Petty - Highlands Ranch CO, US

Assignee:

Lockheed Martin Corporation - Bethesda MD

International Classification:

G01S013/90

US Classification:

342 25B, 342 25 R, 342 25 A, 342 25 F, 342 89, 342 90, 342175, 342195, 342196

Abstract:

A method of tracking a moving object in an image created by use of a synthetic aperture includes identifying a plurality of receive phase centers for an image collector, obtaining a synthetic aperture image using the plurality of receive phase centers, and reading a signature of the moving object based on the synthetic aperture image, where the reading of the signature includes identifying, in the synthetic aperture image, as a function of image collection time, a presence of the moving object. The reading of the signature may also include identifying a changing position of the moving object, and may include associating a plurality of range difference values with respective ones of the plurality of phase centers. A signature of a scatterer may be formed using only its associated ΔR-versus-time profile. The presence of a mover in the image may be determined by filtering the image to detect all or part of a signature, or by using one or more signatures to train a neural network to observe the mover directly.

US Patent:

62559850, Jul 3, 2001

Filed:

Jan 11, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/228580

Inventors:

George C. Towner - Littleton CO
Fred Brace - Littleton CO

Assignee:

Lockheed Martin Corporation - Bethesda MD

International Classification:

G01S 740

US Classification:

342165

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for optimizing radar system performance is provided that is independent of any specific radar application. In one embodiment, an optimization system (110) includes an optimization engine (112) and various input modules including constraint module (114), a variable module (116) and an objectives module (118). The input modules provide information sufficient to define an optimization application under analysis. Based on these inputs, the optimization engine (112) identifies an appropriate optimization model and determines optimal radar system parameter values. In this manner, the optimization engine (112) need not be preprogrammed with knowledge of the application under consideration, and is applicable in a variety of context involving different radar system types.