GOTHARD GRIFFIN (US)
FAIRCLOTH DANIEL (US)
MUSGROVE CAMERON (US)
GOTHARD GRIFFIN (US)
FAIRCLOTH DANIEL (US)
US10495750B1 | 2019-12-03 | |||
US20120032839A1 | 2012-02-09 | |||
US8125370B1 | 2012-02-28 | |||
US7391357B1 | 2008-06-24 | |||
US5923278A | 1999-07-13 |
Claims 1. A computer and software implemented method for correcting a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) antenna beam image, comprising: a) collecting SAR image data, including phase history and wave number domain, from an object; b) forming an uncorrected image Iuc of the object from the SAR collected data using an invertible image formation algorithm; c) isolating a pixel value I//uc(x,y) from the uncorrected image Iuc, then inserting the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) into an image with all pixel values having a zero value except the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y), thereby creating image I//uc, performing an inverse image formation on the image I//uc to create a phase history X//v that represents only the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) from the image d) detecting the location of the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) relative to a reference point and calculating an actual isolated pixel value location Sx/Sy/, based on detected isolated pixel value location in the uncorrected image Iuc; e) computing range loss corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y), based on a range to actual pixel location; f) computing antenna beam pattern corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) based on frequency and angle to a measurement location at every SAR sampling position; g) calculating phase corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) using an image formation algorithm; h) interpolating range loss corrections, antenna beam pattern corrections, and phase corrections into an interpolated phase history X//corr according to the image formation algorithm of Step g); i) applying the interpolated phase history , X//corr, to the phase history X//v forming a corrected phase history X///v representing I//uc; j) reversing step c) by transforming the corrected phase history X///v into a corrected image I//c; k) replacing the corresponding uncorrected pixel value Iuc(x,y) in the uncorrected image Iuc with the corrected isolated pixel value I//c(x,y); and l) repeating steps c) through l) until all uncorrected pixel values in the uncorrected image Iuc are replaced with corrected pixel values from image I//c, thereby providing a corrected SAR image of the object. 2. The computer and software implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in step b), forming the uncorrected image Iuc using a forward transformation from the phase history of the SAR collected data. 3. The computer and software implemented method of claim 1, wherein, in step c), the step of converting the isolated pixel value ^′^^^ (^,^) into a phase history ^^^^ comprises reverse transforming the pixel image ^′^^^ into the phase history ^ . 4. The computer and software implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in step d), calculating the pixel location of the isolated pixel value I//uc as the number of pixels the isolated pixel value I//uc is distant from the reference point, multiplying the number of pixels by pixel spacing, and estimating the actual pixel location (sxʹ syʹ) of the isolated pixel value I//uc. 5. The computer and software implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in step e), calculating range loss using a radar range equation. 6. The computer and software implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in step f), calculating an antenna beam factor correction ^^^^^^ for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) and applying the antenna beam factor correction to the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) on a per-pulse basis. 7. The computer and software implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in step g), calculating phase corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) in the phase history ^^^^ based on the SAR position as the SAR collected data from the object. 8. The computer and software implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in step i), correcting the amplitude of the corrected image I//c. 9. A computer and software implemented method for correcting a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) antenna beam image, comprising: a) collecting SAR image data, including phase history and wave number domain, from an object; b) forming an uncorrected image Iuc of the object from the SAR collected data using an invertible image formation algorithm, forming the uncorrected image using a forward transformation from the phase history of the SAR collected data; c) isolating a pixel value I//uc(x,y) from the uncorrected image Iuc, then inserting the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) into an image with all pixel values having a zero value except the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y), thereby creating image I//uc, performing an inverse image formation on the image I//uc to create a phase history X//v that represents only the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) from the image d) detecting the location of the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) relative to a reference point and calculating an actual isolated pixel value location Sx/Sy/, based on detected isolated pixel value location in the uncorrected image Iuc, calculating the pixel location of the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) as the number of pixels the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) is distant from the reference point, multiplying the number of pixels by pixel spacing, and estimating the actual location (sxʹ syʹ) of the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y); e) computing range loss corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y), based on a range to actual pixel location; f) computing antenna beam pattern corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) based on frequency and angle to a measurement location at every SAR sampling position; g) calculating phase corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) using an image formation algorithm; h) interpolating range loss corrections, antenna beam pattern corrections, and phase corrections in the phase history X//corr according to the image formation algorithm of Step g); i) applying the interpolated phase history X//corr to the phase history X//v forming a corrected phase history X///v; j) reversing step c) by transforming the corrected phase history X///v into a corrected image I//c; k) replacing the corresponding uncorrected pixel value Iuc(x,y) in the uncorrected image Iuc with the corrected isolated pixel value I//c(x,y); and l) repeating steps c) through l) until all uncorrected pixel values in the uncorrected image Iuc are replaced with corrected pixel values from image I//c, thereby providing a corrected SAR image of the object. 10. The computer and software implemented method of claim 9, further comprising, in step e), calculating range loss using a radar range equation. 11. The computer and software implemented method of claim 9, further comprising, in step f), calculating an antenna beam pattern correction ^^^^^^ for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) and applying the antenna beam pattern correction to the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) on a per-pulse basis. 12. The computer and software implemented method of claim 9, further comprising, in step g), calculating phase corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) in the phase history ^^^^ based on the SAR position as the SAR collected data from the object. 13. The computer and software implemented method of claim 9, further comprising, in step i), correcting the amplitude of the corrected image I//uc. 14. A computer and software implemented method for correcting a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) antenna beam image, comprising: a) collecting SAR image data, including phase history and wave number domain, from an object; b) forming an uncorrected image Iuc of the object from the SAR collected data using an invertible image formation algorithm, forming the uncorrected image using a forward transformation from the phase history of the SAR collected data; c) isolating a pixel value I//uc(x,y) from the uncorrected image Iuc, then inserting the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) into an image with all pixel values having a zero value except the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y), thereby creating image I//uc, performing an inverse image formation on the image I//uc to create a phase history X//v that represents only the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) from the image d) detecting the location of the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) relative to a reference point and calculating actual isolated pixel value location Sx/Sy/, based on detected isolated pixel value location in the uncorrected image Iuc, calculating the pixel location of the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) as the number of pixels the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) is distant from the reference point, multiplying the number of pixels by pixel spacing, and estimating the actual location (sxʹ syʹ) of the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y); e) computing range lost corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y), based on a range to actual pixel location, and calculating range loss based on a radar range equation; f) computing antenna beam pattern corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) based on frequency and angle to a measurement location at every SAR sampling position, calculating a range factor correction ^^^^^^ for the isolated pixel, and applying the range factor correction to the isolated pixel on a per-pulse basis; g) calculating phase corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) using an image formation algorithm; h) interpolating range loss corrections, antenna beam pattern corrections, and phase corrections into an interpolated phase history X//corr according to the image formation algorithm of Step g) and calculating phase corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) in the phase history domain based on the SAR position as the SAR collected data from the object; i) applying the interpolated phase history, X//corr, to the phase history X//v forming an interpolated phase history X///v representing I//uc(x,y); j) reversing step c) by converting the corrected phase history X///v into a corrected image I//c; k) replacing the corresponding uncorrected pixel value Iuc(x,y) in the uncorrected image Iuc with the corrected isolated pixel value I//c(x,y); and l) repeating steps c) through l) until all uncorrected pixel values in the uncorrected image Iuc are replaced with corrected pixel values from image I//c, thereby providing a corrected SAR image of the object. 15. The computer and software implemented method of claim 14, further comprising, in step i), correcting the amplitude of the corrected image I//c. 16. A computer and software implemented method for correcting a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) antenna beam image, comprising: a) collecting SAR image data, including phase history and wave number domain, from an object; b) forming an uncorrected image Iuc of the object from the SAR collected data using an invertible image formation algorithm; c) isolating a pixel value I//uc(x,y) from the uncorrected image Iuc, then inserting the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) into an image with all pixel values having a zero value except the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y), thereby creating image I//uc, performing an inverse image formation on the image I//uc to create a phase history X//v that represents only the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) from the image d) detecting the location of the isolated pixel value Iuc(x,y) relative to a reference point and calculating an actual isolated pixel value location Sx/Sy/, based on detected isolated pixel value location in the uncorrected image Iuc; e) computing antenna beam pattern corrections for the isolated pixel value I//uc(x,y) based on frequency and angle to a measurement location at every SAR sampling position; f) interpolating antenna beam pattern corrections into an interpolated phase history X//corr using an image formation algorithm; g) applying the interpolated phase history, X//corr, to the phase history X//v forming a corrected phase history X///v representing I//uc; h) reversing step c) by transforming the corrected phase history X///v into a corrected image I//c; i) replacing the corresponding uncorrected pixel value Iuc(x,y) in the uncorrected image Iuc with the corrected isolated pixel value I//c(x,y); and j) repeating steps c) through i) until all uncorrected pixel values in the uncorrected image Iuc are replaced with corrected pixel values from image I//c, thereby providing a corrected SAR image of the object. 17. The computer and software implemented method of claim 16, further comprising, in step b), forming the uncorrected image Iuc using a forward transformation from the phase history of the SAR collected data. 18. The computer and software implemented method of claim 17, wherein, in step c), the step of performing an inverse image formation on the image ^′ ^^^ to create a phase history ^^^^ comprises reverse transforming the pixel image ^′^^^ into the phase history ^^ 19. The computer and software implemented method of claim 18, further comprising, in step d), calculating the pixel location of the isolated pixel value I//uc as the number of pixels the isolated pixel value I//uc is distant from the reference point, multiplying the number of pixels by pixel spacing, and estimating the actual pixel location (sxʹ syʹ) of the isolated pixel value I//uc. 20. The computer and software implemented method of claim 19, further comprising, in step g), correcting the amplitude of the corrected image I//c. |