| CPC G01S 7/023 (2013.01) [G01S 13/89 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
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1. A method for processing radar signals, comprising:
obtaining radar return data using a pulse multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) array, wherein the radar return data comprises a plurality of radar return samples indexed by a sample number, a pulse number, a transmitter number, and a receiver number;
processing the radar return data to determine a plurality of corresponding range-Doppler-elevation (RDE) bins by estimating a first spectral density computed over the sample number index, the pulse number index, and the transmitter number index;
evaluating the determined plurality of RDE bins by:
calculating a candidate detection criteria using the determined plurality of RDE bins;
evaluating the plurality of RDE bins to determine one or more local maximum RDE bins (LM-RDE) bins; and
evaluating the one or more LM-RDE bins using the calculated candidate detection criteria to detect one or more candidate detection RDE bins satisfying the calculated candidate detection criteria;
processing the radar return data corresponding to each of the one or more candidate detection RDE bins to determine for each candidate detection RDE bin a plurality of corresponding azimuth bins by estimating an azimuth spectral density computed over the receiver number index;
evaluating, for each candidate detection RDE bin of the one or more detected candidate detection RDE bins, the determined plurality of azimuth bins by:
calculating a confirmed detection criteria using the determined plurality of azimuth bins;
evaluating the plurality of azimuth bins to determine one or more local maximum azimuth bins (LM-azimuth) bins; and
evaluating the one or more LM-azimuth bins using the calculated confirmed detection criteria to detect one or more confirmed detection azimuth bins satisfying the calculated confirmed detection criteria; and
determining locations of one or more scatterers using the confirmed detection azimuth bins.
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