Phased array imaging of moving targets with randomized beam steering and area spotlighting

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Signal Processing
• Array Signal Processing

Background:

• Phased array systems are crucial for radar and medical imaging.
• Imaging moving targets presents challenges in distinguishing target motion from clutter.
• Accurate reconstruction in spatial and velocity domains is essential for target characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a system model for representing moving target motion in the slow-time domain.
• To create an inversion method for reconstructing targets in spatial and velocity domains.
• To investigate the impact of randomized beam steering on velocity resolution.

Main Methods:

• A mathematical system model was developed to describe target motion within the beam-steering (slow-time) domain.
• An inversion algorithm was implemented for target reconstruction in spatial and velocity domains.
• A randomized beam steering strategy was analyzed for its effect on velocity domain resolution.

Main Results:

• The system model effectively represents moving targets in the slow-time domain.
• The inversion method successfully reconstructs targets in spatial and velocity domains.
• Randomized beam steering significantly improves resolution in the velocity domain.

Conclusions:

• The proposed system model and inversion technique enable high-resolution imaging of moving targets.
• Randomized beam steering is a viable strategy for enhancing velocity estimation accuracy.
• The methodology has potential applications in areas like diagnostic medical ultrasound.