Patent ID: 9041587
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: G01S,G05D

Abstract:
1. A radar ranging system for imaging the topography of an area of interest, said system comprising: at least one linear array of transmitter elements that transmit transmitter beams comprising a sequence of ranging signals phased to form a beam pattern covering part of the area of interest, the sequence phased to scan the beam pattern over an entire area of interest; at least one linear array of receiver elements arranged orthogonally to the transmitter linear arrays wherein each receiver element receives a time sequence of the ranging signals reflected from variations on the ground as illuminated by the sequence of the ranging signals, the receiver elements each producing a receiver signal; and at least one processor adapted to process each receiver signal, wherein the at least one processor forms a multiplicity of receiver beams complementary to the transmitter beams such that the combination of the transmitter beams and the receiver beams form pencil beams which cover the entire area of interest in time sequence, wherein the at least one processor measures a time delay of a first reflection received in each of the formed pencil beams and converts the time delay into a range measure at each beam angle to form a topographic profile of the area of interest in range and beam angle coordinates.