Patent ID: 8193967

Claim:
A method for generating images from projection data comprising: inputting from at least one data receiving element first values representing correlated positional and recorded data; each of said first values forming a point in an array of N aperture positions; forming an image by processing the projection data utilizing a pixel characterization imaging subsystem that combines the positional and recorded data to form the SAR imagery utilizing one of a back-projection algorithm or range migration algorithm; integrating positional and recorded data from many aperture positions, comprising: forming the complete aperture for SAR image formation comprising collecting the return radar data, the coordinates of the receiver, and the coordinates of the transmitter for each position along the complete aperture of N positions; forming an imaging grid comprising M image pixels wherein each pixel P i in the imaging grid is located at coordinate (xp(i),yp(i), z p (i)); selecting and removing a substantial number of aperture positions from the aperture of N positions to form a sparse aperture array; forming a preliminary image using the sparse aperature array; repeating the selecting and removing step and forming a preliminary image step for L iterations; classifying each pixel in the image into either target class based on the statistical distribution of its amplitude across L iterations; whereby if an image pixel is classified so as to be associated with a physical object, its value is computed from its statistics; otherwise, the pixel is assumed to come from a non-physical object and is given the value of zero.