Patent ID: 7151481

Claim:
Method for detecting targets and determining their distance by means of an HPRF radar system comprising a transmitter for sending bursts having a preselectable number Z of transmission pulses and a preselectable pulse repetition frequency PRF and a receiver for receiving the echo signals comprising the steps: transmitting successive bursts with a preselectable time lag, where the time lag corresponds to a preselectable number E of transmission pulses, receiving echo signals in reception time windows between individual ones of said transmission pulses and in the time lag between successive bursts, generating a data record of Z+E detected signals, where each detected signal includes superimposed echo signals from different unique distance ranges, each distance range including a number A of distance lines, each of said distance lines having Z+E distance cells, for detection of a target, calculating the spectrum of a Z+E-point fast Fourier transform for each distance line, wherein a target is detected in a distance line when a signal amplitude is greater than a preselectable threshold value, for determining the exact distance of a target, calculating spectra of Z-point fast Fourier transforms for the distance lines by shifting a Z-point FFT window incrementally over the Z+E distance cells of a distance line, determining the distance cell having the greatest target signal amplitude by comparing individual ones of said spectra.