Patent ID: 8098196

Claim:
A programmed processor for performing time compressed signal processing on a received input signal, comprising: a programmed microprocessor; a program memory device containing instructions for causing the programmed microprocessor to perform the following steps: in advance of receiving the input signal, determining a predetermined number of predicted clutter covariance signal values, each predicted clutter covariance signal value having an associated signal to noise ratio characteristic and an associated centroid parameter corresponding to a mathematical center parameter; in advance of receiving the input signal, storing in a memory device the predetermined number of predicted clutter covariance signal values and associated signal to noise characteristic and centroid parameter; calculating a signal to noise ratio parameter for the received input signal, the signal to noise ratio parameter corresponding to a power characteristic of the received input signal; calculating a centroid parameter for the received input signal, the centroid parameter corresponding to a mathematical center parameter related to the received input signal; using one of the signal to noise ratio parameter and the centroid parameter to select one of the stored predetermined clutter covariance signal values; outputting the selected predetermined clutter covariance signal value as an output signal corresponding to a clutter covariance estimation of the received input signal.