Patent ID: 8466834

Claim:
Method of radar-imaging a scene in a far-field of a one-dimensional radar array, comprising providing an array of backscatter data of said scene, said backscatter data being herein denoted by D(f m , x′ n ), said backscatter data being associated to a plurality of radar array positions, herein denoted by x′ n , n=0 . . . N−1, N>1, regularly spaced along an axis of said radar array; the backscatter data being sampled, for each radar array position x′ n , at different frequencies, herein denoted by f m , m=0 . . . M−1, M>1, defined by f m =f c −B/2+m·Δf, where f c represents a center frequency, B a bandwidth and Δf a frequency step; computing a radar reflectivity image, herein denoted by I(α m′ , β n ′), in a pseudo-polar coordinate system, in which coordinates of a point of said scene are expressible by equations: α = 2 ⁢ ρ c β = 2 ⁢ x λ c ⁢ ρ where α and β denote coordinates of said point in said pseudo-polar coordinate system; ρ denotes a range distance from a center of the radar array to said point, x denotes a coordinate, with respect to said axis, of an orthogonal projection of said point onto said one-dimensional radar array, c denotes speed of light, and λ c a centre wavelength, said computing of said radar reflectivity image being effected on the basis of the following formula: I ⁡ ( α m ′ , β n ′ ) = ∑ p = 0 P max ⁢ I p ⁡ ( α m ′ , β n ′ ) , ⁢ with I p ⁡ ( α m ′ , β n ′ ) = 1 p ! ⁡ [ - j ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ⁢ π ⁢ ⁢ β n ′ f c ] p ⁢ FFT ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ D ⁡ [ D ⁡ ( f m , x n ′ ) ⁢ ( f ^ m ⁢ x n ′ ) p ] , where j represents an imaginary unit, {circumflex over (f)} m =−B/2+m·Δf, FFT2D denotes a 2D Fast Fourier Transform operator, α m′ , m′=0 . . . M−1, and β n′ , n′=0. . . N−1 represent a regular grid in said pseudo-polar coordinate system, and P max is chosen ≧0 depending on an accuracy to be achieved; wherein said providing an array of backscatter data of said scene and said computing a radar reflectivity image are carried out by an electronic computer processor device.