Patent Document ID: 6087977
Application ID: 08829275
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of improving the performance of a receiver associated with a radar system for detecting targets within a specified range area, the receiver being responsive to a return signal corresponding to one of an actual target and a false target, the method comprising the steps of: a) attenuating the return signal in cooperation with sensitivity time control means wherein the attenuation is selectively variable such that the amplitude of the return signal is attenuated to a first level at closer ranges of the specified range area and attenuated to a second level at farther ranges of the specified range area, the first level being greater than the second level; b) extracting a target video signal from the variably attenuated return signal; and c) comparing the target video signal to a detection threshold signal provided by detection threshold setting means to generate a compared output signal indicating whether the target video signal is at least greater than the threshold detection signal, wherein the threshold associated with the detection threshold signal is selectively variable such that the threshold may be varied in coordination with the varied attenuation of the amplitude provided by the sensitivity time control in order that one of a probability of false target detection and a probability of actual target detection is substantially improved.