Patent Document ID: 5552787
Application ID: 08541392
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A polarimetric processor for measuring azimuth direction terrain slopes comprised of: a radar for transmitting and receiving analog electromagnetic signals of alternately horizontally and vertically polarization; an analog-to-digital converter where the analog electromagnetic signals are converted into a digital data bit stream; a formatter for formatting the digital bit stream; means for recording and storing the digital data bit stream; a playback unit for removing the digital data from the storage means; a digital correlator for correlating the digital data bit stream; a computer for receiving the correlated digital data bit stream and computing (a) a Stokes-Mueller matrix, M, utilizing the digitized analog electromagnetic signals of alternately horizontally and vertically polarization extracted from the playback unit and correlated; (b) a polarimetric signature, .sigma. (.PSI. .chi.), utilizing the Stokes-Mueller matrix, M; (b) a first, a=a'=[-1,0,0], and second initial value, a'=[1,0,0], for a pixel or pixels; (c) a first gradient utilizing the method of steepest descent for the first and second initial values; (d) updating the first and second initial values utilizing the gradient; (e) normalizing the first and second initial values; (f) repeat steps (c)-(e) utilizing the normalized first and second values until the maximum has been found; (g) .sigma..sub.1 and .sigma..sub.2 utilizing a new first and second values; (h) a comparison of .sigma..sub.1 and .sigma..sub.2, (i) a value for Ellipticity, .chi.=sin.sup.-1 (a.sub.3)/2, and Orientation, .PSI.=tan.sup.-1 (a.sub.2 /a.sub.1)/2; (j) a combination of individual pixel maximum locations; (k) a initialization of elevations for each row of azimuthal pixels by a known elevation point; (l) an integration of slope values in an azimuthal direction; and means for plotting the ellipticity and orientation to produce a presentation that is a direct measure of terrain azimuthal slopes and a derived estimate of terrain elevation.