K-pulse estimation for a right-angled bent wire using more than one impulse response [radar target classification]

In an earlier work by F.Y.S. Fok, D.L. Moffatt, and N. Wang (1987) the K-pulse of a target was estimated by minimizing the K-pulse response energy outside the K-pulse response duration. It relied on the choice of an impulse response which has all the complex natural resonances excited in this impulse response. This work extends the theory so that the method can accommodate targets that have different complex natural resonances excited at different aspect angles. Through the right-angled bent wire example the properties of the K-pulse are demonstrated: independence of aspects, polarizations, and locations of the receiver. The target classification technique via K-pulse has always been based on the observation of late time residue energy of the target response to the guessed K-pulse. This visual comparison exercise is now converted to a number comparison exercise. A one-number target classification system is proposed and based on the likelihood ratio, which is the ratio of energy content over a time period in the late time of the impulse response to the energy content in the same time period for the target response to the guessed K-pulse