Quantitative SNR Analysis and Comparison of Different Time-Frequency Distributions for HRR Images

The joint time frequency technique has been shown to have a better performance for maneuvering targets over the conventional Fourier transform method when it is used in radar imaging. The main reason for this is that time-frequency analysis gives better explanations on the variation of Doppler frequency with time. For applications of HRR and ISAR images, quantifiable performance is preferable. In this task, a quantitative analysis method is presented to perform trade-off studies of different time-frequency representations. Several time-frequency distributions are compared and evaluated for experimental HRR images using SNR and resolution. The results clearly demonstrate that the time-frequency analysis techniques can be used to obtain focused images and add considerable physical insight over what can be achieved by conventional Fourier transform.