Radar Multipath Emulation Using Phased Ghost Target Simulators

The patent creates virtual copies of physical reflecting surfaces (buildings, roads, etc.) using software algorithms. These digital surface models replicate the geometric and reflective properties of actual surfaces, enabling the system to simulate how radar signals would reflect off real-world objects. By comparing detected ghost targets against predicted ghost patterns from the virtual copies, the system can identify and filter false detections while preserving actual target detection accuracy.

The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that acts as a mediator between the raw radar signals and the final target identification. This intermediary component analyzes the spatial and temporal characteristics of returned signals, separates direct-path returns from indirect-path reflections, and uses the virtual surface models to predict expected ghost target patterns. This intermediary processing enables the radar to distinguish between genuine targets and multipath-induced ghost targets, resolving the detection accuracy problem.

The patent segments the radar signal processing into distinct components: direct-path signal processing, indirect-path signal processing, and virtual surface model processing. By dividing the complex detection task into separate processing streams, the system can independently analyze and characterize different signal paths. This segmentation allows the system to maintain comprehensive environmental detection capabilities while separately identifying and filtering ghost targets generated by multipath reflections.

The patent creates virtual copies of the physical environment's reflecting surfaces and uses these digital models to predict ghost target patterns. By comparing actual radar detections against predictions from the virtual copies, the system can identify which detections correspond to genuine targets and which are ghost targets. This copying approach preserves the ability to detect all environmental features while providing a mechanism to distinguish false detections from real ones.

The patent replaces complex mechanical/multi-component radar systems with a simpler single-transmitter, single-receiver configuration augmented by software-based virtual surface modeling. Instead of relying on multiple physical transmitters and receivers to resolve ambiguities, the system uses computational methods to simulate and predict multipath effects. This substitution of mechanical complexity with software intelligence maintains detection reliability while significantly reducing system complexity and cost.

The patent changes the approach from modifying physical system parameters (adding more transmitters and receivers) to modifying signal processing parameters and virtual model parameters. By adjusting the virtual surface models, signal processing algorithms, and analysis methods, the system achieves improved detection reliability without increasing hardware complexity. This parameter change strategy allows flexibility in optimizing performance while maintaining a simple physical system architecture.