Example imaging systems are disclosed. One example includes a signal source and a signal receiver configured to receive a reflected electromagnetic signal from an imaged object. The imaging system further includes a processor configured to, for each of N wavelengths, determine a phase value of a reflected component of the reflected electromagnetic signal having that wavelength. The processor may compute an estimated distance to the imaged object at least in part by mapping the plurality of phase values to a 2N-dimensional vector, and computing a plurality of zeroes of a trigonometric polynomial. For each of the plurality of zeroes, computing the estimated distance may further include computing a respective geodesic distance between the 2N-dimensional vector and a point along the curve evaluated at that zero, and selecting and outputting a shortest geodesic distance multiplied by a least common multiple of the wavelengths.

A method for creating interferometric coherence data products for objects imaged by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) having polarization(s). The method includes: for each identifiable object geometry for which there are acquired geocoded interferometric SAR images with flat-earth and topographic phase removed having following pixel values: backscatter intensity (V1) in polarization(s) for master image; backscatter intensity (V2) in polarization(s) for slave image; in-phase component (V3) of geocoded interferogram in polarization(s); and quadratic-phase component (V4) of geocoded interferogram polarization(s), determining which geocoded pixels are within identifiable object geometry considering known geolocation accuracy of identifiable object geometry and geocoded interferometric SAR images; and determining coherence values and statistics of coherence values for objects for polarization(s), based on pixel values V1, V2, V3, and V4 within identifiable object geometry.

A process and systems for constructing arbitrarily large virtual arrays using two or more collection platforms (e.g. AUX and MOV systems) having differing velocity vectors. Referred to as Motion Extended Array Synthesis (MXAS), the resultant imaging system is comprised of the collection of baselines that are created between the two collection systems as a function of time. Because of the unequal velocity vectors, the process yields a continuum of baselines over some range, which constitutes an offset imaging system (OIS) in that the baselines engendered are similar to those for a real aperture of the same size as that swept out by the relative motion, but which are offset by some (potentially very large) distance.

The image processing device 10A includes phase specifying means 11 for specifying a phase of a sample pixel from a plurality of SAR images, clustering means 12 for generating a plurality of clusters by clustering the sample pixels based on correlation of phases of a pair of the sample pixels in the SAR image, and phase statistic data calculation means 13 for calculating phase statistic data capable of grasping a phase statistic regarding the pixel for each of the clusters.

A process and systems for constructing arbitrarily large virtual arrays using two or more collection platforms (e.g. AUX and MOV systems) having differing velocity vectors. Referred to as Motion Extended Array Synthesis (MXAS), the resultant imaging system is comprised of the collection of baselines that are created between the two collection systems as a function of time. Because of the unequal velocity vectors, the process yields a continuum of baselines over some range, which constitutes an offset imaging system (OIS) in that the baselines engendered are similar to those for a real aperture of the same size as that swept out by the relative motion, but which are offset by some (potentially very large) distance.

The invention relates to a radar system for capturing surroundings of a moving object, in particular a vehicle and/or a transportation apparatus, such as a crane, in particular, wherein the system is mounted or mountable on the moving object, wherein the radar system comprises at least two non-coherent radar modules (RM 1, RM 2, . . . RM N) having at least one transmitter antenna and at least one receiver antenna, wherein the radar modules (RM 1, RM 2, . . . RM N) are arranged or arrangeable in distributed fashion on the moving object, wherein provision is made of at least one evaluation device which is configured to process transmitted and received signals of the radar modules to form modified measurement signals in such a way that the modified measurement signals are coherent in relation to one another.

Persistent scatterers on images and a target object are readily associated with each other. There is provided an image processing apparatus including a persistent scatterer specifier, a phase acquirer, and a clustering unit. The persistent scatterer specifier of the image processing apparatus specifies persistent scatterers at which reflection is stable in a plurality of images. The phase acquirer of the image processing apparatus acquires phases of the specified persistent scatterers. The clustering unit of the image processing apparatus clusters the persistent scatterers based on the positions of the persistent scatterers and the phases.

A method of determining cargo characteristics of a water-borne vessel includes obtaining a first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image of an area of interest, wherein the water-borne vessel is within the area of interest, and obtaining a second SAR image of the area of interest. In addition, the method includes generating an interferogram using the first SAR image and the second SAR image. Further, the method includes determining a height of the water-borne vessel above a surface of water using the interferogram. Still further, the method includes determining the cargo characteristics of the water-borne vessel based on the height.

A SAR imaging method for interferometric analyses is provided, including: receiving raw SAR data related to two or more SAR acquisitions of one and the same area of the earth's surface carried out by one or more synthetic aperture radars; and processing the raw SAR data to generate SAR images. For each SAR acquisition, the respective raw SAR data is processed based on two different sets of processing parameters: a first set that is the same for all the SAR acquisitions and which comprises focusing Doppler parameters computed based on physical Doppler parameters related to all the SAR acquisitions; and a second set which comprises respective radiometric equalization Doppler parameters related to the SAR acquisition and computed based on respective physical Doppler parameters related to the SAR acquisition. Processing includes: focusing the raw SAR data related to all SAR acquisitions based on the focusing Doppler parameters and, for each SAR acquisition, applying a respective radiometric equalization, based on the respective radiometric equalization Doppler parameters, to the respective SAR data to compensate for possible differences in pointing of the synthetic aperture radar(s), without degrading azimuth resolution and without introducing radiometric distortions.

A slope stability monitoring apparatus which produces slope deformation maps that preserve measurements from fast moving small areas, slow moving small areas, slow moving large areas and fast moving large areas while minimising the effect of non-wall movement contamination, such as atmosphere and artefacts. Also a method of producing slope deformation maps by deriving a correction factor and applying the correction factor to correct for non-wall movement contamination.