Multiplication-Based Pulse Integration for Detecting Underwater Target in Impulsive Noise Environment

A multiplication-based pulse integration method is proposed for sonar to detect underwater dim target under impulsive noise condition. The method multiplies the received signals in various returns from the target instead of summing them up. The random occurrence of the impulse interference and the nature that a small number near zero multiplies a big number equals to a small number can make huge difference between useful target echo and unwanted impulsive noise. By utilizing the Keystone transform, moving targets can also be detected by the proposed method. Computer simulations and real data analysis show that the proposed scheme is more resistant to impulsive noise, as compared with the conventional addition-based pulse integration scheme. The benefits of this scheme include the improved performance of detection under complex impulsive noise environment, implementation simplicity and flexibility, which indicates the effectiveness and robustness of the method.