Track-Before-Detect Method Based on Preprocessing with Pseudo-Spectrum

Traditional dynamic programming based track-before-detect (DP- TBD) methods may suffer performance loss due to the suboptimal preprocessing. In this paper, a DP-TBD method based on preprocessing with pseudo-spectrum is proposed. For each cell in the observed image, a pseudo-spectrum is constructed around the cell itself with measurement value as its peak according to a point spread function. Samples of the pseudo-spectrum are added onto corresponding cells in the current frame. This facilitates improved performance through the intraframe integration by using spilled target echo energy. Then, dynamic programming procedure is performed for multiframe integration. The pseudo-spectrum based preprocessing is presented, and energy integration procedure for the proposed DP- TBD is provided in detail. Theoretical analysis and simulation result demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.