Adaptive-on-transmit using information theoretic measures

The Marginal Fisher Information (MFI) metric is used to design waveforms for the sake of informationally optimal adaptiveon-transmit radar operation. A framework for MFI waveform design is introduced and Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) estimation is extended into an adaptive and dynamic sensing paradigm. The efficacy of the MFI waveform design and MMSE estimation are experimentally demonstrated. The radar transmit signal is then optimized to improve the information (i.e., reduce the estimate error variance) about a target space. The target profile is optimally updated using an iterative MMSE estimator and the signal optimization is repeated. This adaptive radar concept is shown to provide exceptional resolution and detection of even the smallest scatterers in a complex target space. These concepts maximize the information (e.g., resolution and accuracy) that can be extracted from a radar operating in a congested spectrum, where transmit signal bandwidth is potentially constrained.