基于时反算子分解的时反高分辨率定位技术研究

基于时反算子分解技术,提出了主动时间反转选择性定位方法。为提高此定位方法的分辨率,根据时反算子和协方差矩阵的相似性,提出了时反MUSIC和对角线加载时反MVDR定位技术。传统的获取时反算子的方法是通过单个阵元依次发射,该方法的缺点是每次只有单个元发射,导致输入信噪比较小,本文提出通过多个波束正交发射获取时反算子,能得到较大的输入信噪比,从而改善三种定位方法的定位性能。波导实验分别对三种定位方法和正交发射技术进行了验证,结果显示三种定位算法中,子空间基于的时反MUSIC方法具有较好的定位精度,时反MVDR技术具有较高的分辨率。     

Adaptive instant record signals applied to detection with time reversal operator decomposition

Time reversal arrays are becoming common tools whether for detection or tomography. These applications require the measurement of the response from the array to one or several receivers. The most natural way to record the impulse responses for several sources is to generate pulses successively from each emitting point and record simultaneously the signals from the receivers. However, this method is very time consuming or inefficient in terms of signal-to-noise ratio. To overcome this limitation quasi-orthogonal pseudonoise signals like Kasami sequences can be used. For guided wave propagation, a very high degree of orthogonality between the signal is necessary to allow an accurate measure of the whole multipath structure of the transfer function. Hence, in this work, we propose a new family of pseudo-orthogonal signals that is adapted to the environment and more specifically, to highly dispersive media. These adaptive instant records signals are used experimentally to detect targets using the time reversal operator decomposition method. The accuracy of the 15 x 15 transfer functions acquired simultaneously, and therefore the detection capability, are demonstrated in an experimental ultrasonic waveguide as a small-scale model of shallow water propagation including bottom absorption and reverberation.     

Experimental subwavelength localization of scatterers by decomposition of the time reversal operator interpreted as a covariance matrix

The D.O.R.T. method (French acronym for Decomposition of the Time Reversal Operator) is an active remote sensing technique using arrays of antennas for the detection and localization of scatterers [Prada et at., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 99, 2067-2076 (1996)]. The analogy between the time reversal operator and the covariance matrix used for classical sources separation in passive remote sensing [Bienvenu et al., IEEE Trans. ASSP 31, 1235-1247 (1983)] is established. Then, an experiment of subwavelength detection and localization of point-like scatterers with a linear array of transducers is presented. Using classical estimators in reception like Maximum-Likelihood and Multiple Signal Characterization (MUSIC), two point-like scatterers separated by lambda/3 and placed at 100lambda from the array of transducers are resolved. In these experiments, the role of multiple scattering and the existence of additional eigenvectors associated with dipolar and monopolar radiation of each scatterer is discussed.     

Wideband imaging of extended targets with the decomposition of the time reversal operator

The weighted wideband imaging approach of full signal subspaces is proposed based on the decomposition of the time reversal operator(DORT). Although each singular vector of nonzero singular values does not correspond to one of the extended targets any more, the conventional approach of selective time reversal focusing still chooses one of the signal subspaces for imaging. Simultaneously, the time-reversal MUSIC imaging is carried out at a single frequency for wideband signal. The imaging of both...     

宽带扩展性目标时反算子分解成像

在时反算子分解技术的基础上,提出了宽带全信号子空间加权成像方法。虽然扩展性目标与时反算子的特征向量不再是一一对应关系,传统的时反选择性聚焦仍然选择某一特定的信号子空间成像,而时反MUSIC只利用某一频点成像,导致定位结果背景起伏较高。为克服这些缺陷,利用时反算子的特征值判断信号子空间的个数,以广义散射系数为加权系数,实现全宽带和全信号子空间成像。结果表明,此方法的旁瓣水平明显下降。     

Imaging in the presence of grain noise using the decomposition of the time reversal operator

In this paper, we are interested in detecting and imaging defects in samples of cylindrical geometry with large speckle noise due to the microstructure. The time reversal process is an appropriate technique for detecting flaws in such heterogeneous media as titanium billets. Furthermore, time reversal can be iterated to select the defect with the strongest reflectivity and to reduce the contribution of speckle noise. The DORT (the French acronym for Decomposition of the Time Reversal Operator) method derives from the mathematical analysis of the time reversal process. This detection technique allows the determination of a set of signals to be applied to the transducers in order to focus on each defect separately. In this paper, we compare three immersion techniques on a titanium sample, standard transmit/receive focusing, the time reversal mirror (TRM), and the DORT method. We compare the sensitivity of these three techniques, especially the sensitivity to a poor alignment of the array with the front face of the sample. Then we show how images of the sample can be obtained with the TRM and the DORT method using backpropagation algorithm.     

Characterization of an elastic target in a shallow water waveguide by decomposition of the time-reversal operator

This paper reports the results of an investigation into extracting of the backscattered frequency signature of a target in a waveguide. Retrieving the target signature is difficult because it is blurred by waveguide reflections and modal interference. It is shown that the decomposition of the time-reversal operator method provides a solution to this problem. Using a modal theory, this paper shows that the first singular value associated with a target is proportional to the backscattering form function. It is linked to the waveguide geometry through a factor that weakly depends on frequency as long as the target is far from the boundaries. Using the same approach, the second singular value is shown to be proportional to the second derivative of the angular form function which is a relevant parameter for target identification. Within this framework the coupling between two targets is considered. Small scale experimental studies are performed in the 3.5 MHz frequency range for 3 mm spheres in a 28 mm deep and 570 mm long waveguide and confirm the theoretical results.     

Robust time reversal focusing in the ocean

Recent time-reversal experiments with high-frequency transmissions (3.5 kHz) show that stable focusing is severely limited by the time-dependent ocean environments. The vertical focal structure displays dynamic variations associated with focal splitting and remerging resulting in large changes in focal intensity. Numerical simulations verify that the intensity variation is linked to the focal shift induced by phase changes in acoustic waves resulting from sound speed fluctuations due to internal waves. A relationship between focal range shift, frequency shift, or channel depth changes is illustrated using waveguide-invariant theory. Based on the analysis of experimental data and numerical simulations, methods for robust time-reversal focusing are developed to extend the period of stable focusing.     

浅海小目标前向散射的非互易时反检测方法

将无源非互易时反(NRTR)用于浅海小目标前向散射探测海上实验研究,提出了一种基于频域加权松弛的信道估计算法(WRELAX)和时反方法相结合的小目标探测算法(WRELAX-NRTR)。该算法采用高精度的信道响应估计实现信道的空-时匹配,利用目标引起的时反声场结构的畸变检测前向散射信号对声场的扰动实现目标探测,并通过阈值法实现目标判决。在15~30 kHz的信号频率范围内进行海上实验,数据的处理结果表明,提出的WRELAX-NRTR探测算法与传统的NRTR算法相比,环境背景的扰动幅度从10 dB减小到4 dB,从而降低了虚警率,另外该算法对海洋环境噪声、目标聚焦深度、目标穿越距离和信道动态变化等均具有良好的鲁棒性。     

Resolution enhancement and separation of reverberation from target echo with the time reversal operator decomposition

Time reversal operator (TRO) decompositions are performed in a model of an ocean wave guide containing a target and having different kinds of bottom. The objective is to study the effects of bottom reverberation and absorption by means of ultrasonic experiments. It is shown experimentally that the echo from a target can be separated from the bottom reverberation. Reverberation eigenvectors are back propagated in the wave guide leading to focus on the bottom. An amplitude correction is applied to both reverberation and signal eigenvectors to compensate for bottom absorption and thus to improve target resolution.     

Spatio-temporal invariants of the time reversal operator

The decomposition of the time reversal operator, known by the French acronym DORT, is a technique to extract point scatterers' monochromatic Green's functions from a medium. It is used to detect, locate, and focus on scatterers in various domains such as underwater acoustics, medical ultrasound, and nondestructive evaluation. A limitation of the method arises from its single-frequency nature, when the signals used in acoustics are often broadband. Reconstruction of the broadband Green's functions from the single-frequency Green's functions can be very difficult when numerous scatterers are present in the medium. Moreover, the method does not take advantage of the axial resolution associated with broadband signals. Time domain methods are investigated here as an answer to these problems. It is shown that the time reversal operator in the time domain takes the form of a tensor. The properties of the invariants are discussed. It is shown they do not have all the expected properties. Another method is proposed that requires a priori information on the medium.     

The focusing performance with a horizontal time- reversal array at different depths in shallow water

The performance of time-reversal focusing with a horizontal line array at different depths is investigated by normal mode modeling and computer simulation.It is observed that the focusing performance of a bottom-mounted horizontal time-reversal array is much better than that of a horizontal time-reversal array at other depths in shallow water.The normal mode modeling is used to explain this result.The absolute values of the modes at different depths are compared.It is shown that the number of modes whose absolute values close to zero is smaller at the bottom than that at other depths.It means that the horizontal time-reversal array deployed at the bottom can sample more modes,obtain more information of the probe source and achieve better focusing performance.The numerical simulations of time-reversal focusing performance under various conditions,such as different sound speed profiles,and different bottom parameters,lead to similar results.     

Buried target detection based on time reversal focusing with a probe source

Buried target detection under the background of strong reverberation in shallow water is a complicated problem. As the target is buried, the echo of the active sonar is very weak and the echo-to-reverberation ratio (ERR) is quite low. In the paper, the technique of time reversal (TR) with a probe source is discussed to detect a buried target. By TR transmission, the sound wave is focused at the target and the ensonification acoustic energy at the target is maximized. By reception focusing, the echo received by each sensor is added coherently and the waveform of the transmitted signal is recovered. Finally, the matched filtering is used to detect the target and estimate the target range. The waveguide experiment provides a practical implementation guideline to apply TR to buried target detection.     

Selection of modes by time reversal in a shallow sea

Modes of the waveguide are selected from signals of individual receivers by time reversing them with the use of the frequency response of a plane wave. The experimental distribution of the modes on the “arrival time — mode number” plane corresponds to the model of an ideal waveguide, differing in that higher modes advance lower ones in the experiment. A modification of the frequency response, which eliminates that contradiction, is proposed, the modification accounting for the dependence of the effective thickness of the waveguide on the frequency. As a result, a method of determining the distance between the sound source and receiver is proposed and tested, and the interpretation of the noise immunity of signal reception on the basis of the time reversal is presented. The experimental data are obtained in the Barents Sea, at depths of about 100 m and distances of 7, 10.5, and 12 km, with the signals in a band of 100–300 Hz.     

Echo-to-reverberation enhancement based on decomposition of time reversal operator with forward and backward reverberation nulling constrains

Combined the decomposition of time reversal operator and the time reversal reverberation nulling, a new time reversal processing approach for echo-to-reverberation ratio enhancement is proposed. In this method, a 2-dimensional signal subspace for the range of the target and two bottom focusing weight vectors for the ranges near the target are obtained by the decomposition of time reversal operator. From the signal subspace and focusing weight vectors, a constrained optimal excitation weight vector of source receiver array can be deduced to null the acoustic energy on the corresponding bottom and maximize the energy at the tar- get. This method remedies the shortages of conventional time reversal processing, time reversal reverberation nulling and time reversal selective focusing method. It focuses sound energy at the target and nulls the energy at the bottom near the target range simultaneously, therefore enhancing the echo-to-reverberation ratio without probe source and prior-knowledge of the relative scattering intensity of target and bottom. Numerical simulations in typical shallow water environments showed the effectiveness of the proposed method and its improved performance for echo-reverberation enhancement than conventional time reversal processing.     

前后混响零点约束下基于时反算子分解的信混比增强方法研究

结合时反算子分解和时反混响置零方法,提出了一种前后混响零点约束下基于时反算子分解的信混比增强新方法。利用目标回波出现时刻及其出现前后时刻的回波信号,通过时反算子分解获得目标距离对应的一个二维信号子空间和目标前后距离附近的海底聚焦权向量,根据该信号子空间和海底聚焦权向量,以目标前后距离附近的海底声场置零、目标处最大为约束条件,导出了时反阵的一个约束最优激励权向量。该方法解决了现有直接时反处理、混响置零方法以及时反选择性聚焦方法存在的局限性,可以在没有探测声源、没有目标和海底散射强度谁大谁小的先验知识的条件下,实现声场在目标处聚焦,同时在目标距离附近海底处设置混响凹槽,进一步增强回波信混比。针对典型浅海波导环境,通过计算机仿真验证了所提方法的有效性及其改进的信混比增强能力。     

有平界面存在时时间反转法的自聚焦性能

时间反转法是一种具有独特优点的自适应聚焦方法,对超声成像中图象畸变的消除有重要价值。本文就声场中存在介质分平面时,对时间反转法实现自聚焦的声场给出了解析式;并运用所建立起来的时间反转成像实验系统进行了有平界面存在时的自聚焦实验,实验所得自聚焦增益与理论计算结果相符。     

Robust time reversal focusing based on Maximin criterion in a waveguide with uncertain water depth

Time reversal processing(TRP) might be regarded as matched field processing with known environmental knowledge.However,the performance of TRP is degraded in an uncertain environment.A technique based on the Maximin criterion is proposed for enhancing the robustness of TRP in a waveguide with uncertain water depth.The relationship between the water depth and the focal spot translation is examined based on the waveguide-invariant theory.Then the time reversal transmission scheme with the Maximin criterion is performed to maximize the minimum transmission power on a target of interest.At the receiving end,coherent summation operation is carried out over the received data by a reception focusing bank.If it is necessary to enhance the target echo further,the iterative time reversal can be considered where the target echo corresponding to the first time reversal transmission is regarded as a secondary source.Numerical simulations and experimental results of the target localization in a waveguide tank have verified the effectiveness of robust TRP.     

Green's function estimation in speckle using the decomposition of the time reversal operator: application to aberration correction in medical imaging

The FDORT method (French acronym for decomposition of the time reversal operator using focused beams) is a time reversal based method that can detect point scatterers in a heterogeneous medium and extract their Green's function. It is particularly useful when focusing in a heterogeneous medium. This paper generalizes the theory of the FDORT method to random media (speckle), and shows that it is possible to extract Green's functions from the speckle signal using this method. Therefore it is possible to achieve a good focusing even if no point scatterers are present. Moreover, a link is made between FDORT and the Van Cittert-Zernike theorem. It is deduced from this interpretation that the normalized first eigenvalue of the focused time reversal operator is a well-known focusing criterion. The concept of an equivalent virtual object is introduced that allows the random problem to be replaced by an equivalent deterministic problem and leads to an intuitive understanding of FDORT in speckle. Applications to aberration correction are presented. The reduction of the variance of the Green's function estimate is discussed. Finally, it is shown that the method works well in the presence of strong interfering scatterers.     

Surface reverberation at sound field focusing in shallow water

A numerical experiment is carried out to study the long-range surface reverberation in the presence of intense surface waves for the case of using vertical transmitting arrays providing sound field focusing at different depths. To focus the field, a phase conjugation of acoustic waves from a probe source positioned at the focusing point is used. It is demonstrated that surface waves considerably affect the focusing quality at a distance of several tens of kilometers from the transmitting array. This prevents the efficient suppression of long-range reverberation by increasing the focusing depth.