Inverse Radon Transform in Radar Signal Parameter Estimation – an Overview

During the last decade, the inverse Radon transform (IRT) has become one of the prominent tools in radar signal processing. Although it was primarily defined to recover 2D cross-section from projections, recently it has been used as an efficient tool in the parameter estimation and decomposition of sinusoidally frequency modulated (FM) signals. Such modulations are commonly associated with the micro-Doppler (m-D) effect, originating from reflections of fast rotating or vibrating parts of targets. Since the IRT maps a sinusoidal pattern in an image or a time-frequency representation to a single point, the concentration of this transform can be engaged in the characterization of general, periodic patterns. This paper investigates the impact of the IRT on radar signal processing.