PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 1216, 2011

188

Spectral Theory of Beam Scattering by Random Curved Surfaces

for Imaging Laser Radar
Yasumitsu Miyazaki
Department of Media Informatics, Aichi University of Technology
50-2 Manori, Nishihasama-cho, Gamagori 443-0047, Japan

Abstract In Information Transport Systems, technical and social subjects of automatic driving system and safety transport and traffic system are very important problems. Automatic
driving and cruising systems using optical and millimeter radars in the cars are sensor systems
for measurements of distances among driving car detection of obstacles, and intelligent recognition of road environments. Optical and millimeter wave radars of short wavelengths and high
frequency using short pulses of optical and millimeter wave carriers yield precise distance measurement and shape image recognition. Distance measurement using short pulse optical carriers
is derived by time differences between transmitted pulse and received pulse, and image information are given by reflected waves by scanning optical beam waves of laser, as optical vision
information. Comparing with millimeter waves optical waves have comparative attenuation characteristics due to rains, mist, fog, and snows, and can give high size resolution. Shape image
recognition systems of car bodies complex objects using scattered and reflected waves in scanning
laser radars, are very useful for ITS and object recognition. Temporal and spatial characteristics
of electromagnetic scattering and reflection by driving car bodies and complex objects are studied
Fundamental characteristics and application of scanning laser radars and image recognition of
car body and objects are shown.
1. INTRODUCTION

Fundamental theory of scattering characteristics of laser beam wave has been studied for optical
beam waveguides, optical resonators and optical beam circuit elements. Particularly, reflection and
scattering characteristics by curved surfaces of lens waveguide are typical examples. The author
showed analytical theory of boundary value problem for beam wave scattering by general curved
surfaces [13]. Recently, we studied beam wave scattering theory concerning distance control system
between driving automobiles and shape image recognition system using millimeter wave sensors [4
6]. With the shape image recognition system of objects using millimeter electromagnetic waves,
the system using laser radar is considered as effective autocruising system. In this paper, statistical
scattering theory by random curved surface using spectral function is discussed. This theory is
fundamental for laser radar sensors and applicable to optical ray tracing and CG [79].
Optical wave radar, and laser radar of short wavelengths using short pulses of optical wave
carriers yield precise distance measurement and image processing. ITS applications of laser radar
are distance control system between driving automobiles, and auto-breaking system. Shape image
recognition systems of car bodies receiving scattered and reflected waves in scanning laser radars,
are very useful for ITS. Temporal and spatial characteristics of electromagnetic scattering and
reflection by driving car bodies are studied.
Gaussian laser beam waves with temporal Gaussian impulse radiated from laser radar incident
to complicated targets are considered. Spatial and temporal spectral functions are introduced using
transverse wave number spectrum for the spatial space and angular frequencies for time domain.
Spatial spectral functions concerned with Hermite-Gaussian eigenfunctions are expressed for incident and scattering electromagnetic fields. Asymptotic expressions are derived for the incident
Gaussian beam, and reflected and scattered waves, using parameters of beam waist and beam spot
size. Radiating optical beam packets from laser radars and reflected beam packets of temporal
Gaussian pulse form and spatial Gaussian beam form are expressed as Fourier components for time
coordinates and as spectral functions expanded by Hermite-Gaussian functions for space coordinates. Incident, reflected and scattered fields are studied using beam mode expansions derived by
Hermite-Gaussian spectral functions.
Scattered and transmitted waves are discussed using eigenfunction orthogonalities, satisfying
boundary conditions on complicated target shape for spectral functions of incident, reflected and
transmitted waves. Boundary conditions of objects are applied to derive reflected and scattered
fields for spectral components. Based on temporal and spatial characteristics of laser beam wave
scattering, image recognitions of object targets are shown with computer image processing.

Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept. 1216, 2011

189

2. OBJECT SHAPE RECOGNITION BY LASER RADAR

Fundamental architectures of scanning laser radars for object image processing are shown in
Figs. 1(a) and (b). Distances between the laser and object are given by pulse time difference
measurement of transmitting optical pulse and receiving pulse. Measurement situation of laser and
object, and laser radar system for image processing are shown in Fig. 2.
Figure 1(b) shows object shape recognition systems using scanning millimeter wave radar. Sij
are radiation apertures of scanning laser pulse radar and fij are multiple laser wave frequencies.
y
y

Scanning laser radar

x

Incident laser beam

object

reflected pulse beam

laser

S ij (ff ij )

Automobile

z
Reflected laser beam
incident pulse beam

(a) Automobile laser radar

(b) Laser beam and object

Figure 1: Laser radar system.

x
-x 0
x

Scattering
waves
Incident laser
beam

x0
measurement
equipment

-z 0 -y
0

zt

z = f (x, y)
y

x
Object target

z = z0

z = f (x, yy)  z t ( t)

scanning laser

object

(a) Reflection and scattering of laser pulse beam

(I)
1 , 1 , 1

(II)
2 , 2 , 2

(b) Object imaging and beam scattering

Figure 2: Image processing laser and measured object.

V (t)

0
(a) Temporal characteristics of laser radar

(b) Frequency characteristics of laser pulse

Figure 3: Pulse characteristics of incident beam.

PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 1216, 2011

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3. REFLECTION AND SCATTERING OF OPTICAL WAVE PULSES

Beam waves with beam spot size 1/a and beam center (x0 , y0 ) of optical pulses are radiated from
laser at position z = z0 as shown in Fig. 2. Object surfaces at time t are given by random curved
surfaces z = f (x, y) + zt (t) of position center zt . Beam wave in the region I of material constants
(1 , 1, 1 ) is incident to object of material constants (2 , 2, 2 ) in the region II with boundary S,
z = f (x, y) + zt .
Incident pulses as shown in Fig. 3 are
Z
1
(i)
(i) (r, ) ejt d
E (r, t) =
V () E
(1)
2
where temporal function V (t) and spectral function V () are
Z
2t 2
1
V (t) = e( T ) ej0 t =
V () ejt d
2
(2)

T ( (0 )T )2

4
V () =
e
2
and when the fundamental beam mode with y polarization is incident, in case of two dimensional
space,
a2 (xx0 )2

(i) = E0 iy ej(z+z0 ) 1
E
(3)
e 2(1j)
1 j
0) 2
where = (z+z
a .
Object surface z = f (x) separates the region of free space I and region of object II as shown
i, E
r and E
t . In the region I,
in Fig. 2. Incident wave, reflected wave and transmitted wave are E
(I)
(II)
=E
i + E
r , and in the region II, E

t.
E
=E
Z
1
n (rj , ) ejt d
En (rj , t) =
E
2
Z
(4)

2
z
n (rn , ) = F 1 E
n (tn ) =
n (tn ) ejtn xn j n2 tn
E
E
dtn

p
Wave numbers n are i = r = 1 =
t = 2 = 2 2 , i = i ji /. tn are ti ,
tr and tt .
p
2
4
2 1 tn 1 tn , and
If tn are small, we can use asymptotic approximation of n2 tn
= tn 2 n
8 n3
n (tn ) can be expanded as series of Hermite-Gaussian functions, using spectral parameter n ,
E
1 1 ,

n (tn ) =
E

amn m (tn )n

(5)

m=0

where

0
0
1
21 n2
m (tn ) = q
e
H
n
n0 = tn /n
m
1

n (2m m! ) 2
and coefficients anm are
Z

n (tn ) m (tn ) n dtn

anm =
E

(6)

(7)

When incident beam wave is beam wave with the polarization of y-direction, using incident coordinates (xi , zi ), incident beam waves are
Z

iy =
i (ti ) ejti xi j 12 ti2 (zi +zoi ) dti ,
E
E

q
Z

(j1 + 1 ) j 12 ti2
2
(zi +zoi )
jti xi j 12 ti
(8)
ix =
i (ti )
dti
H
E
e
2

1
Z

(j
+

)
(j
2
1
1
ti ) jti xi j 12 ti
(zi +zoi )
i (ti )
iz =
e
H
E
dti
2
1

Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept. 1216, 2011

191

Transmitted waves are obtained as like Eq. (8), using transmission coordinates (xt , zt ). Reflected
waves are using
Z
Z

2
jtr xr +j 12 tr
(zzor )

t (tt ) ejtt xt +j 22 tt2 (zzot ) dtt (9)

Er (tr ) e
E
Ery =
dtr , Ety =

On the boundary, normal unit vector n and line element are

f
n = , , ds = 1 dx
x

2 1/2
where = 1 + f
.
x

(10)

Boundary conditions on object surface z = f (x) are when the electromagnetic fields in regions I
and II are E(1) , H(1) and E(2) , H(2)

n E(1) E(2) = 0, n H(1) H(2) = 0

(11)
Here, E(1) = Ei + Er and E(2) = Et , i = i+/j
, the following reflected and transmitted waves
2
i
are obtained
p
p
2 2

2 t2 Bi (t ) j 12 t2 zo
1
2
t
r (t ) = p 1
p 2
E
e
Ei (t ) ,
1 12 t2 + 2 22 t2 Bt (t )
(12)
p
21 12 t2
Bi (t ) j 12 t2 zo

p
Et (t ) = p 2
e
Ez (t )
1 1 t2 + 2 22 t2 Bt (t )
i (x, 0)|, we obtained asymptotically
and defining (0) = |E
Z
Z

j 12 t2 f(x) jt x (0)
Br (t ) =
e
e
(x) dx, Bt (t ) =

ej

22 t2 f(x) jt x (0)

(x) dx

(13)

From Eq. (13), back scattered and reflected waves are obtained. Pulse responses due to back
scattering by objects are derived by Eq. (13).
When incident fundamental beam expressed in Eq. (3) is reflected by object surface of convex
curvature with the radius R at z = 0, reflected beam is as in Fig. 4
a2 x2
r
(r) = E0 iy e+j(z+z0 zr ) 1
E
e 2(1jr )
1 jr

where r =

2(zzr ) 2
ar ,

zr =

R
2+R/z0

and ar =

(14)

R
2z0 +R a.

reflected beam

z = f (x ) = f 0 ( x) + g (x )

x
object of
curvature R

incident beam

x0

Oc
z = zr xr O'
R

Object target

x0
O

z = z0

z = z0
Figure 4: Scanning laser radar and reflected beam.

Figure 5: Scattering of laser beam by random curved

surface.

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192

Received pulse responses are, when reflection coefficient of object is Rs

E(r) (r, t) = E0 Rs ej0 tj0 (z+z0 zr ) e

a2
r
2

x2 ( T2 )

(t c` ) i

(15)

where `(x, z0 , zr , R) is ray path of incident beam and reflected beam.

Scattering characteristics of beam wave by wedge and complex object surfaces are also shown
using Eq. (13).
4. STATISTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF REFLECTED AND SCATTERED WAVES

On the random curved surface of car bodies and objects, we define z = f (x) = f0 (x) + g(x) with
random function g(x), under the condition of g(x) f0 (x) and correlation function of g(x) with
correlation length `g as
hg (x1 ) g (x2 )i = (g)2 e

(x1 x2 )2
`g

(16)

Covariance and coherent functions of reflected and scattered fields are, derived by spectral Eqs. (12),
(13) and statistical boundary Eq. (16), as
Z
Z
h
i
2 2

cov Er (r1 , ) Er (r2 , ) =

dx1
dx2 ejx1 x1 +j 1 x1 (z1 z0r )

D
E
2 2
r (x1 ) E
r (x2 )
ejx2 x2 j 1 x2 (z2 z0r ) E
(17)
Here,

p
2 2 p 2 2 2 B ( ) B ( )
D
E

2
1
i
x1
x2
x
x
i
r (x1 ) E
r (x2 ) = p 1
p 2
E

1 12 x2 + 2 22 x2 Br (x1 ) Br (x2 )
2 2
2 2
i (x1 ) E
(x2 )
ej 1 x1 z0 +j 1 x2 z0 E
i

(18)

5. CONCLUSION

Image processing using optical and millimeter wave pulses is very useful technique for ITS. Object
shape detection and recognition system are based on electromagnetic reflection and scattering.
Object shape detection by using scanning laser radar is discussed by electromagnetic field theory
with spectral functions of Gaussian beams for random curved surfaces of car bodies and objects.
Laser radar system for ITS may be accomplished, based on this fundamental theory for object
image recognition.
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