US5657251A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System and process for performing optimal target tracking
Assignee: Boeing North American Inc
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Filing: 1995-10-02
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Granted: 1997-08-12
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Expires: 2015-10-02
Abstract
Abstract A computer-implemented process is disclosed for processing incoming target data from a focal plane or scanning radar to accomplish multiple Target Tracking. Inputs are pixel plane coordinates and intensity of target blips. The Intelligent Target Tracking Processor (ITTP) employs an optimal target tracking algorithm. An optimal observation-to-track assignment exists when all target blips in a new frame of target data are matched up with nearby tracks, such that the sum of all the distances from each target blip to its assigned track is minimized. An expert system is used to control overall processing flow and provide efficient allocation of computing resources. Target blips without near neighbors are allowed to go directly to a real track table of established tracks, if their coordinates match-up with projected tracking gates. Otherwise, target blips are tested sequentially against two-frame, three-frame, and four- or higher-frame discriminants, to reject blips not belonging to established tracks. The ITTP can partition the pixel plane into "bite size partitions", each with a manageable number of target blips, which it handles sequentially. The ITTP is designed to handle hundreds or thousands of targets as a stand-alone processor as is required in space object tracking or military scenarios. The expert system maintains an optimum balance between correlating on existing tracks and discriminating against impossible tracks. A total of 26 different metric and radiometric target tracking discriminants are employed. The ITTP is a dynamically and optimally configured set of general purpose parallel processors.
Inventors
- 👤 Harvey E. Fiala
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 09:08
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/66; G01S13/72; G01S13/723; G01S13/726
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 54
Claim 1
Independent Claim
220 words
A computer-implemented process for performing optimal target tracking of incoming target data from a focal plane, said data including frames of target blips, comprising the steps of: a) storing target data from a focal plane temporarily in frame tables, said data including frames of target blips; b) partitioning said blips on a pixel plane representation of said focal plane into partitions sized to match said frame tables; c) discriminating against and rejecting said blips which do not meet a test of at least one of up to five (5) single-frame discriminants, the remaining blips forming a single-frame set; d) discriminating against and further rejecting said blips from said single-frame set which do not meet a test of at least one of up to five (5) two-frame discriminants, the remaining blips forming a two-frame set; e) discriminating against and further rejecting said blips from said two-frame set which do not meet a test of at least one of up to four (4) three-frame discriminants, the remaining blips forming a three-frame set; and, f) assigning said remaining blips, if any, from said three-frame set to resulting target tracks in a candidate track table for directing to a real track table or an external resolver, such that the sum of all the distances from each blip to its assigned target track is minimized.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
220 words
A computer-implemented process for performing optimal target tracking of incoming target data from a focal plane, said data including frames of target blips, comprising the steps of: a) storing target data from a focal plane temporarily in frame tables, said data including frames of target blips; b) partitioning said blips on a pixel plane representation of said focal plane into partitions sized to match said frame tables; c) discriminating against and rejecting said blips which do not meet a test of at least one of up to five (5) single-frame discriminants, the remaining blips forming a single-frame set; d) discriminating against and further rejecting said blips from said single-frame set which do not meet a test of at least one of up to five (5) two-frame discriminants, the remaining blips forming a two-frame set; e) discriminating against and further rejecting said blips from said two-frame set which do not meet a test of at least one of up to four (4) three-frame discriminants, the remaining blips forming a three-frame set; and, f) assigning said remaining blips, if any, from said three-frame set to resulting target tracks in a candidate track table for directing to a real track table or an external resolver, such that the sum of all the distances from each blip to its assigned target track is minimized.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The process of claim 1, further comprising a step of discriminating against and further rejecting said blips from said three-frame set which do not meet a test of at least one of up to four (4) four-frame discriminants, the remaining blips forming a four-frame set, which are assigned to said resulting target tracks.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The process of claim 2, further comprising a step of discriminating against and further rejecting said blips from said four-frame set which do not meet a test of at least one of up to eight (8) higher-frame discriminants, the remaining blips forming a higher-frame set, which are assigned to said resulting target tracks.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said single-frame discriminants comprises a spectral band.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said single-frame discriminants comprises size.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said single-frame discriminants comprises intensity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said single-frame discriminants comprises radial range.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said single-frame discriminants comprises angular position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said two-frame discriminants comprises size rate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said two-frame discriminants comprises intensity rate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said two-frame discriminants comprises radial range rate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said two-frame discriminants comprises angular rate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said two-frame discriminants comprises angular heading.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said three-frame discriminants comprises size acceleration.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said three-frame discriminants comprises intensity acceleration.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said three-frame discriminants comprises radial range acceleration.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said three-frame discriminants comprises angular acceleration.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 2, wherein one of said four-frame discriminants comprises size jerk.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 2, wherein one of said four-frame discriminants comprises intensity jerk.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 2, wherein one of said four-frame discriminants comprises radial jerk.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 2, wherein one of said four-frame discriminants comprises angular jerk.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 3, wherein one of said higher-frame discriminants comprises target body rotation rate.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 3, wherein one of said higher-frame discriminants comprises target emissivity.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 3, wherein one of said higher-frame discriminants comprises target absorptivity.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 3, wherein one of said higher-frame discriminants comprises target reflectivity.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 3, wherein one of said higher-frame discriminants comprises target mass.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 3, wherein one of said higher-frame discriminants comprises target plume periodicity.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1, wherein one of said two-frame discriminants comprises range insensitive axis.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 3, wherein one of said higher-frame discriminants comprises target shape (higher order geometric moments).
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
71 words
The process of claim 1, wherein a unique nearest neighbor identification process identifies those said blips that are separated from all other said blips by at least two pixels and correlate with already established target tracks in said real track table, said target blips being allowed by a blip tracking gate to bypass said two-, three-, four-, (and higher-frame if implemented) discrimination testing and pass directly into said real track table.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said target data is from multiple collectors.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said target data is from a scanning radar.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 1, further including a step of determining position and intensity data for each pixel of said target data before performing steps a-e, above.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1, further including a step of calculating the intensity-weighted centroiding and size determination of said target data before performing steps a-e, above.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1, further including a step of recording the intensity of the most intense pixel of said target data if the pixel size is greater than 1 before performing steps a-e, above.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said process performs data fusion if said target data is multi-band before performing said discriminant processing.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 1, further including the step of partitioning said incoming target data before performing step a-e, above, if the number of said blips received per frame exceeds the capacity of said discriminant processing.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said target data and said target tracks are in a rectangular coordinate system.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said target data and said target tracks are in a radial coordinate system.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said target data and said target tracks are in a spherical coordinate system.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said target data and said target tracks are in a cylindrical coordinate system.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 1, wherein at least one of said steps of discriminating against and rejecting blips comprises using parallel processing to speed up the processing.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
39 words
The process of claim 42, wherein at least one of said parallel processing steps uses parallel code instead of sequential code and also uses processors designed specifically for parallel code instead of sequential code to speed up the processing.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 1, wherein at least one of said steps of discriminating against and rejecting blips comprises using vector processing to speed up the processing.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
39 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said step of assigning said remaining blips to target tracks comprises using a modified Hopfield Neural Net to minimize the sum of all the distances from each blip to its assigned target track.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process of claim 31, further including the step of performing target track registration following said step of assigning remaining blips real track table if said target data is from a multiple collector.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1, wherein a duration of said frames is ended when said processing for said frame is completed.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1, wherein a duration of said frames is varied pseudorandomly to provide a high resistance to jamming.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
47 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said process uses an expert system, comprising the steps of: a. monitoring key performance parameters of said process; and, b. regulating said key performance parameters to minimize total processing time including, but not limited to, regulating the number of said partitions.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 49, wherein said step of regulating includes regulating the number of pixels on said pixel plane representation by which said blips must be separated in order to have no near neighbors.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 49, wherein said step of regulating includes regulating the number of said frames to use for discriminating against false targets.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 49, wherein said step of regulating includes regulating a frame rate to allow sufficient time for processing all said target data.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 49, wherein said step of regulating includes varying said frame rate in a pseudorandom manner to provide a high resistance to jamming.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-08-11 | 2001-02-10 | 2001-08-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-08-11 | 2005-02-10 | 2005-08-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-08-11 | 2009-02-10 | 2009-08-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |