Asynchronous Sensor Track Fusion Using Interactive Multiple Model Filter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tracking applications are limited in accurately and effectively tracking objects in airspace, particularly when objects maneuver, accelerate/decelerate, or change trajectory, leading to reduced accuracy and increased risk of airspace collisions.
Innovation Solution
The system calculates and fuses asynchronous sensor tracks using multiple filters with different motion models, such as constant velocity and constant acceleration models, within an Interactive Multiple Model Filter (IMMF) framework to improve tracking accuracy and adapt to changing object dynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current tracking applications use standard tracking methods, then the system is simple to operate, but the tracking accuracy deteriorates when objects maneuver, accelerate/decelerate, or change trajectory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by implementing multiple motion models (constant velocity, constant acceleration, coordinated turn) that can dynamically adapt to different target behaviors. The Interactive Multiple Model Filter allows the system to switch between or combine these models based on the actual motion characteristics of the tracked object, enabling accurate tracking of maneuvering targets while maintaining system manageability through modular model design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the tracking system by using different motion models with distinct parameter sets (velocity, acceleration, turn rate) to represent various target dynamics. This allows the system to adjust its tracking approach based on the specific motion regime of the target, improving accuracy without requiring a completely different tracking architecture.
2Measurement precision
If multiple filters with different motion models are used to track object dynamics, then tracking accuracy improves, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tracking problem into multiple independent motion models, each handling a specific type of target behavior. By dividing the complex tracking task into separate filter components (constant velocity filter, constant acceleration filter, coordinated turn filter), the system can process different aspects of target motion independently and combine results, improving overall accuracy while managing computational complexity through modular processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The Interactive Multiple Model Filter merges the outputs of multiple individual filters by computing a weighted combination of their estimates. This combining approach allows the system to leverage the strengths of each motion model while distributing computational load across parallel processing streams, achieving superior tracking accuracy without concentrating all computational demands in a single complex filter.
3Loss of information
If asynchronous sensor tracks are not fused, then the system is easier to implement, but the completeness of target dynamics capture is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The track fusion system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it associates tracks from different sensors, fuses their data, and generates a unified target state estimate. This multi-functional approach ensures complete capture of target dynamics by integrating information from diverse sensor sources while using a standardized fusion framework that manages complexity through universal processing algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method can include generating, via the first sensor, a first group of output tracks associated with a motion of a first target object; generating, via the second sensor, a second group of output tracks associated with the motion of a second target object; analyzing, via a track analysis module, the first group of output tracks and the second group of output tracks to determine whether the first target object and the second target object are a same object to yield a determination; and, when the determination indicates that the first target object and the second target object are the same object, presenting a graphical user interface on a computing device that enables a user to select whether to display on the graphical user interface: (1) a single track from the first group of output tracks or the second group of output tracks and (2) a fused group of tracks selected from the first group of output tracks or the second group of output tracks.