Centralized Tracking with Distributed Fixed Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor systems with multiple non-collocated radar and imaging units provide fragmented views of a site, as each sensor has a limited field of view, making it challenging to achieve a unified and comprehensive monitoring of large or complex areas.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising processing circuitry and multiple non-collocated sensor units that translate relative object location attributes into universal object location attributes, allowing for the fusion of sensor tracks across different fields of view to create unified site tracks, which are then stored and displayed on a unified visual map.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple non-collocated sensor units are deployed to surveil large sites, then the coverage area is improved, but the view becomes fragmented
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the large site into multiple zones, each monitored by a separate sensor unit with its own local coordinate system. Each sensor unit independently tracks objects within its field of view, creating segmented tracking data that is later integrated through coordinate transformation to form a complete unified view of the entire site.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a universal coordinate system that can represent positions from multiple different sensor units' fields of view. This universal reference frame allows tracking data from diverse sensor locations and orientations to be integrated into a single coherent representation, enabling the system to simultaneously maintain multiple local tracking systems while providing a unified global view.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple sensors are deployed to monitor large sites, then the monitoring coverage is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a coordinate transformation module as an intermediary between multiple sensor units and the central tracking system. This intermediary automatically converts local object position data from each sensor's coordinate system to the universal coordinate system, eliminating the need for complex manual calibration and integration procedures while maintaining accurate multi-sensor coordination.
3Loss of information
If sensor tracks are fused across different fields of view, then the unified view is improved, but the data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary coordinate transformation on object position data as each sensor unit generates its tracking data. By converting local coordinates to universal coordinates at the source before data fusion, the system prepares data in advance for integration, eliminating the need for complex real-time coordinate reconciliation during the fusion process and reducing overall data processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor system comprising multiple sensor units non-collocated at a site; processing circuitry operatively coupled to memory is configured to perform operations comprising: producing sensor unit tracks, each sensor unit track comprising one or more object attributes including relative object location attributes and non-location attributes; for each sensor unit track, translating the one or more relative object location attributes of the sensor unit track, to one or more universal object location attributes; fusing sets of sensor unit tracks, based at least in part upon corresponding object attributes of the sets of sensor unit tracks, to produce unified site tracks that include the corresponding object attributes; and saving the unified site tracks in a non-transitory storage device.