Target acquisition and tracking system

• US 20050004759A1
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Siegel, Neil Gilbert
• Granted Patent: US 7,555,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/223
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for identifying one or more targets of interest, and scheduling the tracking of at least one such target of interest employing one or more remote sensing/tracking systems. A target finder finds, describes, and provides a report concerning targets of potential interest. A target selector selects at least one target of interest from a plurality of identified targets. A plurality of remote sensing/tracking systems are operative to track the at least one target of interest. A tracking control system schedules at least one of the remote sensing/tracking systems to track the at least one target of interest based on at least one tracking parameter.

Claims

1. A target tracking system comprising:

a target selection system that selects at least one target of interest from a plurality of identified targets;

a plurality of remote sensor/tracking systems operative to track the at least one target of interest; and

a tracking control system that schedules at least one of the remote sensor/tracking systems to track the at least one target of interest based on at least one tracking parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, the tracking control system comprising a tracking system optimizer that determines an optimal tracking schedule for the at least one target of interest based on the at least one tracking parameter.

3. The system of claim 1, at least one of the plurality of remote sensor/tracking systems having an associated predetermined path of motion, the associated predetermined path of motion providing one of the at least one tracking parameters.

4. The system of claim 1, at least one of the plurality of remote sensor/tracking systems having an associated range, the associated range providing one of the at least one tracking parameters.

5. The system of claim 1, the scheduled at least one remote sensor/tracking system provides updated location information on the at least one target to a system of common databases, at least one database being located at the target selection system.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a display coupled to at least one of the common databases, the display providing graphical updates of the updated location information on the at least one target of interest with respect to at least one of other object position data and geographical data.

7. The system of claim 1, the remote sensing/tracking systems employing information from a target selector to perform a “

track initiate”

to locate the at least one target of interest out of a plurality of observable objects.

8. The system of claim 1, the plurality of remote sensor/tracking systems comprise long-range tracking systems, intermediate-range tracking systems, and short-range tracking systems.

9. The system of claim 8, the long-range remote sensing/tracking systems being spacecraft, the intermediate remote sensing/tracking systems being aircraft, and the short-range remote sensing/tracking systems being at least one of aircraft, attended ground sensors and unattended ground sensors.

10. The system of claim 1, each of the plurality of remote sensing/tracking systems having associated ranges and associated flight paths, the tracking control system determining schedules for tracking the at least one target of interest based by evaluating the associated ranges and associated flight path of each of the plurality of remote sensing/tracking systems.

11. The system of claim 10, the target control system scheduling handoffs between remote sensing/tracking systems as part of the determined schedule.

12. The system of claim 1, the target selection system comprising an algorithm that evaluates the plurality of identified targets based upon at least one characteristic of the targets.

13. The system of claim 12, the at least one characteristic including the proximity of the target to at least one defined geographical point of interest.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one locator/reporting device that locates and identifies the at least one target of interest.

15. The system of claim 14, the at least one locator device operative to provide information and assign a record index key identifier to the at least one identified target of interest.

16. The system of claim 15, the system employing the information and the record index key identifier in reporting back tracking information to a requestor in a form suitable for substantially immediate use by the requestor and/or other users.

17. A battlefield communication system comprising the system of claim 1.

18. A method of identifying and tracking at least one target of interest, comprising:

selecting at least one target of interest from a plurality of targets;

scheduling at least one of a plurality of remote sensor/tracking systems to track the at least one target of interest based on at least one tracking parameter; and

tracking the at least one target with the scheduled at least one remote sensor/tracking systems.

19. The method of claim 18, the scheduling of the remote sensing/tracking systems to track the at least one target of interest comprising determining an optimal schedule for tracking the at least one target of interest via an optimization routine, the schedule including scheduled handoffs between remote sensing/tracking systems for tracking the at least one target of interest.

20. The method of claim 19, the optimization routine being at least one of an auction optimization algorithm and a genetic optimization algorithm.

21. The method of claim 18, the selecting at least one target of interest comprising identifying a plurality of targets and associating importance information for each of the plurality of targets and selecting the at least one target of interest based on the importance information.

22. A closed-loop tracking system comprising:

means for selecting at least one target of interest from a plurality of identified targets;

a plurality of means for tracking the at least one target of interest; and

means for scheduling the tracking and tracking handoffs of the at least one target of interest employing at least one of the plurality of means for tracking based on at least one tracking parameter.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for providing location and importance information for a plurality of identified targets, the means for selecting comprising means for evaluating the importance information of the plurality of identified targets and selecting the at least one target of interest based on the evaluation.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for assigning a record index key identifier associated with the location and importance information for respective identified targets, such that information concerning the respective targets that are tracked are reported back to a requestor in a form suitable for immediate use.

25. The system of claim 22, the means for scheduling comprising means for generating an optimal schedule for the plurality of means for tracking via an optimization routine.