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Method of multipath track reduction in an aircraft tracking system

  • US 5,107,268 A
  • Filed: 09/20/1990
  • Issued: 04/21/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In an aircraft having a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) wherein said aircraft interrogates all target aircraft in the vicinity of said aircraft in order to determine potentially dangerous situations, said target aircrafts responding to said interrogation with parameter information which can include altitude, and further wherein said responses (replies) include direct, single reflection, and double reflection replies which result in normal, multipath (image), and mixed multipath (potential image) tracks, a method for reducing the number of false tracks, including potential image tracks, comprising the steps of:

  • a) selecting a track to be updated from an existing track list, the selected track having the shortest measured range within a highest priority category track;

    b) selecting one of said replies which has not yet been used, the reply having parameters which are within a predetermined window of the selected track parameters;

    c) updating the range track of the selected track using an α

    β

    γ

    -range-squared-filter;

    d) marking the selected reply as used;

    e) if more tracks need to be updated;

    proceeding to step (a), otherwise, continuing;

    f) checking remaining unused replies to generate new tracks; and

    g) examining all tracks to insure that predetermined category criteria are met;

    otherwise reclassifying the track.

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