Method and apparatus for correlating sensor detections in space and time
First Claim
1. A method of correlating sensor detections in space and time, comprising the steps of:
- (a) defining at least one relationship between space and time;
(b) mapping the sensor detections in space and time into a first dimension in space using the at least one relationship between space and time to produce first mapped detections; and
(c) comparing the mapped detections with first predetermined criteria to determine whether at least one group of the sensor detections correlate with the at least one relationship.
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Abstract
Sensor detections received over time are analyzed to find relationships therebetween. For example, radar echoes, outputs from an infrared sensor, etc., may be analyzed to find target tracks. First, gross similarities are detected by mapping, e.g., angular readings into angle bins using each of a plurality of hypothesized rates of change of angle. Those sensor detections which are found to correlate with respect to angular measurement are subjected to similar mapping into range bins using rate of change of range. The angle and range bins are compared to determine which represent target tracks. The resulting target tracks may be used to revise the parameters and repeat the same process. For example, if one of the "target" tracks detected on the first pass has an angle of 30°, an angle rate of 2° per minute, a range of 2 kilometers and a range rate of 3 kilometers/second, this target track might be evaluated to determine whether it is a cluster of targets using angle rates varying from 1° per minute to 3° per minute in steps of 1/4 degree per minute to map the sensor detections into angle bins ranging from 27° to 33° in steps of 0.2° with similar mapping in a region of range space.
35 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of correlating sensor detections in space and time, comprising the steps of:
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(a) defining at least one relationship between space and time; (b) mapping the sensor detections in space and time into a first dimension in space using the at least one relationship between space and time to produce first mapped detections; and (c) comparing the mapped detections with first predetermined criteria to determine whether at least one group of the sensor detections correlate with the at least one relationship. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for correlating relationships between sensor detections in space and time, comprising:
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control input means for defining at least one relationship between space and time; processing means for mapping the sensor detections in space and time into a first dimension in space using the at least one relationship between space and time to produce mapped detections; and output means for comparing the mapped detections least one group of the sensor detections correlate with the at least one relationship and for outputting an indication of the sensor detections found to correlate.
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25. An apparatus for correlating relationships between sensor detections in space and time, comprising:
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sensing devices to generate sensor detections in space and time; a buffer, operatively connected to said sensing devices, to store the sensor detections; a processor, operatively connected to said buffer, to scan said buffer for the sensor detections, to map the sensor detections into a first dimension in space using at least one relationship between space and time to produce mapped detections for each relationship and to compare the mapped detections with predetermined criteria to determine whether at least one group of the sensor detections correlate with the at least one relationship; and an output device for displaying a current location corresponding to each group of the sensor detections determined by said processor to be correlated with the at least one relationship.
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Specification