System, method, and software for performing dual hysteresis target association

• US 8,149,154 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Habib, Wassim S., Lok, Yuchoi F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US12/468,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 342 36- 40, 342 42- 49, 342 94- 97
• US Class Current: 342/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/872 Combinations of primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a method includes receiving first track information comprising data for a particular aircraft track. The method further includes receiving a first radar plot comprising first location information corresponding to first aircraft identification information and first location information corresponding to second aircraft identification information. The method further includes associating the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track. The method further includes accessing historical association information comprising a first association history variable corresponding to one or more previous associations between the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track and a second association history variable corresponding to one or more previous associations between the second aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track. The method further includes updating the first association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving first track information comprising data for a particular aircraft track;

receiving a first radar plot, comprising;

first location information corresponding to first aircraft identification information; and

first location information corresponding to second aircraft identification information;

associating, using one or more computer processing modules, the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track;

accessing, from one or more non-transitory computer memory modules, historical association information comprising a first association history variable corresponding to one or more previous associations between the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track and a second association history variable corresponding to one or more previous associations between the second aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

updating, using the one or more computer processing modules, the first association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises:

determining that the first association history variable has a mature classification;

determining a distance between a first location indicated by the first location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

determining that the distance between the first location and the particular aircraft track is less than a threshold minimum distance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises:

determining a distance between a first location indicated by the first location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

determining that the distance between the first location and the particular aircraft track is less than a threshold minimum distance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method comprises updating the second association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track;

updating the first association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises incrementing a value of the first association history variable; and

updating the second association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises decrementing a value of the second association history variable.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

classifying, based on a determination that the value of the first association history variable is greater than a threshold value, the first association history variable as mature; and

displaying, based on the classification of the first association history variable as mature, the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track on a radar display.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising:

receiving second track information comprising data for the particular aircraft track;

receiving a second radar plot, comprising;

second location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information; and

second location information corresponding to the second aircraft identification information;

associating, using the one or more computer processing modules, the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track;

accessing, from the one or more non-transitory computer memory modules, historical association information comprising the updated first association history variable and the updated second association history variable;

updating, using the one or more computer processing modules, the updated first association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track; and

updating, using the one or more computer processing modules, the updated second association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

updating the updated first association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises decreasing the value of the updated first association history variable; and

updating the updated second association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises increasing the value of the updated second association history variable.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more memory modules operable to store historical association information comprising a first association history variable corresponding to one or more previous associations between first aircraft identification information and a particular aircraft track and a second association history variable corresponding to one or more previous associations between second aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

one or more processing units operable to;

receive first track information comprising data for the particular aircraft track;

receive a first radar plot, comprising;

first location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information; and

first location information corresponding to the second aircraft identification information;

associate the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track;

access the historical association information comprising the first association history variable and the second association history variable; and

update the first association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to associate the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track by:

determining that the first association history variable has a mature classification;

determining a distance between a first location indicated by the first location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

determining that the distance between the first location and the particular aircraft track is less than a threshold minimum distance.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to associate the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track by:

determining a distance between a first location indicated by the first location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

determining that the distance between the first location and the particular aircraft track is less than a threshold minimum distance.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the one or more processing units are operable to update the first association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track by incrementing a value of the first association history variable; and

the one or more processing units are operable to update the second association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track by decrementing a value of the second association history variable.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

classify, based on a determination that the value of the first association history variable is greater than a threshold value, the first association history variable as mature; and

display, based on the classification of the first association history variable as mature, the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track on a radar display.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

receive second track information comprising data for the particular aircraft track;

receive a second radar plot, comprising;

second location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information; and

second location information corresponding to the second aircraft identification information;

associate the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track;

access historical association information comprising the updated first association history variable and the updated second association history variable;

update the updated first association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track; and

update the updated second association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

update the updated first association history variable and the updated second association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track by decreasing the value of the updated first association history variable; and

update the updated second association history variable and the updated second association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track by increasing the value of the updated second association history variable.

15. Software embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and when executed operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving first track information comprising data for a particular aircraft track;

receiving a first radar plot, comprising;

first location information corresponding to first aircraft identification information; and

first location information corresponding to second aircraft identification information;

associating the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track;

accessing historical association information comprising a first association history variable corresponding to one or more previous associations between the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track and a second association history variable corresponding to one or more previous associations between the second aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

updating the first association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track.

16. The software of claim 15, wherein associating the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises:

determining that the first association history variable has a mature classification;

determining a distance between a first location indicated by the first location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

determining that the distance between the first location and the particular aircraft track is less than a threshold minimum distance.

17. The software of claim 15, wherein associating the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises:

determining a distance between a first location indicated by the first location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information and the particular aircraft track; and

determining that the distance between the first location and the particular aircraft track is less than a threshold minimum distance.

18. The software of claim 15, wherein:

the one or more processing units are operable to update the second association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track;

updating the first association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises incrementing a value of the first association history variable; and

updating the second association history variable in response to the association of the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises decrementing a value of the second association history variable.

19. The software of claim 18, operable when executed to perform operations comprising:

classifying, based on a determination that the value of the first association history variable is greater than a threshold value, the first association history variable as mature; and

displaying, based on the classification of the first association history variable as mature, the first aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track on a radar display.

20. The software of claim 18, operable when executed to perform operations comprising:

receiving second track information comprising data for the particular aircraft track;

receiving a second radar plot, comprising;

second location information corresponding to the first aircraft identification information; and

second location information corresponding to the second aircraft identification information;

associating the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track;

accessing historical association information comprising the updated first association history variable and the updated second association history variable;

updating the updated first association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track; and

updating the updated second association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track.

21. The software of claim 20, wherein:

updating the updated first association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises decreasing the value of the updated first association history variable; and

updating the updated second association history variable in response to the association of the second aircraft identification information with the particular aircraft track comprises increasing the value of the updated second association history variable.