Coherent aggregation from multiple diverse sources on a single display

• US 9,429,643 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Command and Control Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Thales-Raytheon Systems Company LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Booher, Jim L., Eck, Christopher R., Badstuebner, Stefan, Williamson, Ron C., Schlundt, John A., Mueller, Annette R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US13/859,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20140300508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 342/176, 342/179, 342182-183, 342 29- 37, 342 57- 59, 342/67, 342 95- 97
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A system for tracking objects. Objects such as aircraft, ground vehicles, or vessels may be sensed with various sensors, including an Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) (220), an Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) (225), a network (230) of airborne radar sensors, a network (235) of aircraft each reporting its own position, a Blue Force Tracker (BFT) (240), and a network (245) of ground-based mobile radar sensors. Data from each sensor or network of sensors may also be fed, via a display interface layer (250), to a display. A tracker which may be referred to as a coherent aggregator (120) receives input from sensors or other trackers and also from an operator. The operator monitors the display and provides input to the coherent aggregator (120) to assist the coherent aggregator (120) in inferring tracks from measurement reports. Multiple coherent aggregators, in communication with each other and loosely coupled, may be operated simultaneously.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a plurality of objects, comprising:

a data interface configured to receive a plurality of data elements, each data element selected from the group consisting of;

measurement reports comprising data about objects; and

tracks, comprising inferred trends in data about objects;

a user interface comprising a display and a user input device, the user interface coupled to the data interface and configured to display measurement reports and tracks; and

a first coherent aggregator, coupled to the data interface and to the user interface, the first coherent aggregator being configured to;

receive at least one data element;

receive user input from the user input device;

generate a revised track in response to the data element and the user input; and

provide the revised track to the display,

wherein the first coherent aggregator is configured to receive user input comprising an instruction selected from the group consisting of;

an instruction to treat a track as two separate tracks,

an instruction to merge two tracks into one track, and

an instruction to interchange two tracks.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured to receive data from an Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured to receive data from an Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured to receive data from an airborne radar sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured to receive data from an aircraft transmitting its position.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured to receive data from a Blue Force Tracker (BFT) system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured to receive data from a ground-based mobile radar sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coherent aggregator is a battle control system (BCS).

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coherent aggregator is an Enhanced-OASIS Fusion Capability (E-OFC) system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to enable a user to designate two icons corresponding to two tracks to be merged into one track.

11. The system of claim 1, comprising a second coherent aggregator, loosely coupled to the first coherent aggregator, and configured to communicate with the first coherent aggregator.

12. A method for tracking a plurality of objects, comprising:

receiving, by a coherent aggregator, a data element selected from the group consisting of;

measurement reports comprising data about objects; and

tracks, comprising inferred trends in data about objects;

receiving, by the coherent aggregator, user input comprising an instruction selected from the group consisting of;

an instruction to treat a track as two separate tracks,

an instruction to merge two tracks into one track, and

an instruction to interchange two tracks;

generating, by the coherent aggregator, a revised track in response to the data element and the user input; and

providing, by the coherent aggregator, the revised track to a display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving of user input comprises:

displaying a plurality of tracks on the display;

enabling, by the coherent aggregator and a user input device, a user to select two tracks; and

enabling, by the coherent aggregator and the user input device, a user to provide, as user input, an instruction to merge the two selected tracks.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the enabling of the user to select two tracks comprises enabling the user to left click with a mouse on a first one of the two tracks and enabling a user to right click with the mouse on a second one of the two tracks.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the enabling of the user to select two tracks comprises enabling the user to drag a rectangle, with a mouse, containing the two tracks.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising displaying, with the display, information about an object of the plurality of objects.