Process for sensor resources management

• US 7,081,849 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: McMillan, Donald R., Collins, Noel, Moore, Kirk D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US10/976,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 342159-163, 342 89- 97, 342/189, 342/195
• US Class Current: 342/160
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking

Abstract

The subject process accepts the data from a kinematic tracker and maps them to fuzzy set conditions. Then using a multitude of defined membership functions and fuzzy logic gates, generates sensor mode control rules. It does this for every track and each sensor. The Rule with the best score becomes a sensor cue, which is used to place the sensor into one of three operating modes. If there are ambiguities do to one or more vehicles coming in to close proximity to each other process compares radar profiles of vehicle to those stored in an “on the fly” data base to eliminate the ambiguities.

Claims

1. A process for tracking nominated moving vehicles and at least one other vehicle by means of a radar system within an aircraft, the radar having moving target indicator, high range resolution and high update rate modes of operation, the process comprising the steps:

tracking the kinematic quality of the vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores therefore;

collecting data needed for future required disambiguations by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all tracked vehicles and providing a second set of scores therefore;

collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores therefore;

selecting the highest over all score of from said first, second and third scores; and

cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of tracking the kinematic quality of the vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores therefore includes the step of determining if the nominated track is near an intersection or near other vehicles; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high update rate mode.

3. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of tracking the kinematic quality of the vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores therefore includes the step of gathering data for nominated tracks, which currently have marginal kinematic estimation accuracy for estimation improvement; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the moving target indictor mode.

4. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores therefore includes the step of gathering data for nominated tracks to get profiles to try to disambiguate tracks that are now in the open but in the past where ambiguous with other tracks; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

5. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of tracking the kinematic quality of the vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores therefore includes the step of gathering data for tracks deemed to be potential confusers with nominated tracks, which currently have marginal kinematic estimation accuracy for estimation improvement; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the moving target indicator mode.

6. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores therefore includes the step of gathering data on confuser tracks to get profiles to try to disambiguate tracks that are now unambiguous, but in the past where ambiguous with other tracks; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

7. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores includes the step of gathering data on unambiguous nominated tracks to get profiles to fill-up an on-the-fly data base for documenting of the unambiguous nominated tracks for possible disambiguation, if required, at a later time; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution mode.

8. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores includes the step of gathering data on confuser tracks to get profiles to populate the on-the-fly data base for documenting the track for possible disambiguation at a later time; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

9. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of tracking the kinematic quality of the vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores therefore includes the step of gathering data for background surveillance track, which on currently have marginal kinematic estimatin accuracy for estimation; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the moving target identification mode.

10. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores therefore includes the step of gathering data on confuser tracks to get profiles to try to disambiguate background surveillance tracks that are now in the open but in the past where ambiguous with other tracks; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

11. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said step of collecting data needed for future required disambiguations by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all tracked vehicles and providing a second set of scores includes the step of gathering data on unambiguous background surveillance tracks to get profiles to populate the on-the-fly data base for recording of the track for possible disambiguation at a later; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

12. A process for tracking nominated moving vehicles and at least one other vehicle by means of a radar system within an aircraft, the radar having moving target indicator, high range resolution and high update rate modes of operation, the process comprising the steps:

tracking the kinematic quality of all vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores indicative of the need for monitoring a particular vehicle;

collecting data needed for future required disambiguations by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all tracked vehicles and providing a second set of scores indicative of the need for monitoring a particular vehicle;

collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores indicative the need for monitoring a particular vehicle;

selecting the highest over all score from said first, second and third set of scores; and

cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score.

13. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of tracking the kinematic quality of all vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores indicative of the need for monitoring a particular vehicle includes the step of determining if the nominated track is near an intersection or near other vehicles; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high update rate mode.

14. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of tracking the kinematic quality of all vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores indicative of the need for monitoring a particular includes the step of gathering data for nominated tracks, which currently have marginal kinematic estimation accuracy for estimation improvement; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the moving target indictor mode.

15. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores indicative the need for monitoring a particular includes the step of gathering data for nominated tracks to get profiles to try to disambiguate tracks that are now in the open but in the past where ambiguous with other tracks; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

16. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of tracking the kinematic quality of all vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores indicative of the need for monitoring a particular vehicle includes the step of gathering data for tracks deemed to be potential confusers with nominated tracks, which currently have marginal kinematic estimation accuracy for estimation improvement; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the moving target indicator mode.

17. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores indicative the need for monitoring a particular vehicle includes the step of gathering data on confuser tracks to get profiles to try to disambiguate tracks that are now unambiguous, but in the past where ambiguous with other tracks; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

18. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores indicative the need for monitoring a particular includes the step of gathering data on unambiguous nominated tracks to get profiles to fill-up an on-the-fly data base for documenting of the unambiguous nominated tracks for possible disambiguation, if required, at a later time; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution mode.

19. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores indicative the need for monitoring a particular vehicle includes the step of gathering data on confuser tracks to get profiles to populate the on-the-fly data base for documenting the track for possible disambiguation at a later time; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

20. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of tracking the kinematic quality of all vehicles by calculating position, heading, and speed uncertainty of the vehicles and providing a first set of scores indicative of the need for monitoring a particular vehicle includes the step of gathering data for background surveillance track, which on currently have marginal kinematic estimating accuracy for estimation; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the moving target identification mode.

21. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of collecting required data needed for immediate disambiguation by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all ambiguous tracked vehicles and providing a third set of scores indicative the need for monitoring a particular vehicle includes the step of gathering data on confuser tracks to get profiles to try to disambiguate background surveillance tracks that are now in the open but in the past where ambiguous with other tracks; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.

22. The process as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

said step of collecting data needed for future required disambiguations by calculating the usefulness and neediness of identification measurements of all tracked vehicles and providing a second set of scores indicative of the need for monitoring a particular vehicle includes the step of gathering data on unambiguous background surveillance tracks to get profiles to populate the on-the-fly data base for recording of the track for possible disambiguation at a later; and

said step of cueing the radar to track the vehicle with the highest over all score to operate in the high update rate mode or, high range resolution mode, or moving target indictor mode depending upon which score is the highest score includes the step of selecting the high resolution rate mode.