Method and apparatus for assessing contact clusters

• US 7,750,840 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Wood, Thomas E., Work, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor; John B
• Application Number:
  US11/950,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20090140909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 342/28, 342/90, 342 95- 97, 342/189, 342/195
• US Class Current: 342/95
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for identifying a plurality of contacts from a signal return, defining a zone containing a number of contacts from the plurality of contacts, determining a centroid for the contacts in the zone, and tracking the contacts in the zone as a single contact based on the centroid.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving signal return from a transmitted radar signal at a sensor;

identifying a plurality of contacts from the signal return;

defining a zone containing a number of contacts from the plurality of contacts;

determining a centroid for the contacts in the zone using a computer; and

tracking the contacts in the zone as a single contact based on the centroid.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of contacts have a velocity less than a select value.

3. The method according to claim 1, further including maintaining a count of the number of contacts in the zone.

4. The method according to claim 3, further including generating an alert when the count changes.

5. The method according to claim 1, further including modifying boundaries of the zone in response to movement of the contacts in the zone.

6. The method according to claim 5, further including modifying the boundaries when a first one of the contacts in the zone comes within a track correlation gate distance of a radar.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including moving the boundary based upon movement of the centroid.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including creating a further zone of contacts that is a subset of the contacts in the original zone in response to spreading of the contacts.

9. The method according to claim 8, further including automatically creating the further zone of contacts.

10. The method according to claim 1, further including individually tracking a contact exited from the zone of contacts.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal return is processed by a navigational radar.

12. The method according to claim 1, further including limiting contacts in the zone to surface vessels less than a selected size having a velocity less than a selected value.

13. A system, comprising:

a receiver to receive signal return from a transmitted radar signal;

a signal processor to process the signal return;

a contact cluster module to process a cluster of contacts in the signal return within a zone; and

a cluster track module to determine a centroid of the contacts in the cluster of contacts and track the centroid.

14. The system according to claim 13, further including a count module to process a count of contacts in the cluster of contacts for selectively generating alerts.

15. The system according to claim 13, further including a cluster division module to subdivide the zone.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the cluster module moves boundaries of the zone based upon locations of contacts in the zone.

17. An article, comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following;

identifying a plurality of contacts from a signal return from a transmitted radar signal;

defining a zone containing a number of contacts from a plurality of contacts in the signal return;

determining a centroid for the contacts in the zone; and

tracking the contacts in the zone as a single contact based on the centroid.

18. The article according to claim 17, further including instructions for maintaining a count of the number of contacts in the zone and generating an alert when the count changes.

19. The article according to claim 17, further including instructions for modifying boundaries of the zone in response to movement of the contacts in the zone.

20. The article according to claim 17, further including instructions for creating a further zone of contacts that is a subset of the contacts in the original zone in response to spreading of the contacts.