Patent US5422830A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5422830A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for tracking a maneuvering target with a slow scan rate sensor
Assignee: F Poszat HU LLC
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Filing: 1993-01-12
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Granted: 1995-06-06
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Expires: 2013-01-12
Abstract
Abstract When the scan interval or time between successive potential detections is long with respect to a potential target's maneuvering capability (say on the order of ten seconds for a radar system), there is the possibility that the target may be able to deviate far enough away from its last detected position at scan i-1 that correlation of the target with a detection in scan i may not be possible using conventional tracking methods. The present invention uses a maneuvering gate to monitor a volume in space. The volume is bounded by intersecting ellipsoids and is disposed, preferably uniformly about the target's last estimate velocity vector. The surfaces of the ellipsoids which bound the volume may be determined by determining the loci of a combination of a straight and turning maneuver at a predetermined acceleration, which acceleration may be selected to be the maximum acceleration expected to be achievable by a predetermined target. When target correlation is disturbed or lost, the volume is examined. A detection in the volume is correlated to the target.
Inventors
- 👤 Edwin L. Post
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:40
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/66; G01S13/72; G01S13/723
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for correlating data from a slow scan sensor with a target for maintaining tracking of the target during target maneuvering, comprising: providing a maneuver gate to monitor a predetermined volume disposed about a velocity vector of the target, the velocity vector available from a historical track of the target, wherein the volume is bounded by inner and outer intersecting ellipsoids; examining the data for a potential detection when target correlation has been disturbed; and correlating the target with the detection when the detection lies within the volume.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for correlating data from a slow scan sensor with a target for maintaining tracking of the target during target maneuvering, comprising: providing a maneuver gate to monitor a predetermined volume disposed about a velocity vector of the target, the velocity vector available from a historical track of the target, wherein the volume is bounded by inner and outer intersecting ellipsoids; examining the data for a potential detection when target correlation has been disturbed; and correlating the target with the detection when the detection lies within the volume.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as in claim 1, wherein the volume is symmetrically disposed about the vector.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method as in claim 1, wherein one ellipsoid represents the loci of an object after proceeding in the direction of the vector for a first predetermined time and then proceeding in a turn having a first predetermined acceleration for a second predetermined time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as in claim 3, wherein the first time precedes the second time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as in claim 3, wherein the first acceleration is constant and has a value equal to the maximum acceleration that a predetermined target is expected to be able to achieve.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method as in claim 3 wherein the first time precedes the second time for the one ellipsoid and further wherein the second ellipsoid represents the loci of the object after proceeding in a turn having a second predetermined acceleration for a third predetermined time and then proceeding in a straight path for a fourth predetermined time.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as in claim 6, wherein the second acceleration is constant and has a value equal to the maximum acceleration that a predetermined target is expected to be able to achieve.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as in claim 3, wherein the sum of the first and second time is a scan interval of a tracking system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method as in claim 6, wherein the sum of the first and second time is a scan interval of a tracking system and further wherein the sum of the third and fourth time is a scan interval of the tracking system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as in claim 1, wherein the volume is a volume of revolution with the axis of revolution lying coincident with the vector.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of correlation includes: determining if the detection is outside the inner ellipsoid; determining if the detection is inside the outer ellipsoid; and declaring the detection to lie within the volume when the detection is both outside the inner ellipsoid and inside the outer ellipsoid.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method as in claim 11, wherein the first and second determining steps include processing target information in a target coordinate system, wherein at least some of the target information is obtained from the dot product of a target direction cosine vector in a sensor coordinate system and a position error vector in the sensor coordinate system.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as in claim 1, further including: extrapolating between the detection lying within the volume and a prior detection of the target for generating an updated velocity vector of the target; and reorienting the maneuver gate to monitor the predetermined volume disposed about the updated velocity vector.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-06-05 | 1998-12-05 | 1999-06-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-06-05 | 2002-12-05 | 2003-06-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-06-05 | 2006-12-05 | 2007-06-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |