System and method for multi-sensor multi-target 3D fusion using an unbiased measurement space

A system for determining positions of multiple simultaneously moving targets in an unbiased 3D measurement space using three dimensional (3D) fusion of sensor data collected against the multiple targets comprising:

• a plurality of electro-optical or infrared (EO/IR) sensors, each including a focal plane for a given waveband, for generating two dimensional (2D) measurement data for each of the multiple targets in one or more focal planes of said each sensor;
• a receiver for receiving data collected from electrical signals reflected from each of the multiple targets by the plurality of EO/IR sensors and range data from a LADAR configured to point to only one of the multiple moving targets;
• a first processor for calculating a line of sight (LOS) to each of the multiple targets for each of the plurality of sensors;
• and
• a second processor for synchronizing the plurality of EO/IR sensors in space and time by:
• intersecting the calculated line of sight for each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors and finding a closest intersection point in a 3D space in a 3D space, calculating a boresight line of sight in 3D for each of the plurality of sensors, intersection the boresight line of sights for each of the plurality of sensors and finding the closest intersection point, in the 3D space to define an origin for forming the unbiased 3D measurement space, generating the unbiased 3D measurement space from rates of LOS biases for each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors, as a virtual 3D sensor, wherein a size of the unbiased 3D measurement space is a function of ranges from the plurality of EO/IR sensors to the multiple targets, and calculating local unbiased 3D estimates of positions of the multiple targets in the unbiased 3D measurement space as a difference between a closest point of each of the multiple targets and a closest point of a respective boresight LOS, wherein the calculated local unbiased 3D estimates represent a local arrangement of the multiple targets, wherein the second processor fuses the range data from the LADAR pointed to said only one of the multiple moving targets with the local unbiased 3D estimates of the positions of the multiple targets and utilizes the fused range data with the local unbiased 3D estimates of the positions of the multiple targets to perform one or more of tracking the multiple targets, recognizing the multiple targets, and characterizing the multiple targets.

A non-transitory storage medium for storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions when executed by one or more processors perform a method for determining positions of multiple simultaneously moving targets in an unbiased three dimensional (3D) measurement space using data collected against the multiple targets by a plurality of electro-optical or infrared (EO/IR) sensors, the method comprising:

• receiving data collected from electrical signals reflected from the multiple targets by the plurality of EO/IR sensors, wherein each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors includes a focal plane for a given waveband;
• receiving range data from a LADAR configured to point to only one of the multiple moving targets;
• determining focal planes of each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors;
• generating two dimensional (2D) measurement data for each of the multiple targets in the focal planes of each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors;
• calculating a line of sight (LOS) to each of the multiple targets for each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors;
• synchronizing the plurality of EO/IR sensors in space and time by:
• intersecting the calculated lines of sight for each of the plurality of EO/IR sensor and finding the closest intersection point in a 3D space;
• calculating a boresight line of sight in 3D for each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors;
• intersecting the boresight lines of sights for each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors;
• calculating the closest intersection point in the 3D space to define an origin for forming the unbiased 3D measurement space;
• generating the unbiased 3D measurement space from rates of LOS biases for each of the plurality of EO/IR sensors, as a virtual 3D sensor, wherein a size of the unbiased 3D measurement space is a function of ranges from the plurality of EO/IR sensors to the multiple targets;
• and
• calculating local unbiased 3D estimates of the positions of the multiple targets in the unbiased 3D measurement space as a difference between a closest point of each of the multiple targets LOS and a closest point of a respective boresight LOS, wherein the calculated local unbiased 3D estimates represent a local arrangement of the multiple targets;
• fusing the range data from the LADAR pointed to said only one of the multiple moving targets with the local unbiased 3D estimates of the positions of the multiple targets;
• and
• utilizing the fused range data with the local unbiased 3D estimates of the positions of the multiple targets to perform one or more of tracking the multiple targets, recognizing the multiple targets, and characterizing the multiple targets, wherein the method is performed by one or more processors.