Methodology to provide assurance of data association in navigation and radar systems

A method comprising:

• sending measurement returns from at least one surveillance sensor onboard a vehicle to a correlator onboard the vehicle, the correlator operative to output correlated tracks based on the measurement returns;
• and
• sending the measurement returns and the correlated tracks to a verification module onboard the vehicle, wherein the verification module is operative to perform a method comprising:
• formulating a track permutation matrix of measurement statistics based on the measurement returns;
• receiving a first set of correlated tracks from the correlator (set a), which are identified as originating from at least one target;
• selecting a second set of correlated tracks from the track permutation matrix (set b), based on branching and bounding techniques, which identify sequences of measurements using a relative vehicle kinematic model of higher order than a model used by the correlator;
• and
• performing a verification procedure to determine whether properties of the set a are bounded by properties of the set b based on a result of a linear inequality comprising set a and set b;
• wherein if properties of the correlated tracks within the set a are bounded by, or are less than or equal to, properties of the correlated tracks within the set b, then the correlated tracks from the correlator are verified;
• wherein if properties of the correlated tracks within the set a are not bounded by, or are not less than or equal to, properties of the correlated tracks within the set b, then the correlated tracks from the correlator are not verified and are deleted;
• sending verified correlated tracks from the correlator to an onboard detect and avoid module, which fuses the verified correlated tracks to thereby estimate an optimal track for the at least one target;
• wherein the optimal track is used by the detect and avoid module to provide guidance to a vehicle guidance system, which aids in controlling the vehicle to ensure that the vehicle remains clear of other air traffic.

A program product comprising:

• a non-transitory processor-readable medium including program instructions, executable by at least one processor, to perform a method of assuring data association, the method comprising:
• receiving measurement returns from at least one onboard surveillance sensor in an onboard correlator module, which outputs correlated tracks based on the measurement returns;
• and
• receiving the measurement returns and the correlated tracks in an onboard verification module, wherein the verification module performs a process comprising:
• formulating a track permutation matrix of measurement statistics based on the measurement returns;
• receiving a first set of correlated tracks from the correlator module (set a), which are identified as originating from at least one target;
• selecting a second set of correlated tracks from the track permutation matrix (set b), based on branching and bounding techniques, which identify sequences of measurements using a relative vehicle kinematic model of higher order than a model used by the correlator;
• and
• performing a verification procedure to determine whether properties of the set a are bounded by properties of the set b based on a result of a linear inequality comprising set a and set b;
• wherein if properties of the correlated tracks within the set a are bounded by, or are less than or equal to, properties of the correlated tracks within the set b, then the correlated tracks from the correlator module are verified;
• wherein if properties of the correlated tracks within the set a are not bounded by, or are not less than or equal to, properties of the correlated tracks within the set b, then the correlated tracks from the correlator module are not verified and are deleted;
• sending verified correlated tracks from the correlator to an onboard detect and avoid module, which fuses the verified correlated tracks to thereby estimate an optimal track for the at least one target;
• wherein the optimal track is used by the detect and avoid module to provide guidance to a vehicle guidance system, which aids in controlling the vehicle to ensure that the vehicle remains clear of other air traffic.