Dynamic inertial coordinate system maneuver detector and processing method

A maneuver detection method for use in a target tracking system disposed in a vehicle that is employed to detect a maneuvering target, said method comprising the steps of:

• estimating a predetermined parameter associated with a target at a time prior to a present observation time of the target;
• predicting the predetermined parameter at the time of observation of the target, assuming constant-velocity, straight line motion of the target;
• comparing the predicted parameter to an actual observation measurement of the parameter at the time of observation and processing residuals derived from the comparison to determine the probability that the target is maneuvering;
• and
• outputting a signal derived from the residual processing to provide a maneuver indication.

A maneuver detection method for use in a target tracking system disposed in a vehicle that is employed to detect a maneuvering target, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating a trackfile database that contains smoothed position and velocity estimate data of a moving target;
• generating a navigation database that contains velocity and acceleration data for the vehicle;
• processing the data from the trackfile and navigation databases to generate an updated history file containing target position and velocity estimates in platform-relative coordinates;
• rotating the target position and velocity estimates from the history file into observation-relative inertial coordinates;
• generating an observation database that contains observed data comprising range, range-rate, azimuth and elevation data of the target;
• transforming the observed data into observation-relative inertial coordinates;
• and
• comparing the transformed data target position and velocity estimates to observed target position and velocity values and calculating probilities and confidence values indicative of whether the target is maneuvering.

A maneuver detector for use in a target tracking system disposed in a vehicle that is employed to detect a maneuvering target, said maneuver detector comprising:

• a trackfile database that contains smoothed position and velocity estimate data of a moving target;
• a navigation database that contains velocity and acceleration data for the vehicle;
• an observation database that contains observed data comprising range, range-rate, azimuth and elevation data of the target;
• and
• a processor for processing the data from the trackfile and navigation databases to generate an updated history file containing target position and velocity estimates in platform-relative coordinates, for rotating the target position and velocity estimates from the history file into observation-relative inertial coordinates, for transforming the observed data into observation-relative inertial coordinates, and for comparing the transformed data target position and velocity estimates to observed target position and velocity values and calculating probilities and confidence values indicative of whether the target is maneuvering.