Methods and apparatus for processing data from multiple sources
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsThomas K. Lo, Ronald O. White, William J. Schmitt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for processing data from multiple sources according to various aspects of the present invention include a sensing system for determining target information. The sensing system includes sensors to generate target information and local trackers to receive the target information from the sensors. The local trackers may generate local target data for the target, and a combiner connected to the local trackers may use the local target data to generate global data for the target.
Claims30
A sensing system for determining a target position, comprising:
- at least two sensors configured to generate target position information;
- at least two local trackers connected to the sensors and configured to;
- receive the target position information;
- generate at least two local aimpoints relating to the target;
- and
- generate a local reliability value for each of the at least two local aimpoints;
- and
- a combiner connected to the local trackers and configured to:
- receive the local aimpoints and generate a global aimpoint for the target;
- generate the global aimpoint according to the local aimpoints and a weight for each local aimpoint, wherein the weight for each local aimpoint is based on the local reliability value for the local aimpoint;
- and
- generate a global reliability value for each of the local aimpoints, wherein the weight attributed to each local aimpoint is based on the local reliability values and the global reliability values.
A missile having a guidance system for tracking a target, comprising:
- a plurality of sensors configured to sense information relating to the target;
- a plurality of local trackers connected to the sensors, wherein each of the local trackers is configured to generate a local aimpoint and a local reliability value for the local aimpoint according to the sensed information from at least one sensor;
- and
- a combiner connected to the local trackers and configured to:
- generate a global aimpoint according to the local aimpoints and the local reliability values;
- and
- generate a global reliability value for each of the local aimpoints.
A method for tracking a target, comprising:
- generating target position information using at least two sensors;
- generating a first local aimpoint for the target;
- generating a second local aimpoint for the target;
- generating a reliability value for the first local aimpoint, wherein the reliability value corresponds to a difference between the first local aimpoint and a substantially contemporaneous global aimpoint;
- generating a reliability value for the second local aimpoint wherein the reliability value corresponds to a difference between the second local aimpoint and a substantially contemporaneous global aimpoint;
- wherein the reliability values for the first and second local aimpoints comprise global reliability values;
- determining a weight for the first aimpoint according to the reliability value for the first aimpoint;
- determining a weight for the second aimpoint according to the reliability value for the second aimpoint;
- determining a global aimpoint according to the first and second local aimpoints and the weights for the first and second local aimpoints.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.