Method and apparatus for passive determination of target data

Apparatus for passive determination of target data associated with a target said target data comprising a target range (R), a target course (K) and/or a target velocity (V), from bearing angles (4), which can be measured by means of an arrangement of water-borne sound sensors of a sonar receiving installation (2) by directionally selective reception of sound waves emitted or sent from the target, and from estimatable bearing angles, which can be determined from estimated positions of the target, said apparatus having

• means for iteratively minimizing bearing angle differences from the measured bearing angles (4) and the estimated bearing angles over a plurality of processing cycles by means of at least one optimization method (6) comprising a CTMA method, and with an estimated position of the target, determined as an optimized CTMA solution (12), from the temporary target data, and with the optimization method (6) taking into account predetermined limit values (10) for the target data to be determined, during the optimization,
• an error handling device (14) designed to identify and to correct incorrect limit values (10), said error handling device (14) having a plausibility test module (38) and a correction module (40), said plausibility test module (38) designed to identify incorrect limit values (10), said correction module (40) designed to correct incorrect limit values (10), and
• an output unit (24) for outputting the optimized CTMA solution (12) from the optimization method (6) and/or for outputting target data which can be determined from the optimized CTMA solution (12) and is assumed to be correct, for the situation in which no incorrect limit values (10) can be identified by means of the plausibility test module (38).

A method selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) a method for passive determination of target data associated with a target, said target data comprising a target range (R), a target course (K) and/or a target velocity (V), said method comprising:
• providing predeterimined limit values (10) for target data that are to be determined,
• measuring from bearing angles (4) to the target, which are measured by means of an arrangement of water-borne sound sensors of a sonar receiving installation (2) by directionally selective reception of sound waves emitted or sent from the target, and from estimated
• estimating bearing angles determined from estimated positions of the target,
• minimizing bearing angle differences from the measured bearing angles (4) and the estimated bearing angles by iteratively minimizing the bearing angle differences over a plurality of processing cycles by means of at least one optimization method (6) comprising a CTMA method, wherein an estimated position of the target is determined as an optimized CTMA solution (12), from temporary target data, said at least one optimization method (6) taking account of the predetermined limit values (10) for the target data to be determined, during the optimization,
• carrying out an error handling process (14) for identification and correction of incorrect limit values (10), said error handling process (14) including the following steps:
• a) limit values (10) are checked for possible errors by means of a plausibility test module (38) carrying out a plausibility test for identification of incorrect limit values (10), and
• b) i) if at least one incorrect limit value (10) is identified, one, a plurality, or all of the limit values (10) are changed using predetermined rules by means of a correction module (40) to obtain corrected limit values (20), and repeating the optimization method (6) and the error handling process (14) step (a) again, taking account of the changed limit values (20) for determination of new temporary target data, and
• ii) if no incorrect limit value (10) is identified, the optimized CTMA solution (12) from the optimization method (6) is output, and/or the target data which has been determined from the optimized CTMA solution (12) and is assumed to be correct is output,
• a residue test (42) and/or an edge test (44) are/is carried out for the plausibility test (38) for identification of incorrect limit values (10), and
• determining a residue factor (Q) for the residue test (42), said residue factor (Q) being determined from the respective solutions of the optimization methods using at least two different optimization methods that respectively comprise a TMA method (26) and a CTMA method (6), said residue factor (Q) being compared with at least one predetermined threshold value for identification of incorrect limit values (10);
• wherein said method includes using at least one computer, and
• (b) a method for passive determination of target data associated with a target, said target data comprising a target range (R), a target course (K) and/or a target velocity (V), said method comprising:
• providing predetermined limit values (10) for target data that are to be determined,
• measuring from bearing angles (4) to the target, which are measured by means of an arrangement of water-borne sound sensors of a sonar receiving installation (2) by directionally selective reception of sound waves emitted or sent from the target, and from estimated
• estimating bearing angles determined from estimated positions of the target,
• minimizing bearing angle differences from the measured bearing angles (4) and the estimated bearing angles by iteratively minimizing the bearing angle differences over a plurality of processing cycles by means of at least one optimization method (6) comprising a CTMA method, wherein an estimated position of the target is determined as an optimized CTMA solution (12), from temporary target data, said at least one optimization method (6) taking account of the predetermined limit values (10) for the target data to be determined, during the optimization,
• carrying out an error handling process (14) for identification and correction of incorrect limit values (10), said error handling process (14) including the following steps:
• a) limit values (10) are checked for possible errors by means of a plausibility test module (38) carrying out a plausibility test for identification of incorrect limit values (10), and
• b) i) if at least one incorrect limit value (10) is identified, one, a plurality, or all of the limit values (10) are changed using predetermined rules by means of a correction module (40) to obtain corrected limit values (20), and repeating the optimization method (6) and the error handling process (14) step (a) again, taking account of the changed limit values (20) for determination of new temporary target data, and
• ii) if no incorrect limit value (10) is identified, the optimized CTMA solution (12) from the optimization method (6) is output, and/or the target data which has been determined from the optimized CTMA solution (12) and is assumed to be correct is output,
• wherein said plausibility test comprises carrying out a residue test (42) and/or an edge test (44) for identification of incorrect limit values (10), and
• for the edge test (44) for identification of incorrect limit values (10), the limit values (10) and/or a variable which is derived from the limit values (10), in particular state restrictions, are/is compared with the optimized CTMA solution (12) from the optimization method (6), and/or the temporary target data which has been obtained from the optimized CTMA solution (12),
• wherein said method includes using at least one computer.