Track fusion using SIGINT or estimated speed

A non-transitory computer readable storage device comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• receiving data indicating a first actual Time of Arrival (ToA) of a first SIGnal INTelligence (SIGINT) signal at a collector;
• receiving data indicating a second actual ToA of a second SIGINT signal at the collector, the second actual ToA after the first actual ToA, the first and second SIGINT signals originating from the same emitter;
• estimating a first location and a first covariance of the first SIGINT signal, the first covariance defining a confidence interval associated with the first SIGINT signal originating from the first location;
• generating a first bounding area based on the first covariance and the first location, the bounding area indicating a region in which the first SIGINT signal originated;
• estimating a second location and second covariance of the second SIGINT signal, the second covariance defining a confidence interval associated with the second SIGINT signal originating from the second location;
• calculating a plurality of residual errors, each residual error calculated based on the first and second locations and the first and second estimated ToAs;
• determining track fragments that are within the first bounding area so as to define which tracks are in a first plurality of track fragments;
• estimating a first set of estimated ToAs of the first SIGINT signal at a collector, each of the first set of estimated ToAs based on a different track fragment of the first plurality of track fragments active at the first time;
• estimating a second set of estimated ToAs of the second SIGINT signal at the collector, each of the second set of estimated ToAs based on a different track fragment of a second plurality of track fragments active at the second time;
• and
• matching a track fragment of the first plurality of track fragments with a track fragment of the second plurality of track fragments based on the first and second sets of estimated ToAs, the first and second actual ToAs, and the residual errors.

An apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

• receive data indicating a first actual Time of Arrival (ToA) of a first SIGnal INTelligence (SIGINT) signal at a collector;
• receive data indicating a second actual ToA of a second SIGINT signal at the collector, the second actual ToA after the first actual ToA, the first and second SIGINT signals originating from the same emitter;
• estimate a first location and a first covariance of the first SIGINT signal, the first covariance defining a confidence interval associated with the first SIGINT signal originating from the first location;
• generate a first bounding area based on the first covariance, the bounding area indicating a region in which the first SIGINT signal originated;
• estimate a second location and second covariance of the second SIGINT signal, the second covariance defining a confidence interval associated with the second SIGINT signal originating from the second location;
• calculate a plurality of residual errors, each residual error calculated based on the first and second locations and the first and second estimated ToAs;
• determine track fragments that are within the first bounding area so as to define which tracks are in the first plurality of track fragments;
• estimate a first set of estimated ToAs of the first SIGINT signal at a collector, each of the first set of estimated ToAs based on a different track fragment of the first plurality of track fragments active at the first time;
• estimate a second set of estimated ToAs of the second SIGINT signal at the collector, each of the second set of estimated ToAs based on a different track fragment of a second plurality of track fragments active at the second time;
• and
• match a track fragment of the first plurality of track fragments with a track fragment of the second plurality of track fragments based on the first and second sets of estimated ToAs, the first and second actual ToAs, and the residual errors.