Claims
- 1. A method for target correlation between target information in an air traffic control system, the method comprising:
comparing selected components of a first target report associated with a first target to selected components of a second target report associated with a second target; producing a confidence level for each component comparison; and determining whether to declare the first target of the first report and the second target of the second target report similar based on the confidence level for each component compared.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing selected components of a first target report comprises comparing selected components of an ADS-B target report.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing selected components of a second target report comprises comparing selected components of a TIS target report.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the confidence levels to produce a total confidence level.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether to declare the first target of the first report and the second target of the second target report similar based on the confidence level for each component compared comprises determining whether to declare the first target of the first report and the second target of the second target report similar based on the total confidence level.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing selected components of a first target report associated with a first target to selected components of a second target report associated with a second target further comprises comparing selected components of an ADS-B target report associated with an ADS-B target to selected components of a TIS target report associated with a TIS target.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the selected components further comprises selecting at least one component chosen from the group consisting of range, bearing, relative altitude and track angle.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the selected components further comprises comparing at least range, bearing, relative altitude and track angle components.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the selected components of a first target report associated with a first target to selected components of a second target report associated with a second target further comprises implementing a probability model to compare the selected components.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein producing a confidence level further comprises implementing a probability model to produce a confidence level for each component comparison.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein producing a confidence level for each component comparison further comprises producing a confidence level for each component comparison based on predetermined TIS values.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined TIS values are determined empirically from flight test data.
- 13. The method of claim 1, wherein producing a confidence level for each component comparison further comprises producing a confidence level for each component comparison, wherein the confidence level is defined as a formula having an ADS-B component as a variable.
- 14. A method for target correlation between target information from different sources on associated targets in an air traffic control system, the method comprising:
determining similarity values for respective combinations of first targets from a first source and second targets from a second source utilizing a probability model function on target information from the first source and the second source; storing the similarity values in a correlation array; and correlating a first target with a nearest second target that is similar based on a predetermined correlation parameter.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining similarity values for respective combinations of first targets and second targets utilizing a probability model function further comprises determining similarity values for respective combinations of ADS-B targets and TIS targets utilizing a fuzzy logic function.
- 16. The method of claim 14, wherein correlating a first target with a nearest second target that is similar based on a predetermined correlation parameter further comprises correlating an ADS-B target with a nearest TIS target that is similar based on a range.
- 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the target information comprises at least two correlation parameters and wherein determining similarity values for respective combinations of first targets and second targets utilizing a fuzzy logic function further comprises determining a confidence level value based on a predetermined first source value, determining a total confidence level value by summing the confidence level values, and comparing the total confidence level value with a threshold value to determine a similarity value.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein predetermined first source value further comprises a predetermined TIS value.
- 19. The method of claim 17 wherein determining a confidence level value based on a predetermined first source value further comprises determining a confidence level value defined as a formula having an ADS-B component as a variable
- 20. A computer program product for causing target correlation between target information in an air traffic control system, comprising:
a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for causing target correlation between target information in an air traffic control system, the computer readable program code including:
computer readable program code for causing said computer to compare selected components of a first target report associated with a first target to selected components of a second target report associated with a second target; computer readable program code for causing said computer to produce a confidence level for each component comparison; and computer readable program code for causing said computer to determine whether to declare the first target and the second target similar based on the confidence level for each component comparison.
- 21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code for causing said computer to compare selected components of a first target report associated with a first target to selected components of a second target report associated with a second target further comprises computer readable program code for causing said computer to compare selected components of an ADS-B target report associated with an ADS-B target to selected components of a TIS target report associated with a TIS target.
- 22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code further includes computer readable program code for causing said computer to combine the confidence levels to produce a total confidence level.
- 23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer readable program code for causing said computer to determine whether to declare the first target and the second target similar based on the confidence level for each component comparison further comprises computer readable program code for causing said computer to determine whether to declare the first target and the second target similar based on the total confidence level.
- 24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the selected components of the first and second target reports comprise at least range, bearing, relative altitude and track angle.
- 25. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer readable program code further includes computer readable program code for implementing probability models to compare selected components of the first and second target reports, producing a confidence level for each component comparison, and combining the confidence levels to produce a total confidence level.
- 26. A computer system correlating between target information from different sources in an air traffic control system, the computer system programmed to perform the steps of:
comparing selected components of a first target report associated with a first target to selected components of a second target report associated with a second target; producing a confidence level for each component comparison; and determining whether to declare the first target and the second target similar based on the confidence level for each component comparison.
- 27. The computer system program of claim 26, wherein comparing selected components of a first target report associated with a first target to selected components of a second target report associated with a second target further comprises comparing selected components of an ADS-B target report associated with an ADS-B target to selected components of a TIS target report associated with a TIS target.
- 28. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the computer system is further programmed to perform the step of combining the confidence levels to produce a total confidence level.
- 29. The computer system device of claim 28, wherein determining whether to declare the first target and the second target similar based on the confidence level for each component comparison further comprises determining whether to declare the first target and the second target similar based on the total confidence level.
- 30. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the selected components of the first and second target reports comprise at least range, bearing, relative altitude and track angle.
- 31. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the computer system is programmed to perform the steps of implementing fuzzy logic probability models to compare selected components of the first and second target reports, producing a confidence level for each component comparison, and combining the confidence levels to produce a total confidence level.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/217,230, entitled “ADS-B and TIS Target Fusion”, filed on Jul. 10 2000, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09183969 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
Child |
10361305 |
Feb 2003 |
US |