Patent ID: 8970429
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. A method for tracking a target among a plurality of obstructions, by a radar using a multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) algorithm, the method comprising: operating the radar to transmit a radar beam from a first location toward the target, wherein the radar beam is reflected from the target as a direct path return signal and reflected from the obstructions as a plurality of multipath return signals; operating the radar to receive a plurality of return signals that includes the direct path return signal and the plurality of multipath return signals at the first location from the target, and to generate a plurality of observations for a single radar dwell respectively corresponding to the plurality of return signals; and processing, by a processor, the plurality of observations in accordance with the MHT algorithm for at least two passes such that more than one of the plurality of observations are associated with a single track of the target to allow the track to be updated with both direct return signal and multipath return signals, wherein the at least two passes comprise a first pass and at least one second pass, and the processing the plurality of observations comprises: processing, by the processor, the plurality of observations in the first pass as if all of the observations to be associated with direct path return signals from the target; and processing, by the processor, the plurality of observations in the at least one second pass as if all of the observations to be associated with a single multipath return signal from the target.