Patent ID: 6236899
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
An apparatus for performing three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking on a track of interest in an air traffic control environment, comprising:alpha curve generating means for generating an alpha curve, representing position errors between a three-dimensional position and a reported three-dimensional position of the track of interest in the air traffic control environment at a plurality of times;beta curve generating means for generating a beta curve, representing velocity errors between a predicted velocity and a reported velocity of the track of interest in the air traffic control environment at the plurality of times;plotting means for plotting the alpha curve and the beta curve in a probability versus error plane;acceleration determining means for determining an acceleration and a change in acceleration for the track of interest in the air traffic control environment at each of the plurality of times; andthree-dimensional alpha-beta tracking means for performing three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking on the track of interest in the air traffic control environment such that as said three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking means move along the alpha curve and the beta curve in the probability versus error plane in a first direction, when a magnitude of the change in acceleration is negative, said three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking means continues to along the alpha curve and the beta curve in the first direction and when the magnitude of the change in acceleration is positive, said three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking means moves along the alpha curve and the beta curve in a second direction, opposite to the first direction.