Patent ID: 6404380
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A method for tracking a plurality of objects comprising:using at least one sensor to repeatedly scan a region containing at least one object and generating a variable number of N frames of said region that provide a plurality of observations associated with said N frames that include information for said at least one object in said N frames; determining a most probable partition of said observations into tracks and false observations by computing likelihood functions to generate a score to assign a sequence of said observations to a track and by determining a correct combination of said tracks by transforming a binary partitioning problem to a continuous partitioning problem that is solved and from which a binary solution is recovered; using a sliding window having a length N that encompasses said N frames of said region to allow both provisional and irrevocable data association decisions to be made to assign said observations to said tracks within said sliding window by determining said most probable partition of said observations into said tracks.