Patent ID: 7411543

Claim:
A method for estimating at least one of the type and future location of a missile based on information relating to its sensed present position and velocity, said method comprising the steps of: estimating from said sensed data a set of estimated parameters including at least one of mass flow rate, thrust, specific impulse, gravity-free burn-out velocity, burn-out-time, and mass at burn-out; comparing said set of estimated parameters with a database of a predetermined set of nominal values of mass flow rate, thrust, specific impulse, gravity-free burn-out velocity, burn-out-time, and mass at burn-out parameters for known missiles, to select the best match to said set of estimated parameters; accessing parameter reference information sets relating to the mass flow rate, thrust, specific impulse, gravity-free burn-out velocity, burn-out-time, and mass at burn-out parameters of that missile which is the best match; and using kinematic modeling, said sensed position and velocity, and said parameter reference information set of said best match, determining the future location of said missile.