Target Tracking With Target State Dependent Detection

Abstract

Target tracking algorithms usually treat the probability of detection as independent of the target state. In most cases, this assumption is not true, with subsequent degradation in the target tracking performance from both expected and optimal levels. One typical example is the Doppler frequency based clutter rejection, the other is obfuscation (shadowing) of ground based targets, and the third is antijamming notch filtering. This dependence of the probability of target detection on the target trajectory state modulates the measurement likelihood, which, in turn, introduces measurement nonlinearity. In this paper, we first present a general algorithm for target tracking in clutter when the probability of detection is target state dependent, and then proceed to an algorithm where both target state estimate and the probability of detection are modeled by Gaussian mixtures. The probability of target existence is recursively updated as the track quality measure used for false track discrimination. A two-sensor-based ground maneuvering target tracking in clutter simulation validates this approach.