MULTIPLE HYPOTHESIS TRACK CONFIRMATION FOR INFRARED SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS

An overall methodology is described for the application of a multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) algorithm to the infrared (IR) surveillance system problem of establishing tracks on dim targets in a heavy clutter or false alarm background. First, it discusses the manner in which the detection and tracking systems are jointly designed to optimize performance. Next, it presents approximate methods that can conveniently be used for preliminary system design and performance prediction. Finally, it discusses the use of a detailed Monte Carlo simulation for final system evaluation and presents results illustrating the proposed methods and comparing predicted and simulation performance.