Performance evaluation of the sequential track initiation schemes with 3D position and doppler velocity measurements

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of incorporating Doppler velocity measurements into the most commonly used sequential track initiation schemes, the rule and logic based schemes. The measurement set has been expanded from range and azimuth to include elevation and Doppler velocity. Unlike previous studies, elevation and Doppler measurements have also been included in the analytical evaluation of the false track initiation probability. Performance improvement obtained by employing Doppler measurements has been demonstrated through simulations in terms of false track initiation probability and true track initiation probability. Receiver Operating Characteristics and System Operating Characteristics have also been utilized in performance evaluation. Analytical derivations and simulations have revealed that using Doppler velocity measurements along with 3D position measurements while initiating tracks in clutter leads to significant decrease in false track initiation probability while providing an acceptable level of true track initiation probability. Simulation results have also shown that inclusion of Doppler measurements has reduced the required time for track initiation, resulting in faster track initiation.