Data association and tracking algorithm for a shipborne infrared surveillance system

Based on the characteristics of the infrared sensor and targets, we propose a tracking algorithm for a single passive sensor system. The polar coordinates are adopted in modeling the system for simplicity. A method based on heuristic rules is utilized to initiate the track, and the joint probability data association (JPDA) in the bearing-only field is presented. Based on the variation rule of the angular vectors, we make a modification to the algorithm and implement the interacting multiple model (IMM) tracking filter. Several simulating scenarios are provided to verify the performance of the algorithm, and the simulation results demonstrate the validity of the new method.