Linear filtering for time-varying systems using measurements containing colored noise

The Kalman-Bucy filter for continuous linear dynamic systems assumes all measurements contain "white" noise, i.e. noise with correlation times short compared to times of interest in the system. It is shown here that if correlation times are not short, or if some measurements are free of noise, the optimal filter is a modification of the Kalman-Bucy filter which, in general, contains differentiators as well as integrators. It is also shown for this case that the estimate and its covariance matrix are, in general, discontinuous at the time when measurements are begun. The case of random bias errors in the measurements is shown by example to be a limiting case of colored noise.