Joint probabilistic data association filter for partially unresolved target groups

In many surveillance problems the observed objects are so closely spaced that they cannot always be resolved by the sensor(s). Typical examples for partially unresolved measurements are the surveillance of aircraft in formation, and convoy tracking for ground surveillance. Ignoring the limited sensor resolution in a tracking system may lead to degraded tracking performance, in particular unwanted track-losses. In this paper, we further discuss a recently presented extension of the resolution model by Koch and van Keuk to the case of arbitrary object numbers, and it is shown how that model can be incorporated into the Joint Probabilistic Data Association Filter (JPDAF). Further, through simulations of a ground target tracking scenario, it is shown how the incorporation of the resolution model improves tracking performance when targets are partially unresolved.