Linear joint integrated probabilistic data association - LJIPDA

This paper presents a new approach for multi-target tracking. In multi-target situations, multiple tracks may share the same measurement(s). Rather than forming joint events by creating all possible combinations of track-measurement assignments, only a single track is processed at a time. Therefore, the number of operations is linear in the number of tracks. The a-priori probabilities of measurement origin are the conduit for inter-track information transfer. The LJIPDA algorithm follows three steps. In the first step, the a-priori probabilities of measurement origin are established for all tracks and all measurements. The next step is measurement oriented and corrects these probabilities. The final step is a modified IPDA algorithm, which uses visibility of measurements to the tracks to calculate the probability of target existence and the data-association probabilities. These probabilities allow track update in the classic PDA fashion, as well as automatic track initiation, maintenance and termination. Simulations are used to verify the performance of the LJIPDA algorithm and compare it with the performance of the IPDA and JIPDA algorithms in a dense and non-homogenous clutter environment, in crossing target situations.