Patents by Inventor Robert J. Dempster

Robert J. Dempster has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8654005
    Abstract: Methods for resolving radar ambiguities using multiple hypothesis tracking are described. One such method includes (a) choosing a single waveform for each of a plurality of dwells of a first scan, wherein the single waveforms of consecutive scans are different, (b) generating the first scan using the single waveform for each of the dwells of the first scan, (c) receiving observation data as a result of the first scan, the observation data comprising measured positions of true targets and false targets, (d) generating, using multiple hypothesis tracking, position predictions for true targets and false targets, (e) comparing the predicted positions and measured positions, repeating (a)-(e) until a preselected process condition is met, and determining the true targets based on the results of the comparisons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Keian Christopher, Samuel S. Blackman, Robert A. Rosen, Robert J. Dempster
  • Publication number: 20130093617
    Abstract: Methods for resolving radar ambiguities using multiple hypothesis tracking are described. One such method includes (a) choosing a single waveform for each of a plurality of dwells of a first scan, wherein the single waveforms of consecutive scans are different, (b) generating the first scan using the single waveform for each of the dwells of the first scan, (c) receiving observation data as a result of the first scan, the observation data comprising measured positions of true targets and false targets, (d) generating, using multiple hypothesis tracking, position predictions for true targets and false targets, (e) comparing the predicted positions and measured positions, repeating (a)-(e) until a preselected process condition is met, and determining the true targets based on the results of the comparisons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Keian Christopher, Samuel S. Blackman, Robert A. Rosen, Robert J. Dempster
  • Patent number: 5909189
    Abstract: A method for automatic group tracking detects target formations and group tracks corresponding to each formation. Pseudo-observations are formed to represent missing observations in each track group. The pseudo-observations update the track states of undetected targets. Track validity estimates eliminate false tracks resulting from series of pseudo-observations. A group average velocity applied to each track in the group helps to maintain velocity stability. The operator has the option of suppressing the display of all tracks except for the leader of each group to eliminate the distraction of intra-group switching. This method can be applied to trackers that maintain a single track for each target or to trackers that maintain multiple track branches on each target, such as MHT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Samuel S. Blackman, Robert J. Dempster, Thomas S. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5414643
    Abstract: A multiple hypothesis tracking system (10) which generates a substantially continuous output to a system user. The multiple hypothesis tracking system (10) generates a primary set of tracks (12) which best represents the expected number of targets of interest in a cluster. For multiple sensor applications, a secondary set of tracks is generated having a less probability than the tracks in the primary set. A knowledge of track data is maintained from one scan to a subsequent scan such that tracks can be merged and deleted (14). A universal track file (16) is generated in which track associations from one scan to a subsequent scan are correlated such that the output of the track file remains consistent with respect to the number of tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Samuel S. Blackman, Robert J. Dempster