processing orthonormal transformation methods to the DOLP approach used in
Section 5.3 for obtaining a polynomial fit to data. The two methods are shown
to be essentially identical. The square-root Kalman filter, which is less sensitive
to round-off errors, is discussed in Section 14.5.
Up until now the deterministic part of the target model was assumed to be
time invariant. For example, if a polynomial fit of degree m was used for the
target dynamics, the coefficients of this polynomial fit are constant with time.
Chapter 15 treats the case of time-varying target dynamics.
The Kalman and Bayes filters developed up until now depend on the
observation scheme being linear. This is not always the situation. For example,
if we are measuring the target range R and azimuth angle but keep track of the
target using the east-north x, y coordinates of the target with a Kalman filter,
then errors in the measurement of R and are not linearly related to the
resulting error in x and y because
x ¼ R cos ð1Þ
and
y ¼ R sin ð2Þ
where is the target angle measured relative to the x axis. Section 16.2 shows
how to simply handle this situation. Basically what is done is to linearize
Eqs. (1) and (2) by using the first terms of a Taylor expansion of the inverse
equations to (1) and (2) which are
R ¼
ffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
x
2
þ y
2
p
ð3Þ
¼ tan
y
x
ð4Þ
Similarly the equations of motion have to be linear to apply the Kalman–
Bayes filters. Section 16.3 describes how a nonlinear equation of motion can be
linearized, again by using the first term of a Taylor expansion of the nonlinear
equations of motion. The important example of linearization of the nonlinear
observation equations obtained when observing a target in spherical coordinates
(R, , ) while tracking it in rectangular (x, y, z) coordinates is given. The
example of the linearization of the nonlinear target dynamics equations
obtained when tracking a projectile in the atmosphere is detailed. Atmospheric
drag on the projectile is factored in.
In Chapter 17 the technique for linearizing the nonlinear observation
equations and dynamics target equations in order to apply the recursive Kalman
and Bayes filters is detailed. The application of these linearizations to a
nonlinear problem in order to handle the Kalman filter is called the extended
Kalman filter. It is also the filter Swerling originally developed (without the
xviii PREFACE