METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THREE-DIMENSIONAL ALPHA/BETA TRACKING

A computer-implemented method and apparatus for performing alpha-beta tracking, which generate an alpha curve, representing position errors between a predicted three-dimensional position and a reported three-dimensional position of the track of interest at a plurality of times; generate a beta curve, representing velocity errors between a predicted velocity and a reported velocity of the track of interest at the plurality of times; plot the alpha curve and the beta curve in a probability versus error plane; determine an acceleration and a change in acceleration for the track of interest at each of the plurality of times; and perform three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking on the track of interest such that as the three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking moves along the alpha curve and the beta curve in the probability versus error plane in a first direction, when a magnitude of the change in acceleration is negative, the three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking continues to move along the alpha curve and the beta curve in the first direction and when the magnitude of the change in acceleration is positive, the three-dimensional alpha-beta tracking moves along the alpha curve and the beta curve in a second direction, opposite to the first direction.