Track Extraction with Hidden Reciprocal Chain Models

This paper develops Bayesian track extraction algorithms for targets modelled as hidden reciprocal chains (HRC). HRC are a class of finite-state random process models that generalise the familiar hidden Markov chains (HMC). HRC are able to model the “intention” of a target to proceed from a given origin to a destination, behaviour which cannot be properly captured by a HMC. While Bayesian estimation problems for HRC have previously been studied, this paper focusses principally on the problem of track extraction, of which the primary task is confirming target existence in a set of detections obtained from thresholding sensor measurements. Simulation examples are presented which show that the additional model information contained in a HRC improves detection performance when compared to HMC models.