Adaptive Radar Scheduling of Track Updates

The scheduling of tracking update looks for a phased array radar is considered. A method called the Two-Slope Benefit Function (TSBF) Scheduler is formulated and requires that each tracking look have a benefit function, which specifies benefit as a function of start time. This method accounts for both look priority and target dynamics in formulating a look schedule. If the radar is overloaded with tracking look requests, the TSBF Scheduler down-selects a set of looks which can be scheduled, using a method which favours higher priority looks. Looks are scheduled to maximize the total benefit, and it is shown that the resulting maximization is equivalent to a linear program which can be solved efficiently using the simplex method. This technique attempts to optimize target tracking performance while making the best use of radar resources. An example is presented which illustrates the properties of the TSBF Scheduler and compares performance to the state-of-the-art.