Target tracking system

1. A method for identifying a track for a target, the method comprising:

generating images of an area using a sensor system;

identifying observations in the area by processing the images using a detector;

identifying trees for targets, wherein each tree in the trees includes the observations that are connected to each other by branches and each observation has a score;

identifying a selected track in a tree within the trees with an observation having a highest score;

adding a group of branches to the selected track from other trees other than the tree having the selected track to form a track for a target, enabling reducing processing resources used to identify the track;

wherein the track for the target is a first track for a first target, the selected track is a first selected track and further comprising:

identifying a second selected track for a second target in a tree within the trees with an observation with a highest score that is absent from the first track; and

adding branches to the second selected track from other trees other than the tree having the second selected track to form a second track for the second target; and

performing an action based on the second track, wherein the action displays an indicator on a display system identifying a location of the second target and showing the second track.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tree is a first tree and the adding step comprises:

identifying an observation in a second tree within the other trees that is also in one end of the first selected track for the target; and

adding a branch of the second tree that includes the observation to the one end of the first selected track from the second tree to form the first track for the first target.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one end of the first selected track is at least one of an observation at an end of the first track or an observation at a start of the first track.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sorting the trees based on the highest score for an observation in each tree.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sorting the branches in the trees based on highest scores for the observations in each branch.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of identifying the trees for the targets comprises:

removing an undesired tree from the trees, wherein an observation that is located in another tree in the trees is absent from the undesired tree; and

performing the removing step until all undesired trees have been removed.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the score for each observation in the trees based on an analysis of frames.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor system, wherein the sensor system generates images of an area;

a detector, wherein the detector identifies observations in the area by processing the images; and

a track generation system, wherein the track generation system:

identifies trees for targets, wherein each tree in the trees includes the observations that are connected to each other by branches and each observation has a score;

identifies a selected track in a tree within the trees with an observation having a highest score;

adds a group of branches to the selected track from other trees other than the tree having the selected track to form the track for a target, enabling reducing processing resources used to identify the track;

wherein the track for the target is a first track for a first target, the selected track is a first selected track and the track generation system:

identifies a second selected track for a second target in a tree within the trees with an observation with a highest score that is absent from the first track; and

adds branches to the second selected track from other trees other than the tree having the second selected track to form a second track for the second target; and

performs an action based on the second track, wherein the action displays an indicator on a display system identifying a location of the second target and showing the second track.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the tree is a first tree, and wherein in adding the group of branches to the first selected track from the other trees other than the tree having the first selected track to form the first track for the first target, the track generation system identifies an observation in a second tree within the other trees that is also in one end of the first selected track for the first target; and adds a branch of the second tree that includes the observation to the one end of the first selected track from the second tree to form the first track for the target.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one end is at least one of an observation at an end of the first track or an observation at a start of the first track.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the track generation system sorts the trees based on the highest score for an observation in each tree.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the track generation system sorts the branches in the trees based on highest scores for observations in each branch.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein in identifying the trees for the targets, the track generation system removes an undesired tree from the trees, wherein an observation that is located in another tree in the trees is absent from the undesired tree and performs the removing step until all undesired trees have been removed.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the track generation system identifies the score for each observation in the trees based on an analysis of frames.

15. A tracking system comprising:

a sensor system that generates images of an area;

a detector that identifies observations in the area by processing the images;

a tree generator that generates trees, wherein each tree in the trees includes the observations that are connected to each other by branches;

a sorter that receives the trees from the tree generator, sorts the trees based on scores for the observations, and sorts the branches in the trees based on the score for the observations; and

a track generator that receives sorted trees, identifies a selected track in a tree within the sorted trees with an observation having a highest score, adds a group of branches to the selected track from other sorted trees other than the tree having the selected track to form a track for a target, enabling reducing processing resources used to identify the track;

wherein the track for the target is a first track for a first target, the selected track is a first selected track, and wherein the track generator:

identifies a second selected track for a second target in a tree within the trees with an observation with a highest score that is absent from the first track;

adds branches to the second selected track from other trees other than the tree having the second selected track to form a second track for the second target; and

performs an action based on the second track, wherein the action displays an indicator on a display system identifying a location of the second target and showing the second track.

16. The tracking system of claim 15 , wherein the tree is a first tree, and wherein in adding the group of branches to the first selected track from the other sorted trees other than the tree having the first selected track to form the first track for the first target comprises:

identifying an observation in a second tree within the other trees that is also in one end of the first selected track for the target; and

adding a branch of the second tree that includes the observation to the one end of the first selected track from the second tree to form the first track for the first target.

17. The tracking system of claim 16 , wherein the one end is at least one of an observation at an end of the first track or an observation at a start of the first track.