Ali K. Raz

A System-of-Systems Perspective on Information Fusion Systems: Architecture Representation and Evaluation

Information Fusion System employs multiple distributed and heterogeneous systems that collaborate with one another to achieve low-level and high-level information fusion functionality as defined by the JDL Data Fusion Model. The collaboration of distributed, heterogeneous and independent systems corroborates the Systems-of-Systems nature of the Information Fusion System. The main objective of this paper is to introduce a System-ofSystems perspective that enables an integrated design and evaluation of the Information Fusion System. In this paper, we apply a System-of-Systems architecting process to obtain a System-of-Systems representation of the Information Fusion System. The allocation of the JDL Data Fusion Model functional architecture to the System-of-Systems physical architecture results in an Information Fusion System-of-Systems allocated architecture that integrates the low-level and the high-level information fusion functions. Guidelines for creating Information Fusion System-of-Systems allocated architectures are established. These guidelines constraint the design space of Information Fusion System-of-Systems allocated architectures by taking into account the JDL Data Fusion Model limitations and the System-of-Systems considerations. Nonetheless, the non-uniqueness of Information Fusion System-of-System allocated architectures introduces an extensively large design space which requires a highly flexible evaluation model. This paper elaborates a multi-agent system modeling approach – which is built upon System-of-Systems principles – to provide a flexible evaluation model for the Information Fusion System-of-Systems.

Performance evaluation of distributed Track-to-Track fusion systems

Implications of network-centric considerations provide additional challenges for fusing track information from distributed and heterogeneous sources. In this paper a multisensor tracking system that consists of distributed active and passive sensors is used to describe a distributed Track-to-Track (T2T) fusion system. Network-centric operations manifest an extended design space for the distributed T2T fusion systems. This paper describes a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach to comprehend the extended design space of the distributed T2T fusion systems. Using statistical analysis techniques, ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests, we quantify the impact of key system design variables on the distributed T2T fusion system performance. The sensitivity analysis, based on statistical results, establishes the significance of interactions between system design variables and emphasizes the need for design and evaluation of the distributed T2T fusion systems in a system of systems context.

A System-of-Systems perspective for information fusion system design and evaluation

Abstract This paper provides a System-of-Systems (SoS) perspective for integrated design and evaluation of an Information Fusion System (IFS). IFS is comprised of distributed and heterogeneous systems that accomplish low-level and high-level information fusion (LLIF and HLIF) functionality. LLIF and HLIF functions are developed independent from one another but require collaboration to achieve the IFS mission objectives. The distribution and heterogeneity of systems, in addition to the multiplicity of LLIF and HLIF functions, creates an extensively large design space for the IFS. We apply a SoS engineering architecting process to obtain integrated architectures of IFS and propose guidelines to constrain an otherwise infinite design space of Information Fusion System-of-Systems (IF-SoS). Furthermore, we elaborate a multi-agent system modeling approach and pair it with Design of Experiments for objective evaluation of the IF-SoS design space. The statistical analysis, based on analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey Honest Significant Difference (HSD) Range Tests, quantifies the impact of interactions between LLIF and HLIF design considerations on the IF-SoS performance. Furthermore, statistical evidence is provided to demonstrate that the interactions among JDL levels, in particular between LLIF and HLIF, are the most significant design considerations for fusion performance which necessitate an integrated design and evaluation of LLIF and HLIF—a manifestation of the SoS perspective for the IFS.