Exclusion Areas

Introduction

This section discuss three specific types of Areas: Exclusion Areas, Partial Exclusion Areas and Track Query Exclusion Areas, as well as how to configure them, and what purposes each is suited to.

Overview

Certain situations can cause false tracks to be created and/or alarms triggered e.g. trees moving in the wind. One solution is to adjust the affected tracking Areas in order to isolate the cause(s) of false tracks. Creating an Area allows you to apply certain parameters to each Area dependent on type. The two types of isolating areas are Exclusion Areas and Partial Exclusion Areas. Multiple Exclusion Areas can be created and overlapped to create exclusion zones within the Virtual Detection Area. Track Query Exclusion Areas are technically alarm areas, and unlike the other Exclusion Areas given they do not affect tracks.

Exclusion Area Uses

Exclusion: This type of Area is the equivalent of a black hole to the system; everything within its borders is completely ignored. Any track entering a full exclusion will be lost and created as a completely new track upon exiting the Area. Exclusion Areas are applied automatically to all radar sensors when they are created.

Partial Exclusion: When an Area is classified thus, existing tracks will be visible and tracked through the Area, however, new tracks cannot be created within the Area. Partial Exclusion Areas must be created and then assigned to individual radar sensor's Channels. Partial Exclusion Areas are technically Detection Areas, not Exclusion Areas.

Track Query Exclusion: An Area of alarm suppression drawn around the Area Covered of a specific track. New and existing tracks can be created in and travel through a Track Query Exclusion Area, but cannot set off alarms when within the Area.

Where a track enters a location covered by overlapping Area types (and monitored by a single tracker), it is the Area that is listed first in the radar sensor's Channel that will be prioritised and solely used to process the track within that location. This can be configured under Tracking Areas, Tracker Settings in the Radar Settings. The area types must be placed in this order Partial Exclusion, Detection, General. Exclusion Areas are automatically given precedence over all other area types.

Creating an Exclusion Area

Enable the Config Function, then select Areas in the Configuration Tree.
In the Configuration Panel, select New, then select New Area to activate the Create New Area Wizard.
In the Create New Area Wizard, select Exclusion from the Type dropdown list.
Configure the rest of the options, and select Finish.
Use Standard Creating and Editing - https://navtechradar.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TUN/pages/206602339/Creating+and+Editing+Entities#Standard-Area-and-Shape-Manipulation to edit the shape and orientation of the Exclusion Area. Select Save.
The Exclusion Area will now not register any tracks that pass through it. They will be spotted again once they have left the Exclusion Area.

Exclusion Area Example

In this example, a track is approaching the Exclusion Area:
The track disappears into the Exclusion Area:
Once outside of the Exclusion Area, the person reappears as a new track. The original track has been lost in the Exclusion Area.
This Track Query illustrates the track pathways, and how they are disrupted by the Exclusion Area:

Creating a Partial Exclusion Area

Enable the Config Function, then select Areas in the Configuration Tree
In the Configuration Panel, select New, then select New Area to activate the Create New Area Wizard.
In the Create New Area Wizard, select Detection from the Type dropdown list. Configure the rest of the options, and select Finish.
Use the Standard Creating and Editing to edit the shape and orientation of the Partial Exclusion Area. Select Save.
Next, go to Radar Settings, by selecting Radar Group, and selecting Settings in the Configuration Panel.
Select the Tracker Settings expansion button, and then select the Channel you wish to apply the Partial Exclusion Area to.
Scroll down to the Tracking Areas section. Select Edit, and using the ➕ button, assign your Partial Exclusion with Partial Parameters. Select OK then Save.
Your Partial Exclusion Area is now assigned to the correct Tracking Parameter.

Multiple, overlapping Areas must be listed in order of importance in the Tracking Area list. You can only order within the same parameter type and Partial parameters must be higher than normal parameters. This is because partial parameters are more restrictive than normal parameters, therefore, they have to have a higher priority otherwise they would not work.

Note that a Tracking Area can be removed from a Channel by selecting it from the list, pressing the ➖ and then selecting Save. This does not delete the actual Area.

Partial Exclusion Area Example

It is difficult to demonstrate the lack of track creation in a static image. However, in the example below, a comparison can be drawn between the presence of arrow icon tracks outside the Partial Exclusion Area (in pink) and the lack of arrow icon tracks inside the Area. The arrow icons represent Unclassified Tracks, which are often Unclassified because they are new, and not yet identified as a specific track type. If we take arrow icon tracks to mostly represents new tracks, then there are no new tracks created in the Partial Exclusion Area, whilst tracks created and classified outside the Area pass through unexcluded.

Partial Exclusion Area Uses

Partial Areas can be used in instances such as:

At a pronounced junction, to prevent a car waiting to pull out being classified as a Stopped Vehicle.
In regions with consistent and expected Debris that doesn't need to be flagged.
To prevent track aberration in an underpass/overpass detection zone.

Track Query Exclusion Areas

The Exclusion Areas created through a Track Query are actually Alarm Areas but function as Alarm Exclusion Areas - they suppress alarms within. In order to create a Track Query Exclusion Area:

Perform a Track Query, in the Playback tab, and select Show on the track results in the Query Results Panel.
Identify potential areas of repeated debris or unclassified tracks, then select and Locate a specific track. Selected tracks will highlight individual sightings on the PPI when selected.
Select Create Exclusion to insert an Alarm Exclusion Area around the track's Area Covered. The area below is outlined in orange:
The new Alarm Exclusion Area will appear in the Configuration Tree under the Areas folder, and can be enabled or disabled by toggling Armed/Disarmed in the Area Details Panel.