Switch-observer for switched linear systems

To determine the switching signal and the state of a switched linear system, one usually requires mode observability. This requires that all individual modes are observable and that the modes are distinguishable. In theory, it allows to determine the active mode in an arbitrarily short time. If one enlarges the observation to an interval that contains a switch, both assumptions (observability of each mode and clearly distinct dynamics) can be relaxed. In [1] this concept, called switch observability, was formalized. It is of particular interest for fault identification. Based on switch observability, we propose an observer. This observer combines the information obtained before and after a switching instant to determine both the state and the switching signal. It is analyzed and illustrated in an example.