METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING INTERFEROMETRY TO PREVENT SPOOFING OF ADS-B TARGETS

• US 20090322586A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lanzkron, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,880,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/781 Secondary Surveillance Radar [SSR] in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/46 using antennas spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/36 Means for anti-jamming , e.g. ECCM, i.e. electronic counter-counter measures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for preventing spoofing of targets, such as aircraft, in an air traffic control system. In one embodiment, first and second antennas at respective ground stations can be used to receive a signal transmitted by an aircraft from which a phase signal can be generated. A position of the aircraft generate can be generated from peaks and troughs in the phase signal due to movement of the aircraft. The determined position can be compared to a position reported by the aircraft to identify spoofing of the target.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a signal from a target at first and second ground stations forming part of an air traffic control system;

determining a phase difference signal between the signal received at the first ground station and the signal received at the second ground station;

determining peaks and troughs in the phase difference signal due to movement of the target;

comparing the determined peaks and troughs in the phase difference signal with a phase difference derived from a position of the target reported by the target; and

identifying spoofing of the target from the comparison of the determined phase different signal and the signal derived from the position of the target reported by the target.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including comparing at selected times the determined peaks and troughs in the phase difference signal with a phase difference derived from a position of the target reported by the target to check for consistency between target reported location and possible target locations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the air traffic control system is an ADS-B system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target is an aircraft.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the target reported by the target was reported over a 1090ES link.

6. The method according to claim 1, further including determining possible target locations from the signal received at the first ground station and the signal received at the second ground station.

7. The method according to claim 6, further including determining spoofing of the target if the position of the target reported by the target is not of the possible target locations determined from the signal received at the first ground station and the signal received at the second ground station.

8. An air traffic control system, comprising

an ground station to communicate with aircraft, the ground station including first and second antennas;

a target spoofing detection module to detect spoofing by an aircraft if a position of the aircraft reported by the aircraft is not one of possible target locations determined from a signal from the aircraft received at the first ground station and received at the second ground station.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the target spoofing detection module is configured to determine a phase difference signal between the signal received at the first antenna and the signal received at the second antenna, compare the determined phase difference signal with a phase difference signal derived from a position of the aircraft reported by the aircraft, and to identify spoofing of the aircraft from the comparison of the determined phase different signal and the signal derived from the position of the aircraft reported by the aircraft.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the target spoofing detection module is configured to compare at selected times the determined peaks and troughs in the phase difference signal with a phase difference derived from a position of the aircraft reported by the aircraft to check for consistency between aircraft reported location and possible aircraft locations.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the air traffic control system is an ADS-B system.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the position of the aircraft reported by the aircraft was reported over a 1090ES link.

13. An article, comprising:

a computer readable medium containing stored instructions that enable a machine to perform the steps of;

receiving a signal from a target at first and second ground stations forming part of an air traffic control system;

determining a phase difference signal between the signal received at the first ground station and the signal received at the second ground station;

determining peaks and troughs in the phase difference signal due to movement of the target;

comparing the determined peaks and troughs in the phase difference signal with a phase difference derived from a position of the target reported by the target; and

identifying spoofing of the target from the comparison of the determined phase different signal and the signal derived from the position of the target reported by the target.

14. The article according to claim 13, further including instructions for comparing at selected times the determined peaks and troughs in the phase difference signal with a phase difference derived from a position of the target reported by the target to check for consistency between target reported location and possible target locations.

15. The article according to claim 13, wherein the air traffic control system is an ADS-B system.

16. The article according to claim 13, wherein the target is an aircraft.

17. The article according to claim 13, further including instructions for determining possible target locations from the signal received at the first ground station and the signal received at the second ground station.

18. The article according to claim 17, further including instructions for determining spoofing of the target if the position of the target reported by the target is not of the possible target locations determined from the signal received at the first ground station and the signal received at the second ground station.