BAND-SPECTRUM INTERFERENCE VISUALIZER IN A GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM RECEIVER

• US 20120229333A1
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Javad GNSS, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Javad GNSS, Inc.
• Inventors: Ashjaee, Javad, Yudanov, Sergey
• Granted Patent: US 11,209,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.29
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength

Abstract

An apparatus for determining signal strength data within at least one allocated GNSS frequency band is provided. The apparatus includes a GNSS antenna. The GNSS antenna receives signals within the allocated GNSS frequency band. The apparatus further includes receiving circuitry. The receiving circuitry is for demodulating the received signals. The apparatus further includes a processor and memory for storing instructions, executable by the processor. The instructions include instructions for generating signal strength data for the received signals within the GNSS allocated frequency based on the demodulated signals, and for determining a position for a point of interest based upon the demodulated signals. Included in the apparatus is a display screen for displaying a graphical representation of the signal strength data of at least a portion of the at least one GNSS allocated frequency band. The graphical representation identifies interference within at least the portion of the at least one GNSS allocated frequency band.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining signal strength data within an allocated GNSS frequency band, the apparatus comprising:

a GNSS antenna for receiving a received signal within the at least one GNSS allocated frequency band;

receiving circuitry for demodulating the received signal into a demodulated signal;

a processor;

memory for storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including instructions for;

generating signal strength data for the received signal within the allocated GNSS frequency band, and

determining a position for a point of interest based upon the demodulated signal; and

a display screen for displaying a graphical representation of the signal strength data for at least a portion of the allocated GNSS frequency band to identify interference within at least the portion of the GNSS allocated frequency band.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation includes at least one indicator identifying interference within at least the displayed portion of the at least one GNSS allocated frequency band.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein generating signal strength data for the received signals include is based on the demodulated signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating signal strength data for the received signals include instructions for calculating a square root of a sum of I² (in-phase) and Q² (quadrature-phase) components of the received signal to determine an amplitude component of the signal strength data.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions further include instructions for:

determining an indication of magnitude of the identified interference.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the receiving circuitry includes an automatic gain control (AGC), and wherein the instructions for determining the indication of magnitude include instructions for comparing an amplification magnitude of the AGC with a nominal amplification magnitude.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the instructions for determining the indication of magnitude include instructions for:

determining a signal quality metric of the received signal,

determining a nominal signal quality metric at an elevation angle of the apparatus location, and

comparing the signal quality metric of the received signal to the nominal signal quality metric.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the signal quality metric is a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N).

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the GNSS antenna and the display screen are integral to with the housing, and the receiving circuitry, the processor, and the memory are within the housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

orientation circuitry, within the housing, for generating orientation data of the housing based upon a position of the housing related to the horizon;

imaging circuitry, within the housing, for obtaining image data concerning the point of interest for display on the display screen; and

positioning circuitry, coupled to the at least one receiver, the imaging circuitry, and the orientation circuitry, for determining a position for the point of interest based on at least the received signal, the orientation data, and the image data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one communication antenna, integral with the housing for receiving positioning assistance data related to position data from a base station, wherein the GNSS antenna has a first pattern and the at least one communication antenna has a second pattern, and the GNSS antenna and the at least one communication antenna are configured such that the first and second patterns are substantially separated;

wherein the positioning circuitry determines the position for the point of interest based on at least the position data, the orientation data, the image data, and the positioning assistance data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one communication antenna is an antenna selected from a group consisting of:

a GSM antenna, a UHF antenna, and a WiFi/Bluetooth antenna.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one communication antenna comprises three communication antennas.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the positioning assistance data includes correction data for compensating for errors in the position data in determining the position of the point of interest.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the image data includes at least one image, and the at least one image represents a view of the point of interest viewed from the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the orientation data represents an orientation of the apparatus with respect to a plane parallel with a horizon.

17. A computer-implemented method for determining signal strength data for a received signal at a frequency within a GNSS frequency band, the computer-implemented method comprising:

generating signal strength data, by a processor, for the received signal within the GNSS allocated frequency band;

determining a position for a point of interest, by the processor, based upon a demodulated signal, wherein the demodulated signal is based upon the received signal;

identifying interference, by the processor, within the GNSS allocated frequency band; and

displaying, on a display screen, a graphical representation of the signal strength data for at least a portion of the GNSS allocated frequency band including indicators of the identified interference.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein generating signal strength data is based upon the demodulated signal.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein generating signal strength data includes calculating a square root of a sum of I² (in-phase) and Q² (quadrature-phase) components of the received signal to determine an amplitude component of the signal strength data.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, by a processor, an indication of magnitude of the identified interference.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the receiving circuitry includes an automatic gain control (AGC), and wherein determining the indication of magnitude includes comparing an amplification magnitude of the AGC with a nominal amplification magnitude.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein determining the indication of magnitude includes:

determining a signal quality metric of the received signal,

determining a nominal quality metric at an elevation angle of the apparatus location, and

comparing the signal quality metric of the received signal to the nominal signal quality metric.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein the signal quality metric is a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N).

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions for determining signal strength data for a received signal at a frequency within an allocated GNSS frequency band, the instructions comprising instructions for:

generating signal strength data, by a processor, for the received signal within the GNSS allocated frequency band;

determining a position for a point of interest, by the processor, based upon a demodulated signal, wherein the demodulated signal is based on the received signal;

identifying interference, by the processor, within the GNSS allocated frequency band; and

displaying, on a display screen, a graphical representation of the signal strength data for at least a portion of the GNSS allocated frequency band including indicators of the identified interference.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein generating signal strength data is based upon the demodulated signal.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions for generating signal strength data include instructions for calculating a square root of a sum of I² (in-phase) and Q² (quadrature-phase) components of the received signal to determine an amplitude component of the signal strength data.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions further include instructions for:

determining an indication of magnitude of the identified interference.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the receiving circuitry includes an automatic gain control (AGC), and wherein the instructions for determining the indication of magnitude include instructions for comparing an amplification magnitude of the AGC with a nominal amplification magnitude.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions for determining the indication of magnitude include instructions for:

determining a signal quality metric of the received signal,

determining a nominal signal quality metric at an elevation angle of the apparatus location, and

comparing the signal quality metric of the received signal to the nominal signal quality metric.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the signal quality metric is a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N).