Method and apparatus for locating a satellite spoofer

• US 7,912,643 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Nelson, Kurt L., Bean, Reginald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEN, MINGJEN
• Application Number:
  US10/427,369
• Time in Patent Office: 2,882 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/215, 701/214, 701/200, 731/78.R, 340/988, 340/989, 340/991, 340/992, 340/993, 342/457, 342/357.29, 342/357.62, 455/456, 455/69, 455/440, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 701/214
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/215 issues related to spoofing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

A spoofer location system includes a number of receivers that receive positioning signals. A data engine receives information from the receivers and determines a location of a spoofer source signal. The location of the spoofer source signal is determined by determining a range from each of the number of receivers to the source. The system can be employed in a global positioning system. The spoofer location system can be utilized with guided munitions and other vehicles.

Claims

1. A spoofer location system, comprising:

at least three receivers, the receivers receiving positioning signals and at least one spoofer signal;

a data engine receiving information from the receivers, wherein a location of a source of the spoofer signal is determined by determining a range from each of the receivers to the source, wherein the range is determined without the source of the spoofer signal receiving a signal from the receivers; and

a database memory storing location information of true signal sources transmitting the positioning signals, wherein the data engine compares the location of the source of the spoofer signal to the location information of the true signal sources stored in the database memory to verify that the spoofer signal is not from one of the true signal sources.

2. The spoofer location system of claim 1, wherein the system includes four satellite positioning receivers.

3. The spoofer location system of claim 2, wherein the information is a signal representative of the pseudo-range from each receiver.

4. The spoofer location system of claim 3, wherein the pseudo-range comprises range and spoofer time error components.

5. The spoofer location system of claim 1, wherein the information includes a representation of the spoofer signal received by the receiver and a location of the receiver associated with the representation.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine and database memory are separate components from the at least three receivers.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information is satellite position information.

6. In a satellite positioning system providing satellite positioning signals to an environment, the environment including at least one spoofer providing a spoofer signal, the spoofer signal simulating a satellite positioning signal a spoofer locator comprising:

an interface;

a control circuit coupled to the interface, the control circuit receiving first information from the interface, the control circuit determining a location of the spoofer from the first information, the first information being indicative of a distance of the spoofer from a plurality of at least three receivers, wherein the control circuit does not utilize information derived from a transmission signal to the spoofer; and

a database memory storing location information of true signal sources transmitting the positioning signals, wherein the control engine compares the location of the source of the spoofer signal to the location information stored in the database memory to verify that the spoofer signal is not from one of the true signal sources.

7. The spoofer locator of claim 6, wherein the interface receives the first information from at least four satellite positioning receivers.

8. The spoofer locator of claim 6, wherein the first information is a signal representative of the pseudo-range from each receiver and the location of each receiver.

9. The spoofer locator of claim 8, wherein the pseudo-range comprises range and spoofer time error components.

10. The spoofer locator of claim 6, wherein the first information is provided to the interface as digital data.

11. The spoofer locator of claim 6, wherein the first information is provided as a replication of the spoofer signal.

12. The spoofer locator of claim 11, wherein the receivers are satellite positioning receivers including GPS processors.

13. A method of determining a location of a spoofer in a positioning system providing positioning signals to an environment, the spoofer providing a spoofer signal, the spoofer signal simulating a positioning signal and being received at least three different locations, the method comprising:

obtaining an indication of the actual position of the different locations;

determining ranges from the spoofer to the plurality of at least three different locations without providing a GPS signal to the spoofer and processing a response to the GPS signal from the spoofer;

determining a spoofer location of the spoofer in response to the ranges; and

comparing the spoofer location of the spoofer to location information of true signal sources transmitting the positioning signals to verify that the spoofer signal is not from one of the true signal sources, wherein the location information is stored in memory.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the spoofer signal is received by a satellite positioning receiver at each location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the spoofer signal is received by at least four different satellite positioning receivers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the satellite positioning receivers determine the ranges.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein an engine determines the ranges.

18. In a satellite positioning system providing satellite positioning signals to an environment, the environment including at least one spoofer providing a spoofer signal, the spoofer signal simulating a satellite positioning signal, a spoofer locator comprising:

means for receiving the spoofer signal at a plurality of different locations;

means for obtaining an indication of the actual position of the different locations;

means for determining ranges from the spoofer to the plurality of different positions from the spoofer signal without providing a GPS signal to the spoofer;

means for determining the location of the spoofer in response to the ranges; and

means for comparing the determined location of the spoofer to information in a database storing location information of true signal sources that transmit the positioning signals to verify that the spoofer signal is not from one of the true signal sources, wherein the database is a memory.