Drone Navigation Antenna Nulling for Broadband Jammer Interdiction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anti-jamming systems for drones are ineffective against broadband signals and have high size, weight, and power consumption, limiting their ability to navigate and engage jamming sources effectively.
Innovation Solution
A navigation system for drones that uses a symmetric or asymmetric antenna design with controllable delay elements and phase rotators to adjust Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) for selective cancellation of interference, allowing for wide spectral and narrow spatial nulls, reducing computational demand and SWAP.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If CRPA antennas are used for anti-jamming, then jamming signals can be cancelled, but the spatial nulls are too wide causing indiscriminate cancellation of signals of interest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating narrow spatial nulls that are highly directional and localized to the jammer's direction only. The antenna array is configured with specific weighting and phase shifting to concentrate the null precisely at the jammer's angular position, while maintaining high gain in all other directions. This ensures that only the jamming signal is cancelled without affecting signals of interest from other directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spatial parameters of the nulls by adjusting the antenna array weighting coefficients and phase shifts dynamically. By modifying these parameters based on the estimated jammer direction, the system can create narrow, deep nulls that are tightly focused on the jammer's location. This allows the null width to be controlled and optimized to exclude only the jammer while preserving signals from other directions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If CRPA antennas with expanded spectral width are used, then broadband defense is improved, but the nulls become unacceptably narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from relying solely on spectral domain filtering to utilizing the spatial dimension for jammer rejection. By forming narrow spatial nulls through antenna array processing, the system achieves broadband defense capability without sacrificing direction determination accuracy. The spatial filtering approach operates independently of frequency, providing effective jammer rejection across the entire GPS bandwidth while maintaining precise angular resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adaptation by continuously tracking the jammer's direction and updating the antenna array weighting in real-time. This dynamic spatial filtering allows the system to maintain narrow nulls even as the jammer moves or changes frequency, ensuring both broadband coverage and precise direction finding capability throughout the operational environment.
3Reliability
If larger vehicles use CRPA antennas, then anti-jamming protection is achieved, but size, weight, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the antenna array serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides both navigation signal reception and jammer direction finding capability. By using the same antenna elements for both GPS signal acquisition and spatial null formation, the system eliminates the need for separate dedicated anti-jamming hardware, thereby reducing overall system weight while maintaining effective protection.
4Reliability
If ground attack missiles use GPS anti-jamming antennas, then jamming resistance is improved, but terminal homing capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the antenna system to perform multiple functions: receiving GPS guidance signals, rejecting jamming, and detecting terminal homing signals such as radar or laser reflections. The same antenna array that forms nulls against jammers also maintains sensitivity to weak terminal homing signals by dynamically adjusting the null placement away from the target direction, ensuring uninterrupted terminal guidance capability throughout the missile flight.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively cancels jamming signals, enabling drones to navigate and engage jamming sources with improved performance and reduced size, weight, and power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
A navigation system for drones that uses a symmetric or asymmetric antenna design with controllable delay elements and phase rotators to adjust Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) for selective cancellation of interference
Data Source
AI summary
A navigation system and method for guiding a vehicle with respect to a source of jamming is disclosed, the system and method being capable of receiving navigation-aid signals, detecting jamming of such signals, mitigating such jamming, determining direction to the source of jamming, and interdicting that source, e.g., a drone gun.