GPS Antenna Array with Sector Directivity for Jamming Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional GPS systems are vulnerable to jamming signals due to their weak signal strength, and existing anti-jamming technologies are either expensive, require modifications to existing receivers, or have limited effectiveness in handling strong jamming signals.
Innovation Solution
A GPS signal reception apparatus and method utilizing sector antennas with directivities, which include a first-type exposed antenna and multiple second-type sector antennas, to detect and mitigate jamming signals by selecting the antenna with the weakest signal strength and sharing jamming signal information via a network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional GPS receivers are used without modification, then existing receivers can be utilized, but they are vulnerable to jamming signals due to weak GPS signal strength
Solution Approach 1:
The GPS antenna system is segmented into multiple sector antennas, each covering a specific spatial sector. This segmentation allows the system to isolate and identify jamming signals by comparing signals received from different directional sectors, thereby improving anti-jamming capability without modifying the core GPS receiver.
Solution Approach 2:
A signal processing unit acts as an intermediary between the sector antennas and the GPS receiver. This intermediary analyzes signals from multiple antennas, detects jamming patterns, and selectively processes or filters signals before they reach the GPS receiver, enhancing reliability without requiring changes to the receiver itself.
2Reliability
If previous correlation technology is implemented to handle GPS jamming, then anti-jamming protection is provided, but the apparatus becomes expensive and large in size due to complicated technology
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of implementing complex correlation processing in a single large apparatus, the system segments the antenna array into multiple directional sectors. Each sector antenna is a simple directional element, and the complexity is distributed across multiple simple components rather than concentrated in one complex device, reducing overall system complexity and size.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses multiple copies of simple sector antennas instead of one complex anti-jamming apparatus. Each antenna is a straightforward directional receiver, and their collective arrangement provides the anti-jamming functionality through spatial diversity rather than through complex signal processing hardware.
3Use of energy by moving object
If post correlation technology is used to process GPS signals, then computational load is reduced, but existing GPS receivers must be modified and anti-jamming gain is limited to 3-20 dB
Solution Approach 1:
The system moves the anti-jamming processing from the signal domain (post-correlation) to the spatial domain by using directional sector antennas. Instead of attempting to filter jamming signals after they have been mixed with GPS signals, the directional antennas spatially separate signals based on their arrival directions, providing higher anti-jamming gain without increasing computational load.
Solution Approach 2:
The sector antennas perform preliminary spatial filtering of signals before they reach the GPS receiver. By pre-separating signals based on their directional characteristics, the system reduces the computational burden on the receiver while achieving superior anti-jamming performance, as the heavy lifting of signal separation is done passively by the antenna geometry rather than through complex post-processing.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If sector antennas with directivities are used to avoid jamming signals, then jamming signal strength is reduced, but the reception areas are spatially restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The total reception area is segmented into multiple directional sectors, each covered by a dedicated sector antenna. While each individual antenna has a restricted reception area, the collection of all sector antennas collectively covers the full spherical space, maintaining overall reception coverage while enabling directional discrimination to reject jamming signals.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sector antennas with restricted individual reception areas are merged into a unified antenna array system. The combining of these directional elements provides both the spatial selectivity needed for jamming rejection and the comprehensive coverage needed for reliable GPS signal acquisition, as the system can select or combine signals from different sectors as needed.
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
Effectively avoids GPS jamming signals, ensures continuous reception of satellite signals necessary for time synchronization, and estimates the location of the jamming source by determining the strength and type of the jamming signal.
Implementation Method 1
GPS is a satellite navigation system which can obtain information about the location, speed, and time of a receiver by receiving GPS signals, transmitted from satellites, on the ground
Implementation Method 2
sector antennas, which have respective directivities, in a time synchronization GPS reception system
Data Source
AI summary
A Global Positioning System (GPS) signal reception apparatus including a GPS antenna unit, a GPS signal selection unit, and a jamming signal detection unit is provided. The GPS antenna unit includes a first-type antenna and a plurality of second-type antennas which have directivities different from each other. The GPS signal selection unit selects any one of the first-type antenna and the plurality of second-type antennas as a selected antenna. The jamming signal detection unit detects a jamming signal present in a GPS signal by analyzing the GPS signal which is received via the selected antenna.