Metadata-Based Radio Emitter Localization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for spatial localization of radio emitters face challenges in accurately determining emitter locations due to limited hardware resources such as bandwidth and storage capacity in sensing devices, which restrict the transmission and processing of raw radio signals, leading to reduced accuracy and increased costs.

Innovation Solution

The system processes metadata descriptive of radio signals, such as time-estimates and frequency-estimates, received by multiple sensing devices to determine emitter locations, allowing for spatial localization without relying on extensive communication or processing resources, and uses an information combining node to analyze metadata from these devices to pinpoint emitter locations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If raw radio signals are transmitted and processed by sensing devices, then spatial localization accuracy is improved, but communication bandwidth and storage capacity requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespatial localization accuracyVSAvoidcommunication bandwidth and storage capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential features (metadata) from the raw radio signals for transmission and processing. Instead of transmitting complete raw signals, the system extracts time-estimates, frequency-estimates, and other relevant metadata parameters, thereby reducing communication bandwidth and storage requirements while preserving the information needed for accurate spatial localization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces metadata as an intermediary representation between the raw radio signals and the localization processing. The metadata serves as a compressed intermediary that captures the essential characteristics of the signals without requiring full signal transmission, enabling accurate localization with reduced resource requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If metadata processing is used instead of raw signal processing, then communication and storage costs are reduced, but spatial localization accuracy may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication and storage costsVSAvoidspatial localization accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the representation parameters from complete raw signals to extracted metadata parameters (time-estimates, frequency-estimates, signal strength, etc.). This parameter transformation reduces data volume while maintaining the critical information needed for localization, achieving cost reduction without significant accuracy loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary processing of the radio signals at the sensing devices to extract metadata before transmission. This preliminary action of extracting essential features locally reduces the burden on communication and storage systems while preserving localization accuracy, as the critical information is captured in advance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If multiple sensing devices are deployed for improved localization accuracy, then system complexity and coordination requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocalization accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity and coordination requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the localization function into independent sensing devices that each extract and transmit their own metadata independently. This segmentation allows multiple devices to operate autonomously without complex coordination, as each device processes signals locally and transmits results to a central node that performs the final localization calculation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3698161B1Metadata-based emitter localization
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 HAWKEYE 360 INC
  • EP3698161B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3698161B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3698161B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A method includes obtaining signal information corresponding to a plurality of radio signals received at two or more sensing devices from a candidate location, determining a plurality of reconstructed signals based on the signal information, determining time-estimates and frequency-estimates based on a correlation between the radio signals and the reconstructed signals, determining metadata corresponding to the radio signals based on the signal information, the time-estimates, or the frequency-estimates, transmitting at least a portion of the metadata to an information combining node, obtaining the portion of the metadata from the information combining node, determining a relationship between the metadata, and determining the candidate location based on the metadata and the relationship between the metadata. Transmission of the radio signals to the information combining node is restricted based on a bandwidth of the two or more sensing devices or the information combining node.