PNT Data Validation via Multi-Source Comparison

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems face challenges in resilience, particularly in identifying and mitigating faulty data from multiple sources, which can lead to errors and disruptions due to environmental phenomena or malicious interference, necessitating improved data validation and error handling mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

The system compares data from multiple sources, including 5G positioning systems and satellite systems like GNSS, to identify faulty data within defined tolerances, updates a local reference, and initiates error handling processes, such as suppressing faulty data and resetting sources, to ensure accurate PNT outputs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data from multiple PNT sources is compared and validated, then the reliability of PNT outputs is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional comparison and error handling mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of PNT outputsVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the PNT data processing by dividing it into multiple independent comparison stages: initial data reception from multiple sources, pairwise comparison of corresponding data types, fault identification, error handling, and output generation. Each stage operates independently to validate specific aspects of the data, allowing the system to manage complexity through modular processing while maintaining high reliability through comprehensive validation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If faulty data is identified and error handling is initiated, then the reliability of PNT outputs is improved, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of PNT outputsVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing tolerance thresholds for comparing PNT data from different sources before actual validation occurs. The comparison mechanism is pre-configured to immediately identify faulty data upon reception, and error handling procedures are pre-programmed to execute automatically when faults are detected. This preliminary preparation enables rapid fault detection and response without adding significant processing time during critical PNT operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple PNT sources are monitored and compared, then the resilience against environmental phenomena and malicious interference is improved, but the use of energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresilience of PNT systemVSAvoiduse of energy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and processes only the essential corresponding data types from multiple PNT sources for comparison, rather than analyzing all available data. By selectively extracting position estimates, timing estimates, and frequency estimates from each source and comparing only these critical parameters, the system maintains high resilience against environmental phenomena and malicious interference while minimizing energy consumption through focused, targeted validation of the most important PNT parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4273571A1Processing of timing, position and/or frequency data
Publication Date: 2023.11.08 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP4273571A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4273571A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4273571A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

An apparatus, a computer program and a method is described comprising: receiving data from each of a plurality of sources, wherein said data includes one or more of timing, positioning and frequency data; comparing data of corresponding data types received from different sources of the plurality and determining whether the compared data are the same to within an allowed tolerance and, if not, identifying faulty data; initiating an error handling process in the event that faulty data is identified; and updating a local reference in the event that non-faulty data is identified.