RF Interference Database for Vehicle Navigation Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radio frequency (RF) signals from external sources can cause destructive interference with RF systems on vehicles, such as altimeters and communication systems, posing a risk to navigation and operation, especially in areas with high concentrations of RF transmissions.
Innovation Solution
A centralized RF interference database is created to gather and store RF signal characteristics at various geographical locations, providing real-time information to vehicles to prepare or adjust their travel paths and mitigate interference risks, including system use recommendations and threat assessments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If vehicles rely on RF signal transmissions for navigation and communication, then vehicle operation and navigation capabilities are enabled, but vehicles become vulnerable to destructive RF interference from external sources
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by gathering RF signal characteristics and identifying interference sources at geographical locations before vehicles arrive at those locations. The processed interference information is stored in a database and disseminated to vehicles in advance, allowing them to prepare appropriate mitigation measures before entering high-interference zones, thus preventing rather than just reacting to interference damage.
2Reliability
If a centralized RF interference database is created to gather and store RF signal characteristics, then vehicles can anticipate and avoid interference, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized database serves multiple functions: storing RF signal characteristics, identifying interference sources, providing threat assessments, and generating navigation recommendations. This multi-functional database infrastructure supports various vehicle types and operational scenarios, amortizing the complexity across diverse applications and justifying the system complexity through broad utility.
3Reliability
If real-time RF interference information is disseminated to vehicles, then vehicles can adjust travel paths to avoid interference, but communication network requirements and data transmission loads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides localized interference information specific to each vehicle's planned route and operational context. Rather than broadcasting all available RF interference data universally, the database disseminates only the relevant interference characteristics and navigation recommendations for each vehicle's specific geographical area and operational parameters, reducing unnecessary communication overhead and energy consumption.
Data Source
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AI summary
An RF interference database provides RF signal characteristics associated with a plurality of geographical locations. A travel planning system on a vehicle or other processing system can disseminate data including the RF signal characteristics to multiple operating systems on at least one vehicle in a network. Disseminating data can include generating a report sent to the operating system(s), generate threat levels and/or alerts based on the severity of RF interference in the geographical location, provide a system use recommendation on operating parameters and/or alternative operating systems for use in the geographical location. A vehicle can also take ameliorative action, such as modifying a travel path based on data disseminated from the RF interference database and/or conduct integrity checks on the operating systems.