Satellite Integrity Message Generation for Multi-Constellation Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current satellite navigation systems face challenges in efficiently transmitting integrity messages for a large number of satellites due to bandwidth limitations, particularly when monitoring multiple constellations, as conventional mechanisms are inadequate for managing high numbers of satellites beyond 50.

Innovation Solution

A device is introduced that determines active and degraded satellite monitoring stations and generates tailored integrity messages and alert messages, allowing navigation receivers to assess the integrity of the satellite navigation system based on actual active stations and corresponding degradation rules, optimizing bandwidth usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional integrity messages include IQSIs for each satellite to provide complete monitoring information, then navigation receivers can assess integrity for all satellites, but bandwidth requirements exceed available capacity when monitoring more than 50 satellites

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegrity monitoring qualityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential integrity information (active/degraded status of monitoring stations) from the complete set of IQSIs for all satellites. Instead of transmitting full integrity data for every satellite, the system transmits a condensed status report that enables receivers to reconstruct integrity assessments, dramatically reducing bandwidth while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than transmitting positive integrity confirmations for all satellites (conventional approach), the system inverts the approach by transmitting only status changes and critical information about monitoring station conditions. This inversion allows the system to convey essential integrity data using minimal bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the number of monitored satellites increases to support multiple constellations (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO), then navigation accuracy and availability improve, but the complexity of integrity message management becomes unmanageable with conventional systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-constellation supportVSAvoidintegrity message management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal integrity monitoring status message format that works across multiple satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO). The message structure is designed to be constellation-agnostic, allowing a single system to manage integrity for diverse satellite systems without requiring separate message formats or management procedures for each constellation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameters of integrity messaging by transitioning from satellite-specific IQSI transmission to monitoring station status transmission. This parameter change simplifies the management complexity while maintaining the ability to support multiple constellations, as the status messages can be generated and processed uniformly regardless of which constellation the satellites belong to.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If integrity messages transmit detailed information for each satellite to maintain high monitoring quality, then receivers can make accurate integrity assessments, but the message size exceeds bandwidth limitations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegrity assessment accuracyVSAvoidmessage size

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the integrity information transmission into two parts: (1) a compact status message containing monitoring station active/degraded status that is transmitted frequently over the bandwidth-constrained channel, and (2) detailed IQSI data that receivers can reconstruct or obtain on-demand. This segmentation allows precise integrity assessment while keeping transmitted message sizes within bandwidth limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP1876466B1Device for the generation of integrity messages signalling nominal, degraded or inactive surveillance stations for satellite navigation systems

Publication Date: 2012.02.29 ALCATEL LUCENT SA

Figure 1

AI summary

The device (DG) has a processing module (MT) generating integrity message with primary data representative of active i.e. nominal/degraded, terrestrial/spatial satellite surveillance stations (SS1-SS4). The module generates an integrity alert message with primary data representative of each station that is degraded/inactive so that a navigation receiver (R) determines integrity information relative to navigation messages transmitted by a satellite navigation system (SA1) to which it is tuned by considering the stations that are actually active and corresponding to integrity degradation rules.