Wide Area Sensor Network Interference Detection and Location

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems are vulnerable to disruption by jamming and interference, which can impact critical infrastructure and services, and there is a need for a system that can detect, classify, and locate sources of interference over a wide area.

Innovation Solution

A Wide Area Sensor Network (WASN) utilizing software defined radios (SDRs) that can monitor a wide frequency range, detect interference, and locate its source using geolocation techniques such as Time-of-Arrival (TOA), Time-Difference-of-Arrival (TDOA), Angle-of-Arrival (AoA), Power-of-Arrival (POA), and Frequency-Difference-of-Arrival (FDOA), enabling the identification and mitigation of intentional and unintentional interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a Wide Area Sensor Network utilizing software defined radios is deployed to detect and locate interference sources, then the detection capability and location precision are improved, but the device complexity and system cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterference location precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the wide area monitoring task into multiple distributed sensor nodes, each equipped with software defined radios. Each node independently detects and characterizes interference signals, then results are aggregated to achieve precise location determination through geolocation techniques such as TDOA and AoA.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Software defined radios are used to provide multi-functional capability across all sensor nodes, allowing the same hardware platform to detect, classify, and characterize various types of interference signals (jamming, spurious emissions, out-of-band emissions) across different frequency ranges, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If geolocation techniques such as TDOA, AoA, and FDOA are used to locate interference sources, then the location accuracy is improved, but the requirements for sensor synchronization and calibration increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesource location accuracyVSAvoidsynchronization requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary time and frequency synchronization of all sensor nodes before interference detection and geolocation. GPS-disciplined oscillators are used to pre-synchronize clocks across the network, and calibration procedures are conducted in advance to establish baseline relationships between sensors, enabling accurate TDOA and AoA measurements when interference events occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A central processing server acts as an intermediary that collects synchronized timing and frequency reference information from all sensor nodes, performs the complex geolocation calculations using TDOA, AoA, and FDOA techniques, and integrates results to determine interference source locations, thereby managing the synchronization complexity centrally rather than requiring distributed coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the system monitors a wide frequency range using software defined radios, then the detection coverage is improved, but the processing complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefrequency monitoring coverageVSAvoidsignal processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wide frequency spectrum is divided into multiple smaller frequency bands or channels that are monitored separately by the software defined radios. Each band can be processed independently with appropriate filtering and analysis techniques, reducing the computational burden compared to processing the entire wide bandwidth simultaneously while maintaining comprehensive frequency coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs periodic frequency sweeping or hopping across different frequency bands rather than continuously monitoring all frequencies simultaneously. Software defined radios tune to specific frequency bands at scheduled intervals, detecting and characterizing interference in each band sequentially, which reduces instantaneous processing requirements while maintaining wide area frequency coverage over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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

The WASN effectively detects and locates sources of interference, ensuring the integrity of wireless communications by providing precise positioning and power estimation of transmitters, thereby protecting critical wireless signals and optimizing wireless service quality.