Detecting false positioning signals based on surveillance signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137863-B2
Application number	US-201715467604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Mar 23, 2017
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A system, configured to mount on an ownship vehicle, includes a transceiver configured to receive positioning signals and receive surveillance signals including surveillance data from a second vehicle and processing circuitry configured to determine a location of the ownship vehicle based on the positioning signals received by the transceiver and determine expected characteristics of the surveillance signals based on the surveillance data. The processing circuitry is further configured to compare the expected characteristics and actual characteristics of the surveillance signals received from the second vehicle and determine that the surveillance signals include a discrepancy indicative of false positioning signals in response to comparing the expected characteristics and the actual characteristics. The processing circuitry is configured to output an alert signal indicating the false positioning signals in response to determining that the surveillance signals include a discrepancy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, configured to mount on an ownship vehicle, the system comprising:
a transceiver configured to:
receive positioning signals; and
receive surveillance signals including surveillance data from a second vehicle;
receive a first alert signal indicating that surveillance signals received by the third vehicle from the second vehicle included a discrepancy; and

processing circuitry configured to:
determine a location of the ownship vehicle based on the positioning signals received by the transceiver;
determine expected characteristics of the surveillance signals received by the transceiver from the second vehicle based on the surveillance data;
compare the expected characteristics and actual characteristics of the surveillance signals received from the second vehicle;
determine that the surveillance signals received by the transceiver from the second vehicle include a discrepancy indicative of false positioning signals in response to comparing the expected characteristics and the actual characteristics;
determine that the transceiver received the first alert signal;
determine the second vehicle received the false positioning signals in response to:
determining that the surveillance signals received by the transceiver from the second vehicle include the discrepancy; and
determining that the transceiver received the first alert signal; and

output a second alert signal indicating that the second vehicle received the false positioning signals in response to determining that the second vehicle received the false positioning signals.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that all surveillance signals received from other vehicles include a discrepancy;
determine that the transceiver received false positioning signals from an attacker in response to determining that all surveillance signals received from other vehicles include the discrepancy; and
output a third alert signal indicating that the transceiver received false positioning signals.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that no surveillance signals received from vehicles other than the second vehicle include a discrepancy; and
determine that the second vehicle received the false positioning signals from an attacker in response to determining that no surveillance signals received from vehicles other than the second vehicle include the discrepancy,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to output the second alert signal indicating that the second vehicle received the false positioning signals.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that surveillance signals received by the transceiver from the third vehicle do not include a discrepancy,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the second vehicle received the false positioning signals, in response to determining that the surveillance signals received from the third vehicle do not include the discrepancy.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine that a difference between the expected characteristics and the actual characteristics exceeds a threshold level; and
determine that the surveillance signals from the second vehicle include the discrepancy, in response to determining that the difference between the expected characteristics and the actual characteristics exceeds the threshold level.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to output the alert signal by at least:
generating a warning based on the determined discrepancy, in response to determining that the surveillance signals received from the second vehicle include the determined discrepancy; and
outputting the warning to a crewmember of the ownship vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to output the second alert signal by at least causing the transceiver to transmit the second alert signal to the second vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the surveillance signals received by the transceiver from the second vehicle do not include the discrepancy;
in response to determining that the surveillance signals received by the transceiver from the second vehicle do not include the discrepancy:
determine a location of the second vehicle based on the surveillance data; and
generate a graphical representation of the location of the ownship vehicle and the location of the second vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine that surveillance signals received from the third vehicle do not include a discrepancy;
determine that the second vehicle is closer than the third vehicle to the ownship vehicle; and
determine that the transceiver and the second vehicle received false positioning signals from an attacker, in response to:
determining that surveillance signals received from the third vehicle do not include a discrepancy, and
determining that the second vehicle is closer than the third vehicle to the ownship vehicle,

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to output a third alert signal indicating that the transceiver and the second vehicle received the false positioning signals.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that surveillance signals received from the third vehicle include a discrepancy;
determine that the second vehicle is closer than the ownship vehicle to the third vehicle;
determine that the third vehicle is closer than the ownship vehicle to the second vehicle;
determine that the second vehicle did not indicate any discrepancy in the surveillance signals received from the third vehicle;
determine that the second vehicle and the third vehicle received false positioning signals from an attacker, in response to:
determining that surveillance signals received from a third vehicle include a discrepancy,
determining that the second vehicle is closer than the ownship vehicle to the third vehicle, and
determining that the third vehicle is closer than the ownship vehicle to the second vehicle,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to output a third alert signal indicating that the second vehicle and the third vehicle received false positioning signals.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that surveillance signals received from the third vehicle do not include a discrepancy;
determine that the ownship vehicle is closer than the second vehicle to the third vehicle; and
determine that the second vehicle received the false positioning signals from an attacker, in response to:
determining that surveillance signals received from the third vehicle do not include the discrepancy;
determining that the ownship vehicle is closer than the third vehicle to the second vehicle; and
determining that the ownship vehicle is closer than the second vehicle to the third vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning signals comprise Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, and wherein the surveillance signals comprise automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) signals.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the expected characteristics of the surveillance signals received by the transceiver from the second vehicle by at least determining an expected angle of arrival

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Daniel P

Classifications

• G08G9/02

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• G01S19/015

  Arrangements for jamming, spoofing or other methods of denial of service of such systems · CPC title

• G01S19/21

  Interference related issues {; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service} · CPC title

• G08G7/02

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• G08G3/02

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title