Satellite relaying for geolocation and mitigation of GNSS denial

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12282102-B2
Application number	US-202318222246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2023
Priority date	Apr 1, 2020
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

According to one or more of the embodiments herein, systems and techniques for satellite relaying for geolocation and mitigation of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) denial are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, at a processing device from a communication satellite along a communication path, a message initiated by a transmitting device and indicating a transmission time, the communication path having a target device with an unknown distance to the communication satellite; determining a reception time upon receiving the message, (the processing device and the transmitting device have synchronized clocks); determining a time difference between the transmission time and the reception time; calculating a distance between the communication satellite and the target device based on a portion of the determined time difference associated with only traversal of a portion of the communication path between the communication satellite and the target device; and performing action(s) based on the distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processing device from a satellite used for communication along a communication path, a message initiated by an originating transmitting device, the communication path having a target device with an unknown distance to the satellite used for communication, the message indicating a transmission time by the originating transmitting device;
determining, by the processing device, a reception time upon receiving the message, wherein the processing device and the originating transmitting device have synchronized clocks;
determining, by the processing device, a time difference between the transmission time and the reception time;
calculating, by the processing device, a distance between the satellite used for communication and the target device, the distance calculated based on a portion of the determined time difference associated with only traversal of a portion of the communication path that is between the satellite used for communication and the target device; and
performing, by the processing device, one or more actions based on the distance between the satellite used for communication and the target device.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the transmitting device is the target device, and wherein the processing device is a ground station.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the transmitting device is a ground station, and wherein the processing device is the target device.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the transmitting device is the satellite used for communication, and wherein the processing device is the target device, and wherein the satellite used for communication is configured to send the message as one of a plurality of beacon messages as instructed by a ground station.

5. The method as in claim 4 , wherein the satellite used for communication receives updated control messages from the ground station regarding configuration of the beacon messages configures one or more adjustable transmission parameters for the initiated message.

6. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the updated control messages from the ground station regarding configuration of the beacon messages configure one or more adjustable transmission parameters for the beacon messages.

7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the processing device and the originating transmitting device each have a synchronized atomic clock.

8. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the processing device and the originating transmitting device have synchronized clocks based on a two-way, common view, time transfer communication mechanism between the processing device and the originating transmitting device.

9. The method as in claim 8 , wherein one of either the processing device or the originating transmitting device has an atomic clock.

10. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the originating transmitting device is the target device, and wherein the satellite used for communication has a synchronized clock with the originating transmitting device, wherein the satellite used for communication satellite marks a time of arrival of the message from the originating transmitting device at the satellite used for communication, and wherein determining the reception time comprises using the time of arrival marked by the satellite used for communication, and wherein calculating the distance between the satellite used for communication and the target device comprises converting the time difference between the transmission time and the reception time into the distance.

11. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the processing device is the target device, and wherein the satellite used for communication has a synchronized clock with the processing device, wherein the satellite used for communication marks a time of transmission of the message from the satellite used for communication, and wherein the time of transmission of the message from the satellite used for communication is used as the transmission time for determining the time difference between the transmission time and the reception time, and wherein calculating the distance between the satellite used for communication and the target device comprises converting the time difference between the transmission time and the reception time into the distance.

12. The method as in claim 1 , wherein determining the portion of the determined time difference associated with only the traversal of the portion of the communication path that is between the satellite used for communication and the target device is based at least in part on removing any delay incurred by the communication satellite.

13. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the delay is a fixed time and known prior to transmitting the initiated message.

14. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the delay is predetermined by the satellite used for communication and indicated in the message when sent by the satellite used for communication.

15. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the delay is indicated in one or more following messages sent by the satellite used for communication once the delay is calculated by the satellite used for communication.

16. The method as in claim 1 , wherein determining the portion of the determined time difference associated with only the traversal of the portion of the communication path that is between the satellite used for communication and the target device is based at least in part on removing portions of the communication path other than the portion of the communication path that is between the satellite used for communication and the target device.

17. The method as in claim 16 , wherein removing portions of the communication path other than the portion of the communication path that is between the satellite used for communication and the target device is based on removing a known time associated with the portions of the communication path other than the portion of the communication path that is between the satellite used for communication and the target device.

18. The method as in claim 16 , wherein removing portions of the communication path other than the portion of the communication path that is between the satellite used for communication and the target device is based on removing a known distance associated with the portions of the communication path other than the portion of the communication path that is between the satellite used for communication and the target device.

19. The method as in claim 1 , wherein performing one or more actions based on the distance between the satellite used for communication and the target device comprises using the distance between the satellite used for communication and the target device for a location determination of the target device.

20. The method as in claim 19 , wherein the location determination of the target device uses a plurality of distances between the target device and a respective plurality of reference objects for trilateration.

21. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the plurality of reference objects for trilateration comprise additional satellites used for communication with respective distances to the target device being calculated based on determining a respective time difference between a respective transmission time of additional messages and a respective reception time of the additional messages.

22. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the target device comprises a directional antenna, and wherein the target device aims separately at one or more of the plurality of reference objects.

Assignees

• Higher Ground Llc

Inventors

• Reis Robert S
• Shaffer Shmuel
• Reis Darren Robert
• Behmke James M
• Reuss David Alexander

Classifications

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• G01S19/45

  by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement · CPC title

• G01S5/14

  Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location · CPC title