Spoofing detection for vehicle-based GNSS receivers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12320902-B2
Application number	US-202217704402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2022
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for spoofing detection in the context of a vehicle-based GNSS receiver. An attitude estimate of the vehicle is obtained. A velocity estimate is calculated based on measurements provided by the GNSS receiver. The method comprises projecting the velocity estimate to a body frame of the vehicle, using the attitude estimate; deriving a detection parameter from the projected velocity estimate; and comparing the detection parameter with a detection threshold, in order to detect spoofing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, GNSS signals that are transmitted from GNSS satellites;
generating, by the GNSS receiver, GNSS measurement data based at least on the GNSS signals;
obtaining, by one or more processors in a vehicle, (i) sensor measurement data that is generated by one or more sensors in the vehicle, and (ii) the GNSS measurement data;
obtaining, by the one or more processors in the vehicle, an attitude estimate of the vehicle, the attitude estimate of the vehicle (i) indicating an orientation of the vehicle relative to a navigation frame of reference, and (ii) being based at least on the sensor measurement data that is generated by the one or more sensors in the vehicle;
calculating, by the one or more processors in the vehicle, a velocity estimate of the vehicle and a velocity uncertainty estimate, the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate being in a navigation frame of reference that is different than a vehicle body frame of reference, and the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate being based at least on the GNSS measurement data from the GNSS receiver;
projecting, by the one or more processors in the vehicle, the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate from the navigation frame of reference to the vehicle body frame of reference, using the attitude estimate;
deriving, by the one or more processors in the vehicle, a detection parameter from the projected velocity estimate in the vehicle body frame of reference;
comparing, by the one or more processors in the vehicle, the detection parameter with a detection threshold; and
generating, by the one or more processors in a vehicle, an alert that indicates that GNSS spoofing has been detected based at least on comparing the detection parameter with the detection threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection parameter is based on at least one of:
a lateral component of the projected velocity estimate; or
a vertical component of the projected velocity estimate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection threshold is based on at least one of:
a lateral component of the projected velocity uncertainty estimate; or
a vertical component of the projected velocity uncertainty estimate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attitude estimate is based at least in part on inertial measurements.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attitude estimate is provided by a navigation filter.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the navigation filter generates a position estimate, a velocity estimate, and the attitude estimate, based at least in part on (i) the GNSS measurement data generated by the GNSS receiver and (ii) inertial measurements.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
performing one or more checks in each epoch, and, if any of the checks is failed, skipping the detection of spoofing for that epoch,
wherein the one or more checks comprise one or more of:
checking the quality and number of GNSS signals received at the GNSS receiver;
checking the distribution of GNSS space vehicles transmitting the GNSS signals;
checking the validity of the attitude estimate; and
checking that the velocity estimate is above a minimum threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein spoofing is detected if the detection parameter exceeds the detection threshold continuously or continually, for a predetermined period of time.

9. A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver module for a vehicle, comprising:
a GNSS receiver that is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving GNSS signals that are transmitted from GNSS satellites; and
generating GNSS measurement data based at least on the GNSS signals; and

one or more processors that are configured to perform operations comprising:
obtaining (i) sensor measurement data that is generated by one or more sensors in a vehicle, and (ii) the GNSS measurement data;

obtaining an attitude estimate of the vehicle, the attitude estimate of the vehicle (i) indicating an orientation of the vehicle relative to a navigation frame of reference, and (ii) being based at least on the sensor measurement data that is generated by the one or more sensors in the vehicle;
calculating a velocity estimate of the vehicle and a velocity uncertainty estimate, the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate being in a navigation frame of reference that is different than a vehicle body frame of reference, and the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate being based at least on the GNSS measurement data from the GNSS receiver;
projecting the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate from the navigation frame of reference to the vehicle body frame of reference, using the attitude estimate;
deriving a detection parameter from the projected velocity estimate in the vehicle body frame of reference;
comparing the detection parameter with a detection threshold; and
generating an alert that indicates that GNSS spoofing has been detected based at least on comparing the detection parameter with the detection threshold.

10. The GNSS receiver module of claim 9 , further comprising an inertial measurement unit, the inertial measurement unit comprising the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to implement a navigation filter, and wherein the attitude estimate is generated by the navigation filter, based at least in part on (i) the GNSS measurement data generated by the GNSS receiver and (ii) inertial measurements.

11. The GNSS receiver module of claim 10 , wherein the navigation filter generates a position estimate, the velocity estimate, and the attitude estimate, based at least in part on (i) the GNSS measurement data generated by the GNSS receiver and (ii) inertial measurements.

12. The GNSS receiver module of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to implement a least squares estimator, wherein the velocity estimate is calculated using the least squares estimator.

13. One or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
generating global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement data based at least on GNSS signals that are transmitted from GNSS satellites and that are received by a GNSS receiver;
obtaining (i) sensor measurement data that is generated by one or more sensors in a vehicle;
obtaining an attitude estimate of the vehicle, the attitude estimate of the vehicle (i) indicating an orientation of the vehicle relative to a navigation frame of reference, and (ii) being based at least on the sensor measurement data that is generated by the one or more sensors in the vehicle;
calculating a velocity estimate of the vehicle and a velocity uncertainty estimate, the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate being in a navigation frame of reference that is different than the vehicle body frame of reference, and the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate being based at least on the GNSS measurement data;
projecting the velocity estimate of the vehicle and the velocity uncertainty estimate from the navigation frame of reference to the vehicle body frame of reference, using the attitude estimate;
deriving a detection parameter from the projected velocity estimate in the vehicle body frame of reference;
compari

Assignees

• Ublox Ag

Inventors

• Clausen Philipp
• Somieski Alexander

Classifications

• G01S19/49

  whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled · CPC title

• G01S19/215 Primary

  issues related to spoofing · CPC title