Systems, methods, and devices for electronic spectrum management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9414237-B2
Application number	US-201514743011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Methods for tracking a signal origin by a spectrum analysis and management device are disclosed. Signal characteristics of other known emitters are used for obtaining a position of an emitter of a signal of interest. In one embodiment, frequency difference of arrival technique is implemented. In another embodiment, time difference of arrival technique is implemented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for tracking a signal origin using a spectrum analysis and management device, comprising the steps of:
determining a Time Difference of Arrival for a signal of interest;
determining a Frequency Difference of Arrival for the signal of interest;
identifying a location from which the signal of interest is transmitted;
determining that less than four known emitters are present at the location;
measuring an angle of arrival for the single of interest and the less than four known emitters;
measuring a frequency shift for the signal of interest;
obtaining a cross ambiguity function for the signal of interest;
resolving a position of an emitter from which the signal is emitted; and
displaying the position of the emitter of the signal of interest.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
collecting and measuring a Received Signal Strength (RSS) of the at least four known emitters and the signal of interest; and
measuring the frequency shift using the RSS.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the RSS of the at least four known emitters and the signal of interest are collected and measured by using frequency, bandwidth, power, and distance values of the at least four known emitters and their respective signals and the signal of interest.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the cross ambiguity function converges to a solution.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein if the cross ambiguity function converges to a solution, further comprising the steps of:
aggregating frequency shift data; and
applying one or more filters to the aggregated frequency shift data.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of resolving the position of the emitter from which the signal is transmitted is based on the frequency difference of arrival.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more filters is a Kalman filter.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of applying equations and additional filters to the aggregated frequency shift data.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the equations are at least one of the following types: weighted least squares equations and maximum likelihood equations; and wherein the additional filters are non-line-of-sight filters.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein if the cross ambiguity function does not converge to a solution, further comprising the steps of:
determining a time shift of the signal of interest;
aggregating time shift data; and
filtering the time shift data to reduce interference.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of resolving a position of the emitter from which the signal is transmitted is based on time difference of arrival.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the location from which the signal of interest is transmitted and time and duration of transmission at the location in a history database.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing measurement error for generating a more accurate measurement of the position of the emitter of the signal of interest.

14. A method for estimating a signal origin using a spectrum analysis and management device, comprising the steps of:
computing an Arrival Frequency and an Arrival Phase for multiple instances of a signal of interest;
determining a Frequency Difference of Arrival for the signal of interest;
comparing the Frequency Difference of Arrival for the signal of interest to data associated with two known emitters to estimate the position of an emitter of the signal of interest when either the emitter of the signal of interest or the spectrum analysis and management device is moving;
and
indicating the estimated position of the emitter of the signal of interest on a display of the spectrum management device.

15. A method of claim 14 , wherein the step of indicating the estimated origin of the signal of interest on a display of the spectrum management device further comprises the step of overlaying the estimated origin on a map displayed by the spectrum management device.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein when the emitter of the signal of interest and the spectrum analysis and management device are both stationary, using at least four known emitters with their signal characteristics available for estimating the position of an emitter of the signal of interest.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the signal characteristics for each of the at least four other known emitters includes frequency, bandwidth, power and distance values.

Assignees

• Dgs Global Systems Inc

Inventors

• Garcia Gabriel R
• Carbajal Daniel

Classifications

• H04W64/006

  with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination · CPC title

• H04W24/10

  Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} · CPC title

• H04B17/3911

  Fading models or fading generators · CPC title

• H04W72/0446

  Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames · CPC title

• H04W24/08

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title