Collaborative Situation Aware PNT (CSAP) Solution

ABSTRACT: Mayflower proposes a novel Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) solution specifically designed for use in challenging RF environments (intentional or unintentional jamming and spoofing) that enables uninterrupted navigation capability for wide ranges of military and commercial applications. Tactical units with spectrum sensing capable cognitive radios (CR) or scanners deployed in the theater can monitor their local spectrum occupancy and detect interference/jamming signals. By collecting and fusing the RF situation awareness information from various tactical CR units operating in diverse frequency bands (i.e., equipped with different RF front-end or reconfigurable RF front-end) distributed over various parts of the theater, a CSAP Controls Station can construct a comprehensive RF Map that readily provides a RF Situation Awareness (SA) Map of a region. The constructed RF SA Map can be distributed back to tactical units, allowing them to maintain PNT solution while maneuvering through the jamming/interference plagued theater of operations. ; BENEFIT: There are significant benefits in providing cognitive radio technology as part of the PNT solution, especially for tactical units in the theater of operations beleaguered with interferences and jamming signals. With L-band jammed or interfered, the US and ally forces will fail to sustain the GPS based PNT solutions, failing to support the GPS based navigation capability. With CSAP solutions enabled, however, GPS receivers and tactical radios can effectively avoid interference/jamming signal and sustain uninterrupted PNT solutions even when L-band GPS signals are denied or degraded. The fully developed CSAP solution will employ cognitive radio technology as part of PNT solution that would be incorporated in CR platforms and GPS receivers. The CSAP technology could also be implemented as an appliqu for incorporation in tactical radios and/or GPS receivers. The CR-based or hardware appliqu-based implementation of CSAP can also be embedded into civilian wireless communication devices such as cell-phone base stations and smart phone handsets, allowing PNT solutions in urban canyons and forest areas.