US 12,270,915 B2
Satellite automatic identification system (AIS) for estimating position of potential spoofing maritime vessels and related methods
Edward R. Beadle, Melbourne, FL (US); and Steven R. Heuser, Palm Bay, FL (US)
Assigned to EAGLE TECHNOLOGY, LLC, Melbourne, FL (US)
Filed by Eagle Technology, LLC, Melbourne, FL (US)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/655,191.
Prior Publication US 2023/0296783 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 19/21 (2010.01); G01S 5/02 (2010.01)
CPC G01S 19/215 (2013.01) [G01S 5/0249 (2020.05)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS) for tracking a plurality of maritime vessels, the AIS comprising:
a ground AIS server; and
a constellation of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites in communication with the ground AIS server, each LEO satellite having respective LEO satellite ephemeris data associated therewith, each LEO satellite comprising an AIS payload configured to
receive AIS messages from the plurality of maritime vessels and determine therefrom reported vessel position data,
determine actual signal arrival measurements for the AIS messages,
determine a potential spoofing maritime vessel based upon the reported vessel position data and the actual signal arrival measurements, and
send a potential spoof alert along with the actual signal arrival measurements for the potential spoofing maritime vessel to the ground AIS server, and withholding sending actual signal arrival measurements to the ground AIS server for AIS messages absent a determination of a potential spoofing maritime vessel associated therewith;
the ground AIS server configured to
receive the actual signal arrival measurements for the potential spoofing maritime vessel,
perform time sequenced pairwise differential calculations of the received actual signal arrival measurements from at least one of the AIS payloads and for the potential spoofing maritime vessel, and
estimate a position of the potential spoofing maritime vessel based upon the time sequenced pairwise differential calculations and the respective satellite ephemeris data.