Secure tracking using trusted GNSS receivers and Galileo authentication services

This paper describes a secure framework for tracking applications that use the Galileo signal authentication services. First a number of limitations that affect the trust of critical tracking applications, even in presence of authenticated GNSS signals, are detailed. Requirements for secure tracking are then introduced; detailing how the integrity characteristics of the Galileo authentication could enhance the security of active tracking applications. This paper concludes with a discussion of our existing tracking technology using a Siemens TC45 GSM/GPRS module and future development utilizing our previously proposed trusted GNSS receiver.

A spoofing detection method for civilian L1 GPS and the E1-B Galileo Safety of Life service

This paper describes an effective method for signal-authentication and spoofing detection for civilian GNSS receivers using the GPS L1 C/A and the Galileo E1-B Safety of Life service. The paper discusses various spoofing attack profiles and how the proposed method is able to detect these attacks. This method is relatively low-cost and can be suitable for numerous mass-market applications. This paper is the subject of a pending patent.

Developing regional precise positioning services using the legacy and future GNSS receivers

This paper presents an overview of technical solutions for regional area precise GNSS positioning services such as in Queensland. The research focuses on the technical and business issues that currently constrain GPS-based local area Real Time Kinematic (RTK) precise positioning services so as to operate in future across larger regional areas, and therefore support services in agriculture, mining, utilities, surveying, construction, and others. The paper first outlines an overall technical framework that has been proposed to transition the current RTK services to future larger scale coverage. The framework enables mixed use of different reference GNSS receiver types, dual- or triple-frequency, single or multiple systems, to provide RTK correction services to users equipped with any type of GNSS receivers. Next, data processing algorithms appropriate for triple-frequency GNSS signals are reviewed and some key performance benefits of using triple carrier signals for reliable RTK positioning over long distances are demonstrated. A server-based RTK software platform is being developed to allow for user positioning computations at server nodes instead of on the user's device. An optimal deployment scheme for reference stations across a larger-scale network has been suggested, given restrictions such as inter-station distances, candidates for reference locations, and operational modes. For instance, inter-station distances between triple-frequency receivers can be extended to 150km, which doubles the distance between dual-frequency receivers in the existing RTK network designs.

Secure tracking for critical applications : communications, GPS and future Galileo services

Tracking/remote monitoring systems using GNSS are a proven method to enhance the safety and security of personnel and vehicles carrying precious or hazardous cargo. While GNSS tracking appears to mitigate some of these threats, if not adequately secured, it can be a double-edged sword allowing adversaries to obtain sensitive shipment and vehicle position data to better coordinate their attacks, and to provide a false sense of security to monitoring centers. Tracking systems must be designed with the ability to perform route-compliance and thwart attacks ranging from low-level attacks such as the cutting of antenna cables to medium and high-level attacks involving radio jamming and signal / data-level simulation, especially where the goods transported have a potentially high value to terrorists. This paper discusses the use of GNSS in critical tracking applications, addressing the mitigation of GNSS security issues, augmentation systems and communication systems in order to provide highly robust and survivable tracking systems.

'In the hands of the Receivers': The Politics of Literacy in The Savage by David Almond and Dave McKean

David Almond and Dave McKean's The Savage is a hybrid prose and graphic novel which tells the story of one young man’s maturation through literacy. The protagonist learns to deal with the death of his father and his own 'savage' self by writing a graphic novel. This article reads The Savage in the context of earlier, 'Northern' literacy narrative - particularly Tony Harrison's poem "Them & [uz]" and Barry Hines' Kes — through the discourse of neoliberalism and the notion of the reluctant boy reader. It is suggested that Almond and McKean are influenced by currently dominant ideologies of gender and literacy.

Factors influencing caregiver : care receiver communication and its impact on the well-being of older care receivers

Examined communication between frail older people and their caregiving spouses (CGSs), and its relation to well-being in older care receivers. 53 community residing spousal dyads completed questionnaires about their well-being, relational satisfaction, and communication patterns. Conversations between the dyads were also videotaped and analyzed. The type of communication used by the CGSs was influenced by their sex, their earlier relationship with their spouse, and their level of well-being. CGSs who used an overly directive communication tone with their spouse were likely to be wives and CGSs who had a high degree of autonomy in their earlier relationship with their spouse. Low levels of life satisfaction and high affect balance in CGSs were associated with CGSs using a more patronizing tone. The well-being of care receivers was also related to their perceptions of their CGSs' communication. Care receivers who perceived their CGSs' communication as patronizing reported low levels of affect balance and high levels of conflict in the relationship. Findings suggest that certain characteristics of CGSs are related to the type of communication they use when conversing with their partner, although the relations are not always as expected.

Debts “incurred” by receivers, administrators and liquidators : the case for a harmonised construction of ss 419, 443A and 556(1)(a) of the Corporations Act

This article analyses the inconsistent approaches taken by courts when interpreting provisions of the Corporations Act which address debts or expenses “incurred” by receivers, administrators and liquidators. The article contends for a consistent construction of these provisions which will enable the legislation to operate (as was intended) for the benefit of persons who supply goods, services or labour to companies in external administration. The article explains how and why debts can be “incurred” by insolvency practitioners continuing on pre-existing contracts. Specifically, the article contends for a construction of ss 419 and 443A of the Corporations Act which renders receivers and administrators personally liable for certain entitlements of employees (eg, wages and superannuation contributions) which become due and payable by reason of the decision of a receiver or administrator to continue a pre-existing contract rather than terminate it.

Generalized-positioning for mixed-frequency of mixed-GNSS and its preliminary applications

Modernized GPS and GLONASS, together with new GNSS systems, BeiDou and Galileo, offer code and phase ranging signals in three or more carriers. Traditionally, dual-frequency code and/or phase GPS measurements are linearly combined to eliminate effects of ionosphere delays in various positioning and analysis. This typical treatment method has imitations in processing signals at three or more frequencies from more than one system and can be hardly adapted itself to cope with the booming of various receivers with a broad variety of singles. In this contribution, a generalized-positioning model that the navigation system independent and the carrier number unrelated is promoted, which is suitable for both single- and multi-sites data processing. For the synchronization of different signals, uncalibrated signal delays (USD) are more generally defined to compensate the signal specific offsets in code and phase signals respectively. In addition, the ionospheric delays are included in the parameterization with an elaborate consideration. Based on the analysis of the algebraic structures, this generalized-positioning model is further refined with a set of proper constrains to regularize the datum deficiency of the observation equation system. With this new model, uncalibrated signal delays (USD) and ionospheric delays are derived for both GPS and BeiDou with a large dada set. Numerical results demonstrate that, with a limited number of stations, the uncalibrated code delays (UCD) are determinate to a precision of about 0.1 ns for GPS and 0.4 ns for BeiDou signals, while the uncalibrated phase delays (UPD) for L1 and L2 are generated with 37 stations evenly distributed in China for GPS with a consistency of about 0.3 cycle. Extra experiments concerning the performance of this novel model in point positioning with mixed-frequencies of mixed-constellations is analyzed, in which the USD parameters are fixed with our generated values. The results are evaluated in terms of both positioning accuracy and convergence time.

High-frequency global navigation satellite system’s receivers for airborne gravimetry

The development of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) provides a solution of many applied problems with increasingly higher quality and accuracy nowadays. Researches that are carried out by the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Munich (BAW) in the field of airborne gravimetry are based on sophisticated data processing from high frequency GNSS receiver for kinematic aircraft positioning. Applied algorithms for inertial acceleration determination are based on the high sampling rate (50Hz) and on reducing of such factors as ionosphere scintillation and multipath at aircraft /antenna near field effects. The quality of the GNSS derived kinematic height are studied also by intercomparison with lift height variations collected by a precise high sampling rate vertical scale [1]. This work is aimed at the ways of more accurate determination of mini-aircraft altitude by means of high frequency GNSS receivers, in particular by considering their dynamic behaviour.