Beam Steering in Global Positioning System Receivers using Synthetic Phased Arrays

Abstract

This correspondence introduces a concept of synthetically generated phased arrays to the area of Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS antennas generated at different spatial locations are combined into a synthetic phased array to improve the beam sharpening performance without increasing the antenna's physical size. A fast Fourier transforms (FFT)-based method is applied for simultaneous steering of the synthetic array's beams in multiple directions. The synthetic beam-steering approach discussed can be applied for improving GPS robustness to RF interference and for simultaneous tracking of multiple signal sources (i.e., direct signal and multipath reflections). Simulation results and experimental test results are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of synthetic beam steering techniques for GPS antennas.