Wade Trappe, in collaboration with Mayflower Inc, has received a Phase-1 STTR from the US Air Force for a project titled, "Collaborative Situation Aware PNT (CSAP) Solution". This contract is a 6-month award, with Rutgers University receiving $45K.
The objective behind the proposed effort is to develop and demonstrate cognitive radio (CR) technology to mitigate limited licensed spectrum by accessing efficiently unlicensed spectrum bands in support of military space-based positioning and navigation technology (PNT) needs. In particular, one objective is to overcome signal blockage conditions due to intentional and unintentional impairments faced by PNT signals. It is envisioned that the next generation satellites will be able to support PNT signal transmissions on non-traditional frequency bands and allow cognitive radio based GPS receivers to acquire PNT signals in alternative frequency bands (i.e., S-band and C-band instead of L-band). The CSAP solution represents an enabling technology that allows tactical units to maneuver through the GPS RF challenged environment without any impact on their PNT capability.