# US 2017/0285178 A1 · AIS Spoofing and Dark-Target Detection Methodology

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- Number: US 2017/0285178 A1
- Document ID: US20170285178A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/090,119
- Filed: 2016-04-04
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04
- Assignees: Spire Global, Inc.
- Applicants: Spire Global, Inc
- Inventors: Peter PLATZER; Pierre-Damien VAUJOUR
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285178A1

## CPC

- G01S 19/42: Determining position
- G01S 5/0264: {at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system}
- G01S 19/45: by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement
- G01S 5/16: using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
- G01S 11/12: using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
- G01S 19/215: {issues related to spoofing}
- G01S 2205/01: specially adapted for specific applications
- G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

Methods and systems detect physical locations of vessels. A first satellite includes a first image sensor. A second satellite includes a second image sensor. The processor receives a first image of a target area from the first image sensor, and a second image of the target area from the second image sensor. Both images are taken within a predetermined time frame. The processor performs image recognition to identify a vessel that appears in both the first image and the second image. The processor receives the first satellite's location and orientation when the first image is taken and the second satellite's location and orientation when the second image is taken. Each satellite's location and orientation are determined by the satellite's geographic determination module. The processor determines the vessel's location by performing triangulation based on the first satellite's location and orientation and the second satellite's location and orientation. The processor outputs data representative of the vessel's determined location. The vessel's speed and bearing are also determined by the processor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for determining a vessel's location in a target area, comprising:
a first image sensor on a first satellite;
a first geographic determination module on the first satellite;
a second image sensor on a second satellite;
a second geographic determination module on the second satellite; and
a processor in communication with the first image sensor and the second image sensor, the processor configured to:
output data indicating a target area to the first satellite and the second satellite;
receive a first image of the target area from the first image sensor, and a second image of the target area from the second image sensor, both images being taken within a predetermined time frame;
perform image recognition to identify a vessel that appears in both the first image and the second image;
receive the first satellite's location and orientation when the first image is taken, the first satellite's location and orientation being determined by the first geographic determination module;
receive the second satellite's location and orientation when the second image is taken, the second satellite's location and orientation being determined by the second geographic determination module;
determine the vessel's location by performing triangulation based on the first satellite's location and orientation and the second satellite's location and orientation; and
output data representative of the vessel's determined location.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the vessel's speed and bearing by performing triangulation based on the first satellite's location and orientation and the second satellite's location and orientation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are small form factor satellites.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a first Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver on the first satellite and a second AIS receiver on the second satellite, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine if at least one of the first AIS receiver and the second AIS receiver receives an AIS signal associated with the identified vessel;
determine a reported location as revealed by the AIS signal;
determine any discrepancy between the vessel's determined location and the reported location as revealed by the AIS signal; and
output the discrepancy.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a first radio frequency (RF) receiver on the first satellite and a second RF receiver on the second satellite.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to determine at least one of the vessel's location, speed and bearing based on signals received by the first RF receiver and the second RF receiver.

### Claim 7

A method for determining a vessel's location in a target area, comprising:
outputting, by a processor, data indicating a target area to a first satellite and a second satellite;
receiving, by the processor, a first image of the target area from a first image sensor on the first satellite, and a second image of the target area from a second image sensor on the second satellite, both images being taken within a predetermined time frame;
performing, by the processor, image recognition to identify a vessel that appears in both the first image and the second image;
receiving, by the processor, the first satellite's location and orientation when the first image is taken, the first satellite's location and orientation being determined by a first geographic determination module on the first satellite;
receiving by the processor, the second satellite's location and orientation when the second image is taken, the second satellite's location and orientation being determined by a second geographic determination module on the second satellite;
determining, by the processor, the vessel's location by performing triangulation based on the first satellite's location and orientation and the second satellite's location and orientation; and
outputting, by the processor, data representative of the vessel's determined location.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising determining, by the processor, the vessel's speed and bearing by performing triangulation based on the first satellite's location and orientation and the second satellite's location and orientation.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, if at least one of a first AIS receiver on the first satellite and a second AIS receiver on the second satellite receives an AIS signal associated with the identified vessel;
determining, by the processor, a reported location as revealed by the AIS signal;
determining, by the processor, any discrepancy between the vessel's determined location and the reported location as revealed by the AIS signal; and
outputting, by the processor, the discrepancy.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, at least one of the vessel's location, speed and bearing based on signals received by a first RF receiver on the first satellite and a second RF receiver on the second satellite.

### Claim 11

A system for determining a vessel's location in a target area, comprising:
a first image sensor on a first satellite;
a first geographic determination module on the first satellite;
a second image sensor on a second satellite;
a second geographic determination module on the second satellite; and
a processor in communication with the first image sensor and the second image sensor, the processor configured to:
output data indicating a target area to the first satellite and the second satellite;
receive a first image of the target area from the first image sensor, the first image being associated with the first satellite's location and orientation when the first image is taken, the first satellite's location and orientation being determined by the first geographic determination module;
receive a second image of the target area from the second image sensor, the second image being associated with the second satellite's location and orientation when the second image is taken, the second satellite's location and orientation being determined by the second geographic determination module, the first image and the second image being taken within a predetermined time frame;
perform image recognition to identify a vessel that appears in both the first image and the second image;
identify an overlapping area between the first image and the second image;
determine the vessel's location based on the overlapping area; and
output data representative of the vessel's determined location.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive a plurality of images capturing the vessel over time, each image being associated with a timestamp, satellite location and orientation when the image is taken; and
determine the vessel's speed and bearing based on the plurality of images.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising a first AIS receiver on the first satellite and a second AIS receiver on the second satellite, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine if at least one of the first AIS receiver and the second AIS receiver receives an AIS signal associated with the identified vessel;
determine a reported location as revealed by the AIS signal;
determine any discrepancy between the vessel's determined location and the reported location as revealed by the AIS signal; and
output the discrepancy.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising a first RF receiver on the first satellite and a second RF receiver on the second satellite.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine at least one of the vessel's location, speed and bearing based on signals received by the first RF receiver and the second RF receiver.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are small form factor satellites.

### Claim 17

A method for determining a vessel's location in a target area, comprising:
outputting, by a processor, data indicating a target area to the first satellite and the second satellite;
receiving, by the processor, a first image of the target area from a first image sensor on the first satellite, the first image being associated with the first satellite's location and orientation when the first image is taken, the first satellite's location and orientation being determined by a first geographic determination module on the first satellite;
receiving a second image of the target area from a second image sensor on the second satellite, the second image being associated with the second satellite's location and orientation when the second image is taken, the second satellite's location and orientation being determined by a second geographic determination module on the second satellite, the first image and the second image being taken within a predetermined time frame;
performing, by the processor, image recognition to identify a vessel that appears in both the first image and the second image;
identifying, by the processor, an overlapping area between the first image and the second image;
determining, by the processor, the vessel's location based on the overlapping area; and
outputting, by the processor, data representative of the vessel's determined location.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
receiving, by the processor, a plurality of images capturing the vessel over time, each image being associated with a timestamp, satellite location and orientation when the image is taken; and
determining, by the processor, the vessel's speed and bearing based on the plurality of images.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, if at least one of a first AIS receiver on the first satellite and a second AIS receiver on the second satellite receives an AIS signal associated with the identified vessel;
determining, by the processor, a reported location as revealed by the AIS signal;
determining, by the processor, any discrepancy between the vessel's determined location and the reported location as revealed by the AIS signal; and
outputting, by the processor, the discrepancy.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, at least one of the vessel's location, speed and bearing based on signals received by a first RF receiver on the first satellite and a second RF receiver on the second satellite.