System and method for a reconfigurable delay detection network in a metasurface to detect unauthorized interception of directed uplink signals

A metasurface unit cell within a metasurface unit cell array used to manipulate reflection of incoming radiofrequency (RF) signals of a wireless link between a transmitter device and a receiver device comprising:

• a reflective pattern structure of conductive material on a substrate to reflect the incoming RF signals and a substrate integrated waveguide in the substrate disposed below the reflective pattern structure and formed between plural ground planes with a plurality of conductive interconnects between the plural ground planes;
• a voltage line formed through the substrate and the substrate integrated waveguide to the reflective pattern structure on the substrate;
• a electromagnetically coupled RF signal probe line formed through the substrate and a first ground plane and into the substrate integrated waveguide to detect the incoming RF signals from the voltage line for a signal coupled readout pad;
• the signal coupled readout pad to transmit the incoming RF signals to a reconfigurable delay detection network having plural fixed transmission line segments with known capacitance load to determine measured phase delay of the incoming RF signals;
• a microcontroller unit operably coupled to the metasurface unit cell executing code instructions of a metasurface hardware geofencing system to compare an expected phase delay of the incoming RF signals determine angle of arrival determined from the RF signal received from plural consecutive metasurface unit cells to the measured phase delay of the incoming RF signals to identify a phase delay deviation indicating compromised integrity of the incoming RF signals.

A metasurface unit cell array of a plurality of metasurface unit cells to manipulate reflection of incoming radiofrequency (RF) signals of a wireless link between a transmitter device and a receiver device comprising:

• a microcontroller unit executing code instructions of a metasurface hardware geofencing system to identify an angle of arrival of the incoming RF signals across plural signal coupled readout pads of consecutive metasurface unit cells in the metasurface unit cell array to determine an expected phase delay of the incoming RF signals;
• each metasurface unit cell including a reflective pattern structure of conductive material on a substrate, a substrate integrated waveguide embedded in the substrate of each metasurface unit cell disposed below the reflective pattern structure and formed between a top ground plane and a bottom ground plane with a plurality of conductive interconnects between the top ground plane and the bottom ground plane around the substrate integrated waveguide, a voltage line formed through the substrate integrated waveguide to the reflective pattern structure, and a electromagnetically coupled RF signal probe line formed a bottom ground plane and into the substrate integrated waveguide to detect the incoming RF signals from the voltage line within the substrate integrated waveguide for a signal coupled readout pad;
• the microcontroller unit executing code instructions of a metasurface hardware geofencing system to detect a measured phase delay of the incoming RF signals from a reconfigurable delay detection network having plural fixed transmission line segments with known capacitance load to determine the measured phase delay of the detected incoming RF signals received from at least one metasurface unit cell;
• and
• the microcontroller unit executing code instructions of a metasurface hardware geofencing system to compare expected phase delay of the incoming RF signals from plural consecutive unit cells to the measured phase delay of the incoming RF signals to identify a phase delay deviation to indicate compromised integrity of the incoming RF signals.