Two-Stage Beamforming Technique for GNSS Applications

In this paper, we introduce a robust beamforming technique using array antennas. The proposed solution constitutes two stages; the first stage exploits the space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization (SAGE) algorithm to decompose the received GNSS signal into its constituent signals, i.e., direct and reflected signals. The SAGE algorithm estimates the angle of arrival (AoA) and the received covariance matrix for both the direct and reflected signals. The second stage, on the other hand, utilizes the Minimum Variance Distortionless Response (MVDR) algorithm to produce the weight vector that steers the main beam towards the satellite’s direction and the nulls towards the multipath effect. The MVDR uses the AoA of the direct path and the covariance matrix of the reflected path to minimize the multipath effect. The experimental results reveal that the proposed technique improves the received signal strength and the location estimation accuracy, as compared to a single-antenna system. Furthermore, the proposed technique outperforms the traditional MVDR technique in the tested environment. Finally, the 95% 3D position error of the proposed solution is 5.2 m, and the position dilution of precision (pdop) is 0.84.