Multi-GNSS High Precision Antenna Patent Analysis

　　Patent Analysis of Multi-GNSS High-Precision Antennas

　　I. Introduction

　　The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has been widely used in many fields such as transportation, surveying and mapping, agriculture, aerospace, etc., from vehicle navigation for daily travel to farmland operations in precision agriculture, to high-precision geographic information collection in the field of surveying and mapping, and its application is everywhere. As a core component, multi-GNSS high-precision antennas play a decisive role in improving positioning accuracy, stability and reliability. Through in-depth analysis of patents related to multi-GNSS high-precision antennas, we can gain insight into the technical development trends, distribution of major innovative forces and possible breakthrough directions in the future in this field, and provide strong support for the technical research and development, patent layout and market competition strategy formulation of related enterprises and scientific research institutions.

　　II. Analysis of Patent Application Trends

　　The development of satellite navigation antennas is closely linked to the construction of satellite navigation systems. In the early days, with the launch of the first experimental satellite of the US GPS system in 1978, patent applications for satellite navigation terminal antennas began to appear in 1980. From 1980 to 1994, 24 GPS satellite constellations were deployed, and this stage was the embryonic stage of patent applications for satellite navigation receiver antennas. From 1995 to 2003, satellite navigation technology was widely used in professional and consumer fields, driving a significant increase in the number of applications and entering a growth period. In June 2004, after the EU and the United States signed the Galileo and GPS signal compatibility and interoperability agreement, satellite navigation terminal antennas entered a comprehensive development period with fierce competition among major systems, and the number of patent applications reached a peak in 2007. Since then, due to the increasing maturity of antenna technology and the impact of the global economic crisis, the number of applications has declined, but in recent years, with the emergence of emerging demands such as autonomous driving and drones, the number of patent applications related to multi-GNSS high-precision antennas has once again rebounded.

　　Although the number of patent applications for multi-GNSS high-precision antennas accounts for a relatively small proportion of the overall satellite navigation antenna patents, the growth trend is obvious. Taking Huawei as an example, it applied for a patent for dynamically adjusting antenna performance (CN119667727A) in 2023. By dynamically adjusting the performance status of multiple GNSS antennas, it switches antenna performance in real time for different scenarios to achieve higher positioning accuracy and response speed. This innovation has promoted the increase in the number of related patent applications.

　　III. Analysis of core patent technologies

　　3.1 Multi-band fusion technology

　　In order to achieve efficient reception of multiple system signals such as GPS, Beidou, Galileo, and GLONASS, multi-band fusion has become a key technical direction. Many patents focus on this, and multi-band coverage is achieved through innovative antenna structure and design. For example, Zhejiang Spacetime's dual-frequency low-orbit occultation antenna (CN114171907B) not only covers low-orbit satellite signals, but also achieves compatible reception of multiple frequency band signals through multi-layer patches, four-arm spirals and other structures, improving positioning reliability in complex environments.

　　In the development history of multi-band fusion technology, the early stage was mainly simple dual-band design. With the increase of demand and technological progress, it gradually evolved to full-band coverage. From the distribution of patent applications, the number of patent applications for multi-GNSS high-precision antennas with full-band coverage has been on the rise in recent years, reflecting the market's urgent need for full compatibility with multi-system and multi-band signals.

　　3.2 Anti-interference technology

　　In complex electromagnetic environments, anti-interference technology is crucial. The anti-interference technology in patents has developed from traditional filtering to adaptive nulling and machine learning-driven interference detection. U-blox's patent (CN119335561A) uses machine learning to optimize signal processing to achieve intelligent detection and suppression of interference signals; China Railway Construction Corporation's ambiguity fixing method (CN118011445B) combines INS (inertial navigation system) to maintain signal stability in an interference environment and improve anti-interference capabilities.

　　The adaptive nulling antenna monitors the direction of the interference signal in real time, dynamically adjusts the antenna radiation pattern, and forms a null to suppress interference. Early adaptive zeroing technology had high computational complexity and slow response speed. With algorithm optimization and hardware performance improvement, it can now quickly and accurately deal with interference. Machine learning-driven interference detection technology uses a large number of interference signal samples to train models, giving antennas a stronger ability to intelligently identify and deal with complex interference.

　　3.3 High-precision measurement antenna technology

　　High-precision measurement antennas are an important branch of multi-GNSS high-precision antennas. Thales has 9 key patents in the field of four-arm helical antennas. Through feed structure optimization, it achieves high-precision phase center stability and ensures measurement accuracy. Hexin Xingtong's patent (CN109856802B) solves the baseline vector through multi-antenna double-difference observation equations to improve attitude measurement accuracy and plays an important role in high-precision measurement applications.

　　In the development of high-precision measurement antenna technology, the requirements for phase center stability and multipath effect suppression are constantly increasing. In the early days, the phase center of the antenna changed greatly, affecting the measurement accuracy. By improving the antenna structure, materials and manufacturing process, the phase center stability has been significantly improved. In terms of multipath suppression, it has evolved from simple choke design to more complex and efficient multipath suppression structures and algorithms.

　　3.4 Miniaturization and integration technology

　　To meet the needs of mobile devices and portable applications, miniaturization and integration are the inevitable trend of the development of multi-GNSS high-precision antennas. New materials (such as ceramic dielectric loading) and innovative designs (such as inverted F antennas and fractal structures) are used to reduce the size while maintaining high performance. Tesla's on-board antenna integrates heating function to adapt to extreme weather, and also integrates the antenna with the RF front end and signal processor to reduce power consumption and cost.

　　In the process of miniaturization, the challenge is how to achieve good signal reception and radiation performance in a limited space. Early miniaturized antenna performance was often sacrificed. With the advancement of material science and design technology, it is now possible to maintain or even improve performance while miniaturizing. In terms of integration, it has evolved from the initial simple integration of antennas and partial circuits to the current deep integration of antennas with multiple functional modules to form a highly integrated solution.

　　4. Analysis of major patent applicants

　　4.1 International companies

　　Trimble, Thales and other international companies have a deep foundation in the field of multi-GNSS high-precision antennas. Trimble has many patents for high-precision measurement antennas in the field of surveying and mapping. Its patented technology focuses on improving measurement accuracy and stability, such as optimizing the design of chokes to effectively suppress multipath effects, and occupies an important position in the professional surveying and mapping market. Thales is a leader in the technology of four-arm helical antennas. Through continuous innovation in feed structure, overall structure and helical wires, it has a series of core patents, and its products are widely used in aerospace, national defense and other fields with extremely high requirements for accuracy and reliability.

　　U-blox and Rohde & Schwarz focus on the research and development of anti-interference and intelligent technologies. U-blox optimizes signal processing algorithms through machine learning to improve the anti-interference ability of antennas in complex electromagnetic environments. The relevant patents have broad application prospects in the fields of intelligent transportation, industrial Internet of Things, etc. Rohde & Schwarz's advantages in radio frequency technology provide strong support for its anti-interference design of multi-GNSS high-precision antennas, and its anti-interference antenna products have been applied in military, communication and other fields.

　　4.2 Chinese Enterprises

　　Huawei has developed rapidly in the field of multi-GNSS high-precision antennas. Its patent (CN119667727A) has been applied to smartphones and in-vehicle navigation by dynamically adjusting antenna performance to adapt to different scenarios and improve positioning accuracy, which has promoted the technological upgrade of consumer electronics and intelligent transportation. Unicore has made breakthroughs in the field of multi-antenna collaborative positioning. Its invention patent (CN109856802B) achieves high-precision positioning and attitude measurement by establishing double-difference observation equations to solve baseline vectors, providing technical support for my country's Beidou satellite navigation system in high-precision measurement, mapping, navigation, etc.

　　V. Patent Technology Gaps and Future Development Directions

　　5.1 Technology Gaps

　　In terms of beamforming technology, although adaptive nulling antennas have been widely used, there are few patents for beamforming technology (such as phased arrays) in multi-GNSS high-precision antennas, especially in low-cost integration. There is a lot of room for development. Phased array technology can achieve more flexible beam pointing and shaping, but its complex structure and high cost currently limit its widespread application in multi-GNSS high-precision antennas. It is urgent to develop low-cost and miniaturized phased array antenna solutions.

　　With the development of low-orbit satellite constellations such as Starlink, the design of antennas with anti-multipath effects suitable for low-orbit environments is not yet mature. The propagation environment of low-orbit satellite signals is complex and the multipath effect is serious. The existing multipath suppression technology is difficult to meet the high-precision requirements of low-orbit satellite navigation, and new antenna structures and algorithms need to be developed in a targeted manner.

　　In terms of adaptability to extreme environments, such as high temperature, high humidity or areas with dense electromagnetic interference, the reliability technology of antennas (such as material weather resistance) needs further breakthroughs. Current antenna materials may experience performance degradation and accelerated aging in extreme environments, affecting the normal operation of antennas. The development of high-performance, extreme environment-resistant antenna materials and protection technologies is an important direction for future research.

　　5.2 Future Development Direction

　　AI-driven smart antennas will become an important development direction in the future. By combining AI technologies such as machine learning and deep learning, antennas can sense environmental changes in real time and automatically optimize their own parameters, such as adjusting beam direction and gain, to adapt to different signal propagation environments and user needs. U-blox's interference detection model has demonstrated the application potential of AI in antenna anti-interference. In the future, AI will play a greater role in the all-round performance optimization of antennas.

　　Chip-level integration is also one of the trends. Highly integrating antennas with RF front-ends, signal processors, etc. on chips can effectively reduce power consumption, reduce volume and cost, and improve the overall performance and reliability of the system. Huawei and other companies have already explored this aspect. In the future, with the continuous advancement of integrated circuit technology, chip-level integrated multi-GNSS high-precision antennas will be more widely used.

　　With the increase of environmental awareness, the application of green manufacturing technology in the field of multi-GNSS high-precision antennas will gradually receive attention. Using recyclable materials to manufacture antennas and using low-energy consumption processes in the production process can not only reduce the impact on the environment, but also meet the requirements of sustainable development, and will become an important development direction for antenna manufacturers in the future.

　　VI. Conclusion

　　The patent technology in the field of multi-GNSS high-precision antennas shows a trend of multi-band fusion, enhanced anti-interference capability, high-precision measurement optimization, miniaturization integration and intelligent development. International companies maintain their lead in traditional advantageous fields such as high-precision measurement and core antenna structure design, while Chinese companies are rapidly catching up and making breakthroughs in emerging application scenario adaptation, multi-antenna collaboration and low-orbit satellite-related technologies.

　　In the future, this field will focus on solving existing technology gaps and develop in the direction of AI-driven, chip-level integration and green manufacturing. Enterprises and scientific research institutions should pay close attention to technology development trends, increase R&D investment in key technology fields, strengthen patent layout, and enhance independent innovation capabilities to occupy a favorable position in the fierce market competition. At the same time, strengthen international cooperation and exchanges, jointly promote the continuous progress of multi-GNSS high-precision antenna technology, and provide stronger technical support for the development of global satellite navigation applications.