Local GNSS Threat Detection Methods for Virtual Balise Placement in Railway Applications

The introduction of the GNSS positioning technology into the evolution of ERTMS/ETCS is based on the concept of virtual balise to minimize the impact onto existing ERTMS solutions. The detection of virtual balises is foreseen by using GNSS in combination with odometry information or other kinematic sensors. However, the presence of local GNSS threats (e.g, multipath, NLOS or interference) may lead to errors in the pseudorange measurement that cannot be neither corrected by local or wide-area augmentation systems nor properly bounded, and will lead ultimately to an error in the virtual balise position that cannot be bounded with the required integrity. In order to a priori prevent the risk of this hazardous situation, virtual balises must be logically located in areas where there are not local threats that may lead a Virtual Balise Transmission System on board the train to dynamically estimate unbounded virtual balise position errors. This paper summarizes the initial work performed in the H2020 GSA Project ERSAT-GGC with respect to the different techniques that can be used to detect local GNSS threats and that can support a later classification of railway areas as suitable or not suitable for placing virtual balises

Deliverable D4.2 - Technical Specification of Survey Toolset. ERSAT GGC. ERTMS on SATELLITE Galileo Game Changer

This document is the deliverable D4.2-Technical Specification of the Survey Toolset where the outcome of the work performed in WP4.2 of the ERSAT GGC project is described. This document follows up the work performed in WP4.1 and reported in the deliverable D4.1, extending the ongoing general definition of the track area classification process. The goal of WP4.2 is the specification and development of the toolset for the survey and classification of track areas, giving the system overview and providing the different interacting blocks as the measurement hardware system, the processing software toolbox and the final classification data. Regarding this D4.2, the functional and technical specifications of the toolset are here provided with the description of the interfaces between the different detection techniques and decision logic blocks. Outcome of D4.3 will be the prototype implementation and installation. The document also includes the specification of the measurement system and hardware to be used in the survey process so that the necessary data for the classification techniques can be collected in the railway scenario. Finally, the specification of the output data - the track area classification results - is also analysed and provided. The specification of the survey measurement system and software toolset addressed in the current document will support the next project activities related to the development of the software tools for the classification of track areas in WP4.2 and the execution of measurement campaigns in WP4.3