Robust design of a machine learning-based GNSS NLOS detector with multi-frequency features

Abstract

The robust detection of GNSS non-line-of-sight (NLOS) signals is of vital importance for land- and close-to-land-based safe navigation applications. The usage of GNSS measurements affected by NLOS can lead to large unbounded positioning errors and loss of safety. Due to the complex signal conditions in urban environments, the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence techniques and algorithms has recently been identified as potential tools to classify GNSS LOS/NLOS signals. The design of machine learning algorithms with GNSS features is an emerging field of research that must, however, be tackled carefully to avoid biased estimation results and to guarantee algorithms that can be generalized for different scenarios, receivers, antennas, and their specific installations and configurations. This work first provides new options to guarantee a proper generalization of trained algorithms by means of a pre-normalization of features with models extracted in open-sky (nominal) scenarios. The second main contribution focuses on designing a branched (or parallel) machine learning process to handle the intermittent presence of GNSS features in certain frequencies. This allows to exploit measurements in all available frequencies as compared to current approaches in the literature based on only the single frequency. The detection by means of logistic regression not only provides a binary LOS/NLOS decision but also an associated probability which can be used in the future as a means to weight-specific measurements. The detection with the proposed branched logistic regression with pre-normalized multi-frequency features has shown better results than the state-of-the-art algorithms, reaching 90% detection accuracy in the validation scenarios evaluated.

Keywords: global navigation satellite system; local threats; machine learning; non-line-of-sight propagation; urban environment.