Galileo project a winner at European Inventor Awards

A multinational European team, fronted by France’s Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), is among the winners at this year’s European Inventor Awards. Their project, which ensures that satellite signals do not interfere with each other, allows users and developers alike to benefit from the next-generation positioning technology that Galileo offers.

The project Radio signals for better satellite navigation was declared the winner in the Research category at the European Patent Office’s European Inventor Awards, Europe’s most prestigious prize for innovation. The results of the awards were announced at a 15 June ceremony held in Venice, Italy. The project created modulation and spread-spectrum signal technologies that strengthen some of Galileo's core components: enhanced accuracy and ensured interoperability with GLONASS and GPS (including possible upgrades), along with saving on satellite power.

Watch this: Radio signals for better satellite navigation

The team was led by French engineer Laurent Lestarquit and his Spanish colleague José Ángel Ávila Rodríguez and included France’s Jean-Luc Issler, German Günter Hein and Belgian Lionel Ries. Quoted on the EPO website, Lestarquit said he was proud of the teamwork and of what the team had achieved. Co-inventor José Ángel Ávila Rodríguez also noted that the project was something that Europeans could feel proud of. "When the nations of Europe work together, the whole world benefits," he said.

How it works

Lestarquit developed a patented modulation technique called Alternative Binary Offset Carrier modulation (AltBOC), which effectively packs four signals into one large one: two highly accurate signals from Galileo's Open Service and two signals from its Safety-of-Life service.

The result is that AltBOC not only offers extremely high accuracy for specialised receivers, it also helps save satellite power.

In addition, the team developed an innovative spread-spectrum technique that creates a new single waveform via what is called Composite Binary Offset Carrier (CBOC) modulation. Not only will this signal allow high-end receivers to accurately calculate positions, it is also compatible with older, lower-end devices and other GNSS signals. The CBOC patent includes a novel concept allowing for the combination of open CBOC and secured Public Regulated Service (PRS) signals in a single frequency. PRS signals are designed to be used by civil authorities, such as police, coastguards and customs agencies. PRS is encrypted and includes anti-jamming mechanisms.

European Inventor Award

Now in its 12th year, the European Inventor Award is presented annually by the European Patent Office (EPO) to recognise outstanding inventors from Europe and around the world who have made exceptional contributions to social development, technological progress and economic growth.

Also watch: European Inventor Award 2017 - News

The finalists and winners in five categories (Industry, Research, Non-EPO countries, Small and medium-sized enterprises and Popular Prize) are selected by an independent jury consisting of international authorities in the fields of business, science, academia and research, who examine the proposals in terms of their contribution towards technical progress, social development, and wealth and job creation in Europe.

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