Galileo And Umts Synergetic System

The GAUSS (Galileo And UMTS Synergetic System) objective is to design and demonstrate the realistic feasibility of a system, which synergetically integrates navigation and communications, for providing enhanced and attractive location-based services. The main concept which the GAUSS project is based on, envisages the communication and navigation system components fitting within the general framework of S-UMTS (the satellite component of the 3rd-generation mobile communications system) and GALILEO. The technological issues of such a concept rely on the development of a Demonstrator, which integrates existing and available facilities with ad-hoc designed components. The former ones constitute the ground segment; the latter ones include the advanced user terminal and the innovative services and applications. The user terminal, part of the GAUSS demonstrator, will comprise a digital front-end capable of receiving all the required navigation and band segments with a single platform, and a CDMA (code division multiple access) modem complying with the current S-UMTS air interface standards. In absence of real Galileo navigation signals, the user terminal will depend upon GPS and GNSS1 signals. The demonstrator will include an existing communication gateway, the navigation signal augmentation facility and a real L-band satellite. Objectives: The GAUSS project aims at designing and demonstrating a realistic and attractive integration concept between navigation and communications, with specific reference to the fore coming Galileo program. The satellite communications system that will be studied and demonstrated is based on a variant of the S-UMTS standard, the parameters of which will be adapted to support the type of communications services being considered for Galileo (e.g. bursty low-rate packet-based services). The system will be designed and optimised to operate over communications payloads placed aboard the Galileo spacecraft or, alternatively, over other available payloads (e.g. rented capacity) should the decision to embark a piggyback communications payload on Galileo not be finally taken. Main objectives of GAUSS are: 1) Definition of a navigation / S-UMTS integrated reference model for providing Location Based Services, and specification of the various protocol layers; 2) Development of applications taking benefit from the availability of said integrated facilities; 3) Qualification of the reference model with a demonstrator based upon existing ground and space infrastructures and on new advanced hardware developments; 4) Development of innovative equipment (modems, digital receive front-end) especially orientated to the future integrated multi-mode user terminals; 5) Contribute in standardisation (specifically focused on the current GALILEO and S-UMTS state-of-the art), results dissemination, promotion. Work description: GAUSS is an RTD project mainly intended to study, optimise and assess the synergy between satellite navigation and communications with the creation of innovative applications and their validation by means of a technologically-advanced demonstrator integrating both navigation and communications facilities, via real satellites. GAUSS targets Key Action I, by mainly addressing Actions I.6.1 and I.6.2, with particular regard to "GNSS Applications And Receivers" for Action I.6.1 and "Rail And Waterborne Transport" for Action I.6.2. The main conceptual innovations proposed by GAUSS are: 1) fitting the communications services being considered for Galileo in the more general S-UMTS framework, with important advantages for user terminals (mass, size, cost) and system standardisation; 2) a digital user-terminal receive front-end capable of efficiently handling both the communications and the navigation band segments (GPS/GNSS1, GNSS2, S-UMTS). GAUSS will orderly develop by firstly addressing the "Target system", e.g. the integrated navigation / communications system to be operated on commercial basis; this will be done also taking into account the decision on whether to embark a communications payload aboard the Galileo satellites. Then the GAUSS demonstrator development work will start, aiming at reproducing the target system configuration. The demonstrator will validate two client / server applications (info-mobility and inter-modal transport) through an S-UMTS-compatible satellite link. A low-rate packet-oriented variant of the S-UMTS air interface will be specified and implemented pursuing maximum commonality with the other UMTS air-interfaces, aiming to a single user-terminal platform for multiple operating environments. The CDMA modems development will profit of the experience gained by some GAUSS partners within other EC and ESA projects. Milestones: The main GAUSS milestones are: 1) Future "Target System": user requirements, system requirements and architecture definition; 2) GAUSS demonstrator: development of applications and advanced hardware, telecommunications system set-up; 3) Trials: test campaign and results gathering; 4) Results assessment: technical, operational and cost impacts; 5) Support activities: standardisation, regulatory, promotion and dissemination.