The system provides a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver in a vehicle. The GNSS receiver includes a radio frequency (RF) receiving circuit configured to receive GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites orbiting Earth at respective azimuth and elevation angles, a memory device storing a predetermined antenna pattern including initial signal to noise ratio (SNR) values for each of the respective azimuth and elevation angles, and a processor. The processor is configured to calculate SNR values of the received GNSS signals, iteratively calculate an updated antenna pattern by combining the calculated SNR values with the initial SNR values, compare further SNR values of further received GNSS signals to the SNR values in the updated antenna pattern to perform at least one of the following: 1) detection and mitigation of multipath signals, 2) estimation of vehicle heading, and 3) determination of a location of the antenna within the vehicle.