Antenna Nullforming Weight Vector for Constrained Jamming Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional anti-jamming antenna electronics lack flexibility in creating nulls in specified directions while maintaining adaptive nulls in the direction of jamming signals, leading to difficulties in generating deep nulls in user-specified directions and managing sympathetic nulls.
Innovation Solution
The antenna system employs a nullforming technique that calculates a nullforming weight vector based on a beamforming weight vector, a seeding weight vector, and a nullforming adjustment factor to generate a set of nulls, including constrained, adaptive, and sympathetic nulls, allowing for user-specified null creation and adjustable depth, thereby addressing the limitations of traditional approaches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional adaptive nulling technique is used, then the system can minimize jamming signal power based on signal conditions, but the system lacks flexibility to create nulls in user-specified directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines adaptive nulling (which minimizes jamming based on signal conditions) with constrained nulling (which creates nulls in user-specified directions) into a unified nullforming technique. The nullforming weight vector integrates both adaptive components and constrained components, allowing the system to simultaneously perform both functions through a single processing framework rather than separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The nullforming technique serves multiple functions: it performs adaptive jamming signal suppression, creates constrained nulls in user-specified directions, and manages sympathetic nulls. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate adaptive nulling and constrained nulling systems, providing versatility while maintaining a unified processing structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional beamforming mode is used, then the system can maintain specified gain in the direction of signal of interest, but the system cannot create deep nulls in user-specified directions
Solution Approach 1:
The nullforming technique applies different processing to different spatial directions: adaptive nulling is applied in directions where jamming signals are detected, while constrained nulling is applied in user-specified directions. This localized approach allows deep nulls to be formed precisely where needed without affecting beamforming performance in other directions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If adaptive nulling is performed, then jamming signal power is minimized, but sympathetic nulls are generated in unintended directions
Solution Approach 1:
The nullforming technique incorporates feedback mechanisms to monitor the antenna pattern and adjust the weight vectors accordingly. By evaluating the effectiveness of null formation and detecting sympathetic nulls in unintended directions, the system can iteratively refine the nullforming weights to suppress jamming signals while minimizing unwanted sympathetic nulling effects.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna system may include an antenna array configured to receive one or more signals. In embodiments, the antenna system further includes one or more signal processors configured to: determine a beamforming weight vector (Wbf) for the antenna array; determine a first seeding weight vector (Wseed1) for the antenna array, wherein the first seeding weight vector (Wseed1) comprises a first nulling weight vector (Wnul1) or a second beamforming weight vector (Wbf); determine a first nullforming adjustment factor (η1) for the antenna array; calculate a first nullforming weight vector (Wnf1) based on at least the beamforming weight vector (Wbf), the first seeding weight vector (Wseed1) and the first nullforming adjustment factor (η1); and form a first antenna pattern based on the first nullforming weight vector (Wnf1) to generate a first antenna electronics (AE) output signal, wherein the first antenna pattern generates a first set of one or more nulls.