Adaptive Interference Canceller in a Digital Phase Array

• US 20130101073A1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Zai, Andrew W., Lugo, Cesar A., Ho, Minhtri T., Sharp, Matthew D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/349
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/023 Interference mitigation, e.g. reducing or avoiding non-intentional interference with other HF-transmitters, base station transmitters for mobile communication or other radar systems, e.g. using electro-magnetic interference [EMI] reduction techniques auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like G01S7/021; means for anti-jamming G01S7/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/0232 Avoidance by frequency multiplex
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/0235 Avoidance by time multiplex
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2813 Means providing a modification of the radiation pattern for cancelling noise, clutter or interfering signals, e.g. side lobe suppression, side lobe blanking, null-steering arrays specially adapted to secondary radar systems G01S13/762; aerials or aerials systems H01Q21/29, H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/36 Means for anti-jamming , e.g. ECCM, i.e. electronic counter-counter measures

Abstract

A digital phased array may include a plurality of antenna elements forming a main array of the digital phased array, a plurality of mixers configured to down-convert data received at respective ones of the antenna elements, a plurality of analog-to-digital converters configured to digitize data provided by corresponding ones of the mixers, and a digital signal processor. The digital signal processor may be configured to receive digitized data including at least one interference signal and at least one desired signal, determine an angle of arrival of the at least one interference signal, steer a beam of the main array toward the at least one interference signal based on the determined angle of arrival, and perform interference cancelation relative to the at least one interference signal.

Claims

1. A digital phased array comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements forming a main array of the digital phased array;

a plurality of mixers configured to down-convert data received at respective ones of the antenna elements;

a plurality of analog-to-digital converters configured to digitize data provided by corresponding ones of the mixers; and

a digital signal processor configured to;

receive digitized data including at least one interference signal and at least one desired signal;

determine an angle of arrival of the at least one interference signal;

steer a beam of the main array toward the at least one interference signal based on the determined angle of arrival; and

perform interference cancelation relative to the at least one interference signal.

2. The digital phased array of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to determine the angle of arrival using Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques (ESPRIT).

3. The digital phased array of claim 1, wherein the main array comprises elements forming a main channel, and wherein at least one element of the main array forms an auxiliary channel.

4. The digital phased array of claim 3, wherein the main channel and the auxiliary channel have the same gain.

5. The digital phased array of claim 3, wherein the auxiliary channel employs steerable beams.

6. The digital phased array of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to perform interference cancelation relative to a plurality of interference signals.

7. The digital phased array of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to perform interference cancelation relative to a narrow-band signal.

8. The digital phased array of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to perform interference cancelation relative to a wide-band signal.

9. A method comprising:

receiving digitized data including at least one interference signal and at least one desired signal from a plurality of antenna elements forming a main array of a digital phased array, the digitized data being down-converted and digitized prior to provision to a digital signal processor;

utilizing the digital signal processor to determine an angle of arrival of the at least one interference signal;

utilizing the digital signal processor to steer a beam of the main array toward the at least one interference signal based on the determined angle of arrival; and

utilizing the digital signal processor to perform interference cancelation relative to the least one interference signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the angle of arrival comprises using Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques (ESPRIT) to determine the angle of arrival.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the main array comprises elements forming a main channel, wherein at least one element of the main array forms an auxiliary channel, and wherein steering the beam of the main array comprises steering the auxiliary channel toward the at least one interference signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing the main channel and the auxiliary channel to have the same gain.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein performing interference cancelation comprises performing interference cancelation relative to a plurality of interference signals.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein performing interference cancelation comprises performing interference cancelation relative to a narrow-band signal.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein performing interference cancelation comprises performing interference cancelation relative to a wide-band signal.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:

receiving digitized data including at least one interference signal and at least one desired signal from a plurality of antenna elements forming a main array of a digital phased array, the digitized data being down-converted and digitized prior to provision to a digital signal processor;

utilizing the digital signal processor to determine an angle of arrival of the at least one interference signal;

utilizing the digital signal processor to steer a beam of the main array toward the at least one interference signal based on the determined angle of arrival; and

utilizing the digital signal processor to perform interference cancelation relative to the at least one interference signal.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein program code instructions for determining determine the angle of arrival include instructions for using Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques (ESPRIT) to determine the angle of arrival.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein program code instructions for performing interference cancelation include instructions for performing interference cancelation relative to a plurality of interference signals.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein program code instructions for performing interference cancelation include instructions for performing interference cancelation relative to a narrow-band signal.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein program code instructions for performing interference cancelation include instructions for performing interference cancelation relative to a wide-band signal.