Communications system including phased array antenna providing nulling and related methods

A phased array antenna comprising:

• a plurality of antenna elements;
• at least one respective phase shifter connected to each antenna element, each phase shifter having a plurality of digitally selectable phase settings;
• and
• at least one controller for
• determining and controlling phases of said phase shifters to provide beamsteering in a first direction for a signal of interest, and
• iteratively determining desired phase weights to provide a null in a second direction for a signal not of interest, mapping the desired phase weights to nearest available digital phase settings of said phase shifters, and controlling phases of said phase shifters based thereon.

A communications system comprising:

• a receiver;
• and
• a phased array antenna connected to said receiver and comprising
• a plurality of antenna elements,
• at least one respective phase shifter connected to each antenna element, each phase shifter having a plurality of digitally selectable phase settings,
• at least one respective gain element connected to each antenna element, and
• at least one controller for
• determining and controlling both phases and gains of said phase shifters and gain elements, respectively, to provide beamsteering in a first direction for a signal of interest, and
• iteratively determining and controlling phases of said phase shifters to provide a null in a second direction for a signal not of interest and without determining or controlling gains of said gain elements,
• said at least one controller determining the phases to provide the null in the second direction by determining desired phase weights and mapping the desired phase weights to nearest available digital phase settings of said phase shifters.

A communications system comprising:

• a receiver;
• and
• a phased array antenna connected to said receiver and comprising
• a plurality of antenna elements,
• at least one respective phase shifter connected to each antenna element, each phase shifter having a plurality of digitally selectable phase settings, and
• at least one controller for
• determining and controlling phases of said phase shifters to provide beamsteering in a first direction for a signal of interest, and
• iteratively determining desired phase weights to provide a null in a second direction for a signal not of interest, mapping the desired phase weights to nearest available digital phase settings of said phase shifters, and controlling phases of said phase shifters based thereon.