Patent ID: 8897403

Claim:
A phased array antenna for providing a radiation pattern having at least one communication beam, the antenna comprising: a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each antenna element will have an antenna element signal having a phase relationship and an amplitude relationship to the other element signals; a digital signal processing arrangement for providing a digital beamforming network; and an analogue beamforming network arranged for reducing exposure of the digital signal processing arrangement to an interfering signal, the analogue beamforming network being configured to apply analogue beamforming weights selected to generate a null in a radiation pattern in a direction corresponding to the interfering signal to signals received from said antenna elements, and the digital beamforming network being configured for applying digital beamforming weights for each of said at least one communication beam to signals received from said analogue beamforming network such that a composite radiation pattern of the antenna will provide said at least one communication beam.