Modified null broadening adaptive beamforming: constrained optimisation approach

A constrained optimisation approach for null broadening adaptive beamforming is proposed. This approach improves the robustness of the traditional MVDR beamformer by broadening nulls for interference direction and the mainlobe for the desired direction. This optimisation is efficiently solved by semidefinite programming. The proposed approach, when applied to high altitude platform communications using a vertical linear antenna array, provides significantly better coverage performance than a previously reported null broadening technique.