Patent ID: 7826807

Claim:
A communications method, the method comprising: during a first period of time: i) receiving at a plurality of antenna elements, symbols transmitted using a first modulation method; ii) using a first set of antenna gain coefficients to control individual gains applied to the signals received from different ones of said plurality of antenna elements to produce gain adjusted signals; iii) combining the gain adjusted signals received from the different antenna elements to produce a first combined gain adjusted signal; prior to a second period of time, making a first signal quality measurement of a combined signal generated using the first set of antenna gain coefficients; during the second period of time, following said first period of time: iv) receiving at said plurality of antenna elements, a symbol transmitted using a second modulation method different than the modulation method used during said first period of time; v) using a second set of antenna gain coefficients to control individual gains applied to the individual signals received from different ones of said plurality of antenna elements to produce gain adjusted signals; vi) combining the gain adjusted signals received from the different antenna elements; and vii) making a second signal quality measurement indicating the quality of the second combined gain adjusted signal; and prior to a third period of time following said first and second periods of time, selecting a set of gain coefficients to be used during said third period of time as a function of the second signal quality measurement, wherein said step of selecting a set of gain coefficients to be used during said third period of time is performed as a function of the first and second signal quality measurements.