Patent ID: 7369631

Claim:
A diversity signal combiner system for a digital communications system, comprising: a plurality of channels each for receiving a channel signal of a plurality of channel signals from a spatially diverse antenna array element; a plurality of downconverters each on one of the plurality of channels for downconverting a corresponding channel signal to baseband; a co-phasing software block for resolving phase differences among the plurality of channel signals after the plurality of channel signals are downconverted by the plurality of downconverters; a combiner for combining the plurality of channel signals by weighting and delaying each of the plurality of channel signals after the co-phasing software block resolves the phase differences among the plurality of channel signals; a symbol synchronizer for determining symbol boundaries of the plurality of channel signals after the combiner combines the plurality of channel signals to enable a system signal to be accurately demodulated to accurately represent transmitted data, wherein the symbol synchronizer includes a single complex sliding window matched filter for filtering the plurality of channel signals after the combiner combines the plurality of channel signals with a match filtering function based on predetermined signal transfer function characteristics to average noise out of the plurality of channel signals and thereby maximize a signal-to-noise ratio of each of the plurality of channel signals; and an equalizer for receiving the plurality of channel signals from the combiner, for providing channel estimates of complex channel gain when necessary, and for removing channel effects from the plurality of channel signals before the plurality of channel signals are input into the single complex sliding window matched filter; wherein the symbol synchronizer is for providing a variable step size parameter to the equalizer according to a confidence measure of correct symbol boundary estimation.