Patent ID: 8504111

Claim:
An apparatus for wirelessly transmitting or receiving communication signals, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of active elements configured to transmit or receive communication signals in a wireless communications network; a plurality of active modules correspondingly coupled to the plurality of active elements and configured to cooperate with respective ones of the plurality of active elements; wherein respective ones of the plurality of active modules include: a power amplifier configured to amplify communication signals to be transmitted, a low noise amplifier configured to amplify communication signals received, a first phase shifter configured to shift phases of the communication signals to be transmitted, a second phase shifter configured to shift phases of the communication signals received, a first bypass configured to route the communication signals to be transmitted to the corresponding ones of the plurality of active elements in response to a failure of the respective ones of the plurality of active modules or an electrical outage, and a second bypass configured to route the communication signals received to a processing unit in response to the failure of the respective ones of the plurality of active modules or an electrical outage; and a control unit configured to adjust one or more of the plurality of the active elements and enable one or more of the first and second bypasses.