Patent ID: 6992621

Claim:
An access station for wireless communications, the access station comprising: a Butler matrix having a plurality of antenna ports and a plurality of transmit and/or receive (TRX) ports, a first TRX port of the plurality of TRX ports corresponding to a first communication beam and a second TRX port of the plurality of TRX ports corresponding to a second communication beam wherein at least one antenna port of the plurality of antenna ports is not populated with an antenna and at least four TRX ports of the plurality of TRX ports are not populated with signal processors; a signal processor; and a signal selection device that is capable of coupling the signal processor to the first TRX port of the plurality of TRX ports or to the second TRX port of the plurality of TRX ports responsive to at least one signal quality determination made on a first wireless communication associated with the first communication beam and a second wireless communication associated with the second communication beam.