Patent ID: 7298715

Claim:
A communication receiver, comprising: a switch comprising, at least two inputs, each input configured to be coupleable to at least two signal carrying devices, a switching mechanism configured to multiplex signals received at said inputs; and an output configured to carry the multiplexed signal; a downconverter comprising an input coupled to the output of said switch and configured to downconvert the multiplexed signal; and a signal processor comprising an input coupled to receive the downconverted multiplexed signal and an output; wherein: said signal processor is configured to provide, at the signal processor output, a data signal substantially corresponding to data contained in a communication signal carried by the signal carrying devices; an A/D converter configured to convert the downconverted multiplexed signal to a digital signal; a demultiplexer configured to demultiplex the digital signal into at least two component digital signals, each component digital signal containing a digital representation of a portion of the communication signal; a channel estimator configured to receive the component digital signals and provide at least two estimation signals each related to a phase and amplitude shift of one of the at least two component digital signals; a beam-forming processor configured to receive the at least two component digital signals and the at least two estimations signals and provide a demodulated signal; and a decoder configured to receive the demodulated signal and provide the data signal; wherein said communication receiver is a wireless communication receiver and said signal carrying devices are antennas.