Abstract: Antennas in an entire radio base station system are divided into two antenna groups so that each group has antennas in the number that allows convergence of reception directivity using a reference signal length. Reception weight vector calculators (112, 212) corresponding to respective antenna groups perform adaptive array processings, and corresponding array outputs are provided to a maximum ratio combining circuit (18). The maximum ratio combining circuit (18) performs maximum ratio combining of the array outputs corresponding to two antenna groups, based on weight information output from the reception weight vector calculators (112, 212).

Abstract: A radio broadcast receiver is provided which reduces the degradation in quality of diversity-received signals. When a difference in level between a reception signal of a main antenna and a reception signal of a sub antenna is less than a predetermined threshold value, and when a difference in phase between the reception signal of the main antenna and the reception signal of the sub antenna exceeds another predetermined threshold value, a combination ratio of a combiner for combining outputs of a main tuner and of a sub tuner is set to 1:1, where in-phase combination type diversity is carried out. In other cases, the combination ratio of the combiner is switched between 1:0 and 0:1 depending on the occurrence of a multipath, where selection diversity is carried out.

Abstract: A multi-antenna receiving and processing circuit assembly is disclosed to include multiple antennas for receiving wireless signals, multiple pre-processing units respectively electrically connected to the antennas, a matching circuit electrically connected to the pre-processing units for matching signals from the pre-processing units into a matching signal, a post-processing unit electrically connected to the matching circuit for processing the matching signal from the matching circuit through a single intermediate frequency signal and into a plurality of audio frequency signals respective to each antenna, and an output circuit electrically connected to the post-processing unit for outputting the audio frequency signals to external audio output devices.

Abstract: Embodiment of the invention provides a receiving device having an intermediate frequency section to produce first and second intermediate frequency signals based on first and second received radio frequency signals, such that said intermediate frequency signals are combinable to be jointly processed. The first intermediate frequency signal is antipodal to the second intermediate frequency signal. Embodiment of the invention further provides at least one common sub-circuit to process at least one combined intermediate frequency signal which is based on components of first and second intermediate frequency signals.

Abstract: A path searcher used in a receiver includes a power delay profile generating unit configured to generate a power delay profile based on a signal received by the receiver, a sidelobe generating unit configured to identify a sidelobe component of a path contained in the power delay profile based on a response characteristic of a band-limiting filter of the receiver, a sidelobe removing unit configured to remove the sidelobe component from the power delay profile to produce a corrected power delay profile, and a path timing detection unit configured to detect a path timing based on the corrected power delay profile.

Abstract: A method and system for coordinating the use of beam forming between two communicating entities in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The two entities may communicate control information regarding their respective use of beam forming. A correction factor for at least one entity is provided wherein said entity may reduce or withhold its beam adjustment in order to correct any error measured in the alignment of its beam with respect to the beam of the other entity with which it is communicating. Adjustment parameters for adjusting the beams are selected based on conditions surrounding the communication.

Abstract: An antenna-receiver communications system and method is provided to mechanize multibeam mobile antenna-receive subsystems. Digital beam forming for modern wideband mobile communications systems is provided. In an aspect, subsystems can simultaneously receive, acquire, track and output a multiplicity of signals from sources of different locations using a single antenna aperture from a mobile platform. The angle of arrival of a signal of interest is continuously determined. Individual phased array antenna output channels are phased aligned as required by the phased array equation and monopulse signal processing. Angle sensing and beamsteering are separated from antenna channel coherent summation. Thus, the angle sensing and beamsteering functions are not required to be computed at the data rate, but can instead be computed at a rate necessary for the beam acquisition and beam tracking function speed requirements. Signal processing computational load and system cost is reduced as compared to current systems.

Abstract: A diversity receiver and methods of diversity combining are described herein. Diversity combining can be implemented in the front-end signal path of a receiver, without the need to digitally demodulate the baseband signals. Each diversity path is downconverted using a common LO. A portion of each downconverted diversity path is filtered and coupled to an input of a correlator. The diversity paths are paired for the purposes of correlation. The output of the correlator is used to adjust the phase of one of the diversity paths. The amplitude of each diversity path can be equalized or can be adjusted based on a signal metric. The phase adjusted diversity signals can be summed in a signal combiner. The summed signal can be processed as a single receive signal using a single filter and baseband processor.

Abstract: The invention is a system and method for sharing components of a single-path receiver or transmitter system multiple antennas. Specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, multiple antennas simultaneously share an analog-to-digital converter unit. The signal from one antenna is downconverted to a positive frequency band while the signal from another antenna is downconverted to a negative frequency band, allowing the signals to be processed by the analog-to-digital converter unit with minimal interference between signals and without the need for time-periodic switching. According to another embodiment of the present invention, multiple antennas simultaneously share a digital-to-analog converter unit.

Abstract: A multiple band antenna has an RF coupling structure (110) and a resonant RF structure (102). The RF coupling structure (110) has an RF connection (116, 118) and an RF coupling end (112, 114). The resonant RF structure (102) is reactively coupled to the RF coupling end (112, 114). The resonant RF structure (102) has a first end (106) and a second end (108) and has a conductive perimeter (102) enclosing at least one slot area (104) configured to induce an additional resonant RF band for the resonant RF structure (102). The first end (106) and the second end (108) are reactively coupled to a ground plane (124, 120) to facilitate longer wavelength operation. Cellular phones (800) and wireless communications sections incorporating such antennas are also provided.

Abstract: The circuit size of a diversity receiver for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signal is reduced, and the diversity effect is increased, by providing a power ratio comparator that calculates a difference value as a ratio of powers derived from channel estimation results for subcarrier components received from two antennas (11), (21) and compares the calculated difference value with a predetermined threshold, and a selective/equal gain combining selector (33) that outputs one of the received demodulated signals when the comparison result indicates that the calculated difference value is greater than the threshold value.

Abstract: A diversity antenna arrangement to reduce cost and the number of switching operations between different antennas includes an antenna changeover switch for switching between antennas, and an evaluation circuit for evaluating reception quality of a signal derived from a signal received from at least one of the antennas and conveyed to a receiving device via the antenna changeover switch. The evaluation circuit emits an evaluation signal based on the determined reception quality. A control device drives the antenna changeover switch based on the evaluation signal. A weighting device, using a first coefficient, weights the signal conveyed to the receiving device via the antenna changeover switch, and using a second coefficient, weights a signal received from at least one further antenna. A summing circuit adds the weighted signals. A regulating circuit generates the coefficients to minimize the temporal amplitude fluctuations of the composite signal, which is evaluated by the evaluation circuit.

Abstract: An antenna for use with a receiver in a wireless communications system includes antenna elements for generating antenna patterns, and a first module for applying weights to a signal received at each of the antenna elements to generate a selected one of the antenna patterns. A second module detects the received signal at each of the antenna elements. A combiner combines the received signal detected at each of the antenna elements to produce a combined received signal for a selected antenna pattern. A third module determines a signal quality metric for the combined received signal at each selected antenna pattern. The first module is responsive to the determined signal quality metrics for adjusting the weights to generate a preferred antenna pattern.

Abstract: A method for forming an adaptive phased array transmission beam pattern at a base station without any knowledge of array geometry or mobile feedback is described. The approach is immune to the problems which plague methods which attempt to identify received angles of arrival from the mobile and map this information to an optimum transmit beam pattern. In addition, this approach does not suffer the capacity penalty and mobile handset complexity increase associated with mobile feedback. Estimates of the receive vector propagation channels are used to estimate transmit vector channel covariance matrices which form objectives and constraints in quadratic optimization problems leading to optimum beam former solutions for the single user case, and multiple user case. The new invention in capable of substantial frequency re-use capacity improvement in a multiple user cellular network.

Abstract: A method of performing receive antenna selection is presented. The method executes a determination operation for a set of receive antennas, determines a maximum result of the determination operation for two of the antennas, eliminates one of the two antennas from the set of antennas, and repeats the determination and elimination process until only a predetermined number of antennas remain in the set. The signals from these remaining antennas are then processed. The present invention reduces receiver complexity and cost.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for deriving data from a composite signal involving (a) receiving a composite signal comprising contributions from a plurality of individual signals transmitted over different paths representing a common data sequence, (b) sampling the received composite signal to handle non-integer delay, obtaining a received data sequence for each individual signal, (c) calculating soft values of a first type utilizing the received data sequences and soft values of a second type, (d) generating symbol outputs taking into account soft values of the first type, (e) calculating soft values of the second type taking into account the symbol outputs, (f) feeding back soft values of the second type, (g) iteratively updating soft values of the first type, symbol outputs, and soft values of the second type by repeating previous steps, and (h) deriving data using the updated symbol outputs.

Abstract: A diversity receiver (60) has two diverse channels fed by the antennas, an adaptive equalizer (20,30) for each channel and a coefficient adapter (40) for adapting two sets of coefficients in a time shared manner for the equalizers. A combiner combines the equalized signals. By sharing one adapter for adapting the coefficients between two or more equalizers, the calculation load can be reduced. This is useful for small mobile terminals powered by battery, for use with GSM or UMTS or other radio networks. It can be applied to any type of equalizer, and using any manner of time sharing. The combiner can exploit any type of diversity between the equalized signals. The equalizers can output two equalized signal values in consecutive time slots, by reusing the same coefficients, while new coefficients are being calculated.

Abstract: Methods and systems consistent with this invention receive a plurality of transmitted signals in a receiver having a plurality of receive elements, wherein each transmitted signal has a different spatial location. Such methods and systems receive the plurality of transmitted signals at the plurality of receive elements to form a plurality of receive element signals, form a combined signal derived from the plurality of receive element signals, and detect each of the plurality of transmitted signals from the combined signal by its different spatial location. To achieve this, methods and systems consistent with this invention generate a plurality of arbitrary phase modulation signals, and phase modulate each of the plurality of receive element signals with a different one of the phase modulation signals to form a plurality of phase modulated signals.

Abstract: A mobile communication terminal apparatus which performs radio communication with base stations using an adaptive array antenna which obtains an antenna output by multiplying output signals from the respective antenna elements of an array antenna by weighting factors using multipliers, and adding the resultant data using an adder estimates the arrival direction of radio waves from the base station, and starts adaptive control on the adaptive array antenna, at the time of handover from the one base station to the other base station, by using as initial values the weighting factors obtained in accordance with the arrival direction estimation result obtained prior to the handover.

Abstract: A system and method of augmenting existing and operational base stations to include multiple diversity schemes and to render passive antenna elements active is presented herein. The passive antenna array of the existing base station is replaced with an active antenna array, consisting of an active radiator unit that includes an array of both receive and transmit antenna elements. The transmit and receive antenna elements of the active radiator unit, respectively, are connected to transmit amplifiers and bandpass filters located at a masthead or at the top of the building.

Abstract: A switch circuit for switching the connection of the receiving or transmitting circuits of two communication systems to an antenna circuit, which comprises first and second switch means having two switching elements, the first switch means comprising a first inductance element between a port connected to the antenna circuit and a port connected to the second switch means; the second switch means comprising a second inductance element between a port connected to the first switch means and a port connected to a receiving circuit of a first communication system, and a transmission line constituting the first inductance element having a lower characteristic impedance than that of a transmission line constituting the second inductance element.

Abstract: The invention provides an automatic gain control and antenna selection method used in a receiver of a radio communication system. The received signal power is estimated by digital signal processing after analog-to-digital conversion in the system, in order to adjust the gain of the front end analog signal until the magnitude of the analog signal is adjusted to an optimum range of the digital signal processing. In addition, the ADC is utilized to estimate the signal power as the basis of the antenna selection.

Abstract: An in-phase combining diversity receiving apparatus is disclosed by which the size (gain) of a receiving signal as well as its phase is controlled and signals received through each antenna pass through different paths so that an imbalance of receiving signal power is solved. The diversity receiving apparatus includes a first signal adjusting unit for amplifying a first signal received by a first antenna and for phase-shifting, a second signal adjusting unit for amplifying a second signal received by the second antenna and for phase-shifting, and a controller. The controller operates as to measure powers of an original receiving signal, the first signal and the second signal, and controls the first and second signal adjusting units.

Abstract: In a method (300) for receiving a radio signal, there are steps of: receiving (301, 303) first and second received signal components by use of first and second antennas having different properties; processing (305) a received signal component to produce a sampled signal component; producing (307) at least one combined signal, which is a linear combination of at least two sampled signal components; and selecting (306) at least one set of complex values for coefficients of the linear combination so that a quality of a combined signal is at least equal to the quality of that sampled signal component having the best quality. Furthermore, the antennas are alternately connected (302, 304) via a switching element to radio frequency means so that received signal components are interleaving and so that first and second parts of a certain piece of transmitted information are received with the first and second antennas, respectively. A corresponding receiver device is also presented.

Abstract: The diversity receiver according to the present invention operates as a multicarrier diversity receiver. The diversity receiver includes weight calculators that calculate a weight coefficient for each carrier based on information about a phase difference between branches and amplitude information on each carrier obtained from a reception frame, and branch combiners that combine reception signals at branches for each carrier based on the weight coefficient prior to signal detection.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of distributing communications established by radio-communication terminals, within a geographic cell of a radio-communication network, the geographic cell being sub-divided into at least two geographic sectors. According to this invention, the method comprises a step of modifying, by rotation, the orientation of the sectors within said cell.

Abstract: A method and implementation of wireless communication are disclosed in which wireless signals are exchanged between at least one remote client and a directional antenna array associated with a wireless network, wherein the directional antenna array includes a plurality of antenna elements. A statistical matrix analysis is performed for each of the at least one client and the antenna array, in order to locate angles associated with directions of each client with respect to the antenna array. Values are determined for weighting factors for RF signals of each of the respective plurality of antenna elements, so as to create predetermined phase differences between the signals of the plurality of antenna elements. The predetermined phase differences are used to direct at least one null toward at least one source of interference, so as to avoid signal interference.

Abstract: A combiner for use in a diversity radio receiver (FM) which receives a plurality of diversity I and Q modulated signals each carrying I and Q information signals through spatially separated antennas, the received I and Q signal pairs being digitized at a sampling rate T and converted to baseband I and Q signals. Each converted I and Q signal pair represents a diversity I and Q vector which is input to the combiner. A discriminator is provided for each sample stream of diversity I and Q vectors input to the combiner. Each discriminator produces, for each sample, an output discriminated I and Q vector (I?, Q?) having a phase representative of the frequency of the information signal and an amplitude proportional to the power of the information signal.

Abstract: A vehicle radio receiver has a beamsteering control system with two signal paths. One signal path generates an audio signal in response to incoming radio signals. Another signal path generates a test signal in response to the incoming radio signals. The audio signal is adjusted in response to the test signal.

Abstract: An angle diversity antenna system utilizes a first antenna, a second antenna, and a panel combiner coupled to the first and second antenna. In a transmit mode, the first and second antenna are coupled to a transmit sum channel of the panel combiner. In a receive mode, either the sum channel or a difference channel of the panel combiner is chosen as the active channel. By monitoring the sum channel and difference channel, the antenna system according to the present invention is able to select the channel which supplies the greatest signal strength.

Abstract: A technique for stably receiving an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal by means of a simple structure. Delay circuits 9–11 add delay times to the signals simultaneously received by antennas 1–4 in such a way that the delay time difference between any two signals is the reciprocal or more of the bandwidth allocated to one subcarrier of orthogonal frequency division multiplex. Thus, the signal synthesized by a mixer 12 can be assumed to be substantially equivalent to the received signal in a multipath environment. Since the delay time differences among the signals simultaneously received by the antennas 1–4 are sufficiently shorter than the length of the guard interval section, the margin prepared for actual arrival of a delay wave because of multipath is sufficiently ensured.

Abstract: A genetic processor is used to process a plurality of baseband signals in a communication system. Signals received at an antenna array are processed to form chromosomes based on signal-to-interference-and-noise ratios. The chromosomes are further processed to determine a fitness of the chromosomes, and a weight set corresponding to a determined best fitness level is used to selectively process each signal corresponding to each antennae of the array to increase the dynamic range of the receiver. In-phase, quadrature, amplitude and phase are signal characteristics that may be processed. In the transmit direction, the chromosomes are used to process the modulating signal supplied to each RF antenna, thus resulting in beamforming, the actual signal processing occurs digitally in the baseband spectrum. Chromosomes comprise a number of genes, or bits, based on the type of encoding scheme and the polarization, number and array grouping of antenna elements.

Abstract: A Node-B/base station has a path searcher and at least one antenna for receiving signals from users. The path searcher comprises a set of correlators. Each correlator correlates an inputted user code with an inputted antenna output of the at least one antenna. An antenna controller selectively couples any output of the at least one antenna to an input of each correlator of the set of correlators. A code phase controller selects a user code for input into the set of correlators. Each delay of a series of delays delays the selected user code by a predetermined amount and each correlator of the set of correlators receives a different code phase delay of the selected user code. A sorter and path selector sorts the output energy levels of each correlator of the sets of correlators and produces a path profile for a user based on the sorted output energy levels.

Abstract: Combining signals includes receiving first signals having a first frequency and second signals having a second frequency. A first weight reflecting a signal-to-noise ratio associated with a first signal is determined for each first signal, and a first signal output is generate from the first signals in accordance with the first weights. A second weight reflecting a signal-to-noise ratio associated with a second signal is determined for each second signal, and a second signal output is generate from the second signals in accordance with the second weights. The first signal output and the second signal output are combined to yield a combined signal output.

Abstract: An on chip diversity antenna switch includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, and a fourth switch. The first switch is operably coupled to a pin associated with a first antenna, to a transmit path and to receive a transmit receive (T/R) control signal. The second switch is operably coupled to the pin associated with the first antenna, to a receive path, and to receive the T/R control signal. The third switch is operably coupled to a pin associated with a second antenna, the transmit path, and to receive the T/R control signal. The fourth switch is operably coupled to the pin associated with the second antenna, to the receive path, and to receive the T/R control signal. Based on the T/R control signal, the first or second antenna is coupled to the transmit or receive path via a single switch.

Abstract: For determining use of receive diversity in a mobile station, a control system (210 or 401) determines a demand level for use of communication resources. A transmitter (300) communicates a message indicating use of receive diversity at a mobile station based on the determined demand level. In another aspect, a receiver (200) receives a channel and determines transmit power level of the channel for being at a lower or upper transmit power level limit. The control system (210 or 401) controls receive diversity by selecting a number of receiver chains (290) based on the determined transmit power level. In another aspect, receiver (200) receives a channel and determines a channel condition of the channel and duration of the channel condition. Control system (210 or 401) controls receive diversity by selecting a number of receiver chains (290) based on the determined channel condition and the duration.

Abstract: A first signal component is received having a first signal strength and a second signal component is received having a second signal strength. A difference is identified between the first signal strength and the second signal strength. A determination is made as to whether the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength exceeds a threshold. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength exceeds a threshold, the first signal strength is adjusted to reduce the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength.

Abstract: A received wireless signal contains a plurality of path components, each having a phase indeterminate data stream derived from an original data stream. The receiver splits the received signal into N signal copies for N raking channels, which correlate each of the N signal copies with N locally generated signals, respectively, to generate N correlated signals. Each of the N correlated signals carries an estimated phase indeterminate data stream. The raking channels then synchronize each of the correlated signals to a system clock in phase and frequency to generate N synchronized signals. The N raking channels then align the N synchronized signals to generate N aligned signals, each of which carries an aligned path data stream that is normalized in time with respect to the other aligned signals. Finally the receiver combines the aligned signals to produce an estimated original data stream.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for reducing interference in a wireless communication system utilizing an antenna array. The antenna array uses one or more signal channels for communicating with one or more mobile terminals. First, at least one channel is assigned as an empty channel in which no desired signal is carried so as to provide a representation of all relevant interference. Since the spatial characteristics of the empty channel and the regular signal channels should be very similar, the spatial signature of the signal channels is analyzed based on the interference received on the empty channel and the desired signals received on at least one signal channel. The analyzed spatial signature is then used for reducing the interference on all signal channels.

Abstract: A mobile communication terminal apparatus which performs radio communication with base stations using an adaptive array antenna which obtains an antenna output by multiplying output signals from the respective antenna elements of an array antenna by weighting factors using multipliers, and adding the resultant data using an adder estimates the arrival direction of radio waves from the base station, and starts adaptive control on the adaptive array antenna, at the time of handover from the one base station to the other base station, by using as initial values the weighting factors obtained in accordance with the arrival direction estimation result obtained prior to the handover.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that measures received radio communications signals to determine whether or what degree to use transmit diversity and beam forming. In one embodiment, the invention includes receiving a radio signal from a remote terminal at a plurality of antennas, comparing characteristics of the received signal as received at the plurality of antennas, determining whether reception of radio signals transmitted to the remote terminal is likely to be improved by diversity transmission based on the comparisons and transmitting radio signals to the remote terminal using diversity if the reception is likely to be improved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for calculating possible values of a combination ratio for signals received via a plurality of antennas (A1 to An) according to different algorithms by means of a plurality of algorithm units (31 to 33), calculating an SIR value for each of a plurality of composite signals which are generated using the possible values, respectively (SIR calculation units (41 to 43)), determining which composite signal has the highest quality (determining unit (44)), and selecting the composite signal having the highest quality as a received signal (selecting unit (45)).

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to avoid disconnection of a radio link between the radio base station and the mobile station even when the mobile station moves while transmitting no up signals in a case where the radio base station transmits the directional beam. The radio base station according to the present invention comprises an array antenna 11 to transmit/receive the directional beam, an transceiver 12 to receive an up signal from a mobile station 2 and to generate a directional beam pattern for each mobile station according to an antenna weight, a up signal interval measurer 13 to measure elapsed time from reception of the up signal, and a antenna weight generator 15 to change the antenna weight based on a result of measuring by the up signal interval measurer 13.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus implementing spatial processing in a remote unit. In general, in one aspect, the present invention provides a remote unit, that includes a plurality of antennas and a spatial processing unit coupled to the plurality of antennas. The remote unit also includes a performance determination unit to determine a performance of the remote unit and a feedback adjustment unit to adjust feedback transmitted from the remote unit to a device, wherein the adjusted feedback accounts for performance associated with the spatial processing unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for providing first and second interleaved bit streams to a modulator in order to transmit the first and second interleaved bit streams through at least two antennas in a mobile communication system. An encoder encodes a transmission data stream into a first bit stream with first priority and a second bit stream with second priority being lower than the first priority. An interleaver interleaves the first and second bit streams into the first and second interleaved bit streams. The modulator modulates the first and second interleaved bit streams.

Abstract: A method of performing receive antenna selection is presented. The method executes a determination operation for a set of receive antennas, determines a maximum result of the determination operation for two of the antennas, eliminates one of the two antennas from the set of antennas, and repeats the determination and elimination process until only a predetermined number of antennas remain in the set. The signals from these remaining antennas are then processed. The present invention reduces receiver complexity and cost.

Abstract: A method of operation of a receiver of a mobile station or a base station of a radio access network and corresponding equipment, the method for use in providing interference cancellation according to a single antenna interference cancellation (SAIC) algorithm without degrading performance in case of little or no interference. The method uses a metric M (having a value that is large when there is strong interference) to gauge whether or not to process an incoming signal burst using a processing path (14a–16a) including a module implementing a SAIC algorithm or instead to process the incoming signal burst using a conventional equalizer processing path (14b–16b). A selector module (13) selects one or the other path based on comparing the metric M with a threshold ?. Various metrics M are possible.

Abstract: Method and apparatus to compute the combiner coefficients for wireless communication systems for a space-time solution. One embodiment trains the weights on a signal known a priori that is time multiplexed with other signals, such as a pilot signal in a High Data Rate, HDR, system, wherein the signal is transmitted at full power. A Minimizing Mean Square Error, MMSE, approach is applied allowing weight combining on a per path basis. The weights are calculated as a function of a noise correlation matrix and spatial signature per path. The noise correlation matrix is determined from an autocorrelation matrix of the received signal. In one embodiment, the MMSE approach is applied to a non-time gated pilot signal.

Abstract: A synchronous signal position detection unit detects symbol synchronous signals according to OFDM from the signals received by the respective antennas. A delay measurement unit measures a relative delay between the symbol synchronous signals for each antenna series and makes a notice to a memory unit via a delay amount notification unit. A diversity operation implementation unit temporally aligns the carrier data positions of the OFDM symbols for each antenna series so as to implement a space diversity operation.

Abstract: A transponder system, which may be on a spacecraft, provides communications to and among user terminals for audio-bandwidth signals. The transponder includes a receiver for uplink signals, and a digital channelizer which separates the various independent uplinked signals. The separated uplinked signals are then grouped together with other signals destined for the same downlink beam, and routed to the corresponding beam input port of a beamformer. The beamformer, in turn, energizes or feeds those antenna elements which are required to form the desired antenna beam. In order to provide a capability for handling signals having a bandwidth greater than that of the audio signals, as might be required for providing the capacity to handle Internet signals, for example, a wideband augmentation equipment (WAE) is coupled in such a manner as to bypass the digital channelizer, to thereby provide a wideband path through the system, bypassing the narrowband channelizer.