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Abstract

Where two or more antenna beams may receive signals from the same cellular communication system user, post-reception beam channel gain variations may obscure choice of the channel providing the strongest user signal. Thermal atmospheric noise, assumed to equally enter each beam, is utilized as a standard signal level in order to calibrate the relative gain factor for each channel. Thermal noise level is measured by use of a single common receiver (32) sequentially coupled to each channel (22-25) to listen for lowest signal levels during inactive intervals, over periods of time which may extend for hours. Lowest signal levels provide thresholds for each channel from which gain correction factors are developed. When a user signal is received in two channels, the gain correction factors are employed to select the channel providing the best signal, on a substantially real time basis. A long-term lowest signal level monitoring algorithm is described.

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First Claim