Space diversity receiving system for multi-direction time division multiplex communication

Claim 1

A space diversity receiving system for the central station (100) of a multi-direction time division multiplex communication network comprising a plurality of satellite stations (A to H) and one central station (100), in which each satellite station (A to H) transmits signals to said central station (100) in a time slot assigned thereto and said central station (100) receives burst signals from said satellite stations (A to H), comprising: a) a first receiver (2) provided with a main antenna ( MA ) and a second receiver (2') provided with a supplementary antenna (SA), each of said first and second receivers (2, 2', resp.) including a1) demodulator means (8) for demodulating input signals (RS, RS', resp.) from the corresponding antenna (MA, SA, resp.) and a2) detector means (9, 10) for detecting bit errors in the demodulated signals and providing error pulses; b) counter means (4A to 4H) provided for each satellite station (A to H) needing space diversity, for competitively counting the error pulses from said first and second receivers (2, 2') to provide a control signal(CS); c) first gate means (5A to 5H) provided on the input side of each of said counter means (4A to 4H) for controlling the supplying of said error pulses to said counter means (4A to 4H) in response to a burst timing signal (BTPAto BTP H )for each satellite station (A to H ); d) a signal switching means (3) responsive to said demodulated signals and said control signal (C S ) for providing as its output the demodulated signal having a lower bit error rate; and e) second gate means (6A to 6H) provided on the output side of each of said counter means (4A to 4H) for controlling the supplying of said control signal ( C S) to said signal switching means (3) in response to said burst timing signal (BTP A to BTP H ).