Reconfigurable Diversity Receiver

A terminal, comprising:

• a primary path for processing downconverted wireless communication signals;
• a diversity path for processing downconverted wireless communication signals;
• and
• at least one first receiver unit comprising a first downconverter having its output communicatively coupled to the primary path, the first downconverter configured to frequency downconvert received wireless communication signals;
• at least one second receiver unit comprising a second downconverter having its output communicatively coupled to the diversity path, the second downconverter configured to frequency downconvert received wireless communication signals;
• a switch configured to, when closed, communicatively couple the output of the second downconverter to the primary path, and, when open, isolate the output of the second downconverter from the primary path;
• and
• a plurality of ports communicatively coupled to each of the first downconverter and the second downconverter, each of the plurality of ports configured to receive the wireless communication signals.

A method, comprising:

• reconfigurably enabling one of a first downconverter and a second converter and disabling the other the second downconverter, wherein the first downconverter and the second downconverter are integral to a receiver unit of as wireless communications terminal;
• frequency downconverting received wireless communication signals by the enabled downconverter;
• processing the downconverted wireless communication signals by a primary path if the first downconverter is enabled, and
• processing the downconverted wireless communication signals by a diversity path if the second downconverter is enabled.

A method, comprising:

• frequency downconverting a first wireless communication signal by a first downconverter communicatively coupled to a primary path, the first downconverter integral to a first receiver unit of a wireless communications terminal;
• frequency downconverting a second wireless communication signal by a second downconverter communicatively coupled to a diversity path, the second downconverter integral to a second receiver unit of the wireless communications terminal;
• configuring a switch to, when closed, communicatively couple an output of a second downconverter to the primary path, and, when open, isolate the output of the second downconverter from the primary path;
• processing the downconverted first wireless communication signal by the primary path;
• processing the downconverted second wireless communication signal by the diversity path if the switch is open;
• and
• processing the downconverted second wireless communication signal by the primary path if the switch is closed.