Patent ID: 7352801

Claim:
A method of receiving a packet containing a plurality of data symbols, said method being performed in a receiver connected to a plurality of antennas containing a first antenna and a second antenna, said method comprising: generating a corresponding plurality of parameters by examining a respective signal portion received on each of said plurality of antennas, wherein said signal portion corresponds to a non-payload portion of said packet, said corresponding plurality of parameters comprising a first plurality of parameters and a second plurality of parameters respectively corresponding to said first antenna and said second antenna; selecting one of said plurality of antennas based on said corresponding plurality of parameters; and receiving a payload portion of said packet on said one of said plurality of antennas, wherein each of said parameters has a corresponding value for each of a plurality of sub-portions of the respective signal portion received on each of said plurality of antennas, wherein a first parameter contained in each of said corresponding plurality of parameters comprises a correlation value, and a second parameter contained in each of said corresponding plurality of parameters comprises a strength of said signal, said correlation value representing the similarity of said signal portion with a corresponding expected signal according to a pre-defined protocol, wherein said generating comprises determining a gain factor necessary to amplify said signal portion to a first voltage level, wherein said strength is determined based on said gain factor, wherein said plurality of antennas comprise only said first antenna and said second antenna, wherein said gain factor for said first antenna and said second antenna is respectively represented by AGC 1 and AGC 2 on a dB scale, wherein T 1 and T 2 represent a first threshold and a second threshold, if a difference in said AGC 1 and said AGC 2 values is large compared to T 1 , selecting the antenna having a lower value of said AGC 1 and said AGC 2 ; if the absolute value of said difference between AGC 1 and AGC 2 values is small, selecting one of said first antenna and said second antenna having a value close to μ∞ if the correlation value of the other one of said two antennas is away from μ∞, wherein μ∞ represents a mean of Gaussian distribution when SNR of said signal is high; if said AGC 1 and said AGC 2 are equal, and if said AGC 1 and said AGC 2 are high, then selecting one of said first antenna and said second antenna having a correlation value closer to μ∞; and if said AGC 1 and said AGC 2 values are equal, and if said AGC 1 and said AGC 2 are low, selecting one of said first antenna and said second antenna having a higher correlation value.