Automatic gain control adjustment in multi-antenna short-range wireless system

A method for adjusting the automatic gain control of a receiver in a short-range wireless system having a first plurality of channels and a second plurality of receiving antennas, the method comprising:

• allowing the automatic gain control to set an initial gain at the receiver based on signals received at a reference antenna of the receiver;
• determining respective gain to be set by automatic gain control at respective additional ones of the second plurality of receiving antennas other than the reference antenna;
• for each remaining antenna in the second plurality of receiving antennas:
• identifying a closest antenna from among the group consisting of (1) the reference antenna, and (2) the respective additional ones of the second plurality of antennas, and
• selecting the respective gain set by automatic gain control from the closest.

A receiver in a short-range wireless system having a first plurality of channels, the receiver comprising:

• a second plurality of receiving antennas, wherein one antenna of the second plurality of receiving antennas is a designated as a reference antenna;
• and
• control circuitry configured to:
• control gain to be set by automatic gain control at the receiver to an initial value based on signals received at the reference antenna,
• receive, from each respective one of the second plurality of receiving antennas, a respective signal on a current channel from among the plurality of channels, and
• adjust the gain set by the automatic gain control for the signal from the initial value to prevent saturation by, on a per-channel basis:
• assigning each antenna in the second plurality of antennas to one of at least two groups according to received signal strength at that antenna;
• assigning respective gain set by automatic gain control to each group;
• and
• for each respective group, sampling each antenna in that group using the respective gain that was set by the automatic gain control and assigned to that group.

A short-range wireless system having a first plurality of channels, the system comprising:

• at least a first node including a transmitter;
• at least a second node including a receiver, the receiver including:
• a second plurality of receiving antennas, wherein one antenna of the second plurality of receiving antennas is a designated as a reference antenna, and
• control circuitry configured to:
• control gain to be set by automatic gain control at the receiver to an initial value based on signals received from the transmitter at the reference antenna,
• receive, from each respective one of the second plurality of receiving antennas, a respective signal on a current channel from among the plurality of channels, and
• adjust the gain set by the automatic gain control for the signal from the initial value to prevent saturation by, on a per-channel basis:
• assigning each antenna in the second plurality of antennas to one of at least two groups according to received signal strength at that antenna;
• assigning respective gain set by automatic gain control to each group;
• and
• for each respective group, sampling each antenna in that group using the respective gain that was set by the automatic gain control and assigned to that group.