Radio devices with switchable antennas

A method of operating a radio device to receive data from a base station, wherein the base station transmits a first radio signal, carrying a first data block, in a first time window, and transmits a second radio signal, also carrying said first data block, in a second time window, different from the first time window, and wherein the radio device comprises a first antenna, a second antenna, receive circuitry, and a switch for selectively connecting the receive circuitry to the first antenna or to the second antenna, the method comprising the radio device:

• connecting the first antenna to the receive circuitry;
• sampling the first radio signal, received by the first antenna in the first time window, to generate first sampled data;
• disconnecting the first antenna from the receive circuitry and connecting the second antenna to the receive circuitry;
• sampling the second radio signal, received by the second antenna in the second time window, to generate second sampled data;
• and
• using both the first sampled data and the second sampled data to decode the first data block;
• wherein the radio device is configured to use two or more different temporal antenna-switching patterns, and wherein the method further comprises the radio device determining a temporal antenna-switching pattern of the two or more different temporal antenna-switching patterns to use for receiving the first data block in dependence on one or more of:
• what radio protocol the radio signals are transmitted in accordance with;
• the timings of the radio signals;
• the carrier frequencies of the radio signals;
• a frequency hopping pattern of the radio signals;
• a signal quality measure for one or more of the radio signals;
• and a signal quality measure for one or more respective carrier frequencies of the radio signals.

A method of operating a radio system comprising a base station and a radio device, wherein the radio device comprises a first antenna, a second antenna, receive circuitry, and a switch for selectively connecting the receive circuitry to the first antenna or to the second antenna,

• the method comprising the base station:
• transmitting a first radio signal, carrying a first data block, in a first time window;
• and
• transmitting a second radio signal, also carrying said first data block, in a second time window,
• the method further comprising the radio device:
• connecting the first antenna to the receive circuitry;
• sampling the first radio signal, received by the first antenna in the first time window, to generate first sampled data;
• disconnecting the first antenna from the receive circuitry and connecting the second antenna to the receive circuitry;
• sampling the second radio signal, received by the second antenna in the second time window, to generate second sampled data;
• and
• using both the first sampled data and the second sampled data to decode the first data block;
• wherein the radio device is configured to use two or more different temporal antenna-switching patterns, and wherein the method further comprises the radio device determining a temporal antenna-switching pattern of the two or more different temporal antenna-switching patterns to use for receiving the first data block in dependence on one or more of:
• what radio protocol the radio signals are transmitted in accordance with;
• the timings of the radio signals;
• the carrier frequencies of the radio signals;
• a frequency hopping pattern of the radio signals;
• a signal quality measure for one or more of the radio signals;
• and a signal quality measure for one or more respective carrier frequencies of the radio signals.