Antenna selection system and method

A telemetry system for monitoring at least one ambulatory patient, the system comprising:

• a transmitter that can be coupled to the at least one ambulatory patient, the transmitter transmitting a data signal including a time period without data transmission;
• a receiver that receives the data signal, the receiver including
• a first antenna and a second antenna;
• a switch that activates one of the first antenna and the second antenna, and
• a processor that estimates a first signal-to-noise ratio and a first relative power for the first antenna and a second signal-to-noise ratio and a second relative power for the second antenna during the time period without data transmission,
• the processor controlling the switch to select one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on at least one of a first comparison between the first signal-to-noise ratio and the second signal-to-noise ratio and a second comparison between the first relative power and the second relative power.

A method of monitoring at least one ambulatory patient, the method comprising:

• coupling a transmitter to the at least one ambulatory patient;
• transmitting with the transmitter a data signal to an antenna array including at least a first antenna and a second antenna, the data signal including a time period without data transmission;
• estimating a first signal-to-noise ratio and a first relative power for the first antenna and a second signal-to-noise ratio and a second relative power for the second antenna during the time period without data transmission;
• and
• selecting one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on at least one of a first comparison between the first signal-to-noise ratio and the second signal-to-noise ratio and a second comparison between the first relative power and the second relative power.

A telemetry system for monitoring at least one ambulatory patient, the system comprising:

• a transmitter that can be coupled to the at least one ambulatory patient, the transmitter transmitter transmitting a data signal including a time period without data transmission;
• a receiver that receives the data signal, the receiver including:
• a first antenna and a second antenna;
• a switch that activates one of the first antenna and the second antenna;
• and
• a processor that estimates a first signal-to-noise ratio for the first antenna and then a second signal-to-noise ratio for the second antenna during the time period without data transmission;
• the processor controlling the switch to select one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on a first comparison between the first signal-to-noise ratio and the second signal-to-noise ratio, wherein the data signal includes a first time period without data transmission and a second time period without data transmission, and further comprising estimating the first signal-to-noise ratio during the first time period without data transmission and estimating the second signal-to-noise ratio during the second time period without data transmission.