Patent ID: 7313114

Claim:
A method for selecting a spreading code in a spread spectrum system, wherein spreading codes are selected for allocation to terminals from a code tree which includes hierarchical levels, in which code tree spreading codes according to a certain spreading factor are located on the same level, the levels being arranged such that the level of the lowest spreading factor is located highest in the tree and the rest of the levels are located below the highest level in an order according to the spreading factor, from the lowest to the highest, the method comprising: searching the code tree for a highest level of the code tree which includes at least one branch of the code tree, wherein spreading codes in hierarchical relation to the branch are allocatable, the branch being selected such that spreading code symbols characterizing the branch differ from the symbols of reserved spreading codes as early as possible when the symbols are read from the beginning of the spreading code, and allocating for use a spreading code related to the branch of the sought level.