Patent ID: 8472570

Claim:
A method of synchronizing packets arriving at a receiver in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving a sampled packet input signal at the receiver; determining a complex representation of the sampled packet input signal without amplitude information; performing a first delay and correlate calculation to form a first decision metric for a packet arrival time such that the first delay and correlate calculation comprises a first arithmetic operation; performing a coarse synchronization based upon the first delay and correlate calculation and at least one lookup table operation; performing a second delay and correlate calculation; determining a difference between the first and second delay and correlate calculations to form a second decision metric for the packet arrival time; accumulating a set of decision metrics such that each decision metric exceeds a threshold value; determining earliest and latest decision metrics that are equal to a desired value; and determining a packet arrival time corresponding to a midpoint between the earliest and latest decision metrics.