Patent ID: 6904282

Claim:
In a mobile station adapted for slotted operation on a current wireless communications system, a method for acquiring a wireless communications system comprising the steps of: during a slot-off period, analyzing a signal received on a channel associated with a candidate communications system; selecting a set of candidate communications systems, wherein the step of analyzing is repeated for each candidate communications system in the set, and wherein, for each candidate communications system in the set, the step of analyzing comprises the steps of: switching to a channel associated with the candidate communications system; and testing the received signal wherein, if the time remaining in the current slot-off period is insufficient to complete the steps of switching and testing for the current candidate communications system, the mobile station returns to the current communications system until a subsequent slot-off period; wherein the step of analyzing is resumed during a subsequent slot-off period; determining, based on the analysis of the received signal, whether the candidate communications system is likely to be available for acquisition by the mobile station; and attempting to acquire the candidate communications system if it is determined that the candidate communications system is likely to be available for acquisition.