Patent ID: 8260231

Claim:
A method of allocating receive chains among base stations in a wireless network, the method comprising: determining a total number of receive chains R T available in a receiver subsystem of a wireless communication device; determining a total number of synthesizers S T in the receiver subsystem; determining a number of receive chains N S , out of the total number of receive chains R T , that are needed to receive a signal from a currently serving base station; and comparing R T against N S , wherein: if R T is not greater than N S , then tuning the R T receive chains to a channel of the currently serving base station, and if R T is greater than N S , then: identifying, from the total number of receive chains R T , which receive chains N S are to process signals from the currently serving base station; tuning the receive chains N S to the channel of the currently serving base station; and tuning a remaining number of the total number of receive chains R T to different channels to make measurements of signals of at least some of the other base stations.