Patent ID: 7443938

Claim:
A method for improving a frequency burst detection algorithm at a receiver, the frequency burst being used to synchronize a transmitter and the receiver in a communication system, wherein the receiver receives a plurality of signals from the transmitter, said signals including the frequency burst and a synchronization burst, the method comprising the steps of: a. detecting the frequency burst at the receiver, wherein detecting the frequency burst comprises the steps of: i) computing a normalized correlation of a set of samples of a received signal at the receiver, wherein the normalized correlation comprises at least one of a normalized autocorrelation of in-phase components of the set of samples, a normalized autocorrelation of quadrature components of the set of samples, and a normalized correlation between the in-phase components and the quadrature components of the set of samples; if the normalized correlation is greater than a predetermined threshold, ii) detecting the frequency burst; iii) acquiring frequency and timing information from the detected frequency burst; iv) estimating the synchronization burst from amongst the plurality of signals received from the transmitter, the estimate being based on the acquired frequency and timing information; v) performing a procedure for validating the estimated synchronization burst; vi) acquiring synchronization with the transmitter if the synchronization burst is validated; and else a) discarding the detected frequency burst and repeating i to vi over a next set of samples; else vii) repeating i to vi over a next set of samples.