Patent ID: 7813436

Claim:
A method for synchronizing a receiver to a synchronous signal, comprising: a) detecting a plurality of potential symbols in a signal, the signal having been processed based on automatic gain control (AGC) with a varying gain; b) determining a beginning of a next frame potential symbol corresponding to one of the plurality of potential symbols, the next frame potential symbol being in a frame subsequent to a frame in which the one potential symbol is located; c) fixing the gain of the AGC for a period during which the next frame potential symbol is processed by the AGC; d) calculating a transform of the next frame potential symbol; e) analyzing the next frame potential symbol after the transform to determine if the next frame potential symbol corresponds to a start of a frame; f) if the next frame potential symbol does not correspond to the start of the frame, allowing the gain of the AGC to resume varying and repeating acts b, c, d, e and f with respect to different ones of potential symbols in the plurality of potential symbols; and g) if the next frame potential symbol does correspond to the start of the frame, synchronizing the receiver to the start of the frame.