Patent ID: 8098630

Claim:
A system acquisition method for use in searching for a requested code division multiple access system with use of a receiver having an automatic frequency control (AFC) circuit, the method comprising the acts of: performing a system acquisition scan over a plurality of candidate frequencies; in the system acquisition scan: for each one of a plurality of pilot signals, detecting by a layer-1 processing component a pilot signal from a system on one of the candidate frequencies and decoding by a layer-2 processing component information from the system; offering by the layer-2 processing component the plurality of detected pilot signals to the layer-1 processing component; selecting, by the layer-1 processing component, one of the plurality of detected pilot signals offered by the layer-2 processing component that has the best quality; and if the system is different from the requested system, then assigning by the layer-1 processing component the selected pilot signal as a timing reference in the receiver for remaining candidate frequencies in the system acquisition scan.