Patent ID: 7447189

Claim:
A receiver operable in at least one of a multi-carrier mode in a multi-carrier system and a single carrier mode in a single carrier system, comprising: an antenna that receives a forward link signal; a first subsystem, coupled to the antenna, configured to down convert and demodulate a first component of the forward link signal at a first carrier frequency to generate a first demodulated component of the forward link signal, wherein the first carrier frequency corresponds to a first preferred channel of a selected set of preferred channels that includes a pilot signal; and a second subsystem, coupled to the antenna, configured to down convert and demodulate a second component of the forward link signal at a second carrier frequency to generate a second demodulated component of the forward link signal, wherein the second carrier frequency corresponds to a second preferred channel of the selected set of preferred channels; and a processor that instructs the first subsystem to tune to the first preferred channel at the first carrier frequency, and attempts to detect a pilot signal on the first preferred channel, wherein if the pilot signal is detected on the first preferred channel the receiver receives a sync channel message, and wherein if the pilot signal is not detected on the first preferred channel, the processor instructs the second subsystem to tune to the second preferred channel at the second carrier frequency of the selected set of preferred channels.