Patent ID: 7453920

Claim:
A method of synchronizing a satellite wireless communications system with a terminal, the method comprising: receiving an uplink signal transmitted by the terminal, the uplink signal including a known information element spread according to a spreading code specific to a component of a satellite wireless communications system; determining a correlation of the received uplink signal with the spreading code over a range of time shifts, wherein determining a correlation of the received uplink signal with the spreading code over a range of time shifts comprises: generating respective sets of correlation measures for respective ones of a plurality of time segments, the sets of correlation measures including respective correlation measures for respective time shifts of the range of time shifts; and averaging the correlation measures for the respective time shifts over the plurality of sets of correlation measures to generate a set of average correlation measures; and detecting the known information element from the determined correlation, wherein detecting the known information element from the determined correlation comprises detecting a peak value in the set of average correlation measures; and synchronizing the satellite wireless communications system with the terminal responsive to detection of the known information element.