Patent ID: 7050486

Claim:
A path searcher, for a spread spectrum receiver for receiving a spread spectrum signal, wherein: the receiver includes a plurality of correlators, wherein each of the correlators produces a replica of a scrambled synchronization code and determines a correlation value between said replica and the received spread spectrum signal; the path searcher comprises: a first memory for storing the received spread spectrum signal, each of said correlators: reads the stored spread spectrum signal from the first memory at a rate higher than a chip rate of said received spread spectrum signal, repeatedly performs a correlation operation between the read spread spectrum signal and said replica at said higher rate by successively shifting said replica with respect to said stored spread spectrum signal; the path searcher further comprises a second memory for initially storing an intermediate result of a correlation value from each of said correlators and for subsequently reading the stored intermediate result into a corresponding one of said correlators; each of said correlators adds the intermediate result from the second memory with a correlation value produced by the correlation operation performed at the end of the chip interval; and each of said correlators comprises: a multiplier for multiplying the spread spectrum signal read from the first memory and said replica at said higher rate, an adder for summing an output signal of the multiplier with a previous value, delay means for delaying an output signal of the adder, and a selector for supplying the delayed output signal to said adder as said previous value during an initial portion of a chip interval and for supplying the stored intermediate results from said second memory to said adder at the end of the chip interval.