Patent ID: 7089004

Claim:
In a wireless communication device, apparatus for evaluating signals transmitted by a multiplicity of cells in a geographical region associated with said wireless communication device comprising: an adjustable wake up timer for providing a clock signal for initiating said apparatus for evaluating; a memory for storing identifying signal attributes associated with signals transmitted by said multiplicity of cells; searcher circuitry for receiving transmitted signals from said multiplicity of cells and evaluating selected ones of said transmitted signals; a search scheduler for generating a list of at least one cell transmitting said selected ones of said transmitted signals and providing said list to said searcher circuitry, said search scheduler comprising: a search period calculator for determining the maximum period of time allowable between searches or evaluations for each cell of said multiplicity of cells; a multiplicity of search timers connected to said search period calculator and associated one each with said multiplicity of cells, each of said multiplicity of search timers providing a time signal indicating when its associated cell is to be evaluated or searched; and a queue circuit for receiving time signals from said multiplicity of said search timers and generating said list of cells having signals to be evaluated or searched by said searcher circuitry according to a selected priority in response to said clock signal provided by said wake up timer.