Patent ID: 7912111

Claim:
A method of dynamic switching of a plurality of carrier loops in a radio receiver; wherein each carrier loop comprises a plurality of carrier tracking loops; each carrier tracking loop having a predetermined accumulation period; each of said plurality of carrier tracking loops is configured to track a radio source; said method comprising: (A) receiving a radio signal from said radio source by using one of said carrier tracking loops; (B) substantially continuously estimating a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of said received radio signal from said radio source; (C) if said SNR of said received radio signal from said radio source is above an initial predetermined threshold, performing carrier tracking of a received carrier signal by an initial carrier tracking loop having an initial accumulation period; and (D) if said SNR of said received radio signal from said radio source falls below said initial predetermined threshold; switching from said initial carrier tracking loop having said initial accumulation period to a subsequent carrier tracking loop having a subsequent accumulation period; and performing carrier tracking of said received carrier signal by said subsequent carrier tracking loop having said subsequent accumulation period.