Patent ID: 7995666

Claim:
A method for synchronizing a receiver to a synchronous signal, the method comprising: detecting a symbol in a signal, the signal having been processed based on an automatic gain control (AGC) with a varying gain; determining, based on the detected symbol, an estimated beginning of a subsequent frame; fixing a gain of the AGC for a period during which the estimated start of the subsequent frame is processed by the AGC; calculating a transform of the signal corresponding to the estimated start of the subsequent frame; analyzing the transform of the signal to determine if the estimated start of the subsequent frame corresponds to an actual start of the subsequent frame; if the estimated start of the subsequent frame does not correspond to the actual start of the subsequent frame, (i) allowing the gain of the AGC to resume varying and (ii) detecting a further symbol in the signal, the signal having been processed based on the varying gain of the AGC; and if the estimated start of the subsequent frame corresponds to the actual start of the subsequent frame, synchronizing the receiver to the actual start of the frame.