FRAME SYNCHRONIZATION IN A MULTICARRIER COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

摘要

Methods and apparatus suitable for use in obtaining frame synchronization in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication system are described. The OFDM communication system includes a plurality of base units which simultaneously transmit a plurality of pilot tones in a predetermined pilot tone pattern during one or more time slots of a plurality of time slots defining a message slot. The method includes the steps of receiving OFDM signals within a time slot; determining a signal level in the OFDM signals at each frequency of a plurality of pilot tone frequencies; performing a correlation between the signal levels and the predetermined pilot tone pattern; generating and storing a pattern detection value based on performing the correlation; and repeating the receiving, determining, performing, generating and storing for each time slot of the plurality of time slots.