Acquisition mechanism for a mobile satellite system

1. A method for enabling synchronization of a communications terminal in a wireless communication system comprising:

receiving a burst at a receiver of the communications terminal, the burst containing a composite waveform including two or more component waveforms, wherein each of the two or more waveforms has a known frequency variation throughout the burst;

estimating a frequency offset and a timing offset of said composite waveform as received into said receiver whereby said synchronization of said communications terminal is achieved;

detecting a first component waveform of said two or more component waveforms, and detecting a second component waveform of said two or more waveforms, wherein said detecting said first component waveform comprises desweeping said first component waveform into a first deswept component waveform, wherein said first deswept component waveform is a narrow band waveform;

transforming said first deswept component waveform into a first frequency domain representation;

estimating a signal-to-noise ratio of said first frequency domain representation;

comparing said signal-to-noise ratio of said first frequency domain representation to a threshold;

estimating, in the event said threshold is exceeded, a first peak frequency of said first frequency domain representation;

desweeping said second component waveform of said two or more component waveforms into a second deswept component waveform;

transforming said second deswept component waveform into a second frequency domain representation; and

estimating a second peak frequency from said second frequency domain representation; and

wherein said estimating comprises estimating, using said first peak frequency and said second peak frequency and said known frequency variation of each of said first component waveform and said second component waveform; and

wherein said frequency offset is defined by the formula:

f d =0.5( f 1 +f 2 )

wherein f d is said frequency offset in Hertz, f 1 is said first peak frequency in Hertz, and f 2 is said second peak frequency in Hertz.

2. A method for enabling synchronization of a communications terminal in a wireless communication system comprising:

receiving a burst at a receiver of the communications terminal, the burst containing a composite waveform including two or more component waveforms, wherein each of the two or more waveforms has a known frequency variation throughout the burst;

estimating a frequency offset and a timing offset of said composite waveform as received into said receiver whereby said synchronization of said communications terminal is achieved;

detecting a first component waveform of said two or more component waveforms, and detecting a second component waveform of said two or more waveforms, wherein said detecting said first component waveform comprises desweeping said first component waveform into a first deswept component waveform, wherein said first deswept component waveform is a narrow band waveform;

transforming said first deswept component waveform into a first frequency domain representation;

estimating a signal-to-noise ratio of said first frequency domain representation;

comparing said signal-to-noise ratio of said first frequency domain representation to a threshold;

estimating, in the event said threshold is exceeded a first peak frequency of said first frequency domain representation;

desweeping said second component waveform of said two or more component waveforms into a second deswept component waveform;

transforming said second deswept component waveform into a second frequency domain representation; and

estimating a second peak frequency from said second frequency domain representation; and

wherein said estimating comprises estimating, using said first peak frequency and said second peak frequency and said known frequency variation of each of said first component waveform and said second component waveform; and

the method of claim 1 wherein said timing offset is defined by the formula:

t 0 =τ−[( f 1 −f 2 )/2 K]

wherein f 1 is said first peak frequency in Hertz, f 2 is said second peak frequency in Hertz, K is the absolute value of said known frequency variation of said each of said first component waveform and said second component waveform in Hertz/second, and τ is a time in seconds at which said composite waveform is hypothesized to arrive at said communications terminal.

3. An acquisition system of a wireless communications terminal for acquiring a received composite waveform including two or more component waveforms and estimating a frequency offset and a timing offset of the received composite waveform comprising:

a first phase shifter for desweeping a first component waveform of the received composite waveform; and

a first processor coupled to the first phase shifter for transforming the first component waveform having been deswept into a first frequency domain representation.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said first processor is a first fast Fourier transform processor.

5. The system of claim 3 further comprising a detection processor coupled to said first processor for detecting a peak of said first frequency domain representation, whereby detecting the presence of said first component waveform.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said detection processor estimates a first peak frequency of said first frequency domain representation.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said detection processor includes a discrete Fourier transform for fine-tuning the estimation of said first peak frequency.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

a second phase shifter for desweeping a second component waveform of said received composite waveform; and

a second processor coupled to the second phase shifter for transforming the second component waveform, having been deswept, into a second frequency domain representation.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said second processor is a second fast Fourier transform processor.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a detection processor coupled to said second processor for detecting a peak of said second frequency domain representation.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said detection processor estimates a second peak frequency of said second frequency domain waveform.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said detection processor includes a discrete Fourier transform for fine-tuning the estimation of said second peak frequency.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said detection processor includes a parameter estimator for computing said frequency offset and said timing offset of said received composite waveform.

14. The system of claim 3 wherein said received composite waveform comprises a received dual-chirp waveform.

15. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a matched filter for filtering the received composite waveform; and

a buffer coupled to the matched filter, wherein the buffer is further coupled to said first phase shifter.