Cell search using rake searcher to perform scrambling code determination

1. A receiver comprising:

a cell search system for only performing primary and secondary synchronization to a received wireless signal for identifying a scrambling code group associated with a scrambling code with which the wireless signal had been scrambled, wherein the cell search system does not perform identification of the scrambling code;

a searcher, separate from the cell search system, for identifying the scrambling code in the associated scrambling code group and for correalating the received wireless signal against the scrambling code thus identified for identifying multipath components of the received wireless signal; and

a processor, wherein (1) the processor activates the searcher after the cell search system acquires primary and secondary synchronization and identifies the scrambling code group and (2) the processor controls the searcher to process the received wireless signal for (a) identifying the scrambling code, and (b) identifying multipath components of the received wireless signal.

2. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein said cell search system is deactivated after performing the secondary synchronization.

3. The receiver of claim 1 , further comprising a scrambling code generator dynamically generating at least one scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group for use by said searcher to identify the scrambling code.

4. The receiver of claim 1 , further comprising a memory storing at least one pre-generated scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group.

5. The receiver of claim 4 , wherein said searcher reads the at least one scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group from said memory for identifying the scrambling code.

6. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein said searcher correlates each scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group with a received Common Pilot Channel (CPICH) signal and identifies the scrambling code having a largest correlation peak.

7. The receiver of claim 6 , wherein said searcher correlates different offsets of each scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group.

8. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein the spread spectrum receiver is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) receiver.

9. A method for use in a receiver, the method comprising:

receiving, with the receiver, a wireless signal scrambled with a scrambling code;

using a cell search system for only performing primary and secondary synchronization to the received wireless signal for identifying a scrambling code group associated with the scrambling code, wherein the cell search system does not perform identification of the scrambling code;

using a searcher, separately from the cell search system, for identifying the scrambling code in the associated scrambling code group and for correlating the received wireless signal against the scrambling code thus identified for identifying multipath components of the received wireless signal; and

using a processor to control the searcher, further comprising

(1) activating the searcher after the cell search system acquires primary and secondary synchronization and identifies the scrambling code group and

(2) controlling the searcher to process the received wireless signal for (a) identifying the scrambling code, and (b) identifying multipath components of the received wireless signal.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of deactivating the cell search system after said performing step.

11. The method of claim 9 , said using a searcher comprising:

correlating each scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group with a received Common Pilot Channel (CPICH) signal; and

identifying the scrambling code having a largest correlation peak.

12. The method of claim 11 , said correlating step further comprising the step of correlating different offsets of each scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:

storing at least one scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group within a memory; and

reading the at least one scrambling code of the associated scrambling code group from the memory for performing said correlating step as needed.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of dynamically generating at least one scrambling code for use in said correlating step.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the receiver is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) receiver.