SYNCHRONIZATION AND CELL SEARCH METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

A received communications signal is correlated with a common synchronization code to produce a synchronization detection signal. A component of the synchronization detection signal associated with a known synchronization signal is canceled from the synchronization detection signal to produce an interference-canceled synchronization detection signal. Timing of a synchronization signal is determined from the interference-canceled synchronization detection signal. According to one aspect, interference cancellation is achieved by generating a correlation of an estimated received known synchronization signal with the common synchronization code, canceling the correlation of the estimated received known synchronization signal with the common synchronization code from the synchronization detection signal to produce the interference-canceled synchronization detection signal. Timing of a synchronization signal may then be determined by accumulating the interference-canceled synchronization detection signal over a time interval, detecting a peak in the accumulated interference-canceled synchronization detection signal, and determining timing of a synchronization signal from the detected peak. According to another aspect, interference cancellation is achieved by accumulating the synchronization detection signal over a time interval, identifying a peak in the accumulated synchronization detection signal not associated with a known synchronization signal, and determining timing of a synchronization signal from the identified peak. Related terminal apparatus are also discussed.