System and method for resolving frequency and timing uncertainty in access transmissions in a spread spectrum communication system

A gateway comprising:

• a plurality of receiver means, each receiver means searching for a access probe signal within an assigned search space to resolve a frequency and timing uncertainty of the access probe signal arrival;
• and
• means for assigning a search space to the plurality of receiver means, each search space corresponding to one of the plurality of beams from a satellite corresponding to a range of frequency and timing uncertainty of the access probe signal arrival, and each beam corresponding to a reduced range of frequency and timing uncertainty of the access probe signal arrival.

A communication station for acquiring a signal, the communication station having a coverage region corresponding to a range of arrival frequency and timing uncertainty of the signal, the communication station comprising:

• a plurality of receiver means, each receiver means searching for the signal within an assigned search space to resolve the frequency and timing uncertainty;
• and
• means for assigning a search space to the plurality of receiver means, each search space corresponding a coverage region corresponding to a reduced range of arrival frequency and timing uncertainty of the signal.

A communication station for acquiring an access probe signal relayed by a beam source corresponding to a range of frequency and timing uncertainty of the access probe signal arrival, the communication station comprising:

• a plurality of receiver means, each receiver means searching for the access probe signal within an assigned search space to resolve the frequency and timing uncertainty;
• and
• means for assigning a search space to the plurality of receiver means, each search space corresponding to one of the plurality of beams from the beam source and each beam corresponding to a reduced range of frequency and timing uncertainty of the access probe signal arrival.