Methods and systems for background scanning in OFDMA mobile stations

A wireless communications device, comprising:

• a sample buffer for buffering raw signal data received from multiple base;
• a receive baseband processor for decoding, from the raw signal data, data from a first one of the base stations that is currently designated as a serving base station with an active connection to the wireless communications device;
• a sample buffer copy for buffering additional raw signal data received from the multiple base stations in one or more additional frames;
• a background scanning processor for selecting, using source selection logic, a subset of the raw signal data from the sample buffer or a subset of the additional raw signal data from the sample buffer copy and generating channel characteristics corresponding to the multiple base stations based on the subset of the raw signal data or the subset of the additional raw signal data without interrupting the exchange of data with the first base station designated as the serving base station;
• and
• wherein the background scanning processor employs the sample buffer copy based in part on determining that a rate of processing the raw data signal at the background scanning processor is below a threshold.

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

• means for buffering raw signal data received from multiple base stations in a first sample buffer;
• means for decoding, from the raw signal data, data from a first one of the base stations that is currently designated as a serving base station with an active connection to the wireless communications device;
• means for employing a second sample buffer to store additional raw signal data received from the multiple base stations in one or more additional frames, selecting a subset of the raw signal data from the first sample buffer or a subset of the additional raw signal data from the second sample buffer, and generating, based on the subset of the raw signal data or the subset of the additional raw signal data, channel characteristics corresponding to the multiple base stations without interrupting the exchange of data with the first base station designated as the serving base station;
• and
• wherein the means for employing employs the second sample buffer based in part on determining that a rate of processing the raw data signal is below a threshold.

A computer-program product for background scanning in a wireless communication device receiving signals from multiple base stations comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a set of instructions stored thereon, the set of instructions being executable by one or more processors and the set of instructions comprising:

• instructions for receiving raw signal data from multiple base stations;
• instructions for storing the raw signal data in a first sample buffer;
• instructions for employing a second sample buffer to store additional raw signal data received from the multiple base stations in one or more additional frames;
• instructions for selecting, using source selection logic, a subset of the raw signal data from the first sample buffer or a subset of the additional raw signal data from the second sample buffer;
• instructions for generating channel characteristics corresponding to the multiple base stations based on the subset of the raw signal data or the subset of the additional raw signal data without interrupting the exchange of data between the wireless communications device and a first one of the base stations designated as a serving base station;
• and
• wherein the instructions for employing employ the second sample buffer based in part on determining that a rate of processing the raw data signal is below a threshold.