CA2468764A1 - Time synchronization using dynamic thresholds - Google Patents

Time synchronization using dynamic thresholds Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2468764A1
CA2468764A1 CA002468764A CA2468764A CA2468764A1 CA 2468764 A1 CA2468764 A1 CA 2468764A1 CA 002468764 A CA002468764 A CA 002468764A CA 2468764 A CA2468764 A CA 2468764A CA 2468764 A1 CA2468764 A1 CA 2468764A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
clock
latency
time
adjustment
network
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA002468764A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2468764C (en
Inventor
Metin Salt
Steven J. Ragle
Johan Bengtsson
Ellen Paik
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Landis and Gyr Innovations Inc
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2468764A1 publication Critical patent/CA2468764A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2468764C publication Critical patent/CA2468764C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04JMULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION
    • H04J3/00Time-division multiplex systems
    • H04J3/02Details
    • H04J3/06Synchronising arrangements
    • H04J3/0635Clock or time synchronisation in a network
    • H04J3/0638Clock or time synchronisation among nodes; Internode synchronisation
    • H04J3/0658Clock or time synchronisation among packet nodes
    • H04J3/0661Clock or time synchronisation among packet nodes using timestamps
    • H04J3/0667Bidirectional timestamps, e.g. NTP or PTP for compensation of clock drift and for compensation of propagation delays
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F1/00Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
    • G06F1/04Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom
    • G06F1/14Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for time synchronization using dynamic thresholds. A method for synchronizing network elements includes receiving at a network element a time synchronization message (102) sent from a master clock elemen t. The network element includes an internal clock to be synchronized with a master clock of the master clock element. The method includes calculating a latency (104) of the time synchronization message. The method includes estimating an adjustment (106) that may be made to the internal clock in response to the time synchronization message. The method includes determinin g whether the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated (108). The method includes adjusting the internal clock (110) when the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated.

Claims (21)

1. A method for synchronizing network elements, the method comprising:
receiving at a network element a time synchronization message sent from a master clock element, the network element including an internal clock to be synchronized with a master clock of the master clock element;
calculating a latency of the time synchronization message;
estimating an adjustment that may be made to the internal clock in response to the time synchronization message;
determining whether the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated; and adjusting the internal clock when the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the calculated round trip latency is less than the estimated synchronization adjustment includes:
assuming that the latency is unbalanced.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the time synchronization message includes a time stamp specifying a time, as indicated by the master clock, when the master clock element sent the time synchronization message, and wherein assuming that the latency is imbalanced includes:
calculating an earliest current time of the master clock assuming that there is no latency; and calculating a latest current time of the master clock by adding all of the calculated latency to the time stamp.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated includes:
determining whether a current time as indicated by the internal clock is between the earliest and latest current time of the master clock.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein:
calculating latency includes calculating latency that varies from one instance of synchronization to another instance of synchronization; and estimating adjustment includes estimating adjustment that varies from one instance of synchronization to another instance of synchronization.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the time synchronization message includes a time stamp specifying a time, as indicated by the master clock, when the master clock element sent the time synchronization message; and adjusting the internal clock includes adjusting based on the time stamp.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether the latency calculated exceeds a threshold;
when the latency calculated does not exceed the threshold, applying a first set of criteria to determining whether the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated; and when the latency calculated exceeds the threshold, applying a second set of criteria to determining whether the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying the first set of criteria includes:
determining whether the master clock and the internal clock are sufficiently synchronized; and determining whether adjustment to the internal clock will cause an error in the network.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein:
determining whether the master clock and the internal clock are sufficiently synchronized includes determining whether a difference between a current time as indicated by the internal clock and the current time as estimated to be indicated by the master clock is less than five seconds; and determining whether adjustment to the internal clock will cause an error in the network includes determining whether there will be an error cause by adjusting the internal clock because a difference between the current time as indicated by the internal clock and the current time as estimated to be indicated by the master clock is too large.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein:
calculating a current time includes calculating the current time of when the network element receives the time synchronization message.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request message from the network element to the master clock element, the request message causing the master clock element to send the time synchronization message, wherein calculating the latency includes:
recording a time when the network element sent the request message;
recording a time when the network element received the time synchronization message sent from the master clock element; and calculating a difference between the time when the network element sent the request message and the time when the network element received the time synchronization message sent from the master clock element.
12. A computer program product, tangibly stored on machine-readable medium, for synchronizing a first clock of a network with a second clock of the network, the product comprising instructions to cause a processor to:
calculate a latency between the first clock and the second clock;
estimate an adjustment of the first clock to synchronize the first clock with the second clock; and determine whether to adjust the first clock, the determining being based on whether the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated.
13. The product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to:
adjust the first clock when a determination has been made to do so.
14. The product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to:
calculate an earliest current time as indicated by the second clock and a latest current time as indicated by the second clock, the calculation assuming that the latency is completely imbalanced; and determine that the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated when a current time as indicated by the first clock is in between the earliest and latest current times.
15. The product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to determine that the first clock is to be adjusted when:
the first clock and the second clock are not synchronized within five seconds;
and adjustment does not cause an error in the network..
16. The product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to determine that the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated when:
adjustment does not cause an error in the network.
17. The product of claim 12, wherein:
the first clock is include in a first network element and the second clock is included in a second network element; and calculating a latency between the first clock and the second clock includes calculating the time for a first message to travel from the second network element to the first network element.
18. The product of claim 17, wherein, the product further comprising instructions to:
calculate a second time interval that it takes for a second message to travel from the first network element to the second network element, for the second element to process the second message, and for the second element to generate and send the first message;
and assume the second time interval is the latency.
19. The product of claim 12, wherein:
the network is a wireless network; and the second clock is a master clock.
20. The product of claim 19, wherein:
the network is a radio frequency network.
21. A computer program product, tangibly stored on machine-readable medium, for synchronizing a first clock of a network with a second clock of the network, the product comprising instructions to cause a processor to:
calculate a latency between the first clock and the second clock;
estimate an adjustment of the first clock to synchronize the first clock with the second clock;
calculate an earliest current time as indicated by the second clock and a latest current time as indicated by the second clock, the calculation assuming that the latency is completely imbalanced; and determine that the latency calculated is less than the adjustment estimated when a current time as indicated by the first clock is in between the earliest and latest current times.
CA2468764A 2001-11-30 2002-11-14 Time synchronization using dynamic thresholds Expired - Lifetime CA2468764C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US33736601P 2001-11-30 2001-11-30
US60/337,366 2001-11-30
US10/280,448 2002-10-25
US10/280,448 US7352715B2 (en) 2001-11-30 2002-10-25 Time synchronization using dynamic thresholds
PCT/US2002/036799 WO2003049343A1 (en) 2001-11-30 2002-11-14 Time synchronization using dynamic thresholds

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2468764A1 true CA2468764A1 (en) 2003-06-12
CA2468764C CA2468764C (en) 2011-02-08

Family

ID=26960310

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA2468764A Expired - Lifetime CA2468764C (en) 2001-11-30 2002-11-14 Time synchronization using dynamic thresholds

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US7352715B2 (en)
EP (1) EP1456987B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE401708T1 (en)
AU (1) AU2002357733A1 (en)
CA (1) CA2468764C (en)
DE (1) DE60227698D1 (en)
MX (1) MXPA04005111A (en)
WO (1) WO2003049343A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (40)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6930620B2 (en) * 2002-01-15 2005-08-16 Microsoft Corporation Methods and systems for synchronizing data streams
US7555013B2 (en) * 2002-08-12 2009-06-30 Harris Corporation Method and system for the blind determination of frequency hopping system characteristics and synchronization thereto
US9061207B2 (en) * 2002-12-10 2015-06-23 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc Temporary decoder apparatus and method
US7340630B2 (en) * 2003-08-08 2008-03-04 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Multiprocessor system with interactive synchronization of local clocks
US7706325B2 (en) * 2003-12-30 2010-04-27 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ) Method and system for handling context of data packet flows
DE102004028071B3 (en) * 2004-06-09 2005-11-03 Siemens Ag Decentralized time interval synchronization in distributed networks
US8024724B2 (en) 2006-08-31 2011-09-20 Itron, Inc. Firmware download
US7847536B2 (en) 2006-08-31 2010-12-07 Itron, Inc. Hall sensor with temperature drift control
US8312103B2 (en) 2006-08-31 2012-11-13 Itron, Inc. Periodic balanced communication node and server assignment
US8049642B2 (en) * 2006-09-05 2011-11-01 Itron, Inc. Load side voltage sensing for AMI metrology
US8055461B2 (en) 2006-09-15 2011-11-08 Itron, Inc. Distributing metering responses for load balancing an AMR network
US8138944B2 (en) 2006-09-15 2012-03-20 Itron, Inc. Home area networking (HAN) with handheld for diagnostics
US7843391B2 (en) 2006-09-15 2010-11-30 Itron, Inc. RF local area network antenna design
US9354083B2 (en) 2006-09-15 2016-05-31 Itron, Inc. Home area networking (HAN) with low power considerations for battery devices
US8787210B2 (en) 2006-09-15 2014-07-22 Itron, Inc. Firmware download with adaptive lost packet recovery
US8059009B2 (en) 2006-09-15 2011-11-15 Itron, Inc. Uplink routing without routing table
US8212687B2 (en) 2006-09-15 2012-07-03 Itron, Inc. Load side voltage sensing for AMI metrology
US8384558B2 (en) 2006-10-19 2013-02-26 Itron, Inc. Extending contact life in remote disconnect applications
US8838776B2 (en) * 2007-09-26 2014-09-16 Vega Grieshaber Kg Method for the automatic time synchronisation of devices in network-based systems
EP2223227B1 (en) * 2007-10-22 2013-02-27 Rambus Inc. Low-power source-synchronous signaling
US7961554B2 (en) * 2008-01-11 2011-06-14 Cellnet Innovations, Inc. Methods and systems for accurate time-keeping on metering and other network communication devices
US7903681B2 (en) * 2008-06-13 2011-03-08 Alcatel Lucent Method for distributing a common time reference within a distributed architecture
JP4572976B2 (en) * 2008-09-26 2010-11-04 ブラザー工業株式会社 Communication device and communication program
JP5418003B2 (en) * 2009-06-12 2014-02-19 ソニー株式会社 Information processing apparatus, synchronization correction method, and computer program
WO2011000041A1 (en) * 2009-06-30 2011-01-06 Avega Systems Pty Ltd Systems and methods for providing synchronization in a networked environment
US8340790B2 (en) * 2009-08-31 2012-12-25 Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc. Methods and apparatus to adjust control loop timing in a process control system
WO2011136705A1 (en) * 2010-04-26 2011-11-03 Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ) Method for setting and adjusting a parameter dependent on a round trip time
US8675689B2 (en) * 2011-02-15 2014-03-18 General Electric Company Method of time synchronization of free running nodes in an avionics network
US10200476B2 (en) 2011-10-18 2019-02-05 Itron, Inc. Traffic management and remote configuration in a gateway-based network
US9419888B2 (en) 2011-12-22 2016-08-16 Itron, Inc. Cell router failure detection in a mesh network
US8751757B1 (en) 2011-12-30 2014-06-10 Emc Corporation Acquisition and kernel memory storage of I/O metrics
US9547332B1 (en) 2012-03-21 2017-01-17 Marvell Israel (M.I.S.L) Ltd. Accurate time capture and transfer between clock domains
US10049404B2 (en) * 2012-12-18 2018-08-14 Trading Technologies International, Inc. Methods and systems to prevent adverse exchange limit effects
US9510286B2 (en) * 2013-03-27 2016-11-29 Qualcomm Incorporated Systems and methods for synchronization within a neighborhood aware network
EP3009897B1 (en) * 2013-06-12 2024-01-03 Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. Distribution device, distribution system, and distribution method
WO2017218341A1 (en) * 2016-06-17 2017-12-21 Axon Enterprise, Inc. Systems and methods for aligning event data
US10833799B2 (en) 2018-05-31 2020-11-10 Itron Global Sarl Message correction and dynamic correction adjustment for communication systems
US11449090B2 (en) * 2019-06-10 2022-09-20 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Synchronizing sensing systems
US11137794B2 (en) 2020-01-06 2021-10-05 Woodward, Inc. Systems and methods for synchronization of multiple processors
EP3866019A1 (en) * 2020-02-17 2021-08-18 Be Spoon Clock-error estimation for two-clock electronic device

Family Cites Families (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4882739A (en) * 1988-01-26 1989-11-21 Computer Sports Medicine, Inc. Method for adjusting clocks of multiple data processors to a common time base
US5495482A (en) * 1989-09-29 1996-02-27 Motorola Inc. Packet transmission system and method utilizing both a data bus and dedicated control lines
JPH03296684A (en) * 1990-04-16 1991-12-27 Toshiba Corp Synchronizing system of time of network station
US5428645A (en) * 1992-11-03 1995-06-27 International Business Machines Corporation Anonymous time synchronization method
US5689688A (en) * 1993-11-16 1997-11-18 International Business Machines Corporation Probabilistic anonymous clock synchronization method and apparatus for synchronizing a local time scale with a reference time scale
US5535217A (en) * 1994-12-20 1996-07-09 International Business Machines Corporation Method and apparatus for probabilistic clock synchronization with interval arithmetic
US6195018B1 (en) * 1996-02-07 2001-02-27 Cellnet Data Systems, Inc. Metering system
US6069887A (en) * 1997-05-28 2000-05-30 Apple Computer, Inc. Method and system for synchronization in a wireless local area network
SE509836C2 (en) * 1997-06-13 1999-03-15 Ericsson Telefon Ab L M Procedure and arrangement in a radio communication system
US6373834B1 (en) * 1997-12-19 2002-04-16 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson Synchronization for cellular telecommunications network
US6157957A (en) * 1998-01-22 2000-12-05 Cisco Technology, Inc. Clock synchronization system and method using a continuous conversion function for a communication network
US6199169B1 (en) * 1998-03-31 2001-03-06 Compaq Computer Corporation System and method for synchronizing time across a computer cluster
US6370161B1 (en) * 1998-05-20 2002-04-09 Aspect Communications Time synchronization of distributed computer telephony communication applications in a computer network
US6347084B1 (en) * 1998-05-28 2002-02-12 U.S. Philips Corporation Method of timestamp synchronization of a reservation-based TDMA protocol
US6717915B1 (en) * 1998-07-10 2004-04-06 Openwave Systems, Inc. Method and apparatus for dynamically configuring timing parameters for wireless data devices
US6452962B1 (en) * 1999-06-11 2002-09-17 Trw Inc. Mitigation of co-channel interference in synchronization bursts in a multi-beam communication system
US7103124B1 (en) * 1999-12-30 2006-09-05 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ) Synchronization of nodes
CA2301436A1 (en) * 2000-03-20 2001-09-20 Peter Renaud Method and system for multi-protocol clock recovery and generation
US6577872B1 (en) * 2000-08-08 2003-06-10 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ) Base station oscillator regulation independent of transport network clocks in cellular telecommunications network

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE401708T1 (en) 2008-08-15
US7352715B2 (en) 2008-04-01
MXPA04005111A (en) 2005-04-29
EP1456987A4 (en) 2006-03-29
EP1456987A1 (en) 2004-09-15
DE60227698D1 (en) 2008-08-28
WO2003049343A1 (en) 2003-06-12
EP1456987B1 (en) 2008-07-16
CA2468764C (en) 2011-02-08
US20030103486A1 (en) 2003-06-05
AU2002357733A1 (en) 2003-06-17

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA2468764A1 (en) Time synchronization using dynamic thresholds
US7283568B2 (en) Methods, systems and computer program products for synchronizing clocks of nodes on a computer network
CA2791698C (en) Method and system for accurate clock synchronization through interaction between communication layers and sub-layers for communication systems
EP3624389B1 (en) Wireless device and processing method for wireless device
JP2000115210A (en) Distribution system
US20090037758A1 (en) Use of t4 timestamps to calculate clock offset and skew
JP2000099485A5 (en)
CN103999387B (en) Sync interval determination
CA2475495A1 (en) Method and apparatus for synchronizing base stations
JP2011517165A (en) Data transfer method and system for loudspeakers in a digital sound reproduction system
CA2438569A1 (en) Maintaining a global time reference among a group of networked devices
CN101217330A (en) A method and device for time synchronism calibration
CA2446898A1 (en) Controlling packet transmission between bsc and bts
US10440598B2 (en) Methods and apparatus for clock drift mitigation with snoop-based ranging
CN111294132B (en) Absolute time synchronization method and device and electronic equipment
WO2005002100A1 (en) High accuracy network clock synchronization
EP0951150A3 (en) Apparatus and method for determining an optimum equalizer setting for a signal equalizer in a communication network receiver
KR100952281B1 (en) Method of deciding a delay for network synchronization in network system
WO2012109931A1 (en) Lte time adjustment method and base station
KR101176798B1 (en) Method for clock synchronization between slave and master
JP2004533769A5 (en)
US8848848B2 (en) Transmission timing adjustment in radio systems
JPWO2021199667A5 (en) Base stations, communication systems, communication methods, and programs
KR101019170B1 (en) Method and Apparatus of Deciding an Initial Delay in Network Synchronization Systems
CN117440496A (en) Time synchronization method, device, server and storage medium of wireless network

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKEX Expiry

Effective date: 20221114