US 10,833,838 B1Granted

Precise time synchronization for communication devices in networks

AssigneeItron Global SARL

InventorsGuillaume Descamps, Lionel Auzereau, Philippe Chiummiento

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Abstract

Techniques for employing precise transmission capabilities of a physical (PHY) layer to transmit time-synchronization beacons at an edge-of-field-resolution increment of a field of MAC layer frame. In some examples, the PHY layer may transmit beacons with a greater precision than permitted by lower-resolution MAC layer header fields. The communication protocol may specify the size of the field that is populated with timing information at a first precision. However, the PHY layer may be capable of transmitting with a second precision that is greater than the first precision. Thus, to virtually increase the time-synchronization resolution of the beacons, the beacons may be transmitted by the PHY layer at an edge-of-field resolution of the MAC layer header field. In this way, the first precision of the timing information in the MAC layer header field is virtually increased to the second precision of the PHY layer.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of operating a communication device to transmit a time-synchronization beacon over a network, the method comprising:

determining to transmit the time-synchronization beacon over the network to another communication device;
building, according to a media access control (MAC) layer protocol, a frame corresponding to the time-synchronization beacon, the frame including a field that is configured to indicate time-synchronization data at a first precision;
identifying a first period of time during which the communication device is to transmit the frame, the first period of time being defined according to the first precision of the field of the frame;
identifying a start of a second period of time that is adjacent an end of the first period of time, the second period of time being defined according to the first precision of the field of the frame;
populating the field of the frame with the time-synchronization data that indicates the start of the second period of time according to the first precision;
delaying transmission of the frame from a first time associated with the first period of time to a second time associated with the start of the second period of time;
transmitting, to the other communication device, a signal representing at least a portion of the frame at the second time according to a physical (PHY) layer protocol, wherein the PHY layer protocol is configured to transmit the signal at the second time at a second precision that is more precise than the first precision.

4 more elements

A system comprising:

one or more processors;
one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
generating communication data according to a communication layer of a communication protocol, the communication data including a portion configured to represent a synchronization time at a first precision;
identifying a first time associated with a beginning of a period of time during which the communication data is to be sent over a network to a communication device, the period of time being defined according to the first precision;
populating the portion of the communication data with time-synchronization data that indicates the first time according to the first precision;
and
sending, over the network and to the communication device, a signal representing at least a portion of the communication data at a second time according to a physical (PHY) layer of the communication protocol, wherein the PHY layer is configured to send the signal at the second time at a second precision that is more precise than the first precision.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.