# US 12,184,406 B2 · Method and apparatus for configuring synchronisation information, network device, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,406 B2 - Document ID: US12184406B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/622,765 - Filed: 2020-12-21 - Published: 2022-08-04 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-23 - Assignees: Zte Corporation - Applicants: ZTE Corporation - Inventors: Xin Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184406B2 ## CPC - H04J 3/0667: {Bidirectional timestamps, e.g. NTP or PTP for compensation of clock drift and for compensation of propagation delays (arrangements for monitoring round trip delays in packet switching networks H04L43/0864)} - H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others} - H04J 3/0697: {Synchronisation in a packet node} - H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes} - H04J 3/1658: {carrying packets or ATM cells; (H04J3/1664 takes precedence for payloads with different packet types)} - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Disclosed are a method and apparatus for configuring synchronization information, a network device and a storage medium. The method includes: starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message; and, generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for configuring synchronization information, comprising: starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message, the detection start instruction comprising at least one of starting clock message detection and starting time message detection; and generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, the starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message comprises: in a case that the local device permits synchronization information configuration, starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, before starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message, the method further comprises: reading a value of a predetermined number of bits from the received Ethernet overhead frame; and determining the received detection start instruction according to the value of the predetermined number of bits. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined synchronization message is a clock synchronization message, and the synchronization information comprises clock configuration information; and, the generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device comprises: in response to identifying a message type of a clock synchronization message from the received Ethernet overhead frame, acquiring the clock synchronization message in the Ethernet overhead frame; and in response to a physical address of a clock source device carried in the clock synchronization message is different from a physical address of the local device, generating clock configuration information according to the clock synchronization message, and configuring the clock configuration information to an Ethernet port of the local device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the generating clock configuration information according to the clock synchronization message, and configuring the clock configuration information to an Ethernet port of the local device comprises: acquiring clock configuration information containing a clock quality level carried in the clock synchronization message; detecting whether there is configured clock configuration information in the local device; setting a priority of the generated clock configuration information according to a result of detection and the clock quality level; and configuring, according to the set priority of the clock configuration information, the generated clock configuration information to an Ethernet port of the local device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the setting a priority of the generated clock configuration information according to a result of detection and the clock quality level comprises: in response to there being no configured clock configuration information, setting the priority of the generated clock configuration information according to the clock quality level; and in response to there being configured clock configuration information, setting the priority of the generated clock configuration information according to the clock quality level, and setting the priority of the generated clock configuration information to be lower than a priority of the configured clock configuration information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined synchronization message is a time synchronization message, and the synchronization information comprises time synchronization configuration information; and, the generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device comprises: in response to identifying a message type of a time synchronization message from the Ethernet overhead frame, acquiring the detected time synchronization message; successively acquiring each Ethernet port group of the local device, and generating time synchronization configuration information for ports in each Ethernet port group according to the detected time synchronization message; and configuring the time synchronization configuration information to the ports in each Ethernet port group. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the generating time synchronization configuration information for ports in each Ethernet port group according to the detected time synchronization message comprises: extracting time characteristic information from the time synchronization message, and comparing the extracted time characteristic information with time characteristic information of the Ethernet ports of the local device; determining state of the ports in each Ethernet port group according to a result of comparison, the state of the ports being one of a master port and a slave port, with the master port being configured to issue a synchronization time and the slave port being configured to receive the synchronization time; and generating time synchronization configuration information for the ports in each Ethernet port group according to at least the state of the ports. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the configuring the time synchronization configuration information to the ports in each Ethernet port group comprises: detecting whether there is a port having configured time synchronization information in each Ethernet port group; in response to there being no port having configured time synchronization information, successively configuring, in a port order and starting from a second port, the time synchronization configuration information to the ports in each Ethernet port group; and in response to there being a port having configured time synchronization configuration information, successively configuring, in the port order and starting from a predetermined port, the time synchronization configuration information to the ports in each Ethernet port group, the predetermined port being a port next to the port having configured time synchronization configuration information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined synchronization message comprises a clock synchronization message and a time synchronization message, and the synchronization information comprises clock configuration information and time synchronization configuration information; and, the generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device comprises: in response to identifying a message type of a clock synchronization message and a message type of a time synchronization message from the received Ethernet overhead frame, acquiring the clock synchronization message and the time synchronization message in the Ethernet overhead frame; in response to a physical address of a clock source device carried in the clock synchronization message is different from a physical address of the local device, generating clock configuration information according to the clock synchronization message, and configuring the clock configuration information to an Ethernet port of the local device; and in response to the physical address of the clock source device carried in the clock synchronization message is the same as the physical address of the local device, successively acquiring each Ethernet port group of the local device, generating time synchronization configuration information for ports in each Ethernet port group according to the detected time synchronization message, and configuring the time synchronization configuration information to the ports in each Ethernet port group. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to receiving a detection end instruction for a predetermined synchronization message, ending the detection of the predetermined synchronization message for the received Ethernet overhead frame; in response to the local device having started the detection of the predetermined synchronization message, deleting the configured synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message; and in response to the local device having manually configured synchronization information, reserving the manually configured synchronization information. ### Claim 12 A network device, comprising a memory and a processor; the memory is configured to store executable program codes; and the processor is configured to read the executable program codes stored in the memory to carry out a method for configuring synchronization information comprising: starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message, the detection start instruction comprising at least one of starting clock message detection and starting time message detection; and generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The network device of claim 12, wherein, the starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message comprises: in a case that the local device permits synchronization information configuration, starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The network device of claim 12, wherein, before starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message, the method further comprises: reading a value of a predetermined number of bits from the received Ethernet overhead frame; and determining the received detection start instruction according to the value of the predetermined number of bits. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The network device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined synchronization message is a clock synchronization message, and the synchronization information comprises clock configuration information; and, the generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device comprises: in response to identifying a message type of a clock synchronization message from the received Ethernet overhead frame, acquiring the clock synchronization message in the Ethernet overhead frame; and in response to a physical address of a clock source device carried in the clock synchronization message is different from a physical address of the local device, generating clock configuration information according to the clock synchronization message, and configuring the clock configuration information to an Ethernet port of the local device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The network device of claim 15, wherein the generating clock configuration information according to the clock synchronization message, and configuring the clock configuration information to an Ethernet port of the local device comprises: acquiring clock configuration information containing a clock quality level carried in the clock synchronization message; detecting whether there is configured clock configuration information in the local device; setting a priority of the generated clock configuration information according to a result of detection and the clock quality level; and configuring, according to the set priority of the clock configuration information, the generated clock configuration information to an Ethernet port of the local device. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to carry out a method for configuring synchronization information comprising: starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message, the detection start instruction comprising at least one of starting clock message detection and starting time message detection; and generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein, the starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message comprises: in a case that the local device permits synchronization information configuration, starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein, before starting detection of a predetermined synchronization message for a received Ethernet overhead frame in response to receiving a detection start instruction for the predetermined synchronization message, the method further comprises: reading a value of a predetermined number of bits from the received Ethernet overhead frame; and determining the received detection start instruction according to the value of the predetermined number of bits. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the predetermined synchronization message is a clock synchronization message, and the synchronization information comprises clock configuration information; and, the generating synchronization information corresponding to the predetermined synchronization message according to the detected predetermined synchronization message, and configuring the synchronization information to an Ethernet port of a local device comprises: in response to identifying a message type of a clock synchronization message from the received Ethernet overhead frame, acquiring the clock synchronization message in the Ethernet overhead frame; and in response to a physical address of a clock source device carried in the clock synchronization message is different from a physical address of the local device, generating clock configuration information according to the clock synchronization message, and configuring the clock configuration information to an Ethernet port of the local device.