# US 12,603,743 B2 · Clock synchronization method and related apparatus

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- Number: US 12,603,743 B2
- Document ID: US12603743B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/738,829
- Filed: 2022-05-06
- Published: 2022-08-18
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-08
- Assignees: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd.
- Applicants: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd.
- Inventors: Zhe Fu; Qianxi Lu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603743B2

## CPC

- H04L 5/0051: {of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal}
- H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others}
- H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- 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 clock synchronization method and a related apparatus. The method comprises: a terminal receiving first clock information; determining a specific cell according to the first clock information; and taking the specific cell as a clock reference point, and performing clock synchronization according to the first clock information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for clock synchronization, applied to a terminal connected to both a master node and a secondary node, the method comprising:
receiving at least one piece of clock information, wherein the at least one piece of clock information comprises first clock information;
determining by the terminal whether the first clock information is generated by the master node or by the secondary node, comprising: receiving, by the terminal, first information indicating a position of the first clock information, determining by the terminal that the first clock information is generated by the secondary node in a case where it is determined according to the first information that the position of the first clock information is within a container, and determining by the terminal that the first clock information is generated by the master node in a case where it is determined according to the first information that the first clock information is outside the container;
in response to determining that the first clock information is generated by the master node, determining by the terminal that a primary cell of the master node is used as a clock reference point for clock synchronization with the master node;
in response to determining that the first clock information is generated by the secondary node, determining by the terminal that a primary secondary cell of the secondary node is used as the clock reference point for the clock synchronization with the master node in a case where the first clock information is sent by the master node or sent by the secondary node; and
based on the clock reference point, performing clock synchronization with the master node according to the first clock information,
wherein the receiving the at least one piece of clock information comprises receiving a dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) message sent by a cell corresponding to the master node, and a type of the dedicated RRC message is a downlink information transmission message, and
wherein each of the at least one piece of clock information comprises at least one of the following information: reference clock information, a time, an uncertainty index, a time information type, and a reference system frame number.

### Claim 2

A terminal device, connected to both a master node and a secondary node, the terminal device comprising:
a transceiver;
a processor; and
a memory configured to store a computer program executable by the processor,
wherein the transceiver is configured to receive at least one piece of clock information, wherein the at least one piece of clock information comprises first clock information,
the processor is configured to:
determine whether the first clock information is generated by the master node or by the secondary node, comprising: receiving first information indicating a position of the first clock information, determining that the first clock information is generated by the secondary node in a case where it is determined according to the first information that the position of the first clock information is within a container, and determining that the first clock information is generated by the master node in a case where it is determined according to the first information that the first clock information is outside the container;
in response to determining that the first clock information is generated by the master node, determine a primary cell of the master node is used as a clock reference point for clock synchronization with the master node;
in response to determining that the first clock information is generated by the secondary node, determine that a primary secondary cell of the secondary node is used as the clock reference point for the clock synchronization with the master node in a case where the first clock information is sent by the master node or sent by the secondary node; and
perform clock synchronization with the master node according to the first clock information based on the clock reference point,
wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) message sent by a cell corresponding to the master node, and a type of the dedicated RRC message is a downlink information transmission message, and
wherein each of the at least one piece of clock information comprises at least one of the following information: reference clock information, a time, an uncertainty index, a time information type, and a reference system frame number.

### Claim 3

A master node, wherein the master node is connected to a terminal and the terminal is connected to a secondary node, the master node comprising:
a transceiver;
a processor; and
a memory configured to store a computer program executable by the processor,
wherein the transceiver is configured to send first clock information to the terminal, wherein the first clock information is used by the terminal to perform the following operations:
determining whether the first clock information is generated by the master node or by the secondary node, comprising: receiving first information indicating a position of the first clock information, determining that the first clock information is generated by the secondary node in a case where it is determined according to the first information that the position of the first clock information is within a container, and determining that the first clock information is generated by the master node in a case where it is determined according to the first information that the first clock information is outside the container;
in response to determining that the first clock information is generated by the master node, determining that a primary cell of the master node is used as a clock reference point for clock synchronization with the master node;
in response to determining that the first clock information is generated by the secondary node, determining that a primary secondary cell of the secondary node is used as the clock reference point for the clock synchronization with the master node; and
based on the clock reference point, performing clock synchronization with the master node according to the first clock information,
wherein the transceiver is configured to send a dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to the terminal through the cell corresponding to the master node, and a type of the dedicated RRC message is a downlink information transmission message, and
wherein each of the at least one piece of clock information comprises at least one of the following information: reference clock information, a time, an uncertainty index, a time information type, and a reference system frame number.