Internal signaling method to support clock synchronization of nodes connected via a wireless local area network
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N. V.
InventorsJavier Del Prado Pavon, Sunghyun Choi
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Abstract
This invention discloses a set of internal signaling (i.e., management primitives) to support a clock-synchronization protocol for wirelessly synchronizing clock registers of wired or wireless nodes via a wireless local area network (i.e., 802.11 network). The clock synchronization is performed between two higher-layer protocol entities residing within two different wireless stations (STAs).
Claims13
In a communication system including a plurality of non-master nodes communicatively coupled to a network, each of said plurality of non-master nodes having a local time base, one of said plurality of non-master nodes being designated as a master node having a master time base which serves as a master clock against which said non-master local time bases are synchronized, a method for supporting clock synchronization in a higher-layer protocol of said master and non-master nodes, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) making a synchronization request at a higher-layer protocol of said master node;
- (b) issuing a request primitive from a station management entity (SME) associated with said node to a MAC layer management entity (MLME) requesting a synchronization-support mechanism;
- (c) determining, at said MLME, whether to accept said synchronization-support-mechanism request at said step (b);
- (d) issuing a confirm primitive, from said MLME to said SME indicating that said synchronization-support mechanism is supported, where said request is accepted at said step (c).
- (e) reporting one of a reception and transmission of a frame from a physical layer (PHY) associated with said node to said MLME;
- and,
- (f) issuing an indication primitive from said MLME to said SME responsive to said step (e).
In a communication system including a plurality of non-master nodes communicatively coupled to a network, each of said plurality of non-master nodes having a local time base, one of said plurality of non-master nodes being designated as a master node having a master time base which serves as a master clock against which said non-master local time bases are synchronized, the system comprising:
- means for making a synchronization request at a higher-layer protocol of master said node;
- means for issuing a request primitive from a station management entity (SME) associated with said node to a MAC layer management entity (MLME) requesting a synchronization-support mechanism;
- means for determining, at said MLME, whether to accept said synchronization-support mechanism request at said step (b);
- means for issuing a confirm primitive, from said MLME to said SME indicating that said synchronization-support mechanism is supported, where said request is accepted at said step (c);
- means for reporting one of a reception or transmission of a frame from a physical layer (PHY) associated with said node to said MLME;
- and,
- means for sending an indication primitive from said MLME to said SME responsive to said step (e).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.