US 2012/0069943 A1 · BASE STATION AND CLOCK SYNCHRONIZATION METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

An enhanced base station and clock synchronization method are provided. The method includes scanning to discover a satellite transmitting a satellite signal and a master base station providing clock synchronization signal, entering, when a satellite having a signal that fulfills predetermined conditions is found, a master mode for receiving the satellite signal to acquire clock synchronization and transmitting a clock synchronization signal to at least one slave base station, and entering, when no satellite having a signal that fulfills the predetermined conditions is found, a slave mode for receiving the clock synchronization signal from the master base station to acquire clock synchronization. The method allows the base station to switch between the master and slave modes dynamically according to variation of the communication environment, resulting in efficient clock synchronization.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for clock synchronization of a base station, the method comprising:

scanning to discover a satellite transmitting a satellite signal and a master base station providing a clock synchronization signal;
entering, when a satellite having a signal that fulfills predetermined conditions is found, a master mode for receiving the satellite signal to acquire clock synchronization and transmitting a clock synchronization signal to at least one slave base station;
and
entering, when no satellite having a signal that fulfills the predetermined conditions is found, a slave mode for receiving the clock synchronization signal from the master base station to acquire clock synchronization.

1 more element

A base station comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) module for scanning to detect a satellite transmitting a satellite signal;
a communication module for scanning to detect a master base station providing a clock synchronization signal, for receiving the clock synchronization signal form the master base station, and for providing slave base stations with the clock synchronization signal;
and
a Dynamic Multi-master Selection (DMS) module for acquiring, when a satellite having a signal that fulfills predetermined conditions is found by the GPS module, clock synchronization of the base station with the clock synchronization signal received by means of the GPS module, for providing the slave base station with the clock synchronization signal by means of the communication module, and for acquiring, when no satellite having a signal that fulfills the predetermined conditions is found by the GPS module but the master base station fulfilling the predetermined conditions is found by the communication module, clock synchronization of the base station with the clock synchronization signal received from the found master base station.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Base station and clock synchronization method thereof

Life of this patent

Base station and clock synchronization method thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18