Time synchronization device and network

A time-estimating time synchronization device configured to time-synchronize with at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device, the time-estimating time synchronization device comprising:

• a communication section configured to receive data from the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device and recover a clock signal included in the received data;
• a clock section configured to generate a clock signal of the time-estimating time synchronization device and count the generated clock signal;
• and
• a first frequency comparison section configured to generate frequency difference information on a difference between a frequency of the time-estimating time synchronization device and a frequency of the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device by comparing a frequency of the clock signal generated by the clock section and a frequency of the clock signal recovered by the communication section,
• a time estimation section configured to estimate, by maximum likelihood estimation processing, time information of the time-estimating time synchronization device and time information of the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device based on the frequency difference information generated by the first frequency comparison section;
• a counter value correction section configured to correct a counter value of the clock section based on the time information of the time-estimating time synchronization device estimated by the time estimation section;
• a phase synchronization section configured to perform phase synchronization using the clock signal generated by the clock section;
• a second frequency comparison section configured to compare the frequency of the clock signal generated by the clock section and a frequency of a clock signal of the phase synchronization section;
• and
• a division ratio correction section configured to correct a division ratio of the phase synchronization section based on a result of the comparison by the second frequency comparison section.

A non-time-estimating time synchronization device configured to time-synchronize with a time-estimating time synchronization device, the non-time-estimating time synchronization device and the time-estimating time synchronization device being ones of a plurality of time synchronization devices, the non-time-estimating time synchronization device comprising:

• a communication section configured to receive data from at least one of the plurality of time synchronization devices and recover a clock signal included in the received data;
• a clock section configured to generate a clock signal of the non-time-estimating time synchronization device and count the generated clock signal;
• and
• a first frequency comparison section configured to generate frequency difference information on a difference between a frequency of the non-time-estimating time synchronization device and a frequency of the at least one of the plurality of time synchronization devices by comparing a frequency of the clock signal generated by the clock section and a frequency of the clock signal recovered by the communication section,
• a frequency difference information transmission section configured to transmit the frequency difference information to the time-estimating time synchronization device;
• a counter value correction section configured to correct a counter value of the clock section based on time information of the non-time-estimating time synchronization device, which time information has been estimated and transmitted to the non-time-estimating time synchronization device by the time-estimating time synchronization device and received by the non-time-estimating time synchronization device;
• a phase synchronization section configured to perform phase synchronization using the clock signal generated by the clock section;
• a second frequency comparison section configured to compare the frequency of the clock signal generated by the clock section and a frequency of a clock signal of the phase synchronization section;
• and
• a division ratio correction section configured to correct a division ratio of the phase synchronization section based on a result of the comparison by the second frequency comparison section.

A network comprising a time-estimating time synchronization device and at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device, the time-estimating time synchronization device and the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device being members of a plurality of time synchronization devices,

• wherein each of the plurality of time synchronization devices comprises:
• a communication section configured to receive data from at least one of the plurality of time synchronization devices and recover a clock signal included in the received data;
• a clock section configured to generate a clock signal of the time synchronization device and count the generated clock signal;
• and
• a first frequency comparison section configured to generate frequency difference information on a difference between a frequency of the time synchronization device and a frequency of the at least one of the plurality of time synchronization devices by comparing a frequency of the clock signal generated by the clock section and a frequency of the clock signal recovered by the communication section,
• a phase synchronization section configured to perform phase synchronization using the clock signal generated by the clock section;
• a second frequency comparison section configured to compare the frequency of the clock signal generated by the clock section and a frequency of a clock signal of the phase synchronization section;
• and
• a division ratio correction section configured to correct a division ratio of the phase synchronization section based on a result of the comparison by the second frequency comparison section,
• wherein the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device further comprises a frequency difference information transmission section configured to transmit the frequency difference information generated by the first frequency comparison section of the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device to the time-estimating time synchronization device,
• wherein the communication section of the time-estimating time synchronization device is further configured to receive, from the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device, the frequency difference information generated by the first frequency comparison section of the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device,
• wherein the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device comprises one or a plurality of connected non-time-estimating time synchronization devices connected to the time-estimating time synchronization device,
• wherein the communication section of the time-estimating time synchronization device receives data from each of the one or a plurality of connected non-time-estimating time synchronization devices and recovers a clock signal included in the data received from the connected non-time-estimating time synchronization device,
• wherein the first frequency comparison section of the time-estimating time synchronization device generates, for each of the one or a plurality of connected non-time-estimating time synchronization devices, frequency difference information on a difference between a frequency of the time-estimating time synchronization device and a frequency of the connected non-time-estimating time synchronization device by comparing a frequency of the clock signal generated by the clock section of the time-estimating time synchronization device and a frequency of the clock signal recovered by the communication section of the time-estimating time synchronization device from the data received from the connected non-time-estimating time synchronization device,
• wherein the time-estimating time synchronization device further comprises:
• a time estimation section configured to estimate, by maximum likelihood estimation processing, time information of each of the plurality of time synchronization devices based on each frequency difference information on the difference between the frequency of the time-estimating time synchronization device and the frequency of each of the one or a plurality of connected non-time-estimating time synchronization devices, generated by the first frequency comparison section of the time-estimating time synchronization device, and on each frequency difference information received by the communication section of the time-estimating time synchronization device;
• and
• a counter value correction section configured to correct a counter value of the clock section of the time-estimating time synchronization device based on the time information of the time-estimating time synchronization device estimated by the time estimation section, and
• wherein the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device further comprises a counter value correction section configured to correct a counter value of the clock section of the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device based on the time information of the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device estimated by the time estimation section of the time-estimating time synchronization device and transmitted by the time-estimating time synchronization device to the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device and received by the at least one non-time-estimating time synchronization device.