# US 2025/0159635 A1 · Clock signal processing method, apparatus, and wireless distribution system

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- Number: US 2025/0159635 A1
- Document ID: US20250159635A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/026,931
- Filed: 2025-01-17
- Published: 2025-05-15
- Earliest claimed: 2022-07-26
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Fan Xu; Wenbo Yan; Yunman Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250159635A1

## CPC

- H04W 56/0045: {compensating for timing error by altering transmission time}
- H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition
- H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes}
- H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel
- H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
- H04W 88/08: Access point devices
- H04W 88/12: Access point controller devices
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

This application provides a clock signal processing method, and is applied to the field of wireless communication. The clock signal processing method includes the following steps: A first AP receives first indication information from an AC. The first AP uses the first indication information as a trigger signal, and modifies first clock information of a first time counter based on a beacon beacon interval, to obtain second clock information. A minimum difference between the second clock information and N×BI is less than a minimum difference between the first clock information and N×BI. N×BI is an integer multiple of the beacon interval. The first AP sends a first beacon frame. The first beacon frame includes the second clock information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A first access point AP, comprising a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor and the transceiver perform collaborative processing, and are configured to,
receive, first indication information from an access controller AC;
use, the first indication information as a trigger signal, and modifying first clock information of a first time counter based on a beacon interval, to obtain second clock information, wherein a minimum difference between the second clock information and N×BI is less than a minimum difference between the first clock information and N×BI, and N×BI is an integer multiple of the beacon interval; and
send, a first beacon frame, wherein the first beacon frame comprises the second clock information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The AP according to claim 1, wherein the first indication information is a beacon frame or a signaling frame.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The AP according to claim 2, wherein before the receiving, by a first AP, first indication information from an AC, the processor and the transceiver is further configured to:
receive, target indication information from the AC, wherein the target indication information comprises an identifier of the AC; and
use, the first indication information that carries the identifier of the AC as the trigger signal, based on the target indication information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The AP according to claim 1, wherein the second clock information is an integer multiple of the beacon interval, a difference between the second clock information and the first clock information is less than or equal to 0.5 BI, and BI is the beacon interval.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The AP according to claim 4, wherein the modifying, by the first AP, first clock information of a first time counter based on a beacon interval, to obtain second clock information comprises:
if
⁢
mod
⁢
(
T
⁢
1
,
BI
)
/
BI
<
0.5
,
T
⁢
2
=
T
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1
-
mod
⁢
(
T
⁢
1
,
BI
)
;
or
if
⁢
mod
⁢
(
T
⁢
1
,
BI
)
/
BI
≥
0.5
,
T
⁢
2
=
T
⁢
1
+
BI
-
mod
⁢
(
T
⁢
1
,
BI
)
,
wherein
T1 is the first clock information, and T2 is the second clock information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The AP of claim 1, wherein the first clock information is a reading or a current time point of the first time counter.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The AP according to claim 6, wherein the processor and the transceiver is further configured to:
send, the first beacon frame at a second moment; and
modify, the first clock information of the first time counter at a first moment, wherein the time offset is a difference between the second moment and the first moment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The AP according to claim 1, wherein the first beacon frame serves as a trigger signal for a second AP to modify clock information of a second time counter, and a second beacon frame is sent based on modified clock information.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The AP according to claim 1, wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to:
receive, second indication information from the AC, wherein the second indication information comprises a tolerance T0;
obtain, third clock information T3 of the first time counter;
calculate, based on T3 and the beacon interval, an interval offset OFFSET, wherein
if mod(T3, BI)<0.5 BI, OFFSET=mod(T3, BI); or if mod(T3, BI)≥0.5 BI, OFFSET=BI−mod(T3, BI); and
if OFFSET>T0, updating, the third clock information based on the beacon interval, to obtain fourth clock information; and
send, a third beacon frame, wherein the third beacon frame comprises the fourth clock information; or
if OFFSET≤T0, sending, a fourth beacon frame, wherein the fourth beacon frame comprises the third clock information.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The AP according to claim 9, wherein a value of T0 ranges from 10 milliseconds to 30 milliseconds.

### Claim 11

An access controller AC, comprising a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor and the transceiver are configured to:
send, first indication information to a first access point AP, wherein the first indication information serves as a trigger signal for the first AP to modify first clock information of a first time counter based on a beacon interval, to obtain second clock information; and
send a first beacon frame based on the second clock information, wherein the first beacon frame comprises the second clock information, a minimum difference between the second clock information and N×BI is less than a minimum difference between the first clock information and N×BI, and N×BI is an integer multiple of the beacon interval.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The AC according to claim 11, wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to:
send, target indication information to the first AP, wherein the target indication information comprises an identifier of the AC, and the target indication information indicates the first AP to use the first indication information that carries the identifier of the AC as the trigger signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The AC according to claim 11, wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to:
send, second indication information to the first AP, wherein the second indication information comprises a tolerance T0, and T0 is used by the first AP to determine, based on T0 and the beacon interval, whether to update third clock information of the first time counter.

### Claim 14

A wireless distribution system, comprising a first access point AP and an access controller AC, wherein
the AC is configured to send first indication information;
the first AP is configured to receive the first indication information from the AC, use the first indication information as a trigger signal, and modify first clock information of a first time counter based on a beacon interval, to obtain second clock information, wherein a minimum difference between the second clock information and N×BI is less than a minimum difference between the first clock information and N×BI, and N×BI is an integer multiple of the beacon interval; and
the first AP is further configured to send a first beacon frame, wherein the first beacon frame comprises the second clock information.