Determining end-to-end transparent clock steps removed
AssigneeNokia Solutions and Networks Oy
InventorsVinoth GOWTHAMAN, Peter ROBERTS, Shiva Sri Krishna DONTHI, Ross CLIFFORD
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) clock-distribution system, each transparent clock (TC) along a link between a time transmitter (TT) and a time receiver (TR) is able to increment a stepsRemoved field of a PTP message that traverses the TC, such that, at the receiving node of the PTP message (e.g., the TR for certain sync, follow-up, and delay-response messages and the TT for certain delay-request messages), the stepsRemoved field indicates the number of transparent clocks (TC) along the link between the TT and the TR. The information may be used to prioritize certain links over others.
Claims18
A node for a clock-distribution system having time transmitter (TT) node and a time receiver (TR) node interconnected by a link having one or more intermediate transparent clock (TC) nodes, the node comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- at least one memory storing instructions that, upon being executed by the at least one processor, cause the node at least to:
- receive a first message having a first-message field for storing a number of TC nodes between the TT node and the TR node;
- and
- transmit a second message having a second-message field for storing the number of TC nodes between the TT node and the TR node.
A method for a node for a clock-distribution system having time transmitter (TT) node and a time receiver (TR) node interconnected by a link having one or more intermediate transparent clock (TC) nodes, the method comprising the node:
- receiving a first message having a first-message field for storing a number of TC nodes between the TT node and the TR node;
- and
- transmitting a second message having a second-message field for storing the number of TC nodes between the TT node and the TR node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.