Synchronization across multiple sensor systems

A distributed system comprising:

• a central system;
• and
• one or more sensor systems, each comprising a plurality of sensors and being configured to communicate with the central system;
• wherein the distributed system is configured:
• to establish, in each of the plurality of sensors of each of the one or more sensor systems configured for communication with the central system, frequency synchronization to a corresponding frequency reference and time synchronization to a corresponding time reference at a first level of time synchronization;
• to establish a second level of time synchronization, finer than the first level of time synchronization, between each of the sensors of each of the one or more sensor systems, utilizing time steps that are generated based on the corresponding frequency reference and time aligned with the corresponding time reference;
• to define a plurality of time slots in accordance with the second level of time synchronization, wherein different sensors of the one or more sensor systems transmit and/or receive sensor signals in different ones of the time slots;
• and
• to monitor, by each of the one or more sensor systems, local synchronization status of the sensors of that sensor system, and to trigger reestablishment of synchronization of the sensors of that sensor system responsive to detection of an above-threshold time alignment difference between the sensors.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code, when executed by at least one processing device, causes the at least one processing device:

• to establish, in each of a plurality of sensors of each of one or more sensor systems configured for communication with a central system, frequency synchronization to a corresponding frequency reference and time synchronization to a corresponding time reference at a first level of time synchronization;
• to establish a second level of time synchronization, finer than the first level of time synchronization, between each of the sensors of each of the one or more sensor systems, utilizing time steps that are generated based on the corresponding frequency reference and time aligned with the corresponding time reference;
• to define a plurality of time slots in accordance with the second level of time synchronization, wherein different sensors of the one or more sensor systems transmit and/or receive sensor signals in different ones of the time slots;
• and
• to monitor, by each of the one or more sensor systems, local synchronization status of the sensors of that sensor system, and to trigger reestablishment of synchronization of the sensors of that sensor system responsive to detection of an above-threshold time alignment difference between the sensors.