Inter-base synchronization technique for a TDMA communication system

Abstract

A synchronization method for synchronizing a plurality of base stations in a TDMA communication system is disclosed. The synchronization topology may be via dedicated hardwire, via any DSL from the PSTN, or via an ad-hoc RF synchronization technique. Slots containing data are arranged in frames and these frames are transmitted to the base stations, and received from the base stations, by wireless telephone handsets. Each of the slots in a frame have a guard field comprising a plurality of guard bits. The base stations derive frame sync pulses via the received Unique Word correlation detect. These derived frame sync pulses are ultimately synchronized with frame sync signals received from the master base station. The slave base stations are maintained in synchronization with the master base station by using a phase locked loop (DPLL) which adds or deletes a final bit in the guard field of a frame to either advance or delay the frame sync pulse generated within the slave base station as necessary to maintain synchronization between the frame sync pulses generated by the slave base station and the frame sync pulses generated by the master base station.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.