Systems and methods for enabling clock signal synchronization

A communication system, comprising:

• an interworking function;
• and
• a packet network having an interface configured to transmit a stream of data packets to the interworking function, the packet network having a timing analyzer configured to receive a first clock signal and a first primary reference clock (PRC) signal, the stream of data packets synchronous to the first clock signal, the timing analyzer further configured to transmit timing information indicative of a timing relationship between the first clock signal and the PRC signal, wherein the timing analyzer comprises a counter and a latch coupled to the counter, the counter configured to receive the first clock signal and the latch configured to latch a value from the counter based on the first PRC signal,
• wherein the interworking function is configured to receive the timing information and to generate a second PRC signal based on the timing information and a second clock signal that is synchronous to the first clock signal, the second PRC signal traceable to the first PRC signal, and wherein the timing analyzer comprises a packet formatter configured to packetize the timing information into a plurality of timing packets and to transmit the plurality of a timing packets in a sequence, the packet formatter configured to include a respective sequence indicator in each of the timing packets based on the sequence, wherein the interworking function comprises a buffer for storing the plurality of timing packets and a receiver, the receiver configured to receive the plurality of timing packets and to store the plurality of timing packets in the buffer based on the sequence indicator of each respective timing packet.

A communication system, comprising:

• an interworking function;
• a packet network having an interface configured to transmit a stream of data packets to the interworking function, the packet network having a timing analyzer configured to receive a first clock signal and a first primary reference clock (PRC) signal, the stream of data packets synchronous to the first clock signal, the timing analyzer further configured to transmit timing information indicative of a timing relationship between the first clock signal and the PRC signal, wherein the interworking function is configured to receive the timing information and to generate a second PRC signal based on the timing information and a second clock signal that is synchronous to the first clock signal, the second PRC signal traceable to the first PRC signal;
• and
• an integrated circuit (IC), wherein the interface resides on the IC, the IC having an input port and an output port, each of the ports coupled to the timing analyzer.

A communication system, comprising:

• a first interworking function configured to receive a data signal that is synchronous to a first service clock signal;
• a second interworking function;
• and
• a packet network coupled to the first and second interworking functions, the packet network having a first interface coupled directly to the first interworking function, the interface configured to communicate with the first interworking function a stream of data packets synchronous to a first clock signal, the packet network having a timing analyzer configured to provide a plurality of timing packets indicative of a timing of a first primary reference clock (PRC) signal relative to the first clock signal, the interface configured to transmit the timing packets within the stream of data packets to the first interworking function,
• wherein the first interworking function is configured to receive the timing packets and to generate, based on the timing packets and a second clock signal synchronous to the first clock signal, a second PRC signal that is traceable to the first PRC signal, wherein the first interworking function is configured to transmit timing information to the second interworking function, the timing information indicative of a timing of the first service clock signal relative to the second PRC signal, and wherein the second interworking function is configured to generate, based on the timing information, a second service clock signal that is synchronous to the first service clock signal.

A communication system, comprising:

• a first interworking function;
• a second interworking function configured to receive a data signal that is synchronous to a first service clock signal;
• and
• a packet network coupled to the first and second interworking functions, the packet network having an interface coupled directly to the first interworking function, the interface configured to communicate with the first interworking function a stream of data packets synchronous to a first clock signal, the packet network having a timing analyzer configured to provide a plurality of timing packets indicative of a timing of a first primary reference clock (PRC) signal relative to the first clock signal, the interface configured to transmit the timing packets with the stream of data packets to the first interworking function,
• wherein the first interworking function is configured to receive the timing packets and to generate, based on the timing packets and a second clock signal synchronous to the first clock signal, a second PRC signal that is traceable to the first PRC signal, wherein the second interworking function is configured to transmit timing information to the first interworking function, the timing information indicative of a timing of the first service clock signal relative to the second PRC signal, and wherein the first interworking function is configured to generate, based on the timing information, a second service clock signal that is synchronous to the first service clock signal.

A communication method, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a data signal defining a data stream between a packet network and the first interworking function;
• controlling a timing of the data signal based on a first clock signal such that the data signal is synchronous to the first clock signal;
• providing timing information indicative of a timing of the first clock signal relative to a first primary reference clock (PRC) signal;
• receiving, at the first interworking function, the timing information from the packet network;
• and
• generating a second PRC signal at the first interworking function based on the timing information and a second clock signal that is synchronous to the first clock signal, wherein the second PRC signal is traceable to the first PRC signal.

A communication method, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a data stream between a packet network and an interworking function;
• controlling a timing of the data stream based on a first clock signal;
• providing timing information indicative of a timing of the first clock signal relative to a first primary reference clock (PRC) signal;
• transmitting the timing information from the packet network to the interworking function;
• generating a second PRC signal based on the timing information and a second clock signal that is synchronous to the first clock signal;
• packetizing the timing information into a plurality of timing packets;
• storing the plurality of timing packets to a buffer based on a transmission sequence of the timing packets;
• and
• retrieving a plurality of timing packets from the buffer based on a respective age of each of the retrieved timing packets,
• wherein the generating step is based on each of the retrieved timing packets.