Method and apparatus for timing and event processing in wireless systems

An apparatus for generating timing signals for operating a wireless terminal in multiple wireless networks each having a wireless network time base, comprising:

• a clock calibration module to generate a calibrated slow clock based on a free-running fast clock and a free-running slow clock by removing clock pulses from the free-running slow clock and using the free-running fast clock as a calibration reference, the calibrated slow clock having fewer clock pulses than the free-running slow clock;
• an absolute counter, clocked by the calibrated slow clock, configured to generate an absolute time value by counting the calibrated slow clock generated by the clock calibration module to convert a plurality of wireless network time bases into a unified time base;
• and
• a timing module to time events in the wireless networks based on the absolute time values of the unified time base provided by the absolute counter,
• wherein the clock calibration module generates the calibrated slow clock by removing clock pulses from the free-running slow clock, and uses the high precision free-running fast clock as a calibration reference to obtain long-term stability of the calibrated slow clock, and
• wherein the clock calibration module calculates a phase compensation for each of at least some of the clock cycles of the free-running slow clock, and uses the phase compensation with the calibrated slow clock to provide exact timing.

An apparatus for generating timing signals for operating a wireless terminal in multiple wireless networks each having a wireless network time base, comprising:

• a clock calibration module to generate a calibrated slow clock based on a free-running fast clock and a free-running slow clock by removing clock pulses from the free-running slow clock and using the free-running fast clock as a calibration reference, the calibrated slow clock having fewer clock pulses than the free-running slow clock;
• an absolute counter, clocked by the calibrated slow clock, configured to generate an absolute time value by counting the calibrated slow clock generated by the clock calibration module to convert a plurality of wireless network time bases into a unified time base;
• a timing module to time events in the wireless networks based on the absolute time values of the unified time base provided by the absolute counter;
• and
• a phase compensation unit to generate a phase compensation signal representing a phase error in the calibrated slow clock, in which the absolute counter takes into account of the phase error represented by the phase compensation signal when generating the absolute time value.

A method for generating timing signals for operating a wireless terminal in a wireless system having a wireless system time base, comprising:

• generating a calibrated slow clock by removing clock pulses from a free-running slow clock and using a fast clock as a calibration reference, the calibrated slow clock having fewer clock pulses than the free-running slow clock;
• generating a phase compensation signal to represent a phase error in the calibrated slow clock;
• generating absolute time values by counting the calibrated slow clock to provide a unified time base and taking into account of the phase error represented by the phase compensation signal;
• and
• timing events in the wireless system based on the absolute time values of the unified time base independent of the wireless system time base.