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US 9,484,980 B1Granted
Precision timing source back-up for loss of GPS satellites
AssigneeSprint Communications Company L.P.
InventorEugene S. Mitchell, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods are provided for implementing a timing synchronization or a backup timing synchronization in a telecommunication network. Timing pulses are received from a celestial body such as a star, pulsar, or quasar. The timing pulses are periodic and repetitive and act as a primary reference source in place of GPS timing or an atomic clock. The telecommunication network is synchronized from the timing pulses.
Claims17
A method for providing timing synchronization in a telecommunication network, comprising:
- encountering a complete loss of a global positioning system (GPS) signal;
- receiving timing pulses from a pulsar at a plurality of ground station receivers positioned at different locations such that, when the pulsar emits the timing pulses, the plurality of ground station receivers is positioned to continuously receive the timing pulses from the pulsar at least at one of the plurality of ground station receivers, wherein one of the plurality of ground station receivers capable of receiving the timing pulses functions as a primary receiver of the timing pulses, and wherein the remaining ground station receivers function as backup receivers of the timing pulses;
- using the timing pulses as a primary reference source that establishes synchronization of the telecommunication network and provides timing signals for the telecommunication network;
- establishing synchronization with the timing signals for the telecommunication network during the complete loss of the GPS signal;
- and
- receiving the timing signals in a synchronization supply unit, wherein the synchronization supply unit of the primary receiver of the timing pulses provides a timing distribution to one or more network elements in the telecommunication network, and wherein the synchronization supply units of the backup receivers of the timing pulses receive the timing distribution from the synchronization supply unit of the primary receiver.
3 more elements
A method for providing a backup timing synchronization in a telecommunication network, comprising:
- operating a telecommunication network with a set of network elements;
- receiving timing for the telecommunication network with a global positioning system (GPS) system that includes one or more GPS receivers;
- upon a complete loss of the timing from the GPS system, receiving timing pulses from pulsar at a plurality of ground station receivers positioned at different locations such that, when the pulsar emits the timing pulses, the plurality of ground station receivers is positioned to continuously receive the timing pulses from the pulsar at least at one of the plurality of ground station receivers, wherein one of the plurality of ground station receivers capable of receiving the timing pulses functions as a primary receiver of the timing pulses, and wherein the remaining ground station receivers function as backup receivers of the timing pulses;
- and
- synchronizing the telecommunication network with the timing pulses received from the pulsar at the primary receiver of the timing pulses during the complete loss of the timing from the GPS system.
2 more elements
A method for providing timing synchronization in a telecommunication network, comprising:
- encountering a complete loss of a global positioning system (GPS) signal;
- receiving timing pulses from a pulsar at a plurality of ground station receivers positioned at different locations such that, when the pulsar emits the timing pulses, the plurality of ground station receivers is positioned to continuously receive the timing pulses from the pulsar at least at one of the plurality of ground station receiver, wherein the subset of the plurality of ground station receivers capable of receiving the timing pulses function as primary receivers of the timing pulses, and wherein the subset of ground station receivers not capable of receiving the timing pulses function as backup receivers of the timing pulses;
- providing one or more timing signals from a subset of the set of ground station receivers into the telecommunication network during the complete loss of the GPS signal;
- establishing synchronization, with the one or more timing signals, for the telecommunication network;
- and
- upon a loss of the one or more timing signals at the subset of the plurality of ground station receivers functioning as primary receivers of the timing pulses, providing the one or more timing signals from the subset of the plurality of ground station receivers functioning in backup receivers of the timing pulses into the telecommunication network.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.