Internal signaling method to support clock synchronization of nodes connected via a wireless local area network
First Claim
1. In a communication system including a plurality of non-master nodes communicatively coupled to a network, each of said plurality of non-master nodes having a local time base, one of said plurality of non-master nodes being designated as a master node having a master time base which serves as a master clock against which said non-master local time bases are synchronized, a method for supporting clock synchronization in a higher-layer protocol of said master and non-master nodes, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) making a synchronization request at a higher-layer protocol of said master node;
(b) issuing a request primitive from a station management entity (SME) associated with said node to a MAC layer management entity (MLME) requesting a synchronization-support mechanism;
(c) determining, at said MLME, whether to accept said synchronization-support-mechanism request at said step (b);
(d) issuing a confirm primitive, from said MLME to said SME indicating that said synchronization-support mechanism is supported, where said request is accepted at said step (c). (e) reporting one of a reception and transmission of a frame from a physical layer (PHY) associated with said node to said MLME; and
, (f) issuing an indication primitive from said MLME to said SME responsive to said step (e).
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Abstract
This invention discloses a set of internal signaling (i.e., management primitives) to support a clock-synchronization protocol for wirelessly synchronizing clock registers of wired or wireless nodes via a wireless local area network (i.e., 802.11 network). The clock synchronization is performed between two higher-layer protocol entities residing within two different wireless stations (STAs).
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. In a communication system including a plurality of non-master nodes communicatively coupled to a network, each of said plurality of non-master nodes having a local time base, one of said plurality of non-master nodes being designated as a master node having a master time base which serves as a master clock against which said non-master local time bases are synchronized, a method for supporting clock synchronization in a higher-layer protocol of said master and non-master nodes, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) making a synchronization request at a higher-layer protocol of said master node;
(b) issuing a request primitive from a station management entity (SME) associated with said node to a MAC layer management entity (MLME) requesting a synchronization-support mechanism;
(c) determining, at said MLME, whether to accept said synchronization-support-mechanism request at said step (b);
(d) issuing a confirm primitive, from said MLME to said SME indicating that said synchronization-support mechanism is supported, where said request is accepted at said step (c). (e) reporting one of a reception and transmission of a frame from a physical layer (PHY) associated with said node to said MLME; and
,(f) issuing an indication primitive from said MLME to said SME responsive to said step (e). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a communication system including a plurality of non-master nodes communicatively coupled to a network, each of said plurality of non-master nodes having a local time base, one of said plurality of non-master nodes being designated as a master node having a master time base which serves as a master clock against which said non-master local time bases are synchronized, the system comprising:
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means for making a synchronization request at a higher-layer protocol of master said node;
means for issuing a request primitive from a station management entity (SME) associated with said node to a MAC layer management entity (MLME) requesting a synchronization-support mechanism;
means for determining, at said MLME, whether to accept said synchronization-support mechanism request at said step (b);
means for issuing a confirm primitive, from said MLME to said SME indicating that said synchronization-support mechanism is supported, where said request is accepted at said step (c);
means for reporting one of a reception or transmission of a frame from a physical layer (PHY) associated with said node to said MLME; and
,means for sending an indication primitive from said MLME to said SME responsive to said step (e). - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification