Method and system for synchronizing a clock for an adjacent network to a clock for an overlay network

• US 20060234739A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Gilliland, Paul, Thadasina, Nivedan, Csapo, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/502
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2687 Inter base stations synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization

Abstract

A method of synchronizing a clock for an adjacent network (AN) to a clock for an overlay network (ON) is provided. The method includes extracting an ON clock signal from an outgoing signal transmitted from the overlay network. The AN clock is synchronized to the ON clock based on the extracted ON clock signal.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing a clock for an adjacent network to a clock for an overlay network, comprising:

extracting an overlay network (ON) clock signal from an outgoing signal transmitted from the overlay network; and

synchronizing the adjacent network (AN) clock to the ON clock based on the extracted ON clock signal.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, the outgoing signal comprising a signal in an overhead channel transmitted from the overlay network.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising monitoring the overhead channel.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

extracting a system time from the overhead channel; and

establishing a reference time for the adjacent network based on the extracted system time.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

extracting location information for the overlay network;

determining a one-way delay between the overlay network and the adjacent network based on the location information; and

resynchronizing the AN clock to the ON clock based on the one-way delay.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, the location information comprising Global Positioning System coordinates.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

requesting at least one timing report from at least one mobile station;

receiving the timing report from the mobile station; and

resynchronizing the AN clock to the ON clock based on the timing report.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, the timing report comprising an ON time offset reference.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising clocking the adjacent network using the synchronized AN clock signal.

10. A method of synchronizing a clock for an adjacent network to a clock for an overlay network, comprising:

synchronizing the adjacent network (AN) clock to the overlay network (ON) clock based on an ON clock signal extracted from an outgoing signal transmitted from the overlay network;

requesting a plurality of timing reports at a specified frequency from at least one mobile station;

receiving the timing reports from the mobile station at the specified frequency; and

for each timing report received from the mobile station, determining whether to resynchronize the AN clock to the ON clock based on the received timing report.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, each timing report comprising an ON time offset reference.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, determining whether to resynchronize the AN clock to the ON clock based on the received timing report comprising:

comparing the received ON time offset reference to a known ON time offset reference; and

determining whether to resynchronize the AN clock to the ON clock based on the comparison of the received ON time offset reference to the known ON time offset reference.

13. The method as set forth in claim 10, the outgoing signal comprising a signal in an overhead channel transmitted from the overlay network.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring the overhead channel;

extracting a system time from the overhead channel; and

establishing a reference time for the adjacent network based on the extracted system time.

15. A system of synchronizing a clock for an adjacent network to a clock for an overlay network, comprising:

an adjacent network (AN) clock; and

a clock synchronizer operable to extract an overlay network (ON) clock signal from an outgoing signal transmitted from the overlay network and to synchronize the AN clock to the ON clock based on the extracted ON clock signal.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15, the AN clock operable to clock the adjacent network by generating the synchronized AN clock signal.

17. The system as set forth in claim 15, the outgoing signal comprising a signal in an overhead channel transmitted from the overlay network, the clock synchronizer further operable to monitor the overhead channel.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising a system time extractor operable to monitor the overhead channel, to extract a system time from the overhead channel, and to establish a reference time for the adjacent network based on the extracted system time.

19. The system as set forth in claim 15, further comprising a clock resynchronizer operable to extract location information for the overlay network, to determine a one-way delay between the overlay network and the adjacent network based on the location information, and to resynchronize the AN clock to the ON clock based on the one-way delay.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, the clock resynchronizer further operable to request at least one timing report from at least one mobile station, to receive the timing report from the mobile station, and to resynchronize the AN clock to the ON clock based on the timing report.