METHOD AND A SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING BETWEEN DEVICES A REFERENCE TIME FOR EXECUTION OF A TASK THEREON

• US 20080309460A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: CATALDO, James Adam, JEFFERSON, Stanley Ted
• Granted Patent: US 9,442,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2839 using signal generators, power supplies or circuit analysers G01R31/2879 takes precedence; multimeters G01R15/12, network analysers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence

Abstract

A method is disclosed for determining, between an initiating device and at least one responding device, a reference time for the execution of at least one task on one of the devices. The method includes the initiating device prompting at least one responding device to provide a respective desired reference time. The method further includes at least one responding device providing a respective desired reference time, in response to the prompting. An actual reference time is determined based on any desired reference times provided. In one embodiment, the actual reference time is the latest of all desired reference times. A system including the initiating device and a responding device is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of determining, between an initiating device and at least one responding device, a reference time for execution of a task thereon, the method comprising:

prompting of the at least one responding device by the initiating device to provide a respective desired reference time;

providing, in response to the prompting, a respective desired reference time by at least one responding device; and

determining an actual reference time based on any desired reference times provided.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing a respective desired reference time by each responding device comprises the responding device providing the at least one other device its desired reference time, and wherein determining an actual reference time comprises each device having at least one desired reference time thereon determining an actual reference time based on the at least one desired reference time thereon.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the initiating and responding devices comprise at least two devices connected to a communication network, and wherein providing the at least one other device with a desired reference time comprises sending a message over the network to the at least one other device.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein sending the message comprises one of multicasting and unicasting the message.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein each message comprises a message including a reference time negotiation session identity (ID).

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein at least one message comprises a message including a device specific time delay.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein prompting by the initiating device comprises providing a desired reference time by the initiating device to the at least one responding device.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the desired reference time of a responding device comprises a time obtained by adding a time delay to a time the responding device receives the prompting.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the time delay comprises the time required for a device to send a message to another device.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the actual reference time comprises the latest of all the desired reference times.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein prompting of the at least one responding device comprises prompting of a plurality of responding devices, and wherein providing a respective desired reference time by at least one responding device comprises providing a respective desired reference time by a subset of the plurality of responding devices.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein prompting of a plurality of responding devices comprises the initiating device sending a prompting message to the plurality of responding devices, and providing a respective desired reference time by a subset of the plurality of responding devices comprises each of the subset of the plurality of responding devices sending a responding message including the respective desired reference time, the subset of responding devices comprising one of

at least one responding device specified in at least one of the prompting message and a responding message;

and

at least one responding device determining that it is included in the subset based on one of the time the responding device receives the prompting message and a time specified in the prompting message.

13. A device that cooperates with at least another device to obtain a reference time for execution of at least one task on one of the devices, the device comprising:

means that provides a respective desired reference time;

means that receives a respective desired reference time from each of the at least another device; and

means that determines an actual reference time based on its desired reference time and any desired reference times received.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the actual reference time comprises the latest of all the desired reference times received.

15. A device according to claim 13, wherein the devices are networked devices and wherein means that provides a respective desired reference time and means that receives a respective desired reference time comprise means that sends a message including the respective desired reference time of the device and means that receives a message from each of the at least another device including the desired reference time of the device respectively.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein the means that sends a message comprises one of means that multicasts the message and means that unicasts the message.

17. A device according to claim 15, wherein each message comprises a message including a reference time negotiation session identity (ID).

18. A system comprising an initiating device cooperating with at least one responding device to obtain a reference time for the execution of at least one task on one of the devices, wherein

the initiating device comprises:

means that prompts the responding device to provide its respective desired reference time; and

the responding device comprises;

means that provides the initiating device and any other responding device its desired reference time, in response to the prompting;

means that receives a respective desired reference time from other responding devices; and

means that determines an actual reference time from any desired reference start times received.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the initiating device further comprises:

means that provides the responding device with its desired reference time;

means that receives a respective desired reference time from the responding device; and

means that determines an actual reference time from any desired reference start times available thereon.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the actual reference time comprises the latest of all the desired reference times received.