Wireless Clock System
First Claim
1. A wireless system comprising:
- a plurality of master time sources, each master time source wireless transmitting time signals containing time data;
a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, the source of the received time signals for at least one of the slave clocks being the master time source and the source for each other one of the slave clocks being one of the master time source or another one of the slave clocks which receives and retransmits the time signals in repeater fashion; and
wherein each of the slave clocks is associated and paired with the master time source from which the time signal is first transmitted.
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Abstract
A wireless system and method comprises a plurality of master time sources, each master time source wireless transmitting time signals containing time data, a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, the source of the received time signals for at least one of the slave clocks being the master time source and the source for each other one of the slave clocks being one of the master time source or another one of the slave clocks which receives and retransmits the time signals in repeater fashion; and wherein each of the slave clocks is associated and paired with the master time source from which the time signal is first transmitted.
32 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A wireless system comprising:
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a plurality of master time sources, each master time source wireless transmitting time signals containing time data; a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, the source of the received time signals for at least one of the slave clocks being the master time source and the source for each other one of the slave clocks being one of the master time source or another one of the slave clocks which receives and retransmits the time signals in repeater fashion; and wherein each of the slave clocks is associated and paired with the master time source from which the time signal is first transmitted.
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2. A wireless clock system, comprising:
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a master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data; a plurality of slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, wherein the master time source has an internet connection for connection to a master computer for data exchange of operational performance data of the slave clocks. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. A wireless clock system, comprising:
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a master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data at intervals; a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, each of said slave clocks transmitting back to said master time source data indicating the number of intervals in which in the slave clock has received a time signal. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A wireless clock system, comprising:
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at least one master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data; a plurality of slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals; wherein the master time source transmits the time signals periodically to effect time synchronization, and wherein each slave clock detects the number of time periods it receives the current time signals and for transmitting back to the number of times it receives the current time signals; and wherein the master time source compares information representing when each slave clock receives the time signals during normal operation with when the slave clocks actually receive the current time signals to determine whether the slave clock is operating normally. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A wireless clock system, comprising:
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at least one master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data; a plurality of slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals; wherein performance data of each slave clock is transmitted back to the master time source for display and monitoring. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A wireless system comprising:
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a plurality of master time sources, each master time source wireless transmitting time signals containing time data; a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, the source of the received time signals for at least one of the slave clocks being the master time source and the source for each other one of the slave clocks being one of the master time source or another one of the slave clocks; and wherein each of the slave clocks determines the number of repeater slave clocks the time signal passes before being received by the slave clock as a tier value. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method of operating a wireless system comprising:
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providing a plurality of master time sources, each master time source wireless transmitting time signals containing time data; providing a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, the source of the received time signals for at least one of the slave clocks being the master time source and the source for each other one of the slave clocks being one of the master time source or another one of the slave clocks which receives and retransmits the time signals in repeater fashion; and associating and pairing each slave clock with the master time source from which the time signal is first transmitted.
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17. A method of operating a wireless clock system, comprising:
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providing a master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data; providing a plurality of slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals; and connecting the master time source to a master computer for data exchange of operational performance data of the slave clocks.
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18. A method of operating a wireless clock system comprising:
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providing a master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data; providing a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, operating at least one of the slave clocks operates using a battery power source, and transmitting a signal representing the battery level value of the slave clock from the slave clock to the master time source for monitoring. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of operating a wireless clock system, comprising:
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providing a master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data at intervals; providing a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, and transmitting from each of said slave clocks back to said master time source data indicating the number of intervals in which the slave clock has received a time signal. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A method of operating a wireless clock system, comprising:
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providing at least one master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data in a periodic manner; providing a plurality of slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals; detecting the number of time periods each slave clock receives the current time signals and transmitting back to the master time source the number of times it receives the current time signals; and comparing information representing when each slave clock receives the time signals during normal operation with when the slave clocks actually receive the current time signals to determine whether the slave clock is operating normally. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method of operating a wireless clock system, comprising:
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providing at least one master time source for wirelessly transmitting time signals containing time data; providing a plurality of slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals; and transmitting performance data of each slave clock is back to the master time source for display and monitoring. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of operating a wireless system comprising:
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providing a plurality of master time sources, each master time source wireless transmitting time signals containing time data; providing a plurality of slave clocks, each of the slave clocks for wirelessly receiving time signals which cause the slave clocks to operate in synchronization with a source of the received time signals, the source of the received time signals for at least one of the slave clocks being the master time source and the source for each other one of the slave clocks being one of the master time source or another one of the slave clocks; and determining the number of repeater slave clocks the time signal passes before being received by the slave clock as a tier value. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A wireless clock system, comprising:
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at least two master clocks, each having a unique master clock number; a plurality of slave clocks, each slave clock having a unique slave clock number, and being paired with a single master clock; each master clock having a transmitter for transmitting a polling signal representing the identity of the master clock, the identity of at least slave clock to be polled, and a polling request for status of the at least one slave clock; a receiver and processor within each slave clock for; receiving polling signals; determining whether the slave clock is paired with the master clock which sent the polling signal, and if not, turning off its receiver; determining whether the polling request applies to that slave clock by comparing the identity of the at least one unique slave clock in the polling signal with its unique slave clock number; transmitting status information if the polling request applies to the slave clock; and determining whether the polling request applies to the other slave clocks and if so, retransmitting the polling signal; and wherein only the master clock which transmits the polling signal will respond to status information transmitted by its paired slave clocks. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of operating a wireless clock system, comprising:
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providing at least two master clocks, each having a unique master clock number; providing a plurality of slave clocks, each slave clock having a unique slave clock number, and being paired with a single master clock; transmitting from a master clock a polling signal representing the identity of the master clock, the identity of at least slave clock to be polled, and a polling request for status of the at least one slave clock; each slave clock; receiving polling signals; determining whether the slave clock is paired with the master clock which sent the polling signal, and if not, turning off its receiver; determining whether the polling request applies to that slave clock by comparing the identity of the at least one unique slave clock in the polling signal with its unique slave clock number; transmitting status information if the polling request applies to the slave clock; and determining whether the polling request applies to the other slave clocks and if so, retransmitting the polling signal; and wherein only the master clock which transmits the polling signal will respond to status information transmitted by its paired slave clocks. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification