×

Method for synchronizing a wide area network without global synchronizing

  • US 5,130,987 A
  • Filed: 09/11/1991
  • Issued: 07/14/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. In a packet communication network having a plurality of communication nodes, each node having a terminal node controller incorporating a central processing unit (CPU) and memory means and a clock, a method for maintaining frequency and time synchronization within said network comprising the steps of:

  • generating at each node an age value by means of the clock, said age value being representative of an age of said node, and the rate of the clock being communicated within said network;

    at each node, supplying a representation of said age value to any other node as part of transmission of a packet;

    at each node, collecting said representation of said age value for other nodes within said network;

    at each node, changing, according to a known pattern and independently of each other node of said network, slots of transmission and reception of signals, a slot being a frequency channel during a preselected time period, said known pattern being known to each other node in said network; and

    transmitting packets of information from a source node to an addressed node at a frequency and for a duration synchronous with the slot of said addressed node, such that the source node tracks changing frequency of the receiving node.

View all claims
  • 7 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×