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Processing system for use as a network node for performing anonymous time synchronization in a network

  • US 5,550,873 A
  • Filed: 02/01/1995
  • Issued: 08/27/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A network node comprising:

  • means for maintaining an internal time scale;

    means for receiving synchronization messages containing reference time stamps which denote times of respective events according to a reference time scale, the synchronization messages having been sent according to a predetermined protocol;

    means for marking received synchronization messages with local time stamp marks which denote respective events of receipt of the synchronization messages according to the internal time scale, in accordance with the predetermined protocol, thereby defining temporal relationships between certain ones of the reference time stamps and certain ones of the local time stamp marks;

    means for identifying a first time according to a first scale and second and third times according to a second time scale, the first time scale being one of the internal time scale and the reference time scale, the second time scale being the other of the internal time scale and the reference time scale, the first, second, and third times being identified in accordance with the defined temporal relationships between the events denoted by the times, such that the event denoted by the first time falls between the events denoted by the second and third times;

    means for determining a difference between the first time and a time related to the second and third times; and

    means for updating the internal time scale to compensate for the difference between the first time and the time related to the second and third times.

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