System and method for fully distributed synchronization of a radio communication network
First Claim
1. In a two-way radio communication network having a plurality of transmission stations for transmitting messages to selective call receiving devices in frames and for receiving transmitted messages, each of said transmission stations including a frame clock to control the timing of said frames, said clock having associated timing information, a system for synchronizing the timing of the frame clocks of a plurality of said stations comprising:
- means contained in each of said stations for storing station identifying information to uniquely identify said station within said network and an updatable priority indicator identifying a synchronization priority of the station;
means contained in each of said stations for transmitting a timing message including said station identifying information, said priority indicator and said timing information;
means contained in each of said stations responsive to the receipt of a timing message transmitted from another of said stations for determining whether said other station is a direct upstream station;
means contained in each of said stations responsive to a timing message received from a direct upstream station for adjusting said frame clock based on the timing information in said timing message to synchronize the station with said direct upstream station; and
means contained in each of said stations for updating said stored priority indicator.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are shown for providing a fully synchronized two-way communication network having a number of transmission stations (10) and selective call receiving devices (27). Each transmission station (10) stores station identifying information and an updatable synchronization priority indicator. Periodically, each station (10) transmits a timing message that includes the station'"'"'s identifying information, priority indicator, and information relating to the timing of the station'"'"'s frame clock (45). When a given station receives a timing message transmitted from another station, it determines whether the other station is a direct upstream station thereof. The given station is responsive to a timing message from its direct upstream station for adjusting its frame clock (45) based upon the timing information contained in the message received from the direct upstream station. The given station thereby synchronizes itself with its direct upstream station. Each station also updates its stored priority indicator in the event that there is a change in the station'"'"'s direct upstream station.
39 Citations
42 Claims
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1. In a two-way radio communication network having a plurality of transmission stations for transmitting messages to selective call receiving devices in frames and for receiving transmitted messages, each of said transmission stations including a frame clock to control the timing of said frames, said clock having associated timing information, a system for synchronizing the timing of the frame clocks of a plurality of said stations comprising:
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means contained in each of said stations for storing station identifying information to uniquely identify said station within said network and an updatable priority indicator identifying a synchronization priority of the station; means contained in each of said stations for transmitting a timing message including said station identifying information, said priority indicator and said timing information; means contained in each of said stations responsive to the receipt of a timing message transmitted from another of said stations for determining whether said other station is a direct upstream station; means contained in each of said stations responsive to a timing message received from a direct upstream station for adjusting said frame clock based on the timing information in said timing message to synchronize the station with said direct upstream station; and means contained in each of said stations for updating said stored priority indicator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In a two-way radio communication network having a plurality of transmission stations for transmitting messages to selective call receiving devices in frames and for receiving transmitted messages, each of said transmission stations including a frame clock to control the timing of said frames, said clock having associated timing information, a system for synchronizing the timing of the frame clocks of a plurality of said stations comprising:
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means contained in each of said stations for storing station identifying information to identify said station within said network and an updatable priority indicator identifying a synchronization priority of the station; means contained in each of said stations for transmitting a timing message including said station identifying information, said priority indicator and said timing information; means contained in a plurality of said selective call receiving devices for receiving timing messages from a plurality of stations including a station associated with said device and at least one additional station having a higher synchronization priority than said station associated with the device; means contained in said plurality of selective call receiving devices for transmitting a timing message to said associated station including the station identifying information of said additional station, the priority indicator of said additional station and timing information based on the timing information of the additional station in the received timing message; means contained in each of said stations responsive to the receipt of a timing message from a selective call receiving device for adjusting the frame clock of the station based on the timing information in the received message to synchronize the station with said additional station; and means contained in each of said stations for updating said stored priority indicator. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A radio communication network with fully distributed synchronization comprising:
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a plurality of fixed location stations for transmitting messages including a timing message and for receiving messages including a timing message in accordance with a clock in each of said stations, a timing message transmitted by a given station including an identification of said given station, a priority indicator identifying a synchronization priority of said given station and timing information associated with said clock, and each of said stations being responsive to the receipt of a timing message identifying a direct upstream station for synchronizing its clock with the clock of said direct upstream station; and a plurality of portable two-way selective call receiving devices for receiving messages including timing messages and for transmitting messages including timing messages, each of said portable devices being responsive to messages received form a plurality of stations for determining the received message from the station having the highest synchronization priority and for transmitting a timing message to another station including the identification of said highest priority station, the priority indicator thereof and timing information based on the timing information received from the highest priority system. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. In a two-way radio communication network having a plurality of transmission stations for transmitting and receiving messages including timing messages for synchronizing said transmission stations, a timing message transmitted by a given station including an identification of said given station, a priority indicator identifying a synchronization priority of said given station and timing information associated with said given station, a portable two-way selective call receiving device comprising:
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a receiver for receiving messages including a timing message transmitted from each of a plurality of said stations including a station associated with said device and at least one additional station; means for comparing the priority indicators of said plurality of stations from which a timing message was received to identify the additional stations having a higher synchronization priority than said associated station and among said additional stations with a higher synchronization priority, to identify the station with a highest synchronization priority; a message generator for generating a timing message including the station identifying information of said highest priority station, the priority indicator of said highest priority station and timing information based on the timing information of the highest priority station in the received timing message; and a transmitter for transmitting messages to a station including a timing message. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for synchronizing a two-way radio communication network having a plurality of transmission stations for transmitting messages to selective call receiving devices in frames and for receiving transmitted messages, each of said transmission stations including a frame clock to control the timing of said frames, said clock having associated timing information, said method comprising:
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storing in each of said stations, station identifying information to identify said station and an updatable priority indicator identifying a synchronization priority of the station; transmitting, from each of said stations, a timing message including said station identifying information, said priority indicator and said timing information of said station; determining, in a given station in response to the receipt by the given station of a timing message transmitted from another of said stations, whether said other station is a direct upstream station; and adjusting, in said given station, in response to a timing message received from a direct upstream station, said given station'"'"'s frame clock based on the timing information in said timing message to synchronize the given station with said direct upstream station. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of controlling a portable selective call receiving device in a two-way radio communication network having a plurality of transmission stations for transmitting and receiving messages including timing messages for synchronizing said transmission stations, a timing message transmitted by a given station including an identification of said given station, a priority indicator identifying a synchronization priority of said given station and timing information associated with said given station, said method comprising:
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receiving messages including a timing message transmitted from each of a plurality of said stations including a station associated with said device and at least one additional station; comparing the priority indicators of said plurality of stations from which a timing message was received to identify the additional stations having a higher synchronization priority than said associated station and among said additional stations with a higher synchronization priority, to identify the station with a highest synchronization priority; generating a timing message including the station identifying information of said highest priority station, the priority indicator of said highest priority station and timing information based on the timing information of the highest priority station in the received timing message; and transmitting messages to a station including a timing message.
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Specification