Method and apparatus for synchronizing a base station in a communication system
First Claim
1. A method for synchronizing a first floating timing reference of a first base station with a timing reference of a second base station of a communication system, without requiring an interruption of normal user traffic through the communication system, the method comprising in the first base station the steps of:
- utilizing, for transmitting the normal user traffic, a transmission protocol that requires both simulcast transmissions and non-simulcast, location-directed transmissions, so that monitoring of the second base station can occur during predetermined time intervals when the first base station is silenced for ones of the location-directed transmissions of the second base station;
monitoring a user traffic transmission of the second base station only during said predetermined time intervals, by a receiver of the first base station, thereby generating a received signal;
deriving a received timing reference from the received signal; and
independently adjusting the first floating timing reference by a predetermined fraction of a time difference between the first floating timing reference and the received timing reference, the predetermined fraction being less than unity, without requiring a timing adjustment instruction from a centralized synchronization controller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus synchronize a first floating timing reference (207) of a first base station (116) with a timing reference of a second base station (116) of a communication system, without requiring an interruption of normal user traffic through the communication system. A receiver (208) of the first base station monitors (402) a user traffic transmission of the second base station, thereby generating a received signal, and a processing system (206) of the first base station derives (410) a received timing reference (308) from the received signal. The processing system independently adjusts (426, 428) the first floating timing reference according to the received timing reference, without requiring a timing adjustment instruction from a centralized synchronization controller.
73 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for synchronizing a first floating timing reference of a first base station with a timing reference of a second base station of a communication system, without requiring an interruption of normal user traffic through the communication system, the method comprising in the first base station the steps of:
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utilizing, for transmitting the normal user traffic, a transmission protocol that requires both simulcast transmissions and non-simulcast, location-directed transmissions, so that monitoring of the second base station can occur during predetermined time intervals when the first base station is silenced for ones of the location-directed transmissions of the second base station; monitoring a user traffic transmission of the second base station only during said predetermined time intervals, by a receiver of the first base station, thereby generating a received signal; deriving a received timing reference from the received signal; and independently adjusting the first floating timing reference by a predetermined fraction of a time difference between the first floating timing reference and the received timing reference, the predetermined fraction being less than unity, without requiring a timing adjustment instruction from a centralized synchronization controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A first base station for synchronizing a first floating timing reference of the first base station with a timing reference of a second base station of a communication system, without requiring an interruption of normal user traffic through the communication system, the first base station comprising:
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a first transmitter for transmitting user traffic in synchronism with a second transmitter of the second base station; a receiver for monitoring a user traffic transmission of the second base station only during predetermined time intervals, thereby generating a received signal; a processing system coupled to the receiver for deriving a received timing reference from the received signal, and coupled to the first transmitter for controlling the first transmitter; the first floating timing reference coupled to the processing system for providing a timing signal for the first base station; and a controller interface coupled to the processing system for receiving the user traffic from a system controller, wherein the processing system is programmed to; control the first transmitter to utilize, for the normal user traffic, a transmission protocol that requires both simulcast transmissions and non-simulcast, location-directed transmissions, so that monitoring of the second base station can occur during said predetermined time intervals when the first base station is silenced for ones of the location-directed transmissions of the second base station; and independently adjust the first floating timing reference by a predetermined fraction of a time difference between the first floating timing reference and the received timing reference, the predetermined fraction being less than unity, without requiring a timing adjustment instruction from a centralized synchronization controller. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification