Time beacons
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for time-synchronizing multiple nodes of a network concurrently comprising steps of:
- determining, by a hub device, a plurality of beacon channels over which to broadcast time beacons,at a preconfigured start time, broadcasting, by a hub device, a first time beacon containing a current time value retrieved from an accurate time source on one of the plurality of beacon channels;
periodically repeating, by the hub device, the broadcasting of the first time beacon on alternating beacon channels of the plurality of beacon channels over a beacon period;
at the preconfigured start time, listening, by a first node of the network, on the plurality of beacon channels for time beacons;
receiving, at the first node, a received time beacon broadcast by the hub device; and
setting, by the first node, a real-time clock of the node to the current time value in the received time beacon.
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Abstract
Technologies are described herein for time-synchronizing multiple remote network nodes concurrently with time beacons. A hub device in the network, at a preconfigured start time, begins to periodically broadcast time beacons containing current time values retrieved from an accurate time source over a beacon period, while other nodes of the network, at the same preconfigured start time, start listening for time beacons. When a node receives a time beacon broadcast by the hub device, the node sets a real-time clock of the node to the current time value in the received time beacon.
143 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for time-synchronizing multiple nodes of a network concurrently comprising steps of:
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determining, by a hub device, a plurality of beacon channels over which to broadcast time beacons, at a preconfigured start time, broadcasting, by a hub device, a first time beacon containing a current time value retrieved from an accurate time source on one of the plurality of beacon channels; periodically repeating, by the hub device, the broadcasting of the first time beacon on alternating beacon channels of the plurality of beacon channels over a beacon period; at the preconfigured start time, listening, by a first node of the network, on the plurality of beacon channels for time beacons; receiving, at the first node, a received time beacon broadcast by the hub device; and setting, by the first node, a real-time clock of the node to the current time value in the received time beacon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system comprising:
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a collection hub in an advanced metering infrastructure (“
AMI”
) network connected to an accurate time source and configured with a start time, a beacon period, the collection hub further configured todetermine one or more beacon channels on which to broadcast time beacons, at the start time, repeatedly broadcast time beacons on the one or more beacon channels over the beacon period, each time beacon containing a current time value retrieved from the accurate time source; and a child node in the AMI network configured with the start time, the child node further configured to determine the one or more beacon channels to which to listen, at the start time, listen for time beacons on the one or more beacon channels, and upon receiving a time beacon broadcast by the collection hub, set a real-time clock of the child node to the current time value in the received time beacon. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor in a node of an advanced metering infrastructure (“
- AMI”
) system configured as a collection hub, cause the processor to;determine one or more beacon channels on which to broadcast time beacons; and at a preconfigured start time, repeatedly broadcast time beacons on the one or more beacon channels over a beacon period, each time beacon containing a current time value retrieved from an accurate time source connected to the collection hub. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
- AMI”
Specification