Method and apparatus for synchronising a location network
US11974247B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 25, 2022 |
| Grant date | Apr 30, 2024 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 25, 2042 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L5/0094
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are presented for synchronising a slave device signal to a reference timebase, in situations where the slave device lacks knowledge of the propagation delay for signals from the reference device, e.g. if the positions of one or both of the devices are unknown or classified, or the inter-device signal propagation distance is otherwise a-priori unknown. Reference signal propagation delay is determined using an exchange of signals between the devices, with each device using a differencing procedure for eliminating effects of receiver line bias and other hardware delays. In another aspect an exchange of signals between the devices is used to detect a time residual arising from an inaccurate propagation delay estimate. The synchronisation methods can be applied to a plurality of slave devices for providing a synchronised location network. In certain embodiments signals are transmitted wirelessly, while in other embodiments they are transmitted via a fixed line.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.