Patent · US Expired

Distributed control system architecture based on synchronized clocks

US6654356B1 · kind B1 · utility

32Cited by
11References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 29, 1998
Grant dateNov 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 29, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04J3/0667
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A distributed system with an architecture based on synchronized clocks that provides accurate coordination of control functions. The distributed system includes a set of nodes coupled to a communication link. Each node has a clock which holds a real-world time. The nodes participate in a synchronization protocol on the communication link for synchronizing the real-world time in each clock. The architecture of the distributed system is such that the synchronization of control functionality in the distributed system is based upon the real-world time in the clocks. A variety of examples of applications for this architecture are set forth.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.