Method for transmitting synchronization messages in a communication network

US7848360B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Franz-Josef Götz · Heideck, DE
• Chongning Na · Beijing, CN
• Dragan Obradovic · Ottobrunn, DE
• Ruxandra Scheiterer · Geretsried, DE
• Günter Steindl · Poppenricht, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 4, 2008
• Grant date: Dec 7, 2010
• Expiry date: Jun 6, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04J3/0673
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

There is described a method for transmitting synchronization messages in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of network nodes communicating with one another, each containing an internal clock, which is timed with a node clock frequency assigned to the respective network node. The synchronization messages transmitted in the communication network serve to synchronize the times of the internal clocks of the network nodes and contain the pulse counter status of a synchronization clock operating at a predefined synchronization clock frequency. The pulse counter status is estimated by each network node and updated in the synchronization message. Changes in the synchronization clock frequency are taken into account when estimating the pulse counter status. Precise determination of the pulse counter status is achieved with the aid of an approximation of the change over time in the pulse ratio between synchronization clock frequency and node clock frequency by means of a function, with the result that the pulse ratio on transmission of a new synchronization message can be predicted and a precise current pulse counter status can be determined on the basi…