Maintaining consistency among multiple timestamp counters distributed among multiple devices
US7885296B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 27, 2006 |
| Grant date | Feb 8, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 26, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J3/0682
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, data structures, computer-readable media, mechanisms, and means for maintaining consistency among timestamp counters distributed among multiple devices. When timestamp counters are distributed among multiple physical devices, variances in their timestamp values can occur, such as, but not limited to those cause by variances among clocks in these different devices, different routing delays, different components, etc. These differences may be same, but still not allow high enough precision, especially as packet and processing rates continue to increase (which also causes clocking rates of devices to increase). One implementation distributes a time advance signal to each of these devices, which each device independently uses to determine when to advance its timestamp counter in response to its clock signal. These timestamps may be generated according to IEEE 1588 Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems; and/or Physical Layer Transceivers (PHYs) may be disposed in each of the different physical devices.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.