Patent ID: 6112100
Filing Date: 2000-08-29
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A method for synchronizing a first floating timing reference of a first base station with a timing reference of a second base station of a communication system, without requiring an interruption of normal user traffic through the communication system, the method comprising in the first base station the steps of:utilizing, for transmitting the normal user traffic, a transmission protocol that requires both simulcast transmissions and non-simulcast, location-directed transmissions, so that monitoring of the second base station can occur during predetermined time intervals when the first base station is silenced for ones of the location-directed transmissions of the second base station;monitoring a user traffic transmission of the second base station only during said predetermined time intervals, by a receiver of the first base station, thereby generating a received signal;deriving a received timing reference from the received signal; andindependently adjusting the first floating timing reference by a predetermined fraction of a time difference between the first floating timing reference and the received timing reference, the predetermined fraction being less than unity, without requiring a timing adjustment instruction from a centralized synchronization controller.