Patent ID: 6278710
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: G06F,H04J,H04L

Abstract:
A distributed system, comprising:first node having a local clock and circuitry that generates a timing data packet and a follow up packet, the timing data packet having a unique timing point and a delimiter and the follow up packet having a time-stamp obtained from the local clock that indicates a time at which the timing data packet is generated;second node having circuitry that receives the timing data packet and the follow up packet via the communication link, the second node having a local clock and circuitry that obtains a local time value from the local clock when the unique timing point is detected and that discards the local time value if the delimiter is not detected, such that a difference between the time-stamp of the follow up packet and the local time value if not discarded indicates a relative synchronization of the local clocks, the second node having circuitry for adjusting the local time value in the local clock in response to the difference.