Patent ID: 6628674
Filing Date: 2003-09-30
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
An apparatus which depends on one of a plurality of master clocks as a timing source, comprising:a timing-dependency-direction-identifier-extraction unit which detects an identifier indicative of a direction of timing dependency from a received signal with respect to each of the master clocks; a timing-quality-information-extraction unit which detects s code indicative of a timing quality from the received signal with respect to each of the master clocks; and a synchronization unit which selects the timing source based on the code indicative of a timing quality, and identifies a direction of timing dependency of the timing source based on the identifier indicative of a direction of timing dependency; wherein the received signal includes a header comprised of control data, and the identifier indicative of a direction of timing dependency is set in an undefined portion of a predetermined byte of the header.