Patent ID: 8730867
Filing Date: 2014-05-20
Classification: H04J,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. Time synchronization aid device for a clock synchronization device of a master communication station of a wireless communication network specifically for transporting IP packet frames, said master station comprising a master clock defining a reference time represented by the value of a master counter, said device comprising detection means arranged, in case of detection by the physical layer of said master station of a wireless frame pulse received from said network, to trigger a sampling of the value of the master counter, wherein in the presence of a master station comprising generation means arranged to generate in the form of wireless frames of IP packets, addressed to at least one slave communication station of said network, PTP messages of a first type and of a second type, each message of the first type signalling the transmission in the message of the second type that follows it of an image of the sampling of the value that said master counter presented on its generation, said detection means are arranged to detect, following the triggering of a sampling of the value of said master counter, whether a wireless frame, which is being transmitted by said master station, contains at least a chosen part of a message of the first type, and if it does, to associate with this wireless frame said sampling of the value of the master counter, and, if the wireless frame actually contains a message of the first type, to alert said clock synchronization device in order for it to supply the image of this sampling to said generation means for them to incorporate it in the message of the second type that follows this message of the first type; wherein the aid device comprises i) first storage means arranged to store the sampling of the value of the master counter in case of detection of said chosen message part by said detection means and ii) second storage means arranged to store said sampling of the value of the master counter stored in said first storage means when a PTP message which has been transmitted in full is actually of the first type, and said detection means being arranged, in case of detection of a wireless frame containing a message of the first type, to alert said clock synchronization device for it to supply the image of the sampling of the value that is stored in said second storage means to said generation means to incorporate it in the message of the second type that follows the message of the first type detected by said detection means, wherein the detection means are arranged to detect whether a wireless frame currently being received contains at least a chosen part of a PTP message of a third type, originating from a slave station and requesting the sending to the slave station of a PTP message of a fourth type, and if it does, to associate with this wireless frame the image of the sampling of the value of the master counter that corresponds to the last frame pulse preceding the moment of detection of this chosen part of the message of the third type, and if the wireless frame actually contains a message of the third type, to alert said clock synchronization device for it to supply said image of the sampling of the value to said generation means to incorporate it in a message of the fourth type responding to the message of the third type received.