Patent ID: 7330458
Filing Date: 2008-02-12
Classification: H04B,H04J

Abstract:
1. A method for synchronizing terrestrial nodes of a terrestrial network, said method comprising the steps of: selecting terrestrial nodes which have to be synchronized to a common time reference, said terrestrial nodes forming a synchronization zone; determining a clear sky view solid angle shared by said selected terrestrial nodes; receiving at said selected terrestrial nodes a rough time reference from a satellite of a global navigation satellite system viewed by said terrestrial nodes in said clear sky view solid angle; setting an internal time reference in each of said selected terrestrial nodes to said rough time reference; calculating a common synchronization date (for all selected terrestrial nodes to receive a predefined sequence sent by said or another satellite viewed by said terrestrial nodes in said clear sky view solid angle; determining, at each of said selected terrestrial nodes, a time difference between time of reception of said predefined sequence as indicated by the internal time reference of the respective node and said common synchronization date; fine tuning the internal time reference of each of said selected terrestrial nodes taking into account said time difference.