A method for communications with a plurality of base stations in a wireless communication network, one of the base stations being designated as a reference base station, comprising: generating , by a terminal , a request to provide differences in timing for the plurality of base stations , wherein the differences in timing include a difference of chip-level timing and a difference of frame-level timing of at least one of the plurality of base stations , the difference of chip-level timing being a timing difference relative to the reference base station; estimating , at the terminal, the chip-level time difference for each of the plurality of base stations based on received downlink signals transmitted therefrom; and determining for each of the plurality of base stations whether the difference of the frame-level timing is needed, characterized by : estimating , at the terminal, the frame-level time difference for each of the plurality of base stations operated asynchronously; determining , at the terminal, time difference measurements for the base stations operated asynchronously based on the estimated chip-level time difference and the estimated frame-level time difference provided that the frame-level timing difference is needed; and providing the difference of the chip-level timing and a predefined value if the difference of the frame-level timing is not needed and providing the time difference measurements if the difference of the frame-level timing is needed. generating , by a terminal , a request to provide differences in timing for the plurality of base stations , wherein the differences in timing include a difference of chip-level timing and a difference of frame-level timing of at least one of the plurality of base stations , the difference of chip-level timing being a timing difference relative to the reference base station; estimating , at the terminal, the chip-level time difference for each of the plurality of base stations based on received downlink signals transmitted therefrom; and determining for each of the plurality of base stations whether the difference of the frame-level timing is needed, characterized by : estimating , at the terminal, the frame-level time difference for each of the plurality of base stations operated asynchronously; determining , at the terminal, time difference measurements for the base stations operated asynchronously based on the estimated chip-level time difference and the estimated frame-level time difference provided that the frame-level timing difference is needed; and providing the difference of the chip-level timing and a predefined value if the difference of the frame-level timing is not needed and providing the time difference measurements if the difference of the frame-level timing is needed. estimating , at the terminal, the frame-level time difference for each of the plurality of base stations operated asynchronously; determining , at the terminal, time difference measurements for the base stations operated asynchronously based on the estimated chip-level time difference and the estimated frame-level time difference provided that the frame-level timing difference is needed; and providing the difference of the chip-level timing and a predefined value if the difference of the frame-level timing is not needed and providing the time difference measurements if the difference of the frame-level timing is needed. <EOS>