Patent ID: 7236502

Claim:
In a communication system including a plurality of non-master nodes communicatively coupled to a network, each of said plurality of non-master nodes having a local time base, one of said plurality of non-master nodes being designated as a master node having a master time base which serves as a master clock against which said non-master local time bases are synchronized, a method for supporting clock synchronization in a higher-layer protocol of said master and non-master nodes, the method comprising the steps of: (a) making a synchronization request at a higher-layer protocol of said master node; (b) issuing a request primitive from a station management entity (SME) associated with said node to a MAC layer management entity (MLME) requesting a synchronization-support mechanism; (c) determining, at said MLME, whether to accept said synchronization-support-mechanism request at said step (b); (d) issuing a confirm primitive, from said MLME to said SME, indicating that said synchronization-support mechanism is supported, where said request is accepted at said step (c); (e) reporting one of a reception and transmission of a frame from a physical layer (PHY) associated with said node to said MLME; and (f) issuing an indication primitive from said MLME to said SME responsive to said step (e).