Patent ID: 7746817

Claim:
A transmission timing control apparatus included in a network node constituting a telecommunications system for using a reception timing of a timing signal from another node to determine a transmission timing of a timing signal of the network node and determining a time slot for transmission of a data signal in accordance with the transmission timing and the reception timing of the timing signal from the other node, said apparatus comprising: a transmission timing determining circuit for receiving a phase signal transmitted from the other node and representative of a data transmission timing of the other node to vary a state of a phase of the network node according to a rule to thereby determine a data transmission timing of the network node, the rule changing a rhythm of a nonlinear oscillation of the phase of the network node in response to an impulse signal received from the other node; a decision circuit for determining whether the timing signal received from the other node is to be delivered to a response timing signal transmitter for transmitting a response timing signal; and a transmission timing control circuit for using a reception timing of the timing signal and a reception timing of the response timing signal to determine a transmission timing at which the network node transmits the timing signal.