Patent ID: 7860040

Claim:
A distributed synchronization method in a communication network comprising a number of stations exchanging messages between themselves, comprising the following steps: inserting by a sender station into each message transmitted by the sender station a synchronization pattern characteristic of the clock reference of the sender station, updating the clock reference of each station with the clock reference that each station receives from another station of the network if, and only if, the time received is in advance the clock reference, the update being done as follows: calculating by a receiving station, the difference ΔX=T′a−Ta between the time of sending T′a of the message received by a station A and the time of reception Ta of the same message by the station B, applying, by the receiving station, a correction 0<ΔY<=ΔX if the received time of sending is in advance by a quantity of at least τ(ΔX>τ>0).