Patent ID: 7660332

Claim:
In a central office having a master synchronization supply unit and remote network elements that are remotely located within the central office with respect to the master synchronization supply unit, a method for generating and relaying composite clock (CC) signals and DS1 signals with synchronization status messages using remote synchronization supply units that are remotely located within the central office with respect to the master synchronization supply unit, comprising: receiving first and second composite clock references and first and second synchronization status messages at a remote synchronization supply unit from a master synchronization supply unit, the remote synchronization supply unit having two or more composite clock (CC) input and output lines and DS1 input and output lines; determining the validity of the first and second CC references and selecting the highest priority valid CC reference; generating a composite clock signal that is phase aligned with the highest priority valid CC reference at the remote synchronization supply unit that received the first and second CC references and the first and second synchronization status messages, and relaying the generated composite clock signal to at least one of the remote network elements via one of the CC output lines; and relaying the synchronization status message from the remote synchronization supply unit that received the first and second CC references and the first and second synchronization status messages to said at least one of the remote network elements via one of the DS1 output lines, while maintaining phase alignment based on the highest priority valid CC reference.