Patent ID: 8406161

Claim:
A timing adjustment method for use in a multi-hop communication system, the system comprising a source apparatus, a destination apparatus and one or more intermediate apparatuses, said source apparatus being operable to transmit information along a series of links forming a communication path extending from the source apparatus to the destination apparatus via the or each intermediate apparatus, and the or each intermediate apparatus being operable to receive information from a previous apparatus along the path and to transmit the received information to a subsequent apparatus along the path, the system being configured to transmit information in a plurality of consecutive labelled intervals, the method comprising: transmitting information in a first labelled interval from a first apparatus along a plurality of consecutive links of said path via one or more said intermediate apparatuses to a second apparatus, said first apparatus being said source apparatus or one of said one or more intermediate apparatuses, said second apparatus being one of said one or more intermediate apparatuses or said destination apparatus, said information including a reference to a particular labelled interval from among said plurality of consecutive labelled intervals, and the transmission of that information incurring a delay such that the transmitted information, or information derived therefrom, is received by said second apparatus in a second labelled interval a number of such intervals after the first labelled interval; and adjusting said reference to form an adjusted reference referring to a further labelled interval from among said plurality of consecutive labelled intervals, the further labelled interval being the or another number of such intervals before or after the particular labelled interval.