Terminal apparatus and method for time synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070405-B2
Application number	US-201414174197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2014
Priority date	Feb 12, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A terminal apparatus and a method for time synchronization are provided. The method includes setting a reference time for a time synchronization with another terminal apparatus, transmitting a sync signal comprising the set reference time to the other terminal apparatus, and if a response signal to the sync signal is received from the other terminal apparatus, performing the time synchronization with the other terminal apparatus based on a transmission time of the sync signal and a reception time of the response signal. Therefore, a terminal apparatus further simply and rapidly performs a time synchronization with another terminal apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of performing a time synchronization, the method comprising:
setting a time, which corresponds to a time at which a sync signal for the time synchronization is to be transmitted to another terminal apparatus, as a reference time;
transmitting the sync signal comprising the set reference time to at least two other terminal apparatuses; and
when response signals to the transmitted sync signal are received from the at least two other terminal apparatuses, performing the time synchronization with each of the at least two other terminal apparatuses based on a time difference between the set reference time and a reception time of a first received response signal of the received response signals,
wherein the performing of the time synchronization further comprises:
comparing reception times of the response signals received from a first other terminal apparatus and a second other terminal apparatus to acquire the first received response signal,
calculating the time difference between the set reference time and a reception time of the acquired response signal, and
performing the time synchronization with the first other terminal apparatus and the second other terminal apparatus based on the calculated time difference,

wherein the time difference is calculated using an equation corresponding to (S−V)/2, and
wherein S denotes the set reference time comprised in the sync signal, and V denotes a reception time of the response signal.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the sync signal is transmitted a preset number of times, and
wherein the time synchronization is performed with the first other terminal apparatus and the second other terminal apparatus based on a time difference having a lowest absolute value among time differences that are calculated based on the reception times of the response signals received to respectively correspond to the sync signal transmitted the preset number of times.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time synchronization is performed with the first other terminal apparatus and the second other terminal apparatus according to whether an absolute value of the calculated time difference is lower than or equal to a preset threshold time.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a common time with the first other terminal apparatus and the second other terminal apparatus from a sum of a current time of a terminal apparatus and the calculated time difference.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sync signal is transmitted by using a broadcasting method.

6. A method of performing a time synchronization with another terminal apparatus in a terminal apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving a sync signal comprising a reference time from the other terminal apparatus;
transmitting a response signal to the received sync signal to the other terminal apparatus; and
performing the time synchronization with the other terminal apparatus based on a time difference that is calculated by the other terminal apparatus based on the reference time and a reception time that the other terminal apparatus receives a different response signal to the sync signal from a different apparatus,
wherein the performing of the time synchronization further comprises:
comparing, by the other terminal apparatus, reception times of the response signals received from the terminal apparatus and the different apparatus to acquire a first received response signal,
calculating, by the other terminal apparatus, the time difference between the reference time and a reception time of the acquired response signal, and
performing the time synchronization with the other terminal apparatus based on the calculated time difference,

wherein the time difference is calculated by the other terminal apparatus using an equation corresponding to (S−V)/2, and
wherein S denotes the reference time comprised in the sync signal, and V denotes a reception time of the response signal.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, when the sync signal is continuously received from the other terminal apparatus for a preset threshold time, the time synchronization is performed with the other terminal apparatus based on a calculated time difference having a highest absolute value among time differences that are calculated to respectively correspond to the sync signal.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a common time with the other terminal apparatus from a sum of a current time of the terminal apparatus and the calculated time difference.

9. A terminal apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions therein;
a transceiver configured to communicate with another terminal apparatus; and
at least one processor configured, upon execution of the instructions, to:
set a time, which corresponds to a time at which a sync signal for a time synchronization is to be transmitted to the other terminal apparatus, as a reference time,
transmit the sync signal comprising the set reference time to at least two other terminal apparatuses using the transceiver, and
when response signals to the transmitted sync signal are received from the at least two other terminal apparatuses, perform the time synchronization with each of the at least two other terminal apparatuses based on a time difference between the set reference time and a reception time of a first received response signal of the received response signals,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
compare reception times of the response signals respectively received from a first other terminal apparatus and a second other terminal apparatus to calculate the time difference between the reception time of the first received response signal and the set reference time, and
perform the synchronization with the first other terminal apparatus and the second other terminal apparatus based on the calculated time difference,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to calculate the time difference using an equation corresponding to (S−V)/2, and
wherein S denotes the set reference time comprised in the sync signal, and V denotes the reception time of the response signal.

10. The terminal apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
control the transceiver to transmit the sync signal a preset number of times according to a control command of the at least one processor, and
perform the time synchronization with the first other terminal apparatus and the second other terminal apparatus based on a time difference having a lowest absolute value among time differences that are calculated based on the reception times of the response signals received to respectively correspond to the sync signal transmitted the preset number of times.

11. The terminal apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
when an absolute value of the calculated time difference is lower than or equal to a preset threshold value, perform the time synchronization with the first other terminal apparatus and the second other terminal apparatus, and
when the absolute value of the calculated time difference exceeds the preset threshold value, control the transceiver to re-transmit the sync signal to the first other terminal apparatus and the second other terminal apparatus.

12. The terminal apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a common time with the first other terminal apparatus and second other terminal apparatus from a sum of a current time of the terminal apparatus and the calculated time difference.

13. The terminal appa

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ko Jae-Hoon
• Park Woo-Jin
• Park Won-Joo
• Park Hyun-Cheol
• Yeon Hun-Je
• Lee Si-Jun
• Lee Jin-Wook

Classifications

• H04W56/001

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• H04W56/002

  Mutual synchronization · CPC title

• H04W56/0015 Primary

  one node acting as a reference for the others · CPC title

• H04J3/0635 Primary

  Clock or time synchronisation in a network (timer in protocols H04L69/28) · CPC title

• H04W56/00 Primary

  Synchronisation arrangements · CPC title