Container based time differentials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12107670-B2
Application number	US-201916397706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2019
Priority date	Apr 29, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for synchronization based on time differentials in an access network. A time domain may be established for a virtual service and a remote node. The virtual service may synchronize to a clock associated with the remote node based on a time differential. Various virtual services may maintain their own time domains with remote nodes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a virtual service implemented by a computing device from a node via a network, a synchronization message indicating a first timestamp associated with the node;
determining, based on a clock associated with the computing device, a second timestamp associated with the computing device;
determining, based on the first timestamp and the second timestamp, a time differential associated with the virtual service and the node; and
based on the time differential, sending, by the virtual service via the node to one or more devices, one or more messages.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing, in a database table independent of the virtual service, the time differential, wherein the database table indicates a plurality of time differentials each associated with a virtual service paired with a node.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring, based on a capacity of the computing device, a second virtual service on the computing device;
based on detecting a failure of the virtual service, configuring the second virtual service with the time differential; and
communicating, by the second virtual service and based on the time differential, with the node.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring, based on a capacity of the computing device, a second virtual service on a second computing device; and
determining, based on a clock associated with the second computing device, a second time differential associated with the node.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on detecting a failure of the virtual service, configuring a second virtual service with a second time differential; and
communicating, by the second virtual service and based on the second time differential, with the node.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating, based on a frequency based on a degree of clock drift between the clock associated with the computing device and a clock associated with the node, the time differential.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a second time differential associated with the virtual service and the node; and
determining, based on the time differential and the second time differential, the degree of clock drift.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the clock associated with the computing device and the time differential, a third timestamp; and
sending, to the node, a message to be modulated by the node, wherein the message indicates the third timestamp.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on a third timestamp of the clock associated with the computing device and based on the time differential, a first value for a clock associated with the virtual service and the node, wherein the first value indicates an expected timestamp value, of a clock associated with the node, when a message sent by the virtual service at the third timestamp will be received by the node.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
scheduling, based on a clock associated with the time differential, data to be sent to the node.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more messages comprises one or more of: a message scheduling sending of content, a synchronization message, or a message allocating upstream bandwidth.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the virtual service, one or more messages comprising one or more of:
the time differential, or
a time stamp based on the time differential.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual service is associated with a content delivery system, and wherein the node is configured to implement physical (PHY) layer functions of the content delivery system.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more devices comprise one or more user devices.

15. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device configured to execute a plurality of virtual services from a plurality of nodes via a network, a plurality of first timestamps;
determining, based on a clock associated with the computing device, a plurality of second timestamps;
determining, based on the plurality of first timestamps and the plurality of second timestamps, a plurality of time differentials associated with the plurality of nodes; and
managing, based on the plurality of time differentials, communications from the plurality of virtual services via the plurality of nodes.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of first timestamps are based on clocks associated with the plurality of nodes.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, based on a clock associated with a second computing device, a plurality of second time differentials associated with the plurality of nodes; and
storing, in a database table of the second computing device, the plurality of second time differentials.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
based on detecting a failure of a virtual service of the plurality of virtual services, configuring a virtual service of a second computing device with a time differential associated with a node and the failed virtual service.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
based on detecting a failure of a virtual service of the plurality of virtual services, configuring a backup virtual service of the computing device with a time differential, of the plurality of time differentials, associated with a node and the failed virtual service.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, based on degrees of clock drift between the clock associated with the computing device and clocks associated with the plurality of nodes, a plurality of updating frequencies associated with the plurality of nodes; and
updating, based on the plurality of updating frequencies, the plurality of time differentials.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of virtual services comprises a plurality of virtual cable modem termination systems (vCMTSs), and wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a plurality of remote PHY devices (RPDs).

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the managing communications comprises one or more of: sending one or more messages via the nodes, scheduling sending of content, or allocating upstream bandwidth.

23. A method comprising:
receiving, by a virtual service implemented by a computing device and from a node, a synchronization message indicating a first timestamp associated with the node;
determining, based on a clock associated with the computing device, a second timestamp associated with the computing device;
determining, based on the first timestamp and the second timestamp, a time differential associated with the virtual service and the node; and
based on the time differential, sending, to one or more additional devices via the node, one or more messages comprising one or more of:
the time differential, or
a time stamp based on the time differential.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving the synchronization message via a network.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising updating, based on a frequency based on a degree of clock drift between the clock associated with the computing device and a clock associated with the node, the time differential.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Nandiraju Nagesh
• Gaydos Robert

Classifications

• H04W56/001

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• H04L7/04

  Speed or phase control by synchronisation signals {(H04L7/0075 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H04L7/0033

  Correction by delay · CPC title

• H04J3/0641

  Change of the master or reference, e.g. take-over or failure of the master · CPC title

• H04J3/0661 Primary

  using timestamps · CPC title