Relative time error information distribution in precision time protocol network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12457052-B2
Application number	US-202118043326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

There is provided mechanisms for relative time error (TE) information distribution in a telecommunication network using a precision time protocol (PTP). A method is performed in a gateway device in a telecommunication network having hierarchical segments. The method comprises receiving TE information from a telecom grandmaster (T-GM) of the hierarchical segments. The method comprises preserving a total TE information of the received TE information. The method comprises resetting an accumulated path TE of the received TE information. The method comprises outputting an indication of the reset accumulated path TE and the preserved total TE information to a sub-segment of the hierarchical segments.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for relative time error (TE) information distribution in a telecommunication network using a precision time protocol (PTP), the method being performed in a gateway device in a telecommunication network having hierarchical segments and comprising:
receiving TE information from a telecom grandmaster (T-GM) of the hierarchical segments; preserving a total TE information of the received TE information; resetting an accumulated path TE of the received TE information; and outputting an indication of the reset accumulated path TE and the preserved total TE information to a sub-segment of the hierarchical segments.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the resetting comprises replacing a type-length-value (TLV) field of the received TE information to make the gateway device a T-GM of subsequent segments.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the resetting further comprises setting an accumulated path TE field to zero.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the preserving comprises setting a GM-TE field of the received TE information to a sum of a received GM-TE plus a path TE up to the gateway device.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the preserving comprises forwarding a received TLV field unchanged.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the preserving further comprises appending a new TLV field with a local clock ID.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the resetting comprises setting an accumulated path TE field to zero.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the telecommunication network is configured with a higher-level segment to a lower-level segment, and wherein TE information is propagated from the higher-level segment to the lower level lower-level segment.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a received priority parameter is replaced by a priority parameter of the gateway device.

10 . A gateway device for relative time error (TE) information distribution in a telecommunication network having hierarchical segments and using a precision time protocol (PTP), the gateway device comprising:
a processing circuitry; and a computer program product storing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the gateway device to:
receive TE information from a telecom grandmaster (T-GM) of the hierarchical segments;
preserve a total TE information of the received TE information;
reset an accumulated path TE of the received TE information; and
output an indication of the reset accumulated path TE and the preserved total TE information to a sub-segment of the hierarchical segments.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer program for relative time error (TE) information distribution in a telecommunication network having hierarchical segments and using a precision time protocol (PTP), the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run in a gateway device, causes the gateway device to perform operations comprising:
receiving TE information from a telecom grandmaster (T-GM) of the hierarchical segments; preserving a total TE information of the received TE information; resetting an accumulated path TE of the received TE information; and outputting an indication of the reset accumulated path TE and the preserved total TE information to a sub-segment of the hierarchical segments.

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Kovács Gábor
• Ruffini Stefano
• Rimarchi Riccardo
• Johansson Mikael

Classifications

• H04L7/0016

  correction of synchronization errors · CPC title

• H04J3/0673

  using intermediate nodes, e.g. modification of a received timestamp before further transmission to the next packet node, e.g. including internal delay time or residence time into the packet · CPC title

• H04J3/0667 Primary

  Bidirectional timestamps, e.g. NTP or PTP for compensation of clock drift and for compensation of propagation delays (arrangements for monitoring round trip delays in packet switching networks H04L43/0864) · CPC title