Time synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016269168-A1
Application number	US-201615163486-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method having the steps of obtaining temporal information communicated to a first device; carrying out one or more of the following tests: a test to determine whether the first device is in a state following an initial operation, a battery replacement or other power outage, or a reset, a test to determine whether a deviation between temporal information of the clock and the communicated temporal information is less than or equal to a threshold which is specified, and a test to determine whether the communicated temporal information has the same date as the temporal information of the clock; and synchronizing the clock using the communicated temporal information if all of one or more defined conditions are satisfied, wherein one of the one or more conditions requires that at least one of the one or more tests carried out has a positive result.

First claim

1 . A first apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory that contains program code, wherein the memory and the program code are configured to cause the first apparatus to perform and/or control at least:
obtaining temporal information communicated to the first apparatus, and performing one or more of the following checks:
a check to determine whether the first apparatus is in a state after initial startup, after a battery change or other power failure or after a reset,
a check to determine whether a deviation between temporal information from the clock and the communicated temporal information is less than or less-than-or-equal to a threshold value that is predefined or determined according to a predefined rule,
a check to determine whether the communicated temporal information has the same date as the temporal information from the clock,
synchronizing the clock using the communicated temporal information if all of one or more predefined conditions are satisfied, wherein one of the one or more conditions requires that at least one of the one or more performed check(s) has yielded a positive result, wherein the one or more performed check(s) at least comprise the check to determine whether the first apparatus is in a state after initial startup, after a battery change or other power failure or after a reset.

2 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the memory and the program code are configured to cause the first apparatus to further perform and/or control:
obtaining access authorization information communicated to the first apparatus and comprising at least one access authorization parameter that defines a period within which the access authorization information authorizes access to the first apparatus or to an apparatus controlled by the latter, and deciding whether access can be granted, wherein a necessary condition for the granting of access is that a check yields that the temporal information from the clock lies in the period defined by the at least one access authorization parameter.

3 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the communicated access authorization information further comprises an access authorization parameter that indicates whether or not synchronization of the clock of the first apparatus can be performed, and wherein a further one of the one or more condition(s) requires that the access authorization parameter indicates that synchronization of the clock of the first apparatus can be performed.

4 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the synchronization of the clock takes place before the check that determines whether the temporal information from the clock lies in the period defined by the at least one access authorization parameter.

5 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the temporal information and the access authorization information are communicated to the first apparatus within the same communication session.

6 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the memory and the program code are configured to cause the first apparatus to further perform and/or control:
obtaining access authorization information communicated to the first apparatus and comprising at least one access authorization parameter that indicates whether or not synchronization of the clock of the first apparatus can be performed, and wherein a further one of the one or more condition(s) requires that the access authorization parameter indicates that synchronization of the clock of the first apparatus can be performed.

7 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the memory and the program code are configured to cause the first apparatus to further perform and/or control:
obtaining access authorization information communicated to the first apparatus and comprising at least one access authorization parameter that defines a period, wherein a further one of the one or more condition(s) requires that the communicated temporal information lies within the period.

8 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a further one of the one or more condition(s) requires a date of the communicated temporal information to be later than a date of the time of the last synchronization or setting of the clock.

9 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clock of the first apparatus is automatically set to a predefined time, the time of the last synchronization or another time stored in the first apparatus upon initial startup, after a battery change or other power failure or after a reset, and begins to run from said time.

10 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the check that determines whether the first apparatus is in a state after initial startup, after a battery change or other power failure or after a reset further involves checking whether the communicated temporal information is later than temporal information from a clock of the first apparatus or than the temporal information from the clock of the first apparatus minus a threshold value that is predefined or determined according to a predefined rule, and wherein a positive result of this check is obtained only if it is determined that the apparatus is in a state after initial startup, after a battery change or other power failure or after a reset and the communicated temporal information is later than the temporal information from the clock of the first apparatus or than the temporal information from the clock of the first apparatus minus the threshold value.

11 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temporal information is obtained from a clock of a second apparatus and wirelessly communicated to the first apparatus.

12 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first apparatus controls access to a container, particularly a parcel box.

13 . The first apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temporal information is communicated to the first apparatus by means of wireless communication, particularly via Bluetooth or NFC.

14 . A second apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory that contains program code, wherein the memory and the program code are configured to cause the second apparatus to perform and/or control at least:
communicating temporal information, which is obtained using a clock of the second apparatus, to a first apparatus, in order to enable the first apparatus to perform one or more of the following checks:
a check to determine whether the first apparatus is in a state after initial startup, after a battery change or other power failure or after a reset,
a check to determine whether a deviation between temporal information from a clock of the first apparatus and the communicated temporal information is less than or less-than-or-equal to a threshold value that is predefined or determined according to a predefined rule,
a check to determine whether the communicated temporal information has the same date as the temporal information from the clock of the first apparatus,
wherein the first apparatus synchronizes its clock using the communicated temporal information if all of one or more predefined conditions are satisfied, one of the one or more conditions requires that at least one of the one or more performed check(s) has yielded a positive result, wherein the one or more performed check(s) at least comprise the check to determine whether the first apparatus is in a state after initial startup, after a battery change or other power failure or after a reset.

15 . The second apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the second apparatus is an e

Assignees

• Carstens Christian
• Dautz Christoph
• Jansen Jochen
• Benz Ramin
• Dmitrienko Alexandra
• Bulygin Stanislav
• Lippert Marcus
• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Carstens Christian
• Dautz Christoph
• Jansen Jochen
• Benz Ramin
• Dmitrienko Alexandra
• Bulygin Stanislav
• Lippert Marcus

Classifications

• G07C9/29

  the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards · CPC title

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G05B19/00

  Program-control systems · CPC title

• G07C2009/00373

  whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock · CPC title

• G07C2009/00412

  the transmitted data signal being encrypted · CPC title