Time distribution with multi-band antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9760062-B2
Application number	US-201314056170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2013
Priority date	Oct 19, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting the failure of a precision time source using an independent time source are disclosed. Additionally, detecting the failure of a GNSS based precision time source based on a calculated location of a GNSS receiver is disclosed. Moreover, the system may be further configured to distribute a time derived from the precision time source as a precision time reference to time dependent devices. In the event of a failure of the precision time source, the system may be configured to distribute a time derived from a second precision time source as the precision time signal during a holdover period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a multi-band antenna configured to receive a first time signal from a first time source, and a second time signal from a second time source independent from the first time source;
a time signal distribution device comprising:
a first receiver in communication with the multi-band antenna, configured to receive the first time signal;
a second receiver in communication with the multi-band antenna, configured to receive the second time signal, wherein the second time signal is less accurate than the first time signal;
an output configured to provide an output time signal to a time dependent device; and
a time quality module configured to compare the first time signal with the second time signal and detect an error condition of the first time signal in response to a variation of the first time signal from the second time signal exceeding a defined threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first time source is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS).

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second time signal is a WWVB signal.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising, an indicator configured to notify a user when an error condition is detected.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output is configured to provide the first time signal to the time dependent device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to detecting an error condition, the output is configured to provide the second time signal to the time dependent device.

Assignees

• Schweitzer Engineering Lab Inc

Inventors

• Achanta Shankar V
• Whitehead David E
• Loehner Henry

Classifications

• G01S19/23 Primary

  Testing, monitoring, correcting or calibrating of receiver elements · CPC title

• G04F10/10 Primary

  by measuring electric or magnetic quantities changing in proportion to time · CPC title

• G04G7/00 Primary

  Synchronisation (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title

• G06F1/12

  Synchronisation of different clock signals {provided by a plurality of clock generators} · CPC title