Clock synchronization and distributed guard time provisioning

摘要

Embodiments provide a method to accommodate clock drift and guard time in a distributed fashion. A first device is adapted to communicate with a second device. A clock in the first device is synchronized to a clock in the second device using beacon or/and acknowledgement frames from the second device. A nominal guard time is computed that accounts for clock drift in the first and second devices during a nominal synchronization interval. An additional guard time is computed that accounts for clock drift in the first and second devices during an additional interval beyond the nominal synchronization interval. An available transmission interval is determined within an allocation interval for transmissions between the devices, wherein the beginning and/or the end of the available transmission interval are selected by accounting for the nominal guard time and/or the additional guard time. One or more frames are transmitted within the available transmission interval.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
in a first device configured to communicate with a second device, synchronizing a clock in the first device to a clock in the second device using beacon or/and acknowledgment frames received from the second device; computing a constant guard time component (GT0) that accounts for a receive-to-transmit or transmit-to-receive turnaround time, a synchronization error tolerance, and a timing uncertainty; computing a nominal guard time (GTn) that accounts for maximum nominal clock drift in the first and second devices during a nominal synchronization interval; computing an additional guard time (GTa) that accounts for maximum clock drift in the first and second devices during an additional synchronization interval beyond the nominal synchronization interval; determining an available transmission interval within an allocation interval for the first device and second devices, wherein a beginning of the available transmission interval or an end of the available transmission interval or both are selected by accounting for the nominal guard time or the additional guard time or both; transmitting one or more frames between the first device and the second device within the available transmission interval; and when the first device's last synchronization to the second device occurred less than the nominal synchronization interval ago, then commencing reception of a future transmission up to GTn−GT0 earlier than a nominal start of the future transmission.