摘要 |
A cellular communication system has a number of cells covered by radio base stations communicating with communication devices. The communication devices have a master timer for internally timing the communication devices relative to a timing of the cellular communication system. The master timer of a communication device is initially synchronized to a timing reference of a radio base station that provides the currently best communication link. Upon initial synchronization, the communication device determines and stores a first channel profile of received multi-path signals relative to the initial synchronization, and then enters a sleep mode. In the sleep mode a timing reference that controls the master timer is switched off. From the sleep mode, the communication device enters a receive mode and switches on its timing reference. The communication device then determines a second channel profile of received multi-path signals, and derives a timing offset signal from a best fit obtained by fitting the first channel profile to the second channel profile. Finally, the communication device re-synchronizes the master timer on the basis of the derived timing offset signal. The first and second channel profiles are characteristic in time to a particular configuration of radio base stations. |