US 12,191,983 B2
Time-point synchronization apparatus, time-point synchronization method, and non-transitory computer readable medium
Ryuma Matsushita, Tokyo (JP); Sachiko Taniguchi, Tokyo (JP); and Yoshifumi Hotta, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Nov. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/987,148.
Application 17/987,148 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2020/026821, filed on Jul. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0076512 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H04J 3/06 (2006.01); H04L 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04J 3/0658 (2013.01) [H04J 3/0667 (2013.01); H04L 7/0016 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
17. A time-point synchronization method by a time-point synchronization apparatus which receives as a plurality of pieces of reception information, a plurality of pieces of information each of which includes time-point correspondence information which is information used for calculating a current-time-point equivalent time point that indicates a time point at present and that is equivalent to a current time point which changes with passage of time, the time-point synchronization method comprising:
managing and maintaining, by a time-point management unit, the current-time-point equivalent time point as an apparatus time point;
storing, by a counter storage unit, a time-gap counter which includes one or more individual counters, on a premise that reception information received the most lately by the time-point synchronization apparatus serves as latest reception information and one or more pieces of reception information other than the latest reception information collectively serve as past reception information, among the plurality of pieces of reception information, where the time-gap counter has been provided according to counter granularity which is granularity corresponding to a time point, and also has been provided by converting into a frequency, each of one or more time gaps indicating each difference between each of current-time-point equivalent time points and each of apparatus time points, and by recording one or more frequencies, each of the current-time-point equivalent time points being calculated using each piece of time-point correspondence information included in each piece of past reception information, each of the apparatus time points being corresponding to a time when the time-point synchronization apparatus receives each piece of past reception information; and
adopting, by a time-gap calculation unit, as a latest reception time point, a current-time-point equivalent time point calculated using time-point correspondence information included in the latest reception information, calculating as a calculated time gap, a time gap indicating a difference between the latest reception time point and an apparatus time point corresponding to a time when the latest reception information is received, adopting as a selected counter, a counter in the time-gap counter, corresponding to the calculated time gap, incrementing a frequency in the selected counter by one, and when the frequency indicated in the selected counter is treated as the highest among all of frequencies indicated in the time-gap counter, synchronizing an apparatus time point at present to a time point corresponding to the latest reception time point.