| CPC H04J 3/0658 (2013.01) [H04L 69/28 (2013.01); H04W 56/0015 (2013.01)] | 8 Claims |
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1. A method for determining a master clock in a communication network having a plurality of stations that are communicatively connected to each other and each have a clock, wherein the master clock is used for time synchronization of the clocks of the plurality of stations, the method comprising:
providing a model of the communication network defined by a set of nodes and a set of edges, each node in the set of nodes representing a respective station of the plurality of stations and having a respective weight assigned to the respective station, each edge in the set of edges representing a respective direct connection between two respective stations of the plurality of stations and having a respective weight assigned to the respective direct connection;
determining, using the model of the communication network, a respective synchronization path weight for each respective synchronization path between each respective station of the plurality of stations and each respective other station of the plurality of stations, each respective synchronization path weight specifying a synchronization accuracy of the respective path, the respective synchronization path weight for each respective synchronization path being determined as a sum of the weights assigned to each intermediary station and to each direct connection along the respective synchronization path;
determining, using the model of the communication network, a respective synchronization path redundancy value for each respective station of the plurality of stations to each respective other station of the plurality of stations, the respective synchronization path redundancy value specifying a redundancy between the respective station to the respective other station, the respective synchronization path redundancy value being determined by identifying stations that are present along multiple synchronization paths between the respective station to the respective other station;
determining a respective synchronization metric for each respective station of the plurality of stations based on (i) the respective synchronization path weight for each respective synchronization path from the respective station and (ii) the respective synchronization path redundancy value for the respective station to each respective other station of the plurality of stations, a respective synchronization metric that specifies a synchronization accuracy for the respective station; and
determining, on the basis of the respective synchronization metrics of all of the plurality of stations, a station of the plurality of stations whose clock is to be used as the master clock.
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