US 11,929,935 B2
Systems and methods to maintain time synchronization between networked devices
James P. Hartman, Monument, CO (US)
Assigned to Landis+Gyr Technology, Inc., Alpharetta, GA (US)
Filed by Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc., Alpharetta, GA (US)
Filed on Feb. 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/187,392.
Prior Publication US 2022/0278940 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. H04L 47/52 (2022.01); H04L 47/62 (2022.01); H04W 8/04 (2009.01); H04W 28/14 (2009.01); H04W 72/0446 (2023.01)
CPC H04L 47/528 (2013.01) [H04L 47/6205 (2013.01); H04W 8/04 (2013.01); H04W 28/14 (2013.01); H04W 72/0446 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A time synchronization maintenance method, comprising:
transmitting, in a first beacon signal slot, a first time synchronization beacon signal from a first node of a mesh communication network;
determining, by a second node of the mesh communication network, a transmission time to transmit data in a transmission queue, wherein the second node is a same node as the first node or is another node of the mesh communication network;
determining, by the second node, an amount of time until commencement of a second beacon signal slot used to transmit a second time synchronization beacon signal from the second node or a second another node of the mesh communication network, wherein the amount of time is less than a time period between the first beacon signal slot and the second beacon signal slot; and
determining by the second node, that the transmission time amount is greater than the amount of time until commencement of the second beacon signal slot;
fragmenting, by the second node, the data into a first portion and a second portion, wherein a transmission time to transmit the first portion is less than the amount of time until commencement of the second beacon signal slot;
transmitting, by the second node, the first portion of the data;
pausing transmission, by the second node, of the data in the transmission queue until completion of the second beacon signal slot; and
transmitting, by the second node, the second portion of the data after the completion of the second beacon signal slot.