US 12,335,023 B2
Time synchronization method and apparatus for low-orbit satellite cluster
Sang Hyun Lee, Seoul (KR); Young Chai Ko, Seoul (KR); Yong Hun Jang, Seoul (KR); Jun Young Seo, Anyang-si (KR); Sun Ho Kim, Seoul (KR); and Won Young Kang, Daejeon (KR)
Assigned to Korea University Research and Business Foundation, Seoul (KR)
Filed by KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION, Seoul (KR)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/078,451.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0177311 (KR), filed on Dec. 13, 2021; and application No. 10-2022-0044339 (KR), filed on Apr. 11, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0188199 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. H04B 7/185 (2006.01)
CPC H04B 7/18513 (2013.01) 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A time synchronization method for a low-orbit satellite cluster, comprising:
receiving time information from N participating satellites directly connected;
calculating a reference time using time information based on a reliability of each of the N participating satellites;
performing time synchronization using the reference time and then recording a synchronization history;
generating a new block using the synchronization history;
propagating the synchronization history to all satellites,
wherein a satellite having a nonce value among all the satellites generates and propagates a new block including the synchronization history; and
wherein degrees of difficulty of new block generation of each satellite are different from each other according to the reliability of each satellite.