Conjugate-phase, remote-clock synchronizer

Claim 1

A method for determining the time reading of a remote-station clock at a first clock station, each station having a clock producing a train of clock pulses, both trains having substantially the same frequency but being different in time phase by an amount Δt, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a clock pulse, called the originator pulse, from the first station to start the timing sequence; receiving at the remote station the originator pulse and utilizing the received pulse to form a conjugate-phase pulse from the remote-station clock; transmitting the conjugate-phase pulse to the first station and receiving it there; measuring at the first station the time difference Δ between the time of reception of the conjugate-phase pulse and the time of generation of the originator pulse; and determining the difference in time phase Δt between the time reading of the remote-station clock and the first-station clock according to the relationship Δt=Δ/2.

Claim 2

A method for determining the time reading of a remote-station clock at a first clock station, each station having a clock producing a train of clock pulses, both trains having substantially the same frequency but being different in time phase by an amount Δt, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a clock pulse, called the originator pulse, from the first station to start the timing sequence; receiving at the remote station the originator pulse and utilizing the received pulse to form a conjugate-phase pulse from the remote-station clock; transmitting the conjugate-phase pulse to the first station and receiving it there; measuring at the first station the time difference Δ between the time of reception of the conjugate-phase pulse and the time of generation of the originator pulse; and determining the difference in time phase Δt between the time reading of the remote-station clock and the first-station clock according to the relationship Δt=Δ/2.

Claim 7

A method for determining at a first-clock station the time reading of the clock at a remote second-clock station, the first and second clocks each transmitting a train of spaced pulses, the trains having substantially the same frequency but different time phases by an amount Δt, the method comprising: transmitting a first clock pulse from the first station; receiving the transmitted first-clock pulse at the second-clock station; measuring at the second station the time duration, Δτ, between reception of the first-clock pulse and generation of the immediately succeeding second-clock pulse; generating a phase conjugate of the received first-clock pulse from the second clock; transmitting the conjugate pulse; receiving the conjugate pulse at the first-clock station; measuring at the first-clock station the time, Δ, between reception of the conjugate pulse and generation of the immediately first-clock pulse which started the measurement sequence; and determining the time reading of the second-clock by correcting the time reading of the first clock by the value of Δ/2=Δt.

Claim 8

A method for determining at a first-clock station the time reading of the clock at a remote second-clock station, the first and second clocks each transmitting a train of spaced pulses, the trains having substantially the same frequency but different time phases by an amount Δt, the method comprising: transmitting a first clock pulse from the first station; receiving the transmitted first-clock pulse at the second-clock station; measuring at the second station the time duration, Δτ, between reception of the first-clock pulse and generation of the immediately succeeding second-clock pulse; generating a phase conjugate of the received first-clock pulse from the second clock; transmitting the conjugate pulse; receiving the conjugate pulse at the first-clock station; measuring at the first-clock station the time, Δ, between reception of the conjugate pulse and generation of the immediately first-clock pulse which started the measurement sequence; and determining the time reading of the second-clock by correcting the time reading of the first clock by the value of Δ/2=Δt.

Claim 9

A method for determining the time reading of a remote-station clock at a first clock station, each station having a clock producing a train of clock pulses, both trains having substantially the same frequency but being different in time phase by an amount Δt, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a first-clock pulse from the first-clock station; receiving the transmitted first-clock pulse at the second-clock station; measuring at the second-clock station the time delay, Δτ, between reception of the first-clock pulse and generation of the immediately succeeding second-clock pulse; delaying the time of the next second-clock pulse by an amount equal to the measured time, Δτ; transmitting the time-delayed second-clock pulse; receiving the transmitted time-delayed pulse at the first-clock station; measuring at the first-clock station the time, Δ, between reception of the time-delayed pulse and generation of the first-clock pulse which started the measurement sequence; and determining at the first-clock station the time reading of the clock at the second-clock station by adding the time, (Δ/2)=Δt, to the reading of the clock at the first-clock station.

Claim 10

A method for determining the time reading of a remote-station clock at a first clock station, each station having a clock producing a train of clock pulses, both trains having substantially the same frequency but being different in time phase by an amount Δt, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a first-clock pulse from the first-clock station; receiving the transmitted first-clock pulse at the second-clock station; measuring at the second-clock station the time delay, Δτ, between reception of the first-clock pulse and generation of the immediately succeeding second-clock pulse; delaying the time of the next second-clock pulse by an amount equal to the measured time, Δτ; transmitting the time-delayed second-clock pulse; receiving the transmitted time-delayed pulse at the first-clock station; measuring at the first-clock station the time, Δ, between reception of the time-delayed pulse and generation of the first-clock pulse which started the measurement sequence; and determining at the first-clock station the time reading of the clock at the second-clock station by adding the time, (Δ/2)=Δt, to the reading of the clock at the first-clock station.

Claim 11

A method for determining at a master clock station the time reading of the slave clock at a remote slave clock station, the master and slave clocks each transmitting a train of spaced pulses, the trains having substantially the same frequency but different time phases, Δt i , the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a master clock pulse from the master station; receiving the master pulse at a slave station; measuring at the slave station the time duration, Δτ, between reception of the master pulse and generation of the immediately succeeding slave clock pulse; delaying said immediately succeeding a slave clock pulse to form the phase conjugate of the received master pulse; transmitting the conjugate slave pulse; receiving the conjugate slave pulse at the master station; measuring at the master station the time, Δ, between reception of the conjugate slave pulse and the generation of the master clock pulse which originated the measuring sequence; and determining the time reading of the slave clock by correcting the time reading of the master clock pulse by the value of Δ/2=Δt.

Claim 12

A method for determining at a master clock station the time reading of the slave clock at a remote slave clock station, the master and slave clocks each transmitting a train of spaced pulses, the trains having substantially the same frequency but different time phases, Δt i , the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a master clock pulse from the master station; receiving the master pulse at a slave station; measuring at the slave station the time duration, Δτ, between reception of the master pulse and generation of the immediately succeeding slave clock pulse; delaying said immediately succeeding a slave clock pulse to form the phase conjugate of the received master pulse; transmitting the conjugate slave pulse; receiving the conjugate slave pulse at the master station; measuring at the master station the time, Δ, between reception of the conjugate slave pulse and the generation of the master clock pulse which originated the measuring sequence; and determining the time reading of the slave clock by correcting the time reading of the master clock pulse by the value of Δ/2=Δt.

Claim 13

A method for determining at a master clock station the time reading of the slave clock at a remote slave station, the master and slave clocks each transmitting a train of spaced pulses, the trains having substantially the same frequency but different time phases, Δt i , the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a master clock pulse from the master station; receiving the transmitted master clock pulse at the slave station; measuring at the slave station the time delay, Δτ, between reception of the master clock pulse and generation of the immediately succeeding slave clock pulse; delaying said immediately succeeding slave clock pulse by an amount equal to the measured time, Δτ; transmitting the time-delayed slave clock pulse; receiving the transmitted delayed slave clock pulse at the master station; measuring at the master station the time, Δ, between reception of the slave clock pulse and generation of the master clock pulse which originated the measuring sequence; and determining at the master station the time reading of the slave clock by adding the time, Δ/2=Δt, to the master clock reading.

Claim 14

A method for determining at a master clock station the time reading of the slave clock at a remote slave station, the master and slave clocks each transmitting a train of spaced pulses, the trains having substantially the same frequency but different time phases, Δt i , the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a master clock pulse from the master station; receiving the transmitted master clock pulse at the slave station; measuring at the slave station the time delay, Δτ, between reception of the master clock pulse and generation of the immediately succeeding slave clock pulse; delaying said immediately succeeding slave clock pulse by an amount equal to the measured time, Δτ; transmitting the time-delayed slave clock pulse; receiving the transmitted delayed slave clock pulse at the master station; measuring at the master station the time, Δ, between reception of the slave clock pulse and generation of the master clock pulse which originated the measuring sequence; and determining at the master station the time reading of the slave clock by adding the time, Δ/2=Δt, to the master clock reading.

Claim 15

A method for determining the time reading of a remote-station clock at a first clock station, each station having a clock producing a train of clock pulses, both training having substantially the same frequency but being different in time phase by an amount Δt, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a clock pulse, called the originator pulse, from the first station to start the timing sequence; receiving at the remote station the originator pulse and utilizing the received pulse to form a conjugate-phase pulse from the remote-station clock, said conjugate-phase pulse being produced by measuring the time, Δτ, between the time of reception of the originator pulse and the time of generation of the immediately succeeding remote-station pulse and then adjusting the time of transmission of said immediately succeeding remote-station pulse so that the transmission occurs at its time of generation plus Δτ; transmitting the conjugate-phase pulse to the first station and receiving it there; and measuring at the first station the time difference Δ between the time of reception of the conjugate-phase pulse and the time of generation of the originator pulse, the time reading of the remote-station clock being different from that of the first-station clock by an amount equal to Δ/2.

Claim 16

A method for determining the time reading of a remote-station clock at a first clock station, each station having a clock producing a train of clock pulses, both training having substantially the same frequency but being different in time phase by an amount Δt, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a clock pulse, called the originator pulse, from the first station to start the timing sequence; receiving at the remote station the originator pulse and utilizing the received pulse to form a conjugate-phase pulse from the remote-station clock, said conjugate-phase pulse being produced by measuring the time, Δτ, between the time of reception of the originator pulse and the time of generation of the immediately succeeding remote-station pulse and then adjusting the time of transmission of said immediately succeeding remote-station pulse so that the transmission occurs at its time of generation plus Δτ; transmitting the conjugate-phase pulse to the first station and receiving it there; and measuring at the first station the time difference Δ between the time of reception of the conjugate-phase pulse and the time of generation of the originator pulse, the time reading of the remote-station clock being different from that of the first-station clock by an amount equal to Δ/2.