The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for providing time synchronization between wiredly or wirelessly connected terminals by expanding a function for supporting a Time Sensitive Network (TSN) in a 5G System (5GS) of 3.sup.rd. Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[Problem] To determine a time difference between clocks which, for example, are placed far apart from each other with high accuracy at low cost.

[Solution] In a time comparison system 20, an intermediate station 21 disperses a single optical signal 21c in the spatial region using the optical complex amplitude modulation to simultaneously transmit the optical signal 21c to a plurality of comparative stations 22 and 23 apart from each other. The intermediate station 21 transmits the optical signal 21c while changing the transmission angle using phase modulation, performs intensity scanning for the reflected light c1 of the optical signal 21c, and detects the peak intensity to determine the directions of the comparative stations 22 and 23. The reflected light c1 of the optical signal 21c transmitted to the comparative stations 22 and 23 of which the direction have been determined, is detected to determine a round-trip propagation delay time between the intermediate station 21 and each of the comparative stations 22 and 23. The difference calculation unit 25 calculates a sum of time difference between each of times to and tb associated with the comparative stations 22 and 23 and the time tc associated with the intermediate station 21, and the determined propagation delay time to determine time information of each of the comparative stations 22 and 23. Based on the result of subtracting, from the time information of the comparative stations 22, the time information of the comparative stations 23, the time difference between the comparative stations 22 and 23 is determined.

A time synchronization method and a device, where the method includes generating, by a first device, a first time synchronization frame according to a first coding scheme, where the first time synchronization frame includes a first frame header and a first time of day (TOD), the first frame header carries an identifier of the first coding scheme, and the first coding scheme defines a boundary of the first time synchronization frame and a location of the first TOD in the first time synchronization frame, and sending, by the first device, the first time synchronization frame to a second device using a first single line to trigger the second device to identify the first time synchronization frame according to the identifier of the first coding scheme, to obtain the first TOD from the first time synchronization frame, and to trace a time of the first device according to the first TOD.

Systems and methods to enable 5G system support for conveying time synchronization are provided. In some embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device for conveying external time domain information is provided. The method includes receiving a message in a first time domain used by the wireless device, the message comprising external time domain information; determining information about a second time domain based on the external time domain information; and conveying information about the second time domain to another node. In some embodiments, timing information is included into a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) payload, and the wireless device can get timing information directly from the data payload. This minimizes the RAN and/or gNB impact and adds the potential for multiple time domain support.

A method for time synchronization in a vehicle may include transmitting, by a satellite navigation device to a controller and at least one LiDAR device, a UTC and a PPS signal. The satellite navigation device may have a first clock. The method may include synchronizing, by the controller, a second clock of the controller with the first clock of the satellite navigation device based on the PPS signal and the UTC. The method may include synchronizing, by the at least one LiDAR device, a third clock of the at least one LiDAR device with the first clock of the satellite navigation device based on the PPS signal and the UTC. The method may include synchronizing, by at least one camera, a fourth clock of the at least one camera with the second clock of the controller.

An audio system, method, and computer program product for synchronizing device clocks. The systems, methods and computer program product can establish a first isochronous data stream between a peripheral device and a first device and establish a second isochronous data stream between the first device and a second device to send data between the first and second device. As the two data streams may rely on two different device clocks, e.g., one clock which defines the timing for the first isochronous data stream and a second clock which defines the timing for the second isochronous data stream, the systems, methods, and computer program disclosed herein are configured to maintain synchronization and/or synchronize the first clock with the second clock to prevent data loss due to clock drift.

A physical layer circuit includes registers and a timing circuit. The registers are configured to store a future time of day, a local hardware time and a compensation value. The timing circuit is configured to: determine a relationship between the local hardware time and a grandmaster time; select the future time of day; determine a difference between a local clock and a grandmaster clock and set the compensation value equal to the difference; subsequent to determining the difference, enable maintenance of a current time of day; when the local hardware time matches the future time of day, begin updating the current time of day based on the compensation value to match the grandmaster time; and adjust the compensation value to compensate for drift between the current time of day and the grandmaster time.

Systems and methods for implementing a software emulation of a clock calibrated by the software based on sampling a hardware clock.

A communication system comprises a clock generator configured to generate a plurality of system clock signals used to synchronize components included in each of communication nodes in the communication system based on an external clock signal provided by an external clock source located outside the communication system and a physical layer configured to transmit any one of the generated system clock signals to a small cell communicatively connected to an end communication node of the communication system.

The disclosed device may include a wireless interface for receiving a time signal, an oscillator, and a processor. The processor may determine, using the oscillator and the time signal, a precise time, and synchronize with one or more remote devices using the precise time. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.