Embodiments of this application disclose a data processing method, which can be applied to a clock synchronization network system. The system can correct, based on a clock frequency error or a time error, a data timestamp of a data packet collected by the system in a time period in which there is no reference clock, so that a corrected system time of the data packet is consistent with a reference time. This improves accuracy of data record.

Exemplary methods include a processor executing instructions stored in a memory for generating an electronic count-in, binding it to a first performance to generate a master clock and transmitting a first musician's first performance and first timing information to a network caching, storage, timing and mixing module. The first musician's first performance may be recorded locally at full resolution and transmitted to a full resolution media server and the first timing information may be transmitted to the master clock. The first musician's first performance is transmitted to a sound device of a second musician and the second musician creates a second performance, transmits it and second timing information to a network caching, storage, timing and mixing module. The first and second performances are mixed along with the first and the second timing information to generate a first mixed audio, which can be transmitted to a sound device of a third musician.

A reference time associated with a satellite signal received at a clock synchronization source is determined, wherein the reference time is from a master reference clock. A recorded time associated with a corresponding satellite signal received at a remote clock synchronization destination is received from the remote clock synchronization destination via a network, wherein the received recorded time is from a remote clock to be synchronized with the master reference clock. A clock adjustment value is calculated based on a comparison of the determined reference time and the received recorded time. The clock adjustment value is provided to the remote clock synchronization destination, wherein the clock adjustment value is able to be utilized by the remote clock synchronization destination to adjust the remote clock to increase synchronization with the master reference clock.

A multi-channel and multi-zone audio environment is provided. Various inventions are disclosed that allow playback devices on one or more networks to provide an effective multi-channel and a multi-zone audio environment using timing information. According to one example, timing information is used to coordinate playback devices connected over a low-latency network to provide audio along with a video display. In another example, timing information is used to coordinate playback devices connected over a mesh network to provide audio in one or more zones or zone groups.

Method for synchronizing control applications via a communication network for transferring time-critical data, wherein network infrastructure devices determine, for the forwarding of datagrams associated with selected data streams, respective time delays between a planned transmission time of the datagram and an actual transmission time of the datagram in question, where the selected data streams are assigned to control applications running on communication terminals, and where a beginning of a next end-node-side transfer cycle is determined by a starting-node-side control application based on the time delay determined by a preceding network infrastructure device in question, an accumulated maximum time delay and a transmission time of the datagrams to achieve synchronization between transfer cycles of starting-node-side control applications and transfer cycles of end-node-side control applications.

Method for time synchronization in a network comprising masters and at least one slave. The slave receives synchronization messages from the masters via the network for time synchronization of a first clock and a second clock of the slave. A first master sends a first synchronization message having a first time stamp to the slave for time synchronization of the first clock. The slave calculates a clock rate and a time difference between the first clock and the first master and aligns the first clock with a synchronized time. A second master sends a second synchronization message having a second time stamp to the slave for the time synchronization of the second clock. The clock rate of the second clock is set to the first clock rate. A time difference between the second clock and the second master is calculated and the second clock is aligned with the synchronized time.

There is provided a method of clock recovery and a system thereof. The method comprises: by master clock node or by client clock node, generating a first flow of time-stamped packets bearing indication of high priority of delivery and, in parallel, generating a second flow of time-stamped packets bearing indication of lower priority of delivery. By client clock node, processing the packets from the first flow separately from the packets from the second flow to define, separately for each flow, a function informative of changes of packets' delays in the respective flow over time; using the defined functions informative of changes of packets' delays in the first and the second flows over the same time intervals to assess a cause of the packets' delays changes; and applying a clock recovery algorithm in a manner differentiated in accordance with the assessed cause.

An object of the present invention is to provide a communication system and a communication method that can avoid network congestion using a simple approach. The communication system of the present invention is characterized in that a time distribution server that transmits time information to terminals distributes a time different from the standard time for each terminal, and the terminal performs communication on the basis of the distributed time, and further characterized in that, for a time synchronizing packet transmitted from a time distribution server on the Internet to a terminal, a node or the like in the middle of the path performs transfer control or rewrites the packet, thereby causing the terminal to recognize a different time, and the terminal performs communication on the basis of the time.

A method for measuring asynchronous timestamp requests includes receiving a timestamp (“TS”) request from a client device during a first interval of a time of day (“TOD”) clock, and calculating, using the TOD clock, at a next interval of the TOD clock, a TS correction of the TS request relative to a reference point of the first TOD clock interval. The method further includes adding the TS correction to the reference point of the first interval of the TOD clock, and outputting the corrected TS to the client device.

Systems and methods are provided for master media clock recovery. In various embodiments, recovering a master media clock may comprise receiving clock reference format (CRF) packets carrying timestamps (Ts). Differences of Ts between adjacent CRF packets may be calculated, and an average difference of Ts between adjacent timestamps may be calculated. A recovered frequency of a master clock may be based on the calculated average difference of Ts between adjacent timestamps. The recovered frequency may be used to regulate a timing of, for example, a kernel module and/or a media application.