A pulsar based timing synchronization method and system are disclosed. In one example, a method includes receiving, by a pulsar signal receiver device, a pulse signal emitted from one or more celestial objects and processing, by the pulsar signal receiver device, the pulse signal to discipline a local clock to determine an accurate time output. The method also includes generating, by the pulsar signal receiver device, a timing synchronization signal based on the determined accurate time output. The method further includes providing, by the pulsar signal receiver device, the timing synchronization signal to at least one of a local power system device and a timing distribution network server.

A reference time generator including a first clock source including a reference synthesizer and cesium atomic clock configured to produce a cesium reference signal and a cesium QOT metric, a second clock source including a reference synthesizer and rubidium atomic clock configured to produce a rubidium reference signal and a rubidium QOT metric, and a circuit for selecting from the clock sources one reference signal based on the best QOT metric.

A time synchronization method that is capable of selecting whether synchronization, by a timepiece unit that generates a time signal synchronized with a standard time and outputs it to an exterior, with the time is performed by time information obtained by receiving a radio wave including information relating to the time, or is performed by means of a holdover performed using a clock signal from an internal or external clock source. A schedule having a first time period in which the above-mentioned time information is used, and a second time period by means of the holdover is determined according to temporal reception characteristics of the radio wave at a reception location of the radio wave, and according to the schedule, supplying the timepiece unit with the time information or supplying the timepiece unit with the clock signal from the internal or external clock source.

A time synchronizer receives UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) time in serial+PPS (Pulse Per Second) format from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device and outputs timestamp data in multiple formats, including: CAN (Controller Area Network), Ethernet, gPTP (generic Precision Time Protocol), and serial+PPS. Multiple data sources receive timestamp data in the multiple formats and each provide data in a unified UTC time base to a sensor-fusion device. The unified UTC time base is based on the timestamp data in the multiple formats output by the time synchronizer. The time synchronizer may perform edge detection for a first transition of an internal clock signal following a transition of the PPS signal received from the GPS device. The internal clock signal may be asynchronous with the PPS signal received from the GPS device. The internal clock signal may have a frequency of 40 MHz.

A method for sensor operation includes deploying a network of sensors, which have respective clocks that are not mutually synchronized. At least a group of the sensors receive respective signals emitted from each of a plurality of sources, and record respective times of arrival of the signals at the sensors according to the respective clocks. Location information is provided, including respective sensor locations of the sensors. The respective clocks are synchronized based on the recorded times of arrival and on the location information. In the process the sources may be localized, or if the sources are far away, then their directions may be resolved. Sensor positions may also be resolved in the process.

An electronic timepiece includes a timer that clocks a current time, a receiver that receives radio waves, a switch that receives an operation from a user, and a processor. The processor acquires, in accordance with the operation received by the switch, a determination result indicating whether the radio waves are receivable by the receiver, and selects and executes one of a first processing and at least one second processing that differs from the first processing. The first processing is processing to correct the current time clocked by the timer on the basis of the radio waves received by the receiver. The processor does not select the first processing when the determination results indicate that the radio waves are not receivable by the receiver.

A method for transmitting data or sensor data by radio between a preferably fixed battery-operated node and base station in a communication system with bidirectional radio transmission, includes providing a base station communication module having a first frequency transmitter, and a node communication module having a first frequency transmitter and second frequency transmitter with lower frequency. The node communication module transmits data in the uplink to the base station communication module by splitting a radio telegram into data packets transmitted successively with temporal spacing. The base station communication module transmits data in the downlink to the node communication module by splitting a radio telegram into data packets transmitted successively with temporal spacing. To improve downlink reception quality, two calibrations of first and second node frequency transmitters occur during transmission of the sum of a sequence of uplink data packets and subsequent sequence of downlink data packets including periods therebetween.

A communication system (1) comprises a central (100) and a peripheral (200). The central (100) receives location information and time information from NTP servers (10) and a location server (30). The central (100) creates first offset information of the time measured by its own device and the time information received from the NTP servers (10). The central (100) acquires from map information a time difference corresponding to a location presented by the location information received from the location server (30). The central (100) creates first updated time information based on the time measured by its own device, first offset information, and time difference corresponding to the location presented by the location information received from location server (30) and transmits the first updated time information to the peripheral (200). The peripheral (200) changes the time displayed by its own device based on the received first updated time information.

[Problem] To provide a time synchronization mechanism that is not affected by link asymmetry between time synchronization devices.

[Solution] A DC 4 used in a time transmission system that transmits and receives a PTP packet between a master node 1 and a slave node 2 via the DC 4 and synchronizes time of the slave node 2 based on time information on the transmission and reception includes a PTP clock unit 12 that synchronizes time information by the arrived PTP packet, a frequency clock unit 21 that synchronizes time information by a frequency signal, a delay setting unit 22 that sets, such that a transmission delay of the PTP packet between the master node 1 and the slave node 2 becomes a setting delay Lmax, a waiting time of the PTP packet based on a time difference between a departure time of the PTP packet and an arrival time of the PTP packet at the DC 4, which is determined from the time information of the frequency clock unit 21, and a time adjustment unit 26 that corrects a time shift from reference time in the time information of the frequency clock unit 21 based on the time information of the PTP clock unit 12.

A Reference Time Scale Dissemination System (RTS-DS) is provided that includes a RTS Dissemination Data Provider (RTS-DDP) and a User Terminal. The RTS Dissemination Data Provider is equipped with a radio receiver designed to receive radio signals and to compute a RTS-DDP Computed Time Scale based on received radio signals. The User Terminal (UT) is equipped with a Radio Receiver designed to receive radio signals and to compute a UT Computed Time Scale based on received radio signals, and with a Clock Device designed to be locked to the UT Computed Time Scale and to provide a UT Local Time Scale resultingly locked to the UT Computed Time Scale. The RTS-DPP is designed to receive a Reference Time Scale, and compute, at a RTS-DDP Computed Time, Time Quantities indicative of a difference between the RTS-DDP Computed Time Scale and the received Reference Time Scale, including a Time Scatter indicative of a difference between the RTS-DDP Computed Time and a corresponding Reference Time, and a Time Offset indicative of a mean value, computed over a timespan, of a number of differences between RTS-DDP Computed Times and corresponding Reference Times.