초록 ▼

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for distributing and synchronizing a global time among components of a packet switching system. A global time is kept by a master component of the switching system. In an implementation, components of the packet switching system determine an update delay from its

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for distributing and synchronizing a global time among components of a packet switching system. A global time is kept by a master component of the switching system. In an implementation, components of the packet switching system determine an update delay from its neighbor(s) which might send it a global time update message. This update delay corresponds to certain transmission and processing delays incurred in propagating global time from one component to another. A master component periodically distributes a current global time to its neighbors, which in turn update their global time value and propagate the updated global time to their neighbors. In this manner, global time is kept synchronized among components in a packet switching system.

대표청구항 ▼

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for distributing and synchronizing a global time among components of a packet switching system. A global time is kept by a master component of the switching system. In an implementation, components of the packet switching system determine an update delay from its

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for distributing and synchronizing a global time among components of a packet switching system. A global time is kept by a master component of the switching system. In an implementation, components of the packet switching system determine an update delay from its neighbor(s) which might send it a global time update message. This update delay corresponds to certain transmission and processing delays incurred in propagating global time from one component to another. A master component periodically distributes a current global time to its neighbors, which in turn update their global time value and propagate the updated global time to their neighbors. In this manner, global time is kept synchronized among components in a packet switching system. the data comprises one or more further quantities of data for transmission to respective one or more further end points among the plurality of the end points, such that the one or more further quantities are variable from each of the frames to the next in the sequence, and comprising allocating respective one or more further numbers of timeslots to be carried respectively to the one or more further end points. 11. A method according to claim 1, wherein a period of each of the sequence of frames is substantially constant. 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the sequence of frames comprises a header comprising respective window parameters for each of the plurality of end points, each window parameter comprising a time and a size of a window of upstream data which each of the plurality of end points is permitted to transmit to the central transmiss