Calculating Timing Offsets in Wireless Communications

Abstract

An apparatus operates in a cellular communication network by: detecting a timing signal from a serving base station; obtaining timing information from at least one other base station; and based on the detected timing from the serving base station and the at least one other base station signal, sets the value used to transmit the time offset. The apparatus then transmits the signal to the serving base station using the set value for the transmit time offset. The apparatus is operable by detecting a timing signal transmitted by the at least one other base station and subtracting a timing difference between the detected timing signals from the serving base station and the one other base station from a predetermined baseline time offset , to obtain timing information from the at least one other base station.

Description

technical field [0001] This document relates to wireless mobile communication networks and, in particular, to methods for allowing a device to obtain timing information related to base stations in the network. Background technique [0002] In order for a device in a wireless mobile communication system to transmit a signal that can be received by a base station in the network, it is often necessary for the device to transmit a signal at a specific time. A base station typically allocates specific time slots in which it can receive signals transmitted by a device, and thus the device must transmit those signals at times that take into account the time it takes for the signals to propagate from the device to the base station. [0003] Typically, there is a synchronization mechanism by which the device is able to determine this propagation delay and establish a value for the transmit time offset so that it transmits its signal at a time that ensures that the signal is received ...

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