Time synchronization method and device

Abstract

The invention provides a time synchronization method and device. The method is applied to a fiber to the room (FTTR) network, the FTTR network comprises a main optical network device and a sub optical network device, and the method comprises the following steps: sending a first message, the first message being used for instructing a wireless communication module in the sub optical network device to start first time synchronization; and receiving a second message, wherein the second message is used for indicating whether the first time synchronization is completed or not. The time synchronization between the wireless modules of the main optical network equipment and the sub optical network equipment is completed, so that the stability and the operation data transmission efficiency of the WLAN network are improved, and the conflict problem in a wireless channel is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for time synchronization. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, wireless local area network (WLAN) technology has become an indispensable part of people's daily lives. It transmits data through wireless channel resources, providing users with a flexible and convenient way to access the network. However, since a wireless channel has only one collision domain, collisions are inevitable when multiple network nodes attempt to access the network simultaneously.

[0003] Although current carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA / CA) mechanisms have reduced collisions to some extent, the time synchronization problem between the primary optical network equipment and the secondary optical network equipment becomes more severe as the number of user terminals (STAs) increases. If the time of the radio modules of the primary and secondary optical network equipment is not perfectly synchronized, it may lead to data transmission delays or failures, affecting the stability and efficiency of the entire wireless network.

[0004] Therefore, ensuring time synchronization between the wireless modules of the main optical network device and the sub-optical network device is one of the key factors in maintaining an efficient WLAN network. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a time synchronization method and apparatus, which can achieve time synchronization between the wireless modules of the main optical network device and the sub-optical network device, thereby enabling centralized scheduling and resource control of the sub-optical network device and reducing collision problems in the wireless channel.

[0006] Firstly, a time synchronization method is provided, which can be executed by the main optical network device, or by a module (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) of the main optical network device, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the main optical network device.

[0007] The method includes: sending a first message, the first message being used to instruct the wireless communication module in the sub-optical network device to enable first time synchronization; and receiving a second message, the second message being used to indicate whether the first time synchronization has been completed.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, time synchronization between the wireless modules of the main optical network device and the sub-optical network device can be achieved, thereby enabling centralized scheduling and resource control of the sub-optical network device and reducing collision problems in the wireless channel.

[0009] In some implementations, the first message includes a first field, which indicates that the first message is a time synchronization notification message.

[0010] Based on the above scheme, the sub-optical network device can determine that the first message is a time synchronization notification message by using the first field in the first message, thereby determining to enable the first time synchronization.

[0011] In some implementations, the first message further includes at least one of the following fields: a second field, a third field, or a fourth field; wherein the second field is used to indicate wireless network frequency band information, the third field is used to indicate the identifier of the primary optical network device, and the fourth field is used to indicate the identifier of the secondary optical network device.

[0012] In some implementations, the second message includes a fifth field, which indicates that the second message is a time synchronization status report message.

[0013] In some implementations, the second message includes a sixth field, which indicates whether the first time synchronization is complete.

[0014] In some implementations, the second message further includes at least one of the following fields: a seventh field, an eighth field, or a ninth field; wherein the seventh field is used to indicate wireless network frequency band information, the eighth field is used to indicate the identifier of the primary optical network device, and the ninth field is used to indicate the identifier of the secondary optical network device.

[0015] In some implementations, the method further includes receiving a third message indicating that the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device is available.

[0016] In some implementations, the first time synchronization includes a second time synchronization and / or a third time synchronization, wherein the second time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the sub-optical network device and the main optical network device, and the third time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the sub-optical network device and the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device.

[0017] In some implementations, the length of the first field is 2 bytes.

[0018] In some implementations, the second field has a length of 1 byte, the third field has a length of 2 bytes, and the fourth field has a length of 2 bytes.

[0019] In some implementations, the length of the fifth field is 2 bytes.

[0020] In some implementations, the sixth field has a length of 1 byte.

[0021] In some implementations, the seventh field has a length of 1 byte, the eighth field has a length of 2 bytes, and the ninth field has a length of 2 bytes.

[0022] Secondly, a time synchronization method is provided, which can be executed by a sub-optical network device, or by a module (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) of the sub-optical network device, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the sub-optical network device.

[0023] The method includes: receiving a first message, the first message being used to instruct a wireless communication module in a sub-optical network device to enable a first time synchronization; and sending a second message, the second message being used to indicate whether the first time synchronization has been completed.

[0024] In some implementations, the first message includes a first field, which indicates that the first message is a time synchronization notification message.

[0025] In some implementations, the first message further includes at least one of the following fields: a second field, a third field, or a fourth field; wherein the second field is used to indicate wireless network frequency band information, the third field is used to indicate the identifier of the primary optical network device, and the fourth field is used to indicate the identifier of the secondary optical network device.

[0026] In some implementations, the second message includes a fifth field, which indicates that the second message is a time synchronization status report message.

[0027] In some implementations, the second message includes a sixth field, which indicates whether the first time synchronization is complete.

[0028] In some implementations, the second message further includes at least one of the following fields: a seventh field, an eighth field, or a ninth field; wherein the seventh field is used to indicate wireless network frequency band information, the eighth field is used to indicate the identifier of the primary optical network device, and the ninth field is used to indicate the identifier of the secondary optical network device.

[0029] In some implementations, the method further includes sending a third message indicating that the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device is available.

[0030] In some implementations, the first time synchronization includes a second time synchronization and / or a third time synchronization, wherein the second time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the sub-optical network device and the main optical network device, and the third time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the sub-optical network device and the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device.

[0031] In some implementations, the method further includes: performing the second time synchronization; and / or, performing the third time synchronization.

[0032] In some implementations, the length of the first field is 2 bytes.

[0033] In some implementations, the second field has a length of 1 byte, the third field has a length of 2 bytes, and the fourth field has a length of 2 bytes.

[0034] In some implementations, the length of the fifth field is 2 bytes.

[0035] In some implementations, the sixth field has a length of 1 byte.

[0036] In some implementations, the seventh field has a length of 1 byte, the eighth field has a length of 2 bytes, and the ninth field has a length of 2 bytes.

[0037] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which has the function of implementing the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above-described function.

[0038] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, which has the function of implementing the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above-described function.

[0039] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor configured to cause the communication device to execute the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof; or to execute the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the at least one processor is coupled to at least one memory for storing computer programs or instructions, and the at least one processor is configured to call and run the computer program or instructions from the at least one memory, causing the communication device to execute the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof; or to execute the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the at least one processor may be included in the communication device or may be configured outside the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes the at least one memory. Furthermore, the communication device may optionally include a communication interface coupled to the at least one processor, which can be used to input information and / or data to the at least one processor, or to output information and / or data from the at least one processor. As an example, the communication interface may include an input interface and / or an output interface, or an interface circuit, etc.

[0040] Sixthly, a communication device is provided, comprising a communication interface and a circuit. The communication interface is configured to receive a signal to be processed and transmit the signal to the circuit. The circuit is configured to process the signal to perform a method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof; or to perform a method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication interface is further configured to output the signal processed by the circuit. As an example, the communication interface may be a transceiver, hardware circuit, bus, module, pin, or other type of communication interface. The signal includes information and / or data. Optionally, the communication device may be a chip.

[0041] A seventh aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented; or, the method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0042] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising computer program code or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented; or, as in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, the method to be implemented.

[0043] Ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, including the communication device as described in the third aspect and the communication device as described in the fourth aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture to which this application applies.

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture to which this application applies.

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart illustrating a time synchronization method provided in this application.

[0047] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart illustrating a time synchronization method provided in this application.

[0048] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart illustrating another time synchronization method provided in this application.

[0049] Figure 6 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 900 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a chip system 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various passive optical network (PON) systems, such as next-generation PON (NG-PON), NG-PON1, NG-PON2, gigabit-capable PON (GPON), 10 gigabit per second PON (XG-PON), 10-gigabit-capable symmetric passive optical network (XGS-PON), Ethernet PON (EPON), 10 gigabit per second EPON (10G-EPON), next-generation EPON (NG-EPON), wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) PON, time-division wavelength-division multiplexing (TWDM) PON, and point-to-point (P2P) WDM. PON (P2P-WDM PON), Asynchronous Transfer Mode PON (APON), Broadband PON (BPON), and others, including 25 gigabit per second PON (25G-PON), 50 gigabit per second PON (50G-PON), 100 gigabit per second PON (100G-PON), 25 gigabit per second EPON (25G-EPON), 50 gigabit per second EPON (50G-EPON), 100 gigabit per second EPON (100G-EPON), and other rates such as GPON and EPON. It can also be used in optical networks such as optical transport networks (OTN).

[0054] The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios. For example, they support IEEE 802.11 related standards, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and IEEE 802.11ax next-generation Wi-Fi protocols, such as 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Extremely High Throughput (EHT), 802.11ad, 802.11ay, or 802.11bf, as well as 802.11be next-generation and Wi-Fi 8. They can also be applied to wireless personal area network systems based on ultra-wideband (UWB), such as the 802.15 series standards, and to sensing systems, such as the 802.11bf series standards. Among them, the 802.11n standard is called high throughput (HT), the 802.11ac standard is called very high throughput (VHT), the 802.11ax standard is called high efficient (HE), and the 802.11be standard is called extremely high throughput (EHT).

[0055] Although the embodiments of this application are primarily illustrated using the deployment of WLAN networks, particularly those employing the IEEE 802.11 system standard, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the various aspects involved in the embodiments of this application can be extended to other networks employing various standards or protocols, such as high-performance radio local area networks (HIPERLANs), wireless wide area networks (WWANs), wireless personal area networks (WPANs), or other networks now known or developed in the future. Therefore, regardless of the coverage area and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0056] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can also be applied to various communication systems, such as: WLAN communication systems, Wi-Fi systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR) systems, next-generation communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) networks or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks, etc.

[0057] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can also be applied to various point-to-multipoint (P2MP) network architectures. In these architectures, the master device and sub-devices are connected via optical fiber. The master device centrally manages and controls the sub-devices, and both the master device and sub-devices can simultaneously provide independent Wi-Fi access services. The technical solutions of this application embodiment can also be applied to fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) networks. FTTR networks are a typical P2MP architecture, using P2MP digital networking technology and connecting the master device and multiple sub-devices via optical splitters and optical fibers. The master device is connected to multiple sub-devices via optical splitters and optical fibers, and digital signals and protocols are transmitted between the master device and sub-devices. The master device simultaneously transmits digital signals to multiple sub-devices via broadcast in the downlink direction. Each sub-device receives signals from its associated user and transmits digital signals to the master device in a time-division multiplexing manner using time-division multiplexing (TDMA). The master device and sub-devices interact using defined protocols and data frame formats, and the master device centrally manages and controls the sub-devices.

[0058] The communication systems described above that are applicable to this application are merely illustrative examples, and the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited to these. They will be uniformly described here and will not be repeated below.

[0059] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the FTTH system architecture. The optical line terminal (OLT) connects to upper-layer network-side devices (such as switches and routers) and lower-layer devices (such as one or more optical distribution networks (ODNs). The ODN includes passive optical splitters for optical power distribution, a backbone fiber connecting the passive optical splitter and the OLT, and branch fibers connecting the passive optical splitter and optical network units (ONUs). During downlink data transmission, the ODN transmits the downlink data from the OLT to each ONU via the splitter. The ONU selectively receives downlink data carrying its own identifier. During uplink data transmission, the ODN combines the optical signals sent by N ONUs into a single optical signal and transmits it to the OLT. The ONU provides the user-side interface and is connected to the ODN. If the ONU also provides user port functionality, such as an Ethernet user port or a plain old telephone service (POTS) user port, it is called an optical network termination (ONT).

[0060] Building upon FTTH, to address the issue of home Wi-Fi coverage, fiber optic cables can be extended further into residents' rooms. Optical terminal equipment providing Wi-Fi access is installed inside the rooms, thus reducing the distance between the user's terminal and the Wi-Fi access point and improving signal quality. This application scenario is called Fiber to the Room (FTTR).

[0061] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the FTTR system architecture. The FTTR and FTTH networks can be viewed as cascaded PON systems. In FTTH, the OLT is deployed in a central equipment room, and the ONU is deployed in the home's information box. The master device in FTTR can replace the ONU in the FTTH, deployed in the home's information box. This master device has similar functions to the OLT in the FTTH scenario, and also similar functions to the ONU in the FTTH scenario. In other words, the master device in FTTR is a device that combines the functions of both OLT and ONU, acting as a connecting network device between FTTH and FTTR. Sub-devices in FTTR can be deployed in various rooms of the home for connection to user terminals. These sub-devices are essentially similar network devices to the ONU in FTTH. The sub-devices in FTTR enter each room, and this sub-gateway can also function as an access point (AP), directly connecting to user terminals via WiFi.

[0062] It should be understood that multiple sub-devices can be deployed in an FTTR, with each sub-device connected to a corresponding downlink port on the master device. The master device can achieve unified management and configuration of all sub-devices. It should be noted that the master device can also be called the master optical network device, master gateway, master optical modem, or master FTTR device, etc., and the sub-devices can also be called sub-optical network devices, sub-gateways, sub-optical modems, or sub-FTTR devices, etc. This application does not limit their specific names.

[0063] The communication method provided in this application is applicable to communication between a primary optical network device and a secondary optical network device. Specifically, as shown in the example... Figure 2 As shown, the solution of this application is applicable to communication between a primary optical network device and multiple sub-optical network devices (e.g., sub-optical network device 1, sub-optical network device 2, and sub-optical network device 3). Each sub-optical network device can communicate with one or more stations (STAs) (e.g., sub-optical network device 1 communicates with STA1 via Wi-Fi).

[0064] Multiple sub-optical network devices can be managed by the main optical network device. For example, the main optical network device's management of sub-optical network devices includes: issuing configurations, modifying relevant configuration parameters, radio frequency intelligent management, and access security control.

[0065] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, the main optical network device is also referred to as the main fiber unit or main FTTR unit (MFU), WLAN controller, wireless controller, access controller (AC), master node, etc., and the sub-optical network device is also referred to as the sub fiber unit or sub FTTR unit (SFU), access point (AP), slave node, etc. This application does not make any special limitation in this regard.

[0066] Sub-optical network devices can serve as access points for terminals (e.g., mobile phones) to access wired (or wireless) networks. They are primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. They can also be deployed outdoors. Sub-optical network devices connect to the main optical network equipment via optical fiber and can provide WiFi access to non-access point sites. They act as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, primarily connecting various wireless network clients together and then connecting the wireless network to the Ethernet.

[0067] Specifically, the sub-optical network device can be a terminal or network device with a Wi-Fi module. This network device can be a server, router, switch, bridge, computer, relay station, network device in a 5G network, network device in a future communication network, or network device in a public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these. The access point can be a device that supports the Wi-Fi standard. For example, the sub-optical network device can also support one or more standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 protocol family, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, and 802.11ay.

[0068] STAs can access the network via wireless networks (such as Wi-Fi) provided by sub-optical network equipment. STAs can be wireless communication chips, wireless sensors, or wireless communication terminals, and can also be referred to as users, user equipment (UE), access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, terminals, wireless communication equipment, user agents, or user devices. Non-access point sites can be cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, IoT devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, terminal devices in future communication networks, or terminal devices in PLMNs, etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these. STAs can be devices that support WLAN standards. For example, STA can support one or more standards of the IEEE 802.11 protocol family, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, and 802.11ay.

[0069] For example, STAs can be used for mobile phones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs, smart wearable devices, in-vehicle communication devices, computers, Internet of Things (IoT) nodes, sensors, smart home devices such as smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters, and sensors in smart cities.

[0070] The aforementioned main optical network equipment, sub-optical network equipment, or non-access point type sites may include transmitters, receivers, memory, processors, etc., wherein the transmitter and receiver are used for transmitting and receiving packet structures, respectively, the memory is used for storing signaling information and storing pre-agreed preset values, etc., and the processor is used for parsing signaling information and processing related data, etc.

[0071] In Wi-Fi networks, Wi-Fi uses shared wireless channel resources. STAs (Stations) within a Wi-Fi network compete for these resources, inevitably leading to channel collisions. A channel collision occurs when at least two STAs transmit data on the same channel simultaneously. However, as the number of STAs increases, the probability of air interface collisions also increases, resulting in a significant decrease in throughput. Furthermore, because multiple STAs compete for air interface resources simultaneously, high-priority packets cannot be sent in a timely manner, leading to increased latency and even packet loss.

[0072] Based on this, this application discloses a technical solution to enable time synchronization between the main optical network equipment and the sub-optical network equipment in the network, and to enable the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network equipment to synchronize with the main optical network equipment, thereby enabling centralized scheduling and resource control of the sub-optical network equipment.

[0073] By coordinating resource allocation among sub-optical network devices and associated STAs within the network architecture using the main optical network equipment, concurrent total throughput gains or deterministic latency guarantees can be achieved. Compared to traditional service transmission and reception mechanisms, the centralized resource scheduling control mode can not only centrally schedule and coordinate the allocation of power resources to improve the overall network architecture throughput, but also control the transmission and reception of sub-optical network devices. By slicing the time of sub-optical network devices, deterministic throughput and latency guarantees can be achieved.

[0074] Specifically, after the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device synchronizes with the main optical network device, the main optical network device can centrally schedule resources to enable multiple sub-optical network devices to work together and transmit data concurrently, thereby improving the throughput of the overall network architecture.

[0075] Specifically, after the wireless communication modules of the sub-optical network devices synchronize with the main optical network devices, the main optical network devices can centrally schedule the sub-optical network devices from a time perspective. By slicing the time between the sub-optical network devices, the scheduling between them can be switched from random air interface scheduling to deterministic air interface scheduling, making reasonable use of air interface resources and achieving deterministic guarantee of throughput latency.

[0076] Furthermore, the main optical network equipment can also slice the transmission time of STAs associated with different sub-optical network equipment through a centralized algorithm to achieve deterministic latency of STAs within the network.

[0077] In the network architecture, in addition to the need for time synchronization between the main optical network equipment and the sub-optical network equipment, the optical link module and wireless communication module in the sub-optical network equipment also need to be synchronized in time.

[0078] It should be understood that the primary optical network device can be networked with multiple secondary optical network devices, and the primary optical network device can achieve time synchronization with each secondary optical network device through the technical solution of this application. This application does not impose a special limitation on the number of secondary optical network devices in the network architecture. For ease of description, this application uses the time synchronization between the primary optical network device and one secondary optical network device as an example.

[0079] For ease of understanding and explanation, the communication method of this application embodiment is described below using the interaction between the main optical network device and the sub-optical network device as an example. However, this should not constitute any limitation on the execution subject of the sensing method of this application embodiment. For example, the method executed by the main optical network device can also be executed by a module (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) of the main optical network device, or by a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the main optical network device. Similarly, the method executed by the sub-optical network device can also be executed by a module (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) of the sub-optical network device, or by a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the sub-optical network device.

[0080] For ease of description, the following text will use the term MFU (Master Optical Unit) for the primary optical network device and SFU (Sub-Optical Unit) for the secondary optical network device. It should be understood that "MFU" can be replaced with "primary optical network device" and "SFU" with "sub-optical network device".

[0081] Figure 3 An embodiment of this application illustrates a time synchronization method 300, which may include the following steps:

[0082] S310, the MFU sends a first message to the SFU, which is used to instruct the wireless communication module in the SFU to enable the first time synchronization.

[0083] The first time synchronization may include time synchronization between the wireless communication modules in the MFU and SFU.

[0084] Optionally, the first time synchronization includes a second time synchronization and / or a third time synchronization, wherein the second time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the SFU and the optical communication module of the MFU (which can be considered as the time synchronization of PON), and the third time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the SFU and the wireless communication module of the SFU (which can be considered as the time synchronization between PON and wireless network).

[0085] It should be understood that the wireless communication module in the SFU is used to realize wireless LAN access (such as WiFi access) or wireless data transmission functions, and the optical communication module in the SFU is used to realize fiber optic network access (such as MFU access) or fiber optic communication transmission functions.

[0086] Optionally, the MFU sends this first message to all online SFUs, instructing all SFUs to synchronize the time between their wireless communication modules and the MFU.

[0087] Optionally, the first message is a Time Sync Notify message.

[0088] The first message includes a first field, which indicates that the message type of the first message is a TimeSync Notify message. Optionally, the length of the first field is 2 bytes.

[0089] Optionally, the first message may also include at least one of the following fields: a second field, a third field, or a fourth field.

[0090] The second field indicates the wireless network frequency band information, the third field indicates the MFU's identifier (ID), and the fourth field indicates the SFU's identifier. Optionally, the wireless network frequency band information refers to the frequency band of the wireless network provided by the SFU's wireless communication module, such as the frequency band of the WiFi network provided by the SFU's wireless communication module.

[0091] For example, Table 1 is a representation of a first message format.

[0092] Table 1

[0093] Field Name Field length (bytes) illustrate msgType 2 Time synchronization notification message radio 1 Wireless network frequency band information mfuId 2 MFU ID sfuId 2 SFU ID

[0094] The "radio" field is a specific implementation of the second field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the length of the "radio" field is 1 byte.

[0095] The `mfuId` field is a specific implementation of the third field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the length of the `mfuId` field is 2 bytes.

[0096] The sfuId field is a specific implementation of the fourth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the sfuId field has a length of 2 bytes.

[0097] It should be understood that Table 1 is merely an example of a first message format, and any message format that can indicate the aforementioned wireless network frequency band information, MFU identifier, or SFU identifier can be used as the first message format. This application does not impose any special limitations on the format of the first message.

[0098] Optionally, the first message also includes a first-time synchronization indication field, which indicates whether the SFU enables first-time synchronization. Optionally, when the value of this indication field is 0, it indicates that the SFU does not enable first-time synchronization; when the value of this indication field is 1, it indicates that the SFU enables first-time synchronization; and vice versa. Optionally, this indication field is shown in Table 2.

[0099] Table 2

[0100]

[0101] S320 and SFU perform synchronization immediately.

[0102] To achieve the first time synchronization between the SFU's wireless communication module and the MFU, the second time synchronization between the SFU's optical communication module and the MFU can be achieved first. Then, the wireless communication module in the SFU can achieve the third time synchronization with the optical communication module in the SFU, thereby realizing the time synchronization between the SFU's wireless communication module and the MFU.

[0103] Below are some examples of achieving real-time synchronization.

[0104] Method 1

[0105] First, frequency synchronization is achieved between the SFU's optical communication module and the MFU. The SFU's optical communication module includes a clock recovery module, which generates a clock signal 1 synchronized with the PON network. The SFU's clock module achieves frequency synchronization with the MFU through the clock signal 1 output by the clock recovery module.

[0106] Secondly, time synchronization is achieved between the SFU's optical communication module and the MFU. Based on the ITU-T G.983.3 protocol, the SFU's optical communication module and the MFU achieve time synchronization through Optical Network Unit Management and Control Interface (OMCI) messages.

[0107] Secondly, time synchronization between the optical communication module and the wireless communication module in the SFU is achieved. The clock recovery module of the SFU's optical communication module is also used to send clock signal 2 to the wireless communication module, and the clock module of the optical communication module is also used to send clock signal 3 to the wireless communication module. The optical communication module and the wireless communication module of the SFU are connected via hardware. The SFU calculates the time of the next pulse of clock signal 3 based on the interrupt generated by the pulse of clock signal 3, and refreshes this timestamp to the wireless communication module.

[0108] Based on the above scheme, the SFU's wireless communication module and the MFU in the architecture system have achieved time synchronization.

[0109] Method 2

[0110] First, frequency synchronization is achieved between the SFU's optical communication module, wireless communication module, and MFU. The SFU's optical communication module includes a clock recovery module, which generates clock signal 1 synchronized with the PON network. The SFU's clock module uses clock signal 1 output from the clock recovery module to achieve frequency synchronization with the MFU. The clock recovery module in the SFU also sends clock signal 4 to the logic module, which generates the operating frequencies of the optical and wireless communication modules, thereby achieving frequency synchronization between the SFU's optical communication module, wireless communication module, and MFU.

[0111] Secondly, time synchronization is achieved between the SFU's optical communication module and the MFU. Based on the ITU-T G.983.3 protocol, the SFU's optical communication module and the MFU achieve time synchronization through OMCI messages.

[0112] Secondly, time synchronization between the optical communication module and the wireless communication module in the SFU is achieved. Since the optical communication module and the wireless communication module are from the same source (i.e., they share the same frequency), high-precision clock synchronization can be achieved between them using low-frequency signals. The optical communication module of the SFU sends clock signal 3 to the wireless communication module through its clock module. The SFU uses the interrupt generated by the pulse of clock signal 3 to calculate the time of the next pulse of clock signal 3 and updates this timestamp to the wireless communication module.

[0113] Based on the above scheme, the SFU's wireless communication module and the MFU in the architecture system have achieved time synchronization.

[0114] It should be understood that there are other ways to achieve real-time synchronization, which will not be elaborated here.

[0115] In summary, this describes how, in a fiber optic architecture, the optical communication modules of the MFU and SFU achieve time synchronization via the ITU-T G.983.3 protocol. After the SFU's optical communication module achieves time synchronization with the MFU, the wireless communication module and optical communication module within the SFU achieve time synchronization via periodic signals.

[0116] S330, SFU sends a second message to MFU, which is used to indicate whether the first synchronization is complete.

[0117] Optionally, the message type of the second message is a Time Sync Status report message.

[0118] The second message includes a fifth field and / or a sixth field. The fifth field indicates that the message type of the second message is a Time Sync Status report message, and the sixth field indicates whether the first time synchronization is complete. Optionally, the fifth field has a length of 2 bytes. Optionally, the sixth field has a length of 1 byte.

[0119] Optionally, the second message may also include at least one of the following fields: field seven, field eight, or field nine.

[0120] The seventh field indicates the wireless network frequency band information, the eighth field indicates the MFU identifier, and the ninth field indicates the SFU identifier.

[0121] For example, Table 3 shows a representation of a second message format.

[0122] Table 3

[0123] Field Name Field length (bytes) illustrate msgType 2 Time synchronization status report message radio 1 Frequency band information mfuId 2 MFU ID sfuId 2 SFU ID syncStatus 1 Has synchronization been completed?

[0124] The "radio" field is one specific implementation of the seventh field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the length of the "radio" field is 1 byte.

[0125] The `mfuId` field is a specific implementation of the eighth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the length of the `mfuId` field is 2 bytes.

[0126] The sfuId field is a specific implementation of the ninth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the sfuId field has a length of 2 bytes.

[0127] The `syncStatus` field is a specific implementation of the sixth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the length of the `syncStatus` field is 1 byte.

[0128] It should be understood that Table 2 is merely an example of a second message format. Any message format that can indicate the aforementioned wireless network frequency band information, the identifier of the MFU, the identifier of the SFU, or whether the first-time synchronization is complete can be used as the format of the second message. This application does not impose any special limitations on the format of the second message.

[0129] It should be understood that if the second message indicates that the first time synchronization has been completed, then the MFU determines that the first time synchronization has been completed.

[0130] Alternatively, if the second message indicates that the first synchronization has not been completed, the MFU can resend the first message to re-trigger the first synchronization.

[0131] Optionally, before step S310, the following step S340 may also be included.

[0132] S340, the SFU sends a third message to the MFU, which indicates that the SFU's wireless communication module is available.

[0133] Figure 4 This application illustrates a time synchronization method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Method 400 can be considered as another way of describing method 300. The terms or concepts in method 400 can be referred to the description in method 300. The method may include the following steps:

[0134] S410, MFU sends a first message to SFU, which indicates whether the first feature is enabled.

[0135] It should be understood that the MFU uses this first message to configure whether the SFU enables the first feature.

[0136] Optionally, the first characteristic is first-time synchronization, and the relevant description of first-time synchronization can be found in method 300.

[0137] Optionally, the description of the first message can be referred to step S310 in method 300.

[0138] S320, SFU performs the configuration of the first feature.

[0139] Optionally, when the first message indicates that first-time synchronization is enabled, SFU configures first-time synchronization, for example, enabling or disabling first-time synchronization.

[0140] The first time synchronization enabled by the SFU may include the third time synchronization between the wireless communication module and the optical communication module in the SFU; or it may include the second time synchronization between the optical communication module of the SFU and the MFU and the third time synchronization between the wireless communication module and the optical communication module in the SFU.

[0141] The method for SFU to complete the first-time synchronization can be found in step S320 of method 300.

[0142] S330, SFU sends a second message to MFU, which indicates the configuration result of the first feature.

[0143] Optionally, when the first message indicates that the first time synchronization is enabled / disabled, the second message is used to indicate whether the configuration of the first time synchronization has taken effect or has been completed.

[0144] Optionally, the description of the second message can be referred to step S330 in method 300.

[0145] This application also provides a time synchronization method 500, such as... Figure 5 As shown, this method is used to send an alarm to the MFU when the wireless communication module of the SFU is in an abnormal or out-of-synchronization state. Optionally, this method 500 can be executed after method 300 is completed, and this application does not limit this. All terms and concepts in this method 500 can be referred to the description in method 300. This method 500 may include the following steps:

[0146] S510, when the SFU determines that the wireless communication module has switched from time synchronization state to desynchronization or abnormal state, it sends a fifth message to the MFU. The fifth message is used to indicate that the SFU's wireless communication module is in a desynchronization or abnormal state.

[0147] Among them, the wireless communication module of SFU is out of sync or in an abnormal state, including: the second time synchronization and / or the third time synchronization is in an abnormal or out-of-sync state.

[0148] Optionally, after completing the initial synchronization, the SFU can check the status of the wireless communication module.

[0149] For example, the SFU can detect or periodically check the time synchronization status of the wireless communication module. When it detects that the second and / or third time synchronization status is abnormal or out of sync, it sends a warning to the MFU by sending a fifth message.

[0150] Optionally, the fifth message type is a Time Sync Alarm report message.

[0151] Optionally, the fifth message includes a tenth field and / or an eleventh field, where the tenth field indicates a second time synchronization error or loss of synchronization, and the eleventh field indicates a third time synchronization error or loss of synchronization. Optionally, the tenth field has a length of 1 byte. Optionally, the eleventh field has a length of 1 byte.

[0152] Optionally, the fifth message may also include at least one of the following fields: field 12, field 13, or field 14.

[0153] The twelfth field indicates the wireless network frequency band information, the thirteenth field indicates the MFU identifier, and the fourteenth field indicates the SFU identifier. Optionally, the twelfth field can be 1 byte long. Optionally, the thirteenth field can be 2 bytes long. Optionally, the fourteenth field can be 2 bytes long.

[0154] For example, Table 4 is a representation of a first message format.

[0155] Table 4

[0156] Field Name Field length (bytes) illustrate radio 1 Frequency band information mfuId 2 MFU ID sfuId 2 SFU ID ponSyncStatus 1 PON time synchronization alarm status Wi-FiSyncStatus 1 Wi-Fi time synchronization alarm status

[0157] The "radio" field is a specific implementation of the twelfth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the length of the "radio" field is 1 byte.

[0158] The `mfuId` field is a specific implementation of the thirteenth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the length of the `mfuId` field is 2 bytes.

[0159] The sfuId field is a specific implementation of the fourteenth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the sfuId field has a length of 2 bytes.

[0160] The ponSyncStatus field is a specific implementation of the ninth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the length of the ponSyncStatus field is 1 byte.

[0161] The Wi-FiSyncStatus field is one specific implementation of the tenth field in this application, and the application does not impose any special restrictions on the field name. Optionally, the Wi-FiSyncStatus field has a length of 1 byte.

[0162] S520 (optional step): After the MFU receives the fifth message, it re-triggers the SFU to enable first-time synchronization.

[0163] Specifically, the MFU can send the first message to the SFU. For details on how to enable first-time synchronization, please refer to method 300, which will not be elaborated here.

[0164] This application also provides a time synchronization method for determining the conditions under which the MFU triggers the SFU to enable first time synchronization.

[0165] It should be understood that when the MFU sends the first message to the SFU, it triggers the SFU to perform the first synchronization.

[0166] Optionally, the MFU will trigger the SFU to perform the first synchronization only when certain conditions are met.

[0167] For example, when a first condition is met, the MFU sends a first message to the SFU, wherein the first condition includes at least one of the following conditions:

[0168] The first condition includes at least one of the following conditions:

[0169] When the SFU goes online, it receives an alarm message indicating that the wireless communication module is out of sync or malfunctioning. It detects that the service being processed by the wireless communication module needs time synchronization, or that a switch in the passive optical network (PON) protocol mode has occurred.

[0170] SFU going online includes first-time going online or re-going online. For example, when MFU detects or determines that SFU is going online for the first time or re-going online, in order to facilitate centralized resource scheduling, MFU can be triggered to send the first message to SFU, thereby triggering SFU to start first-time synchronization.

[0171] When an alarm message indicating that the wireless communication module has lost synchronization or is abnormal is received, for example, when the MFU receives the fifth message in method 400, it can trigger the MFU to send the first message to the SFU, thereby triggering the SFU to enable the first time synchronization.

[0172] When it is detected that the service being processed by the wireless communication module requires time synchronization, for example, when it is detected or determined that the current wireless communication module is performing a low-latency or high-throughput service, the MFU can be triggered to send a first message to the SFU, thereby triggering the SFU to enable the first time synchronization.

[0173] When the MFU detects a switch in the PON protocol mode of the passive optical network, it can send a first message to the SFU, thereby triggering the SFU to enable first-time synchronization.

[0174] Optionally, the MFU can periodically send the first message to the SFU, and this sending period can be pre-configured.

[0175] Figure 6This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 900 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0176] The device 900 includes an optical communication module 901, which can be used to realize access to an optical fiber network or optical fiber communication transmission functions, as well as corresponding control functions. The optical communication module 901 can also be referred to as a control unit, main unit, main chip, etc.

[0177] The device 900 also includes a wireless communication module 902, which can be used to implement the corresponding functions of transmitting and receiving data on a wireless channel. The wireless communication module 902 can also be referred to as a wireless unit, Wi-Fi module, Wi-Fi unit, Wi-Fi chip, etc.

[0178] By way of example and not limitation, the device 900 can be used to perform the actions performed by the sub-optical communication device in the above embodiments, in which case the device 900 can be a component of the sub-optical communication device.

[0179] Optionally, the communication device 900 can be a device that includes a sub-optical communication device. Alternatively, the device 900 can be a component configured in the sub-optical communication device, such as a chip in a slave node. In this case, the optical communication module 901 and the wireless communication module 902 can be interface circuits, pins, etc. Specifically, the interface circuit can include input circuits and output circuits, wherein the wireless communication module 902 can include input circuits and output circuits, and the optical communication module 901 can include processing circuits.

[0180] It should be understood that the specific process of each module performing the above-mentioned steps has been described in detail in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0181] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in this application. Figure 7 The communication device 1000 includes a processing module 1001 and a communication module 1002. The communication device 1000 can be a communication equipment, or a device applied to a communication equipment and capable of realizing the corresponding functions of the communication equipment, such as a chip, processor, or circuit. For example, the communication equipment can be a main optical network device or a sub-optical network device in the method embodiment.

[0182] The communication module can also be a transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver unit, or transceiver device. The processing module can also be a processor, processing board, processing unit, or processing device. Optionally, the communication module is used to execute the transmit or receive operations of the main optical network device or the sub-optical network device in any of the method embodiments. The device in the communication module that implements the receiving function can be considered a receiving unit, and the device in the communication module that implements the transmitting function can be considered a transmitting unit; that is, the communication module includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The processing module is used to execute the internal implementation-related operations / processing of the main optical network device or the sub-optical network device in any of the method embodiments. The specific operations of each module can be found in the descriptions in the method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0183] Alternatively, the communication module and / or processing module can be implemented as virtual modules. For example, the processing module can be implemented as a software functional unit or a virtual device, and the communication module can be implemented as a software function or a virtual device. Alternatively, the processing module or communication module can also be implemented as a physical device. For example, the communication device can be a chip, such as a system-on-chip (SoC), hardware circuitry, etc. The communication module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operation) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operation); the processing module can be an integrated circuit or logic circuit, etc.

[0184] The module division in this application is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods are possible. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various examples of this application can be integrated into one module, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware, as software functional modules, or as a combination of hardware and software functional modules; no limitation is imposed.

[0185] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a chip system 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0186] The chip system 1100 includes a processor 1101, as shown in the figure. The chip system 1100 may also include at least one memory 1102 for storing computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 1102 is coupled to the processor 1101, and the processor 1101 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions and / or data stored in the memory 1102, so that the embodiments described above are executed.

[0187] The coupling in the embodiments of this application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, and is used for information interaction between devices, units, or modules.

[0188] Processor 1101 may operate in conjunction with memory 1102. At least one of memory 1102 may be included in processor 1101.

[0189] Optionally, the chip system 1100 may include one or more processors 1101.

[0190] Alternatively, the memory 1102 may be integrated with the processor 1101 or set separately.

[0191] The chip system 1100 may further include a transceiver 1103 for forwarding service messages through a transmission medium and other devices, thereby enabling the chip system to communicate with other devices. Optionally, the transceiver 1103 may be an interface, a bus, a circuit, or a device capable of transmitting and receiving functions.

[0192] Optionally, the device in transceiver 1103 used to implement the receiving function can be regarded as a receiving module, and the device in transceiver 1103 used to implement the transmitting function can be regarded as a transmitting module. That is, transceiver 1103 includes a receiver and a transmitter.

[0193] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the processor 1101, memory 1102, and transceiver 1103. In this application embodiment, the processor 1101, memory 1102, and transceiver 1103 are connected via a bus 1104, which is represented by a thick line in the figure. The connection methods between other components are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc.

[0194] It should be understood that, for ease of representation, only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0195] Optionally, as shown in the figure, the chip system 1100 may further include a transceiver 1103 and / or a communication interface, which are used for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, the processor 1101 is used to control the transceiver 1103 and / or the communication interface to receive and / or transmit data.

[0196] A transceiver is sometimes also called a transceiver unit, transceiver module, or transceiver circuit. A receiver is sometimes also called a receiver unit, receiver module, or receiver circuit. A transmitter is sometimes also called a transmitter, transmitter module, or transmitter circuit.

[0197] For example, in some embodiments, processor 1101 is configured for other operations or functions of the sub-device or the sub-device's chip. Transceiver 1103 is used to implement the forwarding of service messages between the means for forwarding service messages and the master device or the site associated with the sub-device.

[0198] In other embodiments, processor 1101 is configured for other operations or functions of the master device or the master device's chip. Transceiver 1103 is used to implement the forwarding of service messages between the means for forwarding service messages and the sub-device or the site associated with the master device.

[0199] One or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of both. When any of the above modules or units is implemented by software, the software exists as computer program instructions and is stored in memory. The processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow. The processor can include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or an artificial intelligence processor, etc., and various computing devices that run software. Each computing device may include one or more cores for executing software instructions to perform calculations or processing. The processor can be built into a SoC (System-on-a-Chip) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or it can be a separate semiconductor chip. In addition to the cores for executing software instructions to perform calculations or processing, the processor may further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), PLDs (programmable logic devices), or logic circuits that implement dedicated logic operations.

[0200] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of CPU, microprocessor, DSP, MCU, artificial intelligence processor, ASIC, SoC, FPGA, PLD, special purpose digital circuit, hardware accelerator or non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or perform the above method flow independently of software.

[0201] When the above modules or units are implemented using software, they can be implemented in whole or in part as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0202] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made on the basis of the technical solution of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0203] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the master node and slave node described in the above embodiments.

[0204] As used in this specification, the terms "component," "module," "system," etc., are used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. As illustrated, applications running on computing devices and computing devices can both be components. One or more components may reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and components may be located on a single computer and / or distributed among two or more computers. Furthermore, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media on which various data structures are stored. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0205] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0206] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0207] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0208] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0209] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0210] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0211] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A time synchronization method, characterized in that, Applied to a fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) network, the FTTR network including a main optical network device and a sub-optical network device, the method is performed by the main optical network device and includes: Send a first message, which is used to instruct the wireless communication module in the sub-optical network device to enable first-time synchronization; A second message is received, which indicates whether the first time synchronization is complete.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first message includes a first field, which is used to indicate that the first message is a time synchronization notification message.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first message also includes at least one of the following fields: a second field, a third field, or a fourth field; The second field is used to indicate the wireless network frequency band information, the third field is used to indicate the identifier of the main optical network device, and the fourth field is used to indicate the identifier of the sub-optical network device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The second message includes a fifth field, which indicates that the second message is a time synchronization status report message.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The second message includes a sixth field, which indicates whether the first time synchronization is complete.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The second message also includes at least one of the following fields: field seven, field eight, or field nine; The seventh field is used to indicate the wireless network frequency band information, the eighth field is used to indicate the identifier of the main optical network device, and the ninth field is used to indicate the identifier of the sub-optical network device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: A third message is received, which indicates that the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device is available.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first time synchronization includes a second time synchronization and / or a third time synchronization, wherein the second time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the sub-optical network device and the optical communication module of the main optical network device, and the third time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the sub-optical network device and the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device.

9. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The length of the first field is 2 bytes.

10. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second field has a length of 1 byte, the third field has a length of 2 bytes, and the fourth field has a length of 2 bytes.

11. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The length of the fifth field is 2 bytes.

12. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The length of the sixth field is 1 byte.

13. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The seventh field has a length of 1 byte, the eighth field has a length of 2 bytes, and the ninth field has a length of 2 bytes.

14. A method for time synchronization, characterized in that, Applied to a fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) network, the FTTR network including a primary optical network device and a secondary optical network device, the method is performed by the secondary optical network device and includes: Receive a first message, the first message being used to instruct the wireless communication module in the sub-optical network device to enable first-time synchronization; A second message is sent, which indicates whether the first time synchronization is complete.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first message includes a first field, which is used to indicate that the first message is a time synchronization notification message.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first message also includes at least one of the following fields: a second field, a third field, or a fourth field; The second field is used to indicate the wireless network frequency band information, the third field is used to indicate the identifier of the main optical network device, and the fourth field is used to indicate the identifier of the sub-optical network device.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that, The second message includes a fifth field, which indicates that the second message is a time synchronization status report message.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that, The second message includes a sixth field, which indicates whether the first time synchronization is complete.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The second message also includes at least one of the following fields: field seven, field eight, or field nine; The seventh field is used to indicate the wireless network frequency band information, the eighth field is used to indicate the identifier of the main optical network device, and the ninth field is used to indicate the identifier of the sub-optical network device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: A third message is sent, which indicates that the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device is available.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that, The first time synchronization includes a second time synchronization and / or a third time synchronization, wherein the second time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the sub-optical network device and the main optical network device, and the third time synchronization is the time synchronization between the optical communication module of the sub-optical network device and the wireless communication module of the sub-optical network device.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The method further includes: Perform the second time synchronization; and / or, Perform the third time synchronization.

23. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The length of the first field is 2 bytes.

24. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The second field has a length of 1 byte, the third field has a length of 2 bytes, and the fourth field has a length of 2 bytes.

25. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The length of the fifth field is 2 bytes.

26. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The length of the sixth field is 1 byte.

27. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The seventh field has a length of 1 byte, the eighth field has a length of 2 bytes, and the ninth field has a length of 2 bytes.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 13 to be executed; or to cause the method of any one of claims 14 to 27 to be executed.

29. A chip, characterized in that, The device includes a circuit and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive a signal or information to be processed and to send the signal or information to be processed to the circuit; the circuit is used to process the received signal or information so that the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13 is executed; or, so that the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 27 is executed.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13; or to perform the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 27.

31. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, or the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 27.

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