Communication Device Synchronization Error Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication devices in mobile communication systems face communication failures due to synchronization errors in clock time information, particularly when GNSS signals are unavailable, leading to mismatches in communication channels during time zone switches.
Innovation Solution
A communication device with a time holder, synchronization information acquirer, time amender, time zone determiner, channel switching section, transmission processor, error assessor, and transmission prohibition-time adjuster, which assesses and adjusts the transmission prohibition duration time based on synchronization errors to ensure accurate channel switching and reduce communication failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed guard interval is used to prevent communication failures during time zone switching, then communication reliability is improved, but communication efficiency deteriorates due to excessive transmission prohibition time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the guard interval duration variable rather than fixed. The transmission prohibition time is dynamically adjusted based on the assessed synchronization error amount. When synchronization error is small, a shorter guard interval is used; when synchronization error is large, a longer guard interval is applied. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by optimizing both reliability and efficiency according to actual synchronization conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of guard interval duration based on synchronization error assessment. The error assessor section evaluates the clock time error, and the transmission prohibition-time adjuster section modifies the guard interval parameter accordingly. This parameter change approach allows the system to adapt the transmission prohibition time to actual synchronization conditions, preventing both communication failures and unnecessary efficiency loss.
2Measurement precision
If synchronization accuracy is improved using PPS signal from GNSS receiver, then clock time error is reduced, but device complexity increases and adaptability decreases when GNSS signals are unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (error assessor section and transmission prohibition-time adjuster section) that mediates between synchronization quality and communication reliability. Instead of directly depending on high-accuracy PPS signals, the system assesses the actual synchronization error and adjusts the guard interval accordingly. This intermediary approach allows the system to maintain communication reliability even with lower-accuracy synchronization sources like TA frames, reducing device complexity and improving adaptability to environments where GNSS signals are unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the communication device to self-assess its synchronization quality and self-adjust the guard interval parameter accordingly. The error assessor section evaluates the clock time error using available synchronization information, and the transmission prohibition-time adjuster section automatically modifies the transmission prohibition time. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex external synchronization infrastructure, allowing the system to adapt to various environments including those without GNSS signals.
3Reliability
If transmission prohibition time is extended to cover larger synchronization errors, then communication reliability is improved, but time utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the guard interval parameter dynamically based on assessed synchronization error. Instead of using a uniformly extended transmission prohibition time, the system adjusts the parameter according to actual error conditions. When synchronization error is small, a shorter guard interval is applied to maximize time utilization; when error is large, a longer guard interval is used to ensure reliability. This parameter change strategy resolves the contradiction by optimizing the balance between reliability and time utilization based on real-time synchronization quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication device includes: a time zone determiner section that identifies a switching point of time of communication time zones based on a clock time and determines whether the communication time zones are switched based on the clock time and the switching point of time; a channel switch section that designates a communication-target channel by switching the communication time zones at the identified switching point of time; a transmission processor section that performs a data transmission using the communication-target channel designated, and prohibits data transmission from being performed for a predetermined transmission prohibition duration time before and after the switching point of time; an error assessor section that assesses an error amount that is a degree of an error of the clock time against the reference clock time; and a transmission prohibition-time adjuster section that increases the transmission prohibition duration time as the error amount increases.