Mobile Station Time Synchronization for Direct Terminal Links

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems face challenges in achieving consistent propagation delays in terminal-to-terminal communication within 5GS networks, particularly when terminal devices directly communicate without a base station, making it difficult to maintain strict time synchronization required for coordinated operations of industrial instruments.

Innovation Solution

A mobile station operates as a master mobile station that manages terminal-to-terminal communication, utilizing a scheduler unit to allocate radio resources and a time synchronization unit to adjust for changes in transmission delays, ensuring synchronized control information delivery through mechanisms like adjusting transmission timing or buffer adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If terminal devices directly communicate with each other without a base station, then communication flexibility and device autonomy are improved, but propagation delay consistency and time synchronization control deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication flexibilityVSAvoidtime synchronization consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a scheduler function unit as an intermediary component within the base station that mediates radio resource allocation for terminal-to-terminal communication. Although terminals communicate directly, the scheduler acts as a mediator to allocate time-frequency resources and control transmission timing, thereby maintaining propagation delay consistency while preserving communication flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The scheduler function unit performs preliminary action by pre-allocating radio resources and determining transmission timing before actual terminal-to-terminal communication occurs. This advance resource allocation ensures that propagation delays are controlled and predictable, enabling time synchronization even when terminals communicate autonomously without base station involvement during the actual data transfer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If radio resources are allocated between terminal devices directly, then device autonomy and communication efficiency are improved, but propagation delay control and virtual TSN bridge functionality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidpropagation delay consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The scheduler function unit serves as an intermediary that maintains virtual TSN bridge functionality by controlling radio resource allocation. It ensures propagation delay consistency by coordinating transmission timing across different terminal pairs, thereby enabling the 5GS network to function as a virtual TSN bridge even when terminals autonomously manage their communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The scheduler function unit performs multiple functions: it allocates radio resources for efficient terminal-to-terminal communication while simultaneously ensuring propagation delay consistency for time-sensitive applications. This multi-functionality allows the same mechanism to support both communication efficiency and time synchronization requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If the scheduler function unit is not involved in terminal-to-terminal communication resource allocation, then device independence and communication simplicity are improved, but time synchronization control and virtual TSN bridge capability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication simplicityVSAvoidtime synchronization control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The scheduler function unit acts as a lightweight intermediary that maintains time synchronization control without complicating terminal-to-terminal communication. Terminals continue to communicate directly with minimal base station involvement, while the scheduler periodically allocates resources and adjusts timing to maintain synchronization, preserving both simplicity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260059281A1Mobile station, time synchronization control device, cooperative operation control device, and communication system

Publication Date: 2026.02.26 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP

AI summary

A mobile station operates as a master mobile station that, in a network that includes a plurality of mobile stations capable of terminal-to-terminal communication, transmits control information by the terminal-to-terminal communication, the control information being generated by a cooperative operation control device that controls a device to be controlled in consideration of a transmission delay time in an information transmission path, and includes: a scheduler unit that determines and changes a radio resource to be used in the terminal-to-terminal communication with a remote mobile station to which the device to be controlled is connected; and a time synchronization unit that checks whether a temporal position of the radio resource has been changed, and notifies a time synchronization control unit, that calculates the transmission delay time, of a change amount of the temporal position in a case where the temporal position has been changed.