Patents by Inventor Tonghua Zhang

Tonghua Zhang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9106352
    Abstract: A data network node is configured for operation as a time-transfer boundary clock, and has at least one time-transfer slave network interface and several time-transfer master interfaces, all configured for operation according to a time-transfer protocol. The data network node also includes a clock source interface configured for connection to a synchronous clock source supplied from a remote node, as well as a real-time clock (RTC) circuit. The RTC circuit supplies time-of-day data for time-transfer messages sent via the second network port and selectively operates in a first mode, wherein the RTC frequency is driven by a clock signal from the clock source interface, a second mode, wherein the RTC frequency is driven by a clock signal derived from time-transfer messages received by the time-transfer slave interface, and a third mode, wherein the RTC frequency is driven by a local clock signal from local clock source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Qun Zheng, Thomas Geyer, Tonghua Zhang
  • Patent number: 8995473
    Abstract: Clock phase errors are detected and adjusted in a network with loop back connections for clock signals. In one embodiment, a method is performed in a ring network with slave clock nodes. A timing packet is sent from the master clock node to a first slave clock node of the ring. A timing packet is received from a last slave clock node of the ring. A phase alignment offset is determined by comparing a recovered time from the received timing packet with the time of the master clock node local clock and a phase correction value is determined for the slave clock nodes based on the determined phase alignment offset. A phase correction packet including the phase correction value is then sent from the master clock node to at least one of the slave clock nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventors: Qun Zheng, Thomas Geyer, Tonghua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20130279525
    Abstract: Clock phase errors are detected and adjusted in a network with loop back connections for clock signals. In one embodiment, a method is performed in a ring network with slave clock nodes. A timing packet is sent from the master clock node to a first slave clock node of the ring. A timing packet is received from a last slave clock node of the ring. A phase alignment offset is determined by comparing a recovered time from the received timing packet with the time of the master clock node local clock and a phase correction value is determined for the slave clock nodes based on the determined phase alignment offset. A phase correction packet including the phase correction value is then sent from the master clock node to at least one of the slave clock nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Qun Zheng, Thomas Geyer, Tonghua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20130227172
    Abstract: A data network node is configured for operation as a time-transfer boundary clock, and has at least one time-transfer slave network interface and several time-transfer master interfaces, all configured for operation according to a time-transfer protocol. The data network node also includes a clock source interface configured for connection to a synchronous clock source supplied from a remote node, as well as a real-time clock (RTC) circuit. The RTC circuit supplies time-of-day data for time-transfer messages sent via the second network port and selectively operates in a first mode, wherein the RTC frequency is driven by a clock signal from the clock source interface, a second mode, wherein the RTC frequency is driven by a clock signal derived from time-transfer messages received by the time-transfer slave interface, and a third mode, wherein the RTC frequency is driven by a local clock signal from local clock source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Qun Zheng, Thomas Geyer, Tonghua Zhang