Method and apparatus for wireless network timekeeping and synchronization

1. A method for updating timing information in a wireless communication network of base stations, where each base station maintains timing information, comprising:

receiving, at at least one mobile unit in an area serviced by a base station,

the timing information maintained by the respective base station; and

signal data containing accurate timing information, from a source other than a base station;

deriving accurate timing information from the signal data received at the mobile unit;

for each mobile unit, creating an association comprising the accurate timing information and the timing information received from the base station; and

in response to the association, updating the timing information maintained by at least one base station.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing at least a portion of the association to at least one base station in the wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 2 , providing at least a portion of the association to a plurality of base stations in the wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 1 , where receiving signal data comprises receiving global positioning satellite signal data.

5. The method of claim 4 , where receiving global positioning satellite signal data comprises receiving the data via a global positioning satellite antenna or a wireless communications antenna.

6. The method of claim 4 , deriving accurate timing information from the signal data comprises deriving the information from the signal data, at the mobile unit.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising

identifying the base station providing timing information;

forwarding the identity of the base station, the timing information received from the base station, and the accurate timing information derived from the signal data, to a central authority; and

creating the association at the central network authority, where the association further comprises the identity of the base station.

8. The method of claim 4 , where deriving accurate timing information from the signal data comprises deriving the information from the signal data, at a central network authority.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising

identifying the base station providing timing information;

forwarding the identity of the base station, the timing information received from the base station, and the signal data, to the central authority; and

creating the association at the central network authority, where the association further comprises the identity of the base station.

10. The method of claim 1 , where

creating an association comprises creating an association at the mobile unit; and

further comprising providing the association to a central network authority.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising storing the association at the central network authority.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising updating the stored association.

13. The method of claim 1 , where receiving signal data containing accurate timing information comprises repeatedly receiving signal data.

14. The method of claim 1 , where receiving signal data containing accurate timing information comprises selectively receiving signal data.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the association to another mobile unit.

16. The method of claim 1 ,

where receiving timing information from the base station comprises receiving propagation delay information; and

further comprising adjusting the timing information maintained by the base station in response to the propagation delay information.

17. A network timing system for a wireless communication network of base stations where each base station maintains timing information, comprising:

at least one mobile unit in an area served by a base station, the mobile unit comprising

a first receiver comprising means for receiving timing information maintained by the respective base station; and

a second receiver comprising means for receiving signal data from a source other than a base station, the signal data comprising accurate timing information;

a processing device comprising means for deriving accurate timing information from the signal data received at the mobile unit; and

a central network authority comprising

means for receiving the accurate timing information and the timing information received by the mobile unit from the base station;

means for creating an association between the accurate timing information and the timing information received from the base station; and

means, responsive to the association, for updating the timing information maintained by at least one base station.

18. The network timing system of claim 17 , where the processing device is located at a mobile unit or the central network authority.

19. The network timing system of claim 17 , where the central network authority comprises means for providing at least a portion of the association to a plurality of the base stations.

20. The network timing system of claim 17 , where the central network authority further comprises means for providing at least a portion of the association to at least one mobile unit.

21. The network timing system of claim 17 , where

the signal data is comprises global positioning satellite signal data; and

the processing device comprises means for deriving global positioning satellite timing information from the global positioning satellite signal data.

22. The network timing system of claim 21 , where the association further comprises the identity of the base station.

23. The network timing system of claim 17 ,

where the timing information received from the base station further comprises propagation delay information; and

further comprising means, responsive to the propagation delay information, for adjusting the timing information maintained by the base station.

24. A network timing method for a network comprising a central network authority and a plurality of areas each serviced by at least one base station, where the base station maintains timing information, comprising:

receiving, at a mobile unit in one of the areas,

the timing information maintained by the base station; and

global positioning satellite signal data;

deriving, at the mobile unit or the central network authority, global positioning satellite timing information from the signal data;

creating an association comprising the global positioning satellite timing information and the timing information received from the base station; and

in response to the association, updating the timing information maintained by the base station.