Apparatus and method of synchronizing distribution of packet services across a distributed network

1. An system for synchronizing distribution of packet information, comprising:

at each of a plurality of devices:

first logic to transmit first estimated delay information to each of the other devices in the plurality of devices;

second logic to determine a time offset for the packet information based on the first estimated delay information and second estimated delay information received from each of the other devices in the plurality of devices;

timestamp processing logic to process a transmit time indicator embedded within the packet information, wherein the transmit time indicator is based on a time reference; and

service synchronization queuing logic to hold the packet information until the time offset after the transmit time indicator, wherein the service synchronization queuing logic is synchronized to the time reference;

wherein the time offset determined by each of the plurality of devices is not communicated to any of the other devices in the plurality of devices; and

wherein each of the plurality of devices determines the time offset without being controlled by a central device.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising classification logic at each of the plurality of devices to associate the packet information with at least one packet service, wherein each packet service is at least one of a broadcast packet stream, a multicast packet stream, an anycast packet stream, and a plurality of unicast packet streams.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the time offset is determined per packet service.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising scheduling logic at each of the plurality of devices to schedule transmission of packet information associated with each packet service.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the transmit time indicator is a timestamp field in a packet.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the time reference is provided by at least one of a global navigation satellite system, a terrestrial radio system, and a network time server.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

statistics collection logic at each of the plurality of devices to collect a first plurality of network delay measurements associated with the packet information, and to estimate the first estimated delay information based on the first plurality of network delay measurements;

wherein the first estimated delay information includes a first maximum delay that is greater than or equal to any of the first plurality of network delay measurements.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the second estimated delay information is based on a second plurality of network delay measurements associated with the packet information;

the second estimated delay information includes a second maximum delay that is greater than or equal to any of the second plurality of network delay measurements; and

the second logic determines the time offset as greater than or equal to the first maximum delay and the second maximum delay.

9. A method for synchronizing distribution of packet information, comprising:

at each of plurality of devices:

receiving the packet information;

transmitting first estimated delay information to each of the other devices in the plurality of devices;

determining a time offset for the packet information based on the first estimated delay information and second estimated delay information received from each of the other devices in the plurality of devices;

processing a transmit time indicator embedded within the packet information, wherein the transmit time indicator is based on a time reference; and

holding the packet information until the time offset after the transmit time indicator, wherein the time offset is determined using the time reference;

wherein the time offset determined by each of the plurality of devices is not communicated to any of the other devices in the plurality of devices; and

wherein each of the plurality of devices determines the time offset without being controlled by a central device.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising classifying the packet information at each of the plurality of devices to associate the packet information with at least one packet service, wherein each packet service is at least one of a broadcast packet stream, a multicast packet stream, an anycast packet stream, and a plurality of unicast packet streams.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the time offset is determined per packet service.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising scheduling a transmission at each of the plurality of devices of packet information associated with each packet service.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transmit time indicator is a timestamp field in a packet.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the timing reference is provided by at least one of a global navigation satellite system, a terrestrial radio system, and a network time server.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

at each of the plurality of devices:

collecting a first plurality of network delay measurements associated with the packet information; and

estimating the first estimated delay information based on the first plurality of network delay measurements;

wherein the first estimated delay information includes a first maximum delay that is greater than or equal to any of the first plurality of network delay measurements.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the second estimated delay information is based on a second plurality of network delay measurements associated with the packet information;

the second estimated delay information includes a second maximum delay that is greater than or equal to any of the second plurality of network delay measurements; and

the time offset is greater than or equal to the first maximum delay and the second in maximum delay.

17. A method for providing packet information to a communication device in a distributed packet network, comprising:

communicating first estimated delay information determined by a first network device to a second network device;

communicating second estimated delay information determined by the second network device to the first network device;

determining a time offset for the packet information at the first network device and the second network device based on the first estimated delay information and the second estimated delay information;

processing the packet information to obtain a transmit time indicator based on a timing reference at the first network device and the second network device;

delaying transmission of the packet information at the first network device and the second network device, based on the transmit time indicator and the time offset;

providing the packet information to the communication device from a first network device; and

providing the packet information to the communication device from a second network device, wherein the second network device is synchronized to the first network device based on the timing reference;

wherein the time offset determined by the first network device is not communicated to the second network device; and

wherein the time offset determined by the second network device is not communicated to the first network device; and

wherein the first network device and the second network device determine the time offset without being controlled by a central device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first network device and the second network device are base transceiver stations.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein:

the first estimated delay information includes a first maximum delay that is greater than or equal to any of a first plurality of network delay measurements collected by the first network device;

the second estimated delay information includes a second maximum delay that is greater than or equal to any of the second plurality of network delay measurements collected by the second network device; and

the time offset is greater than or equal to the first maximum delay and the second maximum delay.