Time synchronization apparatus and method

1. A time synchronization apparatus for synchronizing of a network camera and a network video recorder (NVR) connected to the network camera, the apparatus comprising:

a data receiving unit receiving a data stream from the network camera, the data stream comprising timestamp information of the network camera;

a noise determining unit determining whether time information input from the network camera is a noise based on a timestamp of the network camera contained in the timestamp information; and

a setting control unit setting a timestamp of the NVR based on the determining of the noise determining unit,

wherein the data stream comprises data obtained by the network camera and the timestamp information of the network camera which indicates a time when the data stream was transmitted from the network camera,

wherein the apparatus further comprises an offset setting unit setting and adjusting an offset, which is a difference in reference time between the NVR and the network camera, by comparing the timestamp information of the network camera which is currently input and current time information of the NVR, and

wherein the noise determining unit:

determines whether a time difference between the currently input timestamp information of the network camera and previously input timestamp information of the network camera falls outside a threshold range, determines the currently input timestamp information as a potential noise if the time difference falls outside the threshold range;

determines the potential noise as a time shift, which is not a noise, if a time difference between each subsequently input timestamp information of the network camera and previously input timestamp information continuously falls outside the threshold range for a predetermined time after determining that the currently input timestamp information is the potential noise; and

determines the potential noise as a time spike, which is a noise, if the time difference between the each subsequently input timestamp information of the network camera and the previously input timestamp information does not continuously fall outside the threshold range for the predetermined time after determining that the currently input timestamp information is the potential noise.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the setting control unit obtains network latency based on the determining of the noise determining unit, and resets the timestamp of the NVR by adding the network latency, the offset, and the timestamp of the network camera.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein if the noise determining unit determines that the currently input timestamp information of the network camera is not the potential noise, the setting control unit obtains new network latency by periodically checking network latency.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the setting control unit resets the timestamp of the NVR by adding the new network latency, the offset, and the timestamp of the network camera.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein if the noise determining unit determines the potential noise as the time shift, the setting control unit obtains a new offset by recalculating the offset.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the setting control unit resets the timestamp of the NVR by adding the new offset, the timestamp of the network camera, and the network latency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein if the noise determining unit determines the potential noise as the time spike, the setting control unit replaces the timestamp of the network camera with a predicted timestamp which is obtained based on time information of the network camera.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the setting control unit resets the timestamp of the NVR by adding the predicted timestamp, the offset between the network camera and the NVR, and the network latency.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data stream comprises a header and a payload, and the header comprises the timestamp information of the network camera.

10. A time synchronization method for synchronizing times of a network camera and a network video recorder (NVR) connected to the network camera, the method comprising:

adjusting an offset between the network camera and the NVR;

determining whether a noise is contained in a timestamp provided by the network camera;

replacing the timestamp of the network camera with a new predicted timestamp, which is obtained based on time information of the network camera, if the noise is contained in the timestamp provided by the network camera, and obtaining a new offset by recalculating the offset or obtaining new network latency by checking network latency if the noise is not contained in the timestamp provided by the network camera; and

resetting a timestamp of the NVR based on at least one of the predicted timestamp, the new offset, and the new network latency,

wherein the adjusting the offset further comprises setting the offset by comparing currently input timestamp information of the network camera with current time information of the NVR, and

wherein the determining whether the noise is contained in the timestamp provided by the network camera comprises:

determining the currently input timestamp information of the network camera as a potential noise if a time difference between the currently input timestamp information of the network camera and previously input timestamp information of the network camera falls outside a threshold range;

determining the potential noise as a time shift, which is not a noise, if a time difference between each subsequently input timestamp information of the network camera and previously input timestamp information continuously falls outside the threshold range for a predetermined time after determining that the currently input timestamp information is the potential noise; and

determining the potential noise as a time spike, which is a noise, if the time difference between the each subsequently input timestamp information of the network camera and the previously input timestamp information does not continuously fall outside the threshold range for the predetermined time after determining that the currently input timestamp information is the potential noise.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the obtaining the new network latency further comprises obtaining the new network latency by checking the network latency if it is determined that the currently input timestamp information of the network camera is not the potential noise.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the resetting the timestamp of the NVR further comprises obtaining the timestamp of the NVR by adding the new network latency, the offset, and the timestamp of the network camera.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the obtaining the new offset further comprises obtaining the new offset by recalculating the offset if the potential noise is determined as the time shift.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the resetting the timestamp of the NVR further comprises obtaining the timestamp of the NVR by adding the new offset, the timestamp of the network camera, and the network latency.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the replacing the timestamp of the NVR with the predicted timestamp comprises replacing the timestamp of the network camera with the predicted timestamp if the potential noise is determined as the time spike.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the resetting the timestamp of the NVR comprises obtaining the timestamp of the NVR by adding the value of the predicted timestamp of the network camera, the offset, and the network latency.