US Patent 11620887 Gunshot detection system with master slave timing architecture

A gunshot detection system synchronizes timing information across gunshot sensor units and/or a control panel. The gunshot sensor units exchange timing information with each other and/or with the control panel, which is then used by the gunshot sensor units to generate the event data for detected gunshot events. In one embodiment, the gunshot sensor units are configured as master and slave nodes. The master node periodically distributes a master time reference to the slave nodes, and the slave nodes calibrate local times based on the master time reference. The slave nodes can detect whether the current master node has become non-functional (e.g. based on a time elapsed since the most recently sent master time reference) and configure a new master node based on exchanging predetermined priority information for the slave nodes.