Acoustic Gesture Recognition Clock Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) message protocol requires additional communication lines and signal pins for simultaneous operation of slave devices, leading to increased complexity and power consumption, especially when synchronizing events across multiple slave devices.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a master device to transmit a clock signal and synchronization command over a communication link, allowing slave devices to track clock signal transitions and derive event timestamps, eliminating the need for additional communication lines by synchronizing events using a common clock and synchronization command.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional communication lines and signal pins are used for slave device synchronization, then event synchronization accuracy is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the clock signal and synchronization command into a single communication channel. The master device transmits both the clock signal for time-tracking and the synchronization command through the same I2C interface, eliminating the need for separate dedicated synchronization lines and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining synchronization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication link is designed to serve multiple functions: it transmits both data and clock signals, and the same interface is used for both normal I2C communication and for synchronization purposes. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for additional dedicated pins and lines for synchronization.
2Measurement precision
If additional communication lines are used for event timestamping, then time measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the time-tracking function into the existing communication infrastructure. Slave devices use the same I2C interface to receive the clock signal and to communicate event timestamps, eliminating the need for separate power-intensive dedicated timestamp lines and reducing overall power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Slave devices autonomously track the clock signal transitions using their own local circuitry and generate their own timestamps based on the received clock signal. This self-service approach eliminates the need for a centralized timestamping system that would require additional communication lines and power.
3Device complexity
If a common clock signal is used for synchronization, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The master device sends a synchronization command before the actual event detection. This preliminary action allows all slave devices to reset their clock transition counters to zero at a known reference point, ensuring that subsequent timing measurements are accurate and synchronized across all devices even though they share a common clock signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the clock signal transitions as a feedback mechanism for time measurement. Each slave device counts the number of clock transitions since the synchronization command, and this count is fed back to the master device as the event timestamp. This feedback loop ensures accurate timing measurement using the common clock signal.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and circuitry for relatively low-speed bus time stamping and triggering for use in acoustic object and gesture detection and recognition are presented in this disclosure. A master device and slave devices can be interfaced via a communication link that includes a data line and a clock line. The master device generates and controls a clock signal on the clock line and sends a synchronization command over the data line to the slave devices. The master device receives timestamp and/or other information corresponding to events detected at each slave device, such as a detected acoustic wave reflected from an object. The master device tracks transitions and frequencies of the clock signal, and determines a time of the event based on the timestamp information, the tracked transitions and the frequencies. The master device can use the event times to derive positions and gestures associated with detected objects.