Latency measurement in a communication device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional latency measurement techniques in communication devices are inaccurate due to shifts in alignment markers and data rate changes, which affect the precision of latency measurements in synchronized communication networks.
Innovation Solution
A communication device that processes data signals by removing and reinserting alignment markers at their original locations, compensates for data rate changes by adding or deleting idle symbols selectively, and uses tracer signals to measure latency accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If alignment markers are removed and reinserted during data signal processing, then data rate changes are compensated, but latency measurement accuracy deteriorates due to marker position shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the alignment marker at its original position in the input data stream. When the alignment marker is removed during processing, the copy remains in the output stream at the original position, allowing latency measurement circuitry to accurately measure the time difference between the input and output markers without being affected by reinsertion position changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary alignment marker copy that mediates between the data rate compensation process and the latency measurement process. This intermediary marker allows the system to perform data rate adjustment while maintaining a stable reference point for latency measurement, decoupling the two functions.
2Productivity
If data rate changes are made to compensate for processing delays, then throughput is maintained, but latency measurement precision worsens due to timing shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the alignment marker function into two separate roles: one alignment marker instance is used for data rate compensation (removed and reinserted as needed), while a copy of the alignment marker is preserved specifically for latency measurement purposes. This segmentation allows each function to operate independently without interfering with the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a duplicate copy of the alignment marker that serves exclusively as a measurement reference. This copy is immune to data rate changes and remains at a fixed position, providing a stable basis for latency measurement while the original marker can be freely manipulated for throughput maintenance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If alignment markers are reinserted at different locations during processing, then data stream synchronization is maintained, but latency measurement accuracy decreases due to position variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a stationary copy of the alignment marker that remains at the original input position in the output data stream. This copy serves as a fixed reference point for latency measurement, while the system is free to reinsert alignment markers at different positions for synchronization purposes without affecting the measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the latency measurement reference function from the alignment marker reinsertion process. By separating the measurement reference (the copied marker at original position) from the synchronization function (reinsertion at varying positions), the system can maintain data stream synchronization while preserving measurement accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A first communication interface of a communication device receives a data signal having first alignment markers (AMs), and the communication device determines respective locations of the first AMs in the data signal. The communication device processes the data signal, including i) removing the first AMs from the data signal and ii) inserting second AMs in the data signal at the locations at which the first AMs were removed from the data signal. A second communication interface of the communication device transmits the data signal. The communication device measures a latency of the data signal between reception of the data signal at the first communication interface and transmission of the data signal by the second communication interface.