Distributed Device Synchronization Using Bit Field State Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio systems with multiple controllers can experience inconsistencies in state due to conflicting commands, requiring a master device for synchronization, which limits flexibility and system operability.
Innovation Solution
A method where each device in a group maintains a global state and exchanges messages with other devices and controllers using bit fields to synchronize without a master device, employing checksums and voting procedures to ensure consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a master device is used to control synchronization in a group of devices, then system consistency is maintained, but device flexibility and system operability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the master device from the system architecture entirely. Instead of having one device designated as master, all devices operate as peers with equal status. Each device independently maintains the global state and can participate in synchronization decisions, eliminating the hierarchical constraint while preserving consistency through distributed consensus mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the control functions previously centralized in the master device across all peer devices. Each device maintains a copy of the global state and can independently process commands, with synchronization achieved through mutual agreement rather than top-down control. This distribution of control rights enables both consistency and flexibility.
2Reliability
If a master device is used to control synchronization, then state consistency is ensured, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized control function into distributed control units residing in each peer device. Rather than one master device handling all synchronization, each device independently manages its own state and participates in collective decision-making. This segmentation simplifies the overall architecture by eliminating the master device role while maintaining consistency through distributed coordination.
3Measurement precision
If devices exchange detailed state information to synchronize, then synchronization accuracy improves, but communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by having each peer device maintain its own local copy of the global state rather than continuously receiving full state updates from a central source. Devices exchange only the specific state information relevant to their local context and functionality, reducing communication overhead while maintaining synchronization accuracy through targeted information sharing.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for synchronizing a group of devices is described. Each device in the group has in memory an overall state of the group as known to that device. The group is controlled by at least one controller configured to send commands to the devices in the group, the devices in the group and the controller being interconnected by a local area network. The overall state of the group is divided into substates, each substate being the state of the group with respect to a single feature from among a plurality of independent features. The devices in the group and the controller exchange messages to synchronize to a common overall state, each exchanged message comprising a bit field, the bit field containing one bit per feature, the value of the bit indicating whether the feature is relevant to the exchanged message.