Edge Event Timestamping Using Latency and Clock Offset Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accurate clock synchronization for edge devices is challenging due to oscillator frequency variations caused by environmental factors, and existing methods may not provide precise timestamps without adjusting local clocks, which can lead to inaccuracies in timestamping events.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for synchronizing clocks by determining latency and clock offset between a trusted time source and an edge device, allowing for the generation of corrected timestamps using extrapolation or interpolation, without requiring adjustments to the local clock's frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the local clock's oscillator frequency is adjusted to synchronize with trusted time sources, then clock synchronization accuracy is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to environmental factors causing frequency variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurements of network latency and clock offset at synchronized time points, storing this information for later use. This preliminary action allows accurate timestamps to be generated without requiring continuous frequency adjustment, resolving the contradiction by preparing synchronization data in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces network latency and clock offset as intermediary parameters to bridge the trusted time source and local clock. Instead of directly adjusting oscillator frequency, the system uses these intermediary measurements to calculate corrected timestamps, eliminating the need for direct frequency control while maintaining synchronization accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If network time synchronization is performed frequently, then timestamp accuracy is improved, but the system complexity and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs latency and offset measurements in advance during synchronized time points, storing the results for later timestamp generation. This eliminates the need for continuous synchronization operations, reducing system complexity while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The edge device autonomously measures its own latency and calculates its own clock offset using the provided time signals. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex centralized synchronization management, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining timestamp accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If the local clock frequency is adjusted to compensate for environmental effects, then synchronization accuracy is improved, but the oscillator becomes more sensitive to environmental variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses network latency and clock offset as intermediary parameters to compensate for environmental effects. Instead of directly adjusting the oscillator frequency (which increases environmental sensitivity), the system uses these intermediaries to calculate corrected timestamps, maintaining precision while avoiding direct frequency control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical frequency adjustment mechanism with a computational approach using network latency and clock offset calculations. This substitution eliminates the need for physical oscillator adjustment, thereby reducing sensitivity to environmental factors while maintaining time synchronization precision.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for timestamping events on edge devices. A trusted source measures the latency to the edge device and the edge device's clock offset, and stores the information at the trusted source for later use. The trusted source sends the latency and the device's clock offset to the edge device for later use. The trusted source or the edge device adjusts a timestamp generated at the edge device using an estimated clock offset. The estimated clock offset is determined by extrapolation or interpolation from measured clock offsets.