Edge Device Timestamping With Trusted Time and Latency Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clock synchronization methods for edge devices are challenged by inaccuracies due to oscillator frequency variations from environmental factors and the infrequent relay of synchronization information, leading to timestamp inaccuracies.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize traceable time and network latency to determine an accurate clock offset for correcting timestamps, allowing for synchronization and timestamping events on edge devices without adjusting the local clock's frequency, using a trusted time source and edge device communication to calculate and record latency and clock offset.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If local clock synchronization is performed infrequently, then device complexity and energy consumption are reduced, but timestamp accuracy deteriorates due to accumulated oscillator frequency variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a trusted time source as an intermediary that provides reference time signals to edge devices. This mediator enables accurate timestamping without requiring the edge devices to maintain complex synchronization mechanisms among themselves, resolving the contradiction by centralizing time reference authority.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical clock synchronization methods with a software-based timestamp correction approach. Instead of physically synchronizing oscillators, the system uses network communication to transmit time information and calculates corrected timestamps using recorded latency and clock offset data, eliminating the need for frequent hardware synchronization.
2Measurement precision
If oscillator frequency variations are compensated by frequent synchronization, then timestamp accuracy is improved, but energy consumption and synchronization overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by recording latency and clock offset values during initial synchronization events. These pre-recorded values are then used to calculate corrected timestamps for subsequent events without requiring continuous synchronization, enabling accurate timestamping with minimal energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own recorded latency and clock offset data to self-correct timestamps without requiring external intervention or continuous synchronization signals. The edge device leverages its previously measured parameters to independently calculate accurate timestamps, eliminating the need for ongoing energy-intensive synchronization communications.
3Measurement precision
If physical clock synchronization is implemented, then time accuracy is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to environmental factors affecting oscillator stability
Solution Approach 1:
The trusted time source acts as an intermediary that provides a stable reference independent of the edge device's environmental conditions. By relying on this external reference rather than the local oscillator's stability, the system achieves time accuracy without being affected by temperature, voltage, or other environmental factors that influence physical oscillators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the physical oscillator-based timekeeping mechanism with a network-based time distribution system. Instead of relying on the mechanical stability of local crystal oscillators, the system uses electronic communication to transmit time information from a trusted source, eliminating vulnerability to environmental factors that affect physical hardware.
4Measurement precision
If network latency is accounted for in timestamping, then timestamp accuracy is improved, but system complexity and computation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement and recording of network latency and clock offset values during initial synchronization events. These pre-recorded parameters are then used in subsequent timestamp calculations without requiring real-time complexity-intensive computations, reducing the operational complexity while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the time information including latency and offset parameters that can be stored and reused. Instead of continuously computing corrections, the system uses copied pre-measured values to calculate corrected timestamps, reducing computational complexity while maintaining precision.
Data Source
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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 devices clock offset, and stores the information at the trusted source for later use. The trusted source sends the latency and the devices 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.