End-to-End Latency Measurement for Wireless Data Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communications face challenges in maintaining symmetry between uplink and downlink latencies, leading to incorrect data comparison due to differing latencies in uplink and downlink channels.

Innovation Solution

Devices determine an end-to-end latency and modify parameters to improve symmetry between uplink and downlink latencies, ensuring data comparison occurs at the same time by adjusting channel latencies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If wireless devices use conventional latency measurement methods, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision is insufficient to achieve accurate end-to-end latency determination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveend-to-end latency measurement accuracyVSAvoidlatency measurement procedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The latency measurement procedure is divided into multiple phases: setup phase, measurement phase, and processing phase. Each phase has specific responsibilities and actions, allowing complex measurement to be broken down into manageable segments that can be executed systematically by wireless devices and network elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A latency measurement message is introduced as an intermediary carrier to transport measurement information between wireless devices and network elements. This message structure enables precise latency determination without requiring direct complex interactions between all devices, simplifying the overall measurement architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If uplink and downlink latency are not equalized, then device complexity is reduced, but data comparison accuracy deteriorates due to comparing data at different time points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata comparison accuracyVSAvoidlatency equalization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system calculates end-to-end latency and provides feedback information to network elements and devices. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of uplink and downlink latency parameters, allowing the system to equalize latencies and ensure data comparison accuracy without requiring complex manual configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system modifies latency parameters dynamically based on measured end-to-end latency values. By adjusting transmission time parameters in the network elements, the system achieves latency equalization between uplink and downlink channels, enabling accurate data comparison at the same time point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If end-to-end latency is not measured and equalized, then system complexity is reduced, but synchronization quality deteriorates leading to incorrect data comparison

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata synchronization reliabilityVSAvoidsynchronization mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary latency measurement and calculation before actual data transmission and comparison. By determining end-to-end latency in advance and using this information to configure transmission parameters, the system ensures that data will be synchronized correctly without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4236244B1End-to-end latency measurement
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 COMCAST CABLE COMM LLC
  • EP4236244B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP4236244B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2D
  • EP4236244B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

End-to-end latency measurements for synchronization are described. A first wireless device may determine an uplink latency associated with sending communications to a second wireless device. The first wireless device may determine a downlink latency associated with receiving communications from the second wireless device. Based on the uplink latency being different from the downlink latency, the first wireless device, the second wireless, and/or a base station may perform an alignment (e.g., time-based alignment, channel-based alignment) to modify and/or adjust one or more parameters to make the uplink latency equivalent to the downlink latency.