Time Synchronization Between Head-Mounted Device and Peripheral IMU
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtual reality (VR) systems, the lack of time synchronization between a head-mounted device and a peripheral device's inertial measurement units (IMUs) leads to inconsistent actions, delays, and packet loss, resulting in a poor user experience.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for time synchronization between a head-mounted device and a peripheral device, involving the collection of sample data with a first timestamp, transmission of interrupt requests with a second timestamp, and calculation of a time difference to perform time compensation, ensuring both devices operate on a unified time standard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If time synchronization is not implemented between head-mounted device and peripheral device, then device complexity is reduced, but user experience deteriorates due to inconsistent actions and delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary time synchronization by calculating time differences between head-mounted device and peripheral device before data processing. Timestamps are assigned and time compensation is applied in advance to prevent inconsistent actions and delays, ensuring reliable user experience without adding complex real-time synchronization mechanisms.
2Measurement precision
If timestamp recording and time compensation are implemented, then time synchronization accuracy is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Timestamps are recorded at the moment of data generation, and time difference calculations are performed preliminarily before main processing. This approach ensures high time synchronization accuracy while minimizing processing time impact, as the synchronization preparation is completed in advance rather than during critical data processing phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses timestamp copies (metadata) rather than modifying the actual sensor data. By working with timestamp copies for synchronization calculations, the system achieves precise time synchronization without adding processing overhead to the main data stream, thus minimizing time loss.
3Reliability
If interrupt requests are used for data transmission, then data transmission reliability is improved, but system response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Interrupt requests are configured with predetermined thresholds and priorities. The system prepares interrupt handling routines in advance, and timestamp recording is triggered preliminarily when interrupt conditions are met. This ensures reliable data transmission while minimizing response time impact through pre-configured handling mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a method for time synchronization between a head-mounted device and a peripheral device. The method includes: obtaining sample data of an inertial measurement unit of the peripheral device, and determining a first timestamp representing a time at which the sample data is sampled; transmitting an interrupt request and the sample data to the head-mounted device, and determining a second timestamp representing a time at which the interrupt request is transmitted; determining a third timestamp representing a time at which the interrupt request is received by the head-mounted device; and determining a time difference based on the third timestamp and the second timestamp, and performing time compensation for the first timestamp based on the time difference to enable the peripheral device and the head-mounted device to complete the time synchronization with a unified time standard.