Leaky Bucket Rate Limiter for IEEE 1588 Communication Devices

The patent introduces a rate-limiting intermediary mechanism that sits between the incoming interrupt-causing messages and the device's processing core. This intermediary monitors and controls the flow of messages, allowing legitimate IEEE 1588 packets to pass through while blocking or throttling excessive messages that could be part of an attack. The intermediary acts as a buffer that protects the device from being overwhelmed without preventing normal operation.

The patent dynamically changes the processing parameters by adjusting the rate-limiting threshold based on observed message patterns. During normal operation, the threshold allows high throughput of IEEE 1588 packets. When attack patterns are detected (excessive message rates), the threshold is automatically lowered to limit resource consumption. This parameter adjustment enables the system to adapt its resource usage to current conditions, maintaining productivity when needed while preventing energy exhaustion during attacks.

The patent implements partial action by selectively processing only the necessary subset of interrupt-causing messages. Instead of handling every incoming message, the rate-limiting mechanism identifies and processes only those messages that fall within the legitimate IEEE 1588 protocol parameters and timing constraints. Messages that exceed these parameters are discarded without full processing. This partial processing approach maintains sufficient time synchronization accuracy for critical tasks while avoiding the disabling effect of constant processing during attacks.