PPS Tagging for Acoustic Data Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Acoustic data from independent recording devices with imprecise clocks lacks synchronicity, leading to reduced accuracy in leak detection and condition assessment due to variations in timing and sampling frequencies, especially as sample size increases.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing a highly accurate time source, such as a GPS receiver's pulse-per-second signal, to tag samples and synchronize data across devices, allowing for alignment of frames and minimizing the effects of sampling frequency offsets during comparative analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If independent recording devices with imprecise clocks are used, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate due to timing variations and sampling frequency differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary time-tagging mechanism that uses a highly accurate time source (such as GPS PPS signal) to stamp each sample with precise timing information. This intermediary tagging system allows independent recording devices to operate autonomously while maintaining synchronized timing references, thereby preserving ease of operation while achieving high measurement precision through post-processing alignment of the tagged data.
2Device complexity
If independent recording devices with imprecise clocks are used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates as synchronicity is lost and analysis accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by embedding time reference tags into the recorded data at the time of acquisition. Rather than attempting to synchronize clocks during operation or after data collection, the system pre-tags each sample with an accurate time stamp from a highly stable time source. This preliminary tagging ensures that even though the recording devices operate independently with simple clocks, the data itself carries the synchronization information needed for reliable later analysis.
3Measurement precision
If samples are tagged with highly accurate time references, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the synchronization function into two distinct parts: (1) a simple time-tagging capability embedded in each independent recording device that adds minimal complexity, and (2) a centralized post-processing alignment operation that handles the complex task of matching and synchronizing the tagged samples. This segmentation allows the recording devices themselves to remain simple and independent while achieving high precision through the separate alignment process applied to the tagged data.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies are described herein for time-synchronizing sample data from independent recording devices utilizing samples tagged from a highly accurate time source. Datasets comprising samples representing a signal over a period of time are received from separate recording devices. A number of samples in each dataset are tagged indicating that the sample was taken immediately after a pulse in a PPS signal from a highly accurate time source onboard the recording device. The indices of the PPS-tagged samples, along with corresponding time values, are extracted from the datasets, and a set of common time values between the datasets is determined. A pair of frames of a specific length are extracted from each dataset aligned on the PPS-tagged samples corresponding to the common time values and comparative analysis is performed on the pair of frames.