Real-Time Timestamps for Robotic Sensor Data Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robots face challenges in correlating sensor data from multiple sensors operating in different time domains and communications channels, which hinders synchronized data processing and control command generation.
Innovation Solution
Assigning real-time clock domain timestamps to sensor data from sensors operating in different time domains, allowing correlation with other sensor data through real-time timestamps, and using synchronization techniques to ensure accurate correspondence between timestamps and frame values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensor components operate in different time domains and use separate communication channels, then each component can operate independently with optimized performance, but correlating sensor data from these components becomes difficult and imprecise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a real-time component as an intermediary that receives capture outputs from sensor components operating in different time domains, generates real-time timestamps based on a real-time clock domain, and transmits these timestamps to non-real-time components. This intermediary system enables accurate correlation of sensor data across different time domains without requiring all components to operate in the same time domain, thus resolving the contradiction between independent component operation and data correlation accuracy.
2Productivity
If vision components transmit captured image frames over non-real-time communication channels, then bandwidth constraints are reduced and cost is lowered, but synchronization with real-time sensor data becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by generating and transmitting real-time timestamps at the moment of capture output reception, before the actual sensor data frames are processed or transmitted over non-real-time channels. The real-time component receives capture outputs, generates corresponding real-time timestamps immediately, and transmits these timestamps to non-real-time components. This preliminary timestamp generation ensures that even though sensor data may be transmitted with delays over non-real-time channels, the original capture time is preserved and can be used for accurate temporal correlation later.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensors operate at different frame rates and time domains, then each sensor can optimize its capture rate for its specific application, but correlating sensor readings to the same time instance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the time domain parameter by introducing a real-time clock domain that operates independently of the various sensor component clock domains. Each sensor component continues to operate at its native frame rate and time domain, but the real-time component generates timestamps in the real-time clock domain that correspond to capture outputs from any sensor component. This parameter transformation enables temporal correlation across sensors with different frame rates while allowing each sensor to maintain its optimized capture rate for its specific application.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media for assigning a real-time clock domain timestamp to sensor frames from a sensor component that operates in a non-real-time time-domain. In some implementations, a real-time component receives capture instances that each indicate capturing of a corresponding sensor data frame by the sensor component. In response to a capture output instance, the real-time component or an additional real-time component assigns a real-time timestamp to the capture output instance, where the real-time timestamp is based on the real-time clock domain. Separately, a non-real-time component receives the corresponding sensor data frames captured by the sensor component, along with corresponding metadata. For each sensor data frame, it is determined whether there is a real-time timestamp that corresponds to the data frame and, if so, the real-time timestamp is assigned to the sensor data frame.