Secure Time Management System with Drift-Aware Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems lack reliable and secure mechanisms for synchronizing clocks with trusted time sources and making precise time and duration calculations, especially in environments where high precision is required or where timer drift can significantly affect accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A computing device with a secure zone that receives and processes time data from trusted timekeepers, utilizing counters with known frequencies and maximum drift parameters to calculate accurate time intervals, and switches between energy modes to optimize precision and energy efficiency, while ensuring secure and reliable timekeeping through synchronization with external time sources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the system synchronizes frequently with trusted time sources, then time calculation precision is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime calculation precisionVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the synchronization frequency based on the current energy state and precision requirements. When energy is abundant, the system synchronizes more frequently to maintain high precision. When energy is constrained, the system reduces synchronization frequency while still maintaining acceptable precision levels, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the synchronization parameter (frequency) based on operational conditions. By adjusting how often the system queries trusted time sources, it can optimize the balance between maintaining precise time calculations and conserving energy, directly addressing the technical contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If the system uses high-precision timers, then time calculation accuracy is improved, but timer drift errors accumulate faster

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime calculation accuracyVSAvoidtimer drift errors

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors timer drift and uses this feedback to determine when synchronization with trusted time sources is needed. By measuring the actual drift and comparing it against thresholds, the system can synchronize only when necessary, reducing unnecessary synchronization operations while maintaining accuracy and managing drift accumulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary synchronization at known safe points (such as system boot-up or after detected drift exceeds thresholds) to establish accurate time references before drift accumulates to problematic levels, preventing rather than curing drift issues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Use of energy by moving object

If the system synchronizes less frequently, then energy consumption is reduced, but time calculation precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidtime calculation precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs partial synchronization actions based on actual needs rather than full frequent synchronization. By calculating the minimum necessary synchronization frequency to maintain acceptable precision given the current drift rate, the system achieves sufficient precision with reduced energy consumption, avoiding the excessive action of frequent unnecessary synchronization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Use of energy by moving object

If the system operates in low-energy modes, then energy efficiency is improved, but timer drift increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidtimer drift

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a cheaper, less accurate timer in low-energy modes rather than attempting to maintain high precision with expensive hardware. By accepting increased drift in exchange for significant energy savings, the system resolves the contradiction between energy efficiency and timer reliability, using the disposable nature of low-cost timing mechanisms when precision is not critical.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS10374811B2Systems, methods and apparatuses for secure time management

Publication Date: 2019.08.06 OLOGN TECH AG

AI summary

The systems, methods and apparatuses described herein provide a computing environment that includes secure time management. An apparatus according to the present disclosure may comprise a non-volatile storage to store a synchronization time and a processor. The processor may be configured to generate a request for a current time, transmit the request to a trusted timekeeper, receive a digitally signed response containing a current, real-world time from the trusted timekeeper, verify the digital signature of the response, verify that the response is received within a predefined time, compare a nonce in the request to a nonce in the response, determine that the current, real-world time received from the trusted timekeeper is within a range of a current time calculated at the apparatus and update the synchronization time with the current, real-world time in the response.