Shared Sensor Channel Rate Grouping for Deterministic Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional approaches to managing data collection rates from multiple sensors sharing communication channels in computing systems face challenges such as nondeterministic behavior, data corruption, and resource inefficiencies, particularly when handling high-speed and low-speed data rates, leading to degraded performance and incompatibility with FPGA offloading.
Innovation Solution
Grouping telemetry sensors into rate groups with distinct data collection rates within one binary order of magnitude, synchronized to a system rate, and using a tick-stream algorithm to manage sampling, reducing computational and memory consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple sensors share common communication channels with different data collection rates, then resource utilization improves, but nondeterministic behavior and data corruption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments sensors into different rate groups based on their data collection rates. Each rate group is assigned to specific communication channels, creating organized subsets that prevent conflicts. This segmentation allows high-speed and low-speed sensors to operate independently on appropriate channels, eliminating nondeterministic behavior while maintaining resource sharing benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic sampling of communication channels at system rate intervals. By systematically activating channels at predetermined periodic intervals and using tick-stream algorithms, the system creates deterministic timing patterns that prevent data corruption while efficiently managing multiple sensor rates through structured periodic access.
2Measurement precision
If high-speed data collection is implemented, then measurement precision improves, but computational resources are overwhelmed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different sampling strategies to different rate groups. High-speed sensors receive focused attention with optimized sampling intervals, while low-speed sensors use reduced sampling rates. This localized approach ensures measurement precision where needed without uniformly over-sampling all sensors, thereby reducing overall computational resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by selectively sampling only the necessary subset of sensors at high rates based on system needs. Not all sensors require maximum sampling rates at all times, so the system applies high-speed collection partially to critical sensors while using lower rates for others, reducing computational overhead while maintaining essential measurement precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If arbitrary data collection rates are used for different sensors, then adaptability improves, but system synchronization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to rate management by organizing sensors into rate groups with structured relationships. Rather than flat arbitrary rates, the system creates multi-level grouping (rate groups within communication channels within the overall system), adding organizational dimensions that enable both flexibility in individual sensor rates and synchronization through hierarchical coordination mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses tick-stream algorithms as intermediaries between sensors with different rates and the central system. These tick-streams act as mediating timing signals that coordinate data collection across rate groups, enabling arbitrary sensor rates to be reconciled with system-wide synchronization requirements through the intermediary timing mechanism.
4Loss of information
If communication channels are continuously activated for all sensors, then data collection completeness improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic activation of communication channels instead of continuous operation. Channels are activated at system rate intervals according to predetermined schedules, allowing the system to maintain data collection completeness through regular sampling while dramatically reducing energy consumption by leaving channels inactive between sampling periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by activating only the specific subset of communication channels needed at each time interval rather than continuously activating all channels. This selective partial activation ensures necessary data collection while minimizing energy consumption by keeping unnecessary channels dormant.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for rate control schemes for sampling sensors on a shared communication channel by grouping sensors into rate groups according to data collection rates. Examples include a communication channel, a plurality of sensors connected to the communication channel and configured to generate telemetry data, and a scheduler circuit configured to activate the communication channel according to a system rate. The scheduler circuit may sample telemetry data generated by the plurality of sensors according to a plurality of data collection rate groups, which include a subset of the plurality of sensors associated with a distinct data collection rate. The distinct data collection rates may be ratios of a system rate selected such that inverses of the ratios are whole numbers. Examples also include an integrated circuit configured to write the sampled telemetry data into a buffer. A system can be adapted based on the sampled telemetry data.