Server-Based Log Interpreter for Event Time Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In a networked environment, computing devices with their own system clocks may experience clock skew or configuration errors, leading to discrepancies in time measurements across devices, which can be problematic for accurate event timing in applications like digital therapeutics where precise time measurements are crucial.
Innovation Solution
A server-based log interpreter system estimates the event occurrence time by using client-provided detection and transmission timestamps, normalizing them to its own clock time, and calculating the actual event time by accounting for clock differences and network latency, ensuring accurate and synchronized timekeeping across devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If each computing device uses its own system clock to measure time, then each device can independently track time for its processes, but time measurements across different devices will differ due to clock skew and configuration errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives time measurement data from multiple computing devices and performs centralized time synchronization and calibration. The server acts as a mediator that reconciles the independent time measurements from various devices, providing a unified reference time that resolves the discrepancy between independent time tracking and measurement accuracy across the networked environment.
2Measurement precision
If devices synchronize time using a centralized time server, then time measurements across devices become more consistent, but devices disconnected from the network cannot maintain accurate time synchronization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary time synchronization by having devices establish and record their time measurements and relationships with the centralized server before disconnection occurs. When offline, devices can continue to use their local clocks while maintaining the previously established time reference relationships, allowing them to operate independently while preserving the ability to reconcile times once reconnected to the network.
3Productivity
If the server uses time of receipt to resolve event timing, then the server can determine event sequence based on when records are received, but this does not reflect the actual occurrence times of events at different devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the server receives time measurement data from multiple devices, compares these measurements against a reference time, and uses this feedback to calculate and communicate time calibration information back to the devices. This closed-loop feedback system enables the server to continuously improve the accuracy of event timing across the network by adjusting for observed time drift and skew in subsequent measurement cycles.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are systems and methods of determining times of events. A server may receive a message from a client in response to an event. The message may identify a first time corresponding to a generation of the event and a second time corresponding to transmission of the message. The first time and the second time may be determined using a first clock of the client. The server may identify, using a second clock of the server, a third time at which the message is received at the server. The server may determine a fourth time based at least on the first time, the second time, and the third time. The fourth time may identify a time according to the second clock at which the event was generated at the client.