Signage Player Time Correction with Reduced Network Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing signage players face increased network load and time synchronization errors due to frequent access to NTP servers, especially when using inexpensive hardware, leading to frame differences in content reproduction across multiple devices.
Innovation Solution
A reproduction device with a timer, time correction calculator, and time corrector that calculates a time correction coefficient based on the change rate of time difference between internal and reference times, allowing for accurate time synchronization only at power-on and periodic updates to minimize network load and hardware processing burden.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If frequent time correction is performed by accessing NTP server, then time synchronization accuracy is improved, but network load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing time correction only at power-on timing and storing the correction result. The stored correction value is reused during operation without frequent NTP server access, thereby reducing network load while maintaining acceptable time synchronization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the time correction value obtained from the NTP server and stores it locally. Instead of repeatedly accessing the NTP server, the system uses this copied correction value multiple times during operation, reducing network traffic while maintaining time synchronization.
2Measurement precision
If frequent time correction is performed by accessing NTP server, then time synchronization accuracy is improved, but processing burden on hardware increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs time correction preliminarily at power-on and stores the result. During subsequent operation, it uses the stored correction value without requiring additional processing to access the NTP server, thereby reducing the processing burden on hardware with limited capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous or frequent time correction, the system implements periodic action by correcting time only at power-on timing and then reusing this correction throughout operation. This periodic approach significantly reduces processing burden while maintaining acceptable synchronization accuracy.
3Quantity of substance
If time correction interval is extended to reduce network load, then network load is reduced, but time synchronization error increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs time correction preliminarily at power-on timing and stores the correction value. This preliminary correction ensures that even with extended intervals between corrections, the time synchronization error remains controlled because the correction value is established before operation begins.
4Quantity of substance
If time correction is performed at power-on only, then network load and processing burden are reduced, but time synchronization accuracy deteriorates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces feedback by monitoring the elapsed time since the last power-on and determining whether to perform time correction based on this feedback. When the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the system performs time correction again, ensuring that synchronization accuracy is maintained while avoiding unnecessary corrections that would increase network load.
Data Source
AI summary
A signage player includes: a time function configured to count an internal device time. The signage player also includes a time correction calculator configured to acquire a reference time from the outside, for example, an NTS server, at a timing determined in advance and synchronize the internal device time with the reference time; and a time corrector configured to calculate a time correction coefficient defined using a change rate of a time difference, an error change rate (Δ) between the reference time and the internal device time at a timing different from the timing determined in advance and calculate a corrected time acquired by correcting the internal device time using the time correction coefficient.