Slave Clock Synchronization Using Dynamic Weighted Averaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for synchronizing a slave device's clock with a master device in networks, such as those used in automotive systems, face issues with slow synchronization, leading to delayed audio alerts and potential safety risks due to jitter and uneven time representation, which can result in critical alerts not being delivered in a timely manner.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an apparatus that receives and processes multiple messages to calculate time differences, adjusts the slave device's clock frequency using dynamic weighted averaging, and implements a second packet optimization to rapidly synchronize the slave device with the master device, reducing absolute and relative time differences and minimizing jitter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional gPTP synchronization methods are used, then the slave device can be synchronized to the master device, but the synchronization process is slow and results in delayed audio alerts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a coarse adjustment of the slave device time using the first packet received from the master device. This initial time offset correction is executed before subsequent fine adjustments, allowing the synchronization process to start from a corrected baseline and significantly reduce the overall synchronization time, thereby preventing delayed audio alerts.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization process is segmented into multiple stages: coarse adjustment using the first packet to correct large time offsets, and fine adjustments using subsequent packets to eliminate remaining time differences. This segmentation allows each stage to focus on specific correction needs, improving overall synchronization speed and accuracy.
2Reliability
If conventional synchronization methods are used, then the slave device clock can be adjusted, but jitter and uneven time representation occur causing audio loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the time difference between the slave device and master device clocks using multiple packets. The system calculates time offsets from each packet and uses this feedback information to dynamically adjust the slave device time and frequency, ensuring stable time representation and preventing audio loss due to jitter.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization system dynamically adjusts the slave device clock based on real-time conditions. The coarse adjustment provides an immediate correction, followed by dynamic fine adjustments that adapt to changing time differences. This dynamic approach maintains stable time representation under varying network conditions, ensuring reliable audio delivery.
3Measurement precision
If multiple packets are used for synchronization, then more accurate time differences can be calculated, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The use of multiple packets for synchronization is segmented into distinct functional groups: the first packet provides coarse adjustment information for large time offsets, while subsequent packets provide fine adjustment information for precision correction. This segmentation allows the system to process different packet types with appropriate algorithms, achieving high measurement precision without overwhelming processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first packet is processed preliminarily to perform coarse adjustment before processing subsequent packets for fine adjustments. This preliminary action reduces the magnitude of time differences that need to be corrected in later stages, allowing simpler processing algorithms to achieve the required precision and reducing overall processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Existing synchronization methods can be inefficient in hardware-assisted implementations because of the effects of various jittery events. Thus, a method and an apparatus are provided to synchronize a slave device's clock to a master device's clock for a hardware-assisted implementation. The method can include the receipt of three messages. Time differences are determined based on a time extracted from two of the messages and a time of receipt of a different one of the messages. The slave device's clock can be adjusted based on these time differences. Thus, this method, which can include a dynamic weighted average to compute and implement the synchronization, can synchronize the clock of the slave device to the clock of the master device in a faster time interval.