Terminal Reference Time Synchronization for Industrial Robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial automation, inconsistencies in reference time between industrial robots and control devices can lead to errors in control instruction execution times, causing assembly failures and potential damage due to differing understandings of time.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for determining a reference time in a terminal by receiving time reference information from a network device, allowing the terminal to synchronize with the control device's reference time, either by selecting appropriate time reference information or correcting timestamps based on time offsets, ensuring consistent execution times across industrial robots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the terminal uses the network device's reference time for synchronization, then the terminal maintains time consistency with the wireless network, but the terminal's reference time becomes inconsistent with the control device's reference time, causing errors in control instruction execution time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a time offset parameter as an intermediary between the network device's reference time and the control device's reference time. The terminal receives the time offset from the control device and uses it to adjust the network time, effectively mediating the time synchronization between these two devices. This resolves the contradiction by allowing the terminal to maintain network synchronization while also achieving precision alignment with the control device through the offset adjustment.
2Measurement precision
If the terminal synchronizes with the control device's reference time directly, then the control instruction execution time becomes accurate, but the terminal's reference time becomes inconsistent with the network device's reference time, causing network time synchronization errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the time reference parameter by introducing a time offset that adjusts the network device's reference time to match the control device's reference time. Instead of directly switching reference sources, the system modifies the time parameter through offset addition, allowing the terminal to achieve precise alignment with the control device while maintaining the network synchronization framework.
3Device complexity
If the system uses a single reference time source, then time consistency is simplified, but it cannot simultaneously satisfy both network device synchronization and control device execution time requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the time reference system into two distinct components: the network device's reference time for general synchronization and a time offset for control device alignment. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity in the base synchronization mechanism while adding a separate offset layer to achieve precise control instruction timing, thus resolving the contradiction between simplicity and precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A reference time determining method and apparatus are provided, to prevent aberrations in a control instruction execution time caused by inconsistency between a reference time of a terminal and a reference time of a control device in the conventional technology. In this application, the terminal may receive a plurality of pieces of time reference information sent by the network device. When the terminal receives indication information from the network device, the terminal may select, based on the indication information, one piece of time reference information from the plurality of pieces of time reference information as first time reference information. The indication information indicates the first time reference information. After determining the first time reference information, the terminal may determine the reference time of the terminal based on the first time reference information.