Time Manager Extrapolation for Resynchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile terminals face challenges in maintaining accurate system time synchronization with multiple remote systems, especially when synchronization is lost, leading to difficulties in resuming synchronization efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A method and terminal design that periodically update and store time relations between system times from different remote systems using a reference counter, allowing for extrapolation and expansion intervals to facilitate faster resynchronization by compensating for clock drift and hardware latencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the terminal continuously synchronizes with multiple remote systems to maintain accurate system time, then the timing accuracy is improved, but the power consumption and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal performs timing relationship prediction in advance by establishing mathematical models between different system times during initial synchronization. When synchronization is lost, the pre-calculated timing relationships and prediction algorithms enable the terminal to quickly estimate system time without immediate re-synchronization, reducing power consumption while maintaining timing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts synchronization strategies based on the terminal's operational state. During active communication, continuous synchronization maintains high timing accuracy. During idle periods or when synchronization is lost, the system switches to prediction mode using stored timing relationships, optimizing the balance between accuracy and power consumption.
2Measurement precision
If the terminal performs full resynchronization with a remote system after losing synchronization, then the timing accuracy is restored, but the time required to resume service increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal pre-calculates and stores timing relationships between different system times during periods when synchronization is available. These pre-computed relationships include offset values and correlation data that enable rapid time estimation. When synchronization is lost, the terminal uses these preliminary calculations to immediately estimate system time, avoiding the need for time-consuming full resynchronization and reducing time-to-first-fix.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual representation of the timing relationship between different system times by storing historical synchronization data and mathematical models. This virtual time model allows the terminal to estimate current system time based on relationships with other synchronized systems, effectively copying the timing information without requiring direct re-synchronization with the original system.
3Reliability
If the terminal stores detailed timing information from multiple remote systems, then the ability to resume synchronization is improved, but the memory requirements and data management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential timing relationship parameters from complete synchronization data, such as time offsets, correlation coefficients, and prediction algorithms. By storing only these critical extracted parameters rather than full timing records, the terminal maintains reliable resynchronization capability while significantly reducing memory requirements and simplifying data management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms detailed timing information into simplified predictive parameters through mathematical modeling. Instead of storing raw timing data from multiple systems, the terminal converts this data into compact parameter sets that capture the essential timing relationships. This parameter transformation maintains resynchronization reliability while reducing data complexity and storage requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a method and an associated time manager for managing a time relation between system times of different remote systems, including: at a first moment, obtaining a first value of a first system time and accessing a periodically updating reference counter to obtain a first count; at a second moment, updating the time relation by: obtaining a second value of a second system time along with a second count, and calculating a second value of the first system time by summing the first value of the first system time and an extrapolation interval calculated according to a difference between the first count and the second count. Thus, when synchronization with a first remote system ends, a fourth value of the first system time may be calculated according to a fourth value of the second system time and a previously stored time relation.