Timestamp Confidence Level Generation for Event Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hardware timestamping, the reported time does not exactly match the time of the event, resulting in a time difference that is difficult to measure directly, and applications lack information to determine the accuracy of timestamps, leading to issues in assigning importance to certain timestamps and potentially disregarding others.

Innovation Solution

Generating a timestamp for events like data packet reception or sending, along with a confidence level indicating the accuracy of the timestamp, which is added to event data items or sent for processing, considering factors such as traffic patterns, line speed, bandwidth, and device state to enable more accurate timestamp processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If hardware timestamping is used to record event times, then event timing information is captured, but the reported time does not exactly match the actual event time due to processing delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetimestamp accuracyVSAvoidtimestamp correctness

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary confidence level value that mediates between the timestamp and the application. This confidence level acts as a mediator that conveys information about timestamp accuracy without requiring direct measurement of the time difference, allowing applications to interpret timestamp reliability appropriately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by generating a confidence level that reflects the accuracy of the timestamp based on measured processing delays. This feedback mechanism allows the system to communicate timestamp quality back to applications, enabling them to make informed decisions about which timestamps to use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If all timestamps are treated equally, then processing is simple, but applications cannot determine which timestamps are more accurate and may disregard important ones

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetimestamp processing simplicityVSAvoidtimestamp accuracy information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by associating a specific confidence level with each timestamp based on its individual processing conditions. Instead of treating all timestamps uniformly, each timestamp receives a localized quality assessment that reflects its specific accuracy characteristics, allowing applications to differentiate between timestamps of varying reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If the time difference between event occurrence and timestamp reporting is measured directly, then accurate accuracy information is obtained, but this measurement is difficult to implement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime difference measurementVSAvoidmeasurement implementation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical approach of directly measuring time differences with a computational approach. Instead of using specialized hardware to measure the time difference directly, the system uses software-based calculations that compute the confidence level based on available processing information, significantly reducing implementation complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11641245B2Timestamp confidence level

Publication Date: 2023.05.02 MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES LTD(IL)

AI summary

In one embodiment, an event processing system includes a clock configured to provide time values, and event processing circuitry, which is configured to generate a confidence level indicative of a degree of confidence of an accuracy of a timestamp, the timestamp being generated for an event responsively to a time value indicative of when an operation associated with the event occurred.