Vehicle Time Synchronization via Wireless Network Offset
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles often fail to receive timely updates for local time changes, such as daylight savings time, due to limitations in wireless network communication protocols, leading to incorrect time displays.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a communication device in a vehicle to assess potential local time offset errors and transmit messages to a wireless network to prompt a response with updated local time information, utilizing existing network communication protocols like LTE, especially during ignition ON events or zone transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle relies on periodic wireless network communication to receive local time information, then the vehicle can maintain normal operation with existing network protocols, but the vehicle may fail to receive timely time updates during daylight savings time changes or zone transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle system proactively sends a message to the wireless network at specific trigger events (ignition ON, DST change detection, zone transition) before time synchronization is actually needed, prompting the network to return the latest local time offset in advance. This preliminary action ensures time accuracy is maintained without waiting for periodic network updates.
2Measurement precision
If the vehicle transmits messages to prompt the wireless network to return local time information, then timely time updates can be obtained, but additional communication overhead and network traffic are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle system autonomously monitors its own operational state (ignition status, detected DST changes, zone transitions) and independently determines when to initiate time synchronization requests to the wireless network, without requiring external network commands or complex coordinated protocols.
3Reliability
If the vehicle continuously monitors for time changes, then accurate local time can be maintained, but increased processing and communication resource consumption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the vehicle system performs time synchronization checks periodically at specific trigger events such as ignition ON/OFF transitions, detected DST changes, or geographic zone transitions. This periodic approach maintains time accuracy while minimizing unnecessary processing and energy consumption during normal operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for updating vehicle time information includes a communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with a wireless network using a network communication protocol. The system also includes a processing unit configured to assess communications between the vehicle to determine whether a condition related to a potential local time offset error exists, and based on determining that the condition exists, transmit a message supported by the communication protocol to the wireless network. The message is configured to prompt the wireless network to return a response message including a local time offset. The process is also configured to update a vehicle local time record based on the local time offset.