Wireless Device Clock Synchronization via Periodic Discovery Intervals
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Solution Overview
Problem
In peer-to-peer wireless networks, devices face challenges in synchronizing their clock signals, leading to potential misalignment and inefficiencies in communication intervals, particularly during discovery and paging processes, which can result in increased power consumption and reduced network performance.
Innovation Solution
The method involves transmitting synchronization messages with timestamp values during discovery intervals, using a probability-based approach to minimize unnecessary transmissions, and updating clock signals based on received timestamps from other devices, ensuring synchronization while reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If devices transmit synchronization messages frequently to maintain clock synchronization, then synchronization accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic discovery intervals during which synchronization messages are exchanged. Devices enter sleep modes between intervals and wake up only during designated discovery intervals to transmit and receive synchronization messages, creating a periodic pattern that balances synchronization accuracy with power conservation.
Solution Approach 2:
Devices perform synchronization message transmission in advance during discovery intervals before entering sleep modes. By proactively updating synchronization information during designated intervals, devices ensure they are synchronized before power consumption increases, eliminating the need for continuous monitoring.
2Reliability
If devices continuously monitor for synchronization messages, then synchronization reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes periodic discovery intervals where devices wake from sleep modes to monitor and transmit synchronization messages. This periodic monitoring pattern ensures devices remain synchronized while consuming minimal power during intervals when monitoring is suspended.
Solution Approach 2:
Devices transmit synchronization messages containing timestamp information during discovery intervals, providing feedback to other devices about their clock state. This feedback mechanism allows devices to adjust their clocks periodically rather than continuously, maintaining reliability while reducing power consumption.
3Reliability
If multiple devices transmit synchronization messages simultaneously, then synchronization coverage is improved, but communication conflicts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the communication medium by allocating specific discovery intervals for synchronization message transmission. By dividing time into discrete intervals and assigning devices to transmit during their designated intervals, the system prevents simultaneous transmissions and eliminates conflicts while maintaining comprehensive synchronization coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically manages transmission opportunities by allowing devices to listen during intervals when others transmit and to transmit during intervals when others listen. This dynamic time-division approach enables multiple devices to participate in synchronization without simultaneous transmissions, preventing conflicts while ensuring all devices receive synchronization information.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, devices, and computer program products for synchronization of wireless devices in a peer-to-peer network are described herein. In one aspect, a method for synchronizing a wireless communication apparatus is provided. The method includes selectively updating a time value of the wireless communication apparatus in response to receiving one or more received synchronization messages from other wireless communication apparatuses during the discovery interval, the one or more received synchronization messages comprising one or more received timestamps of the other wireless communication apparatuses, wherein selectively updating the time value comprises updating based on one or more criteria and the received timestamps, and transmitting the synchronization message in response to determining an absence any received synchronization messages during the discovery interval.