Wireless Network Clock Synchronization via Beacon Backbone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless networks face challenges in accurately synchronizing radio device clocks, which is crucial for determining location information and preventing collisions or enforcing distancing between objects in various applications, such as inventory management and collision avoidance.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using a mobile tag and anchors that transmit wireless signals, allowing the mobile tag to calculate its location using time difference of arrival (TDOA) and two-way time of arrival (TW-TOA) techniques, and synchronizing clocks through beacon messages to ensure precise location determination and collision avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radio devices use independent local clocks for location determination, then each device can operate autonomously, but clock synchronization accuracy deteriorates leading to location errors and collision risks
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the clock synchronization function by designating specific devices as SyncDistributors that are responsible for providing beacon messages, while other devices synchronize to these beacons. This segmentation allows autonomous operation at the device level while maintaining network-wide synchronization through a distributed hierarchy of time sources.
Solution Approach 2:
Beacon messages serve as an intermediary mechanism that carries timing information from SyncDistributors to other radio devices. These beacons act as the medium through which synchronization is achieved across the network, enabling accurate location determination without requiring direct device-to-device clock comparison.
2Measurement precision
If all radio devices transmit beacon messages for synchronization, then synchronization coverage is improved, but network energy consumption and message collision increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by allowing SyncDistributors to provide beacons with locally optimal characteristics (higher power, more frequent transmission) while other devices consume less energy by only receiving and processing beacons. This differentiated approach optimizes energy usage based on each device's role in the synchronization hierarchy.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring all devices to transmit beacons (excessive action), the system uses partial action by designating only SyncDistributors to provide beacons. This reduces overall network energy consumption while maintaining sufficient synchronization coverage through the subset of active beacon providers.
3Measurement precision
If SyncDistributors transmit beacons frequently for better synchronization, then clock accuracy improves, but network interference and message collisions increase
Solution Approach 1:
SyncDistributors transmit beacons periodically at scheduled intervals rather than continuously or on-demand. This periodic action provides regular synchronization updates to maintain clock accuracy while creating predictable transmission patterns that reduce random collisions and allow other network traffic to be scheduled around beacon transmissions.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method of determining, by a processing system, complete neighbor information for a plurality of radio devices in a wireless network, wherein the complete neighbor information denotes neighboring radio devices; establishing, by the processing system, a backbone list including radio devices that provide beacons, wherein the backbone list includes a first radio device of the plurality of radio devices; determining, by the processing system, a set of radio devices in the plurality of radio devices that are not neighboring radio devices of every radio device in the backbone list; adding, by the processing system, an additional radio device from the plurality of radio devices to the backbone list responsive to an existence of at least one radio device in the set, wherein the additional radio device has at least one neighboring radio device in the backbone list and has at least one neighboring radio device in the set; and repeating, by the processing system, the determining the set step and the adding step until the set is empty. Other embodiments are disclosed.