Wireless Data Acquisition Synchronization via Dual-Link Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless data acquisition systems introduce significant and unpredictable latency and jitter, making it difficult to synchronize physiological data with stimuli, especially in precision measurements like EEG, as existing wireless protocols like Bluetooth and WiFi have high overhead and variability, rendering them unsuitable for precise timing markers.
Innovation Solution
A wireless data acquisition system with two separate wireless paths: a robust path for data transmission and a low-latency path for synchronization, using standard protocols like Bluetooth or WiFi, allowing for accurate timing markers without custom hardware, enabling synchronization comparable to wired systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless protocols like Bluetooth or WiFi are used for data transmission, then system mobility and ease of operation are improved, but latency and jitter increase significantly, degrading measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transmission function into two separate wireless paths: a robust path for data transmission with error correction and a low-latency path for synchronization signals. This segmentation allows each path to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between mobility and timing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary synchronization mechanism that uses a dedicated low-latency wireless channel to transmit timing markers separately from the main data stream. This intermediary path compensates for the latency and jitter in the standard wireless data transmission path.
2Reliability
If robust error correction and retransmission protocols are added to wireless transmission, then data reliability is improved, but latency increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transmission system into two segments: one handling robust error-corrected data transmission and another handling low-latency synchronization. This allows the reliable data path to use heavy error correction while the synchronization path maintains minimal latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the synchronization function from the main data transmission protocol, creating a separate dedicated channel for timing markers that does not suffer from the overhead of error correction and retransmission protocols.
3Measurement precision
If custom wireless hardware is designed to achieve low latency, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses universal, off-the-shelf wireless transceivers for both data and synchronization transmission. By implementing software-based protocol differentiation and using standard hardware with multiple wireless interfaces, it avoids custom hardware while achieving low-latency synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the wireless transmission path dedicated to synchronization, using software-defined radio principles to establish a separate logical channel that mimics a dedicated low-latency connection without requiring custom physical hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless data acquisition system includes a data acquisition unit including a data sensor; a first wireless data link and a second wireless timing link with predicable or low latency. Stimulus and time markers come from a trigger generator. Data signals from the data sensor are transmitted across the wireless data link and timing information of the data acquisition unit is transmitted across the wireless timing link. A receiving host receives the transmitted data and timing information for logging and/or processing.