Wireless Time Synchronization Using Clock Offset Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless networks face challenges in accurately synchronizing clocks across devices due to uncertainties in data transmission times, leading to inefficiencies in performing synchronous actions, especially in environments with interference and noise.
Innovation Solution
A central device communicates time stamps and connection intervals to peripheral devices, allowing them to calculate clock mismatches and adjust their timing for synchronized actions, using methods like scheduled connection events, broadcast advertisements, and eavesdropping to enhance accuracy and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless devices use standard packet-based communication protocols, then device connectivity and data transfer are enabled, but clock synchronization accuracy deteriorates due to uncertainties in data transmission times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having devices exchange timing information and calculate clock offsets in advance through structured communication sequences. The master device sends timing packets containing reference time stamps, and slave devices calculate clock mismatches before executing synchronous actions, thereby compensating for transmission uncertainties ahead of time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where slave devices measure actual reception times of timing packets, calculate clock offsets based on these measurements, and use this feedback information to adjust their local clocks and synchronize actions with the master device, continuously improving synchronization accuracy.
2Reliability
If multiple communication methods are used to improve synchronization accuracy, then reliability of synchronous actions improves, but device complexity and protocol overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the synchronization process into distinct phases: timing packet exchange phase, offset calculation phase, and synchronous action execution phase. Each phase has specific communication requirements and processing steps, allowing the system to manage complexity through structured division of the synchronization workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal synchronization protocol that can be applied across different wireless device types and network configurations. The master-slave architecture with standardized timing packet formats and offset calculation methods provides a multi-functional framework that works for various synchronous actions including measurements, data transfers, and coordinated control operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations disclosed describe numerous techniques and systems facilitating synchronous actions in wireless networks that have a central device (CD) and multiple peripheral devices (PDs) communicating wirelessly with the CD. The CD communicates one or more messages to the PDs and various PDs determine, using communicated messages, a time of a synchronous action to be performed by the PDs. The synchronous action includes an interaction of a respective PD with one or more associated devices communicatively coupled with the PD. Upon completion of the synchronous action, the PDs may transmit data generated by the PDs, or by the one or more associated devices, in connection with the synchronous action.