Distributed robust clock synchronization
First Claim
1. A method providing a common time reference for at least a first and a second processing device coupled by a network, comprising:
- sending a plurality of time-stamped samples between the first processing device and the second processing device;
calculating a timing reference offset between the devices for each sample;
filtering the samples to define one or more filtered samples each providing an offset;
when a defined number of samples have been acquired, taking a linear regression of the offsets of the filtered samples to determine a predicted drift of the offset; and
responsive to a request for a common time reference at a future time between the first processing device and the second processing device, calculating the offset at the future time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Technology is provided for synchronization of clock information between networked devices. One or more of the devices may include one or more applications needed access to data and a common time reference between devices. In one embodiment, the devices have applications utilizing data shared in a network environment with other devices, as well as having a reference to a local clock signal on each device. A device may have a layer of code between the operating system and software applications that processes the data and maintains a remote clock reference for one or more of the other devices on the network.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method providing a common time reference for at least a first and a second processing device coupled by a network, comprising:
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sending a plurality of time-stamped samples between the first processing device and the second processing device; calculating a timing reference offset between the devices for each sample; filtering the samples to define one or more filtered samples each providing an offset; when a defined number of samples have been acquired, taking a linear regression of the offsets of the filtered samples to determine a predicted drift of the offset; and responsive to a request for a common time reference at a future time between the first processing device and the second processing device, calculating the offset at the future time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method providing a common time reference between a local device and a target device coupled by a network, comprising:
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initiating a plurality of groups of samples testing a timing reference offset between a local device and a target device; calculating the offset for each sample; for each group, filtering the samples to define one or more group offset values for the group; when a defined number of samples have been acquired, taking a linear regression of the one or more group offset values to determine a predicted drift of the offset; and responsive to a request for a common time reference at a future time between the local device and the target device, calculating the offset at the future time. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A processing device coupled to a network, the processing device including code instructing a processor to provide a common reference between the processing device and another processing device coupled to a network, comprising:
sending a plurality of temporally separated groups of samples to determine a timing reference offset between a local device and a target device; calculating an offset for each sample; for each group, filtering the samples to define one or more group offset values of the group; when a defined number of samples have been acquired, taking a linear regression of the group offset values to determine a predicted drift of the offset; and responsive to a request for a common time reference at a future time between the local device and the target device, calculating the offset at the future time. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification