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Publication Number
US-9759703-B2
Publication Date
2017-09-12
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for measuring gas flux are disclosed. One method for calculating gas flux includes: receiving a master clock signal from a global positioning system (GPS) module; transmitting a clock synchronization signal that is based on the master clock signal to a measurement subsystem configured to measure environmental data, wherein the measurement subsystem comprises at least two clocks; receiving the environmental data from the measurement subsystem, wherein the environmental data is associated with the at least two clocks; and calculating gas flux based on the environmental data received from the measurement subsystem.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a gas-flux measurement system and method that measures gas flux by calculating turbulent gas flux from synchronized environmental data. The environmental data includes at least vertical wind speed data and gas concentration data collected by a measurement subsystem that includes at least two measurement devices.
A processing unit uses a master clock signal sourced from a global positioning system (GPS) module and generates a clock synchronization signal based on the master clock signal. The processing unit transmits the clock synchronization signal over a packet-switched network to the at least two measurement devices so that at least two software clocks are synchronized based on the clock synchronization signal.
Each software clock provides synchronization to a corresponding hardware clock, so that the hardware clocks are synchronized by the corresponding software clocks. After synchronization, the processing unit receives the environmental data associated with the at least two hardware clocks and calculates gas flux based on the synchronized environmental data.
Claims Coverage
The document provides three independent claims covering a complete gas-flux measuring system, a computing device used to perform the gas-flux calculation, and a method for calculating gas flux using GPS-based timing synchronization of multiple clocks associated with environmental data. Across these independent claims, the core inventive theme includes synchronization of at least two software clocks and at least two hardware clocks in a measurement subsystem via a GPS-based clock synchronization signal over a packet-switched network, then calculation of gas flux based on synchronized environmental data associated with the hardware clocks.
Packet-switched clock synchronization with GPS master clock
A processing unit transmits a clock synchronization signal over a packet-switched network to each of at least two measurement devices so as to synchronize at least two hardware clocks in the measurement subsystem, wherein the clock synchronization signal is based on the master clock signal.
Software-to-hardware clock synchronization mapping
At least two software clocks are synchronized based on the clock synchronization signal, and each hardware clock is synchronized by a corresponding one of the at least two software clocks.
Synchronized environmental data linked to hardware clocks for flux calculation
The processing unit receives environmental data associated with the at least two hardware clocks and calculates the gas flux based on the synchronized environmental data received from the measurement subsystem.
Computing device interfaces for GPS timing distribution and environmental reception
A first interface receives a master clock signal from a global positioning system (GPS) module; a second interface transmits a clock synchronization signal based on the master clock signal to a measurement subsystem configured to measure environmental data comprising at least vertical wind speed data and gas concentration data; a third interface receives the environmental data from the measurement subsystem associated with the at least two hardware clocks; and a processing unit calculates gas flux based on the synchronized environmental data received from the measurement subsystem.
Two-stage clock synchronization using synchronized software clocks sending hardware synchronization signals
The at least two software clocks are synchronized based on the received clock synchronization signal, and each of the at least two software clocks sends a hardware clock synchronization signal to a corresponding one of the at least two hardware clocks, wherein each hardware clock is synchronized based on the received hardware clock synchronization signal.
Method steps for GPS-based clock synchronization and gas flux calculation
Receiving a master clock signal from a global positioning system (GPS) module; transmitting a clock synchronization signal based on the master clock signal to a measurement subsystem having at least two software clocks and at least two hardware clocks so that the software clocks are synchronized and each software clock sends a hardware clock synchronization signal to a corresponding hardware clock; receiving the environmental data associated with the at least two hardware clocks; and calculating gas flux based on the synchronized environmental data received from the measurement subsystem.
Across the independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on GPS-based timing distribution using a clock synchronization signal transmitted over a packet-switched network, synchronization of multiple software and hardware clocks in a measurement subsystem via software-to-hardware synchronization, association of environmental data with the synchronized hardware clocks, and calculation of gas flux based on that synchronized environmental data.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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