Time synchronization for sensor data recording devices

1. A leader system for time synchronizing, comprising:

an interface configured to receive a time standard; and

a processor configured to:

determine whether a time jump is necessary in response to the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause pausing of a collection of sensor data;

provide an indication to unregister one or more follower devices from a leader device, wherein the indication to unregister one or more follower devices from the leader device comprises closing a network socket to which the one or more follower devices are connected and wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause overwriting a sensor data buffer; and

cause restarting the collection of sensor data after the time jump; and

time jump a leader device time in response to the time standard.

2. The leader system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the time standard, wherein the time standard is a GPS time standard or a cell network time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary, cause overwriting a sensor data buffer.

3. The leader system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause overwriting a sensor data buffer;

cause restarting the collection of sensor data after the time jump; and

receive a registration request from the one or more follower devices.

4. The leader system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause overwriting a sensor data buffer;

cause restarting the collection of sensor data after the time jump;

receive a registration request from the one or more follower devices; and

send a registration acknowledgement message in response to the registration request from the one or more follower devices, wherein the registration acknowledgement message includes a current leader device time.

5. The leader system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause overwriting a sensor data buffer;

cause restarting the collection of sensor data after the time jump;

receive a registration request from the one or more followers; and

in response to determining that a follower device from which the registration request is received is on a white list, send a registration acknowledgement message to the follower device determined to be on the white list, wherein the registration acknowledgement message includes a current leader device time.

6. The leader system of claim 1 , wherein the indication to unregister one or more follower devices from the leader device comprises closing a network socket to which the one or more follower devices are connected and wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause overwriting a sensor data buffer;

cause restarting the collection of sensor data;

receive a registration request from the one or more follower devices;

determine whether the follower device from which the registration message is received is on a white list; and

in response to determining that a follower device from which the registration request is received is on the white list, send a registration acknowledgement message to the follower device determined to be on the white list, wherein the registration acknowledgement message includes a current leader device time obtained in response to the time jump.

7. A method for time synchronizing, comprising:

receiving a time standard;

determining, using a processor, whether a time jump is necessary in response to the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

causing pausing of a collection of sensor data;

providing an indication to unregister one or more follower devices from a leader device, wherein the indication to unregister one or more follower devices from the leader device comprises closing a network socket to which the one or more follower devices are connected and wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause overwriting a sensor data buffer; and

cause restarting the collection of sensor data after the time jump; and

time jumping a leader device time in response to the time standard.

8. A computer program product for time synchronizing, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a time standard;

determining, using a processor, whether a time jump is necessary in response to the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

causing pausing of a collection of sensor data;

providing an indication to unregister one or more follower devices from a leader device wherein the indication to unregister one or more follower devices from the leader device comprises closing a network socket to which the one or more follower devices are connected and wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the time standard; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause overwriting a sensor data buffer; and

cause restarting the collection of sensor data after the time jump; and

time jumping a leader device time in response to the time standard.

9. A follower system for time synchronizing, comprising:

an interface configured to receive an indication for registering or unregistering from a leader device; and

a processor configured to:

receive a time message from the leader device;

determine whether a time jump is necessary in response to the time message; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause pausing of a collection of sensor data;

time jump a follower device time; and

unregister from the leader device in response to an indication from the leader device to unregister including by detecting when a network socket has been closed by the leader device; and

provide a registration message to the leader device requesting registration, wherein the time message is obtained from a registration acknowledgement message sent by the leader device in response to the registration message.

10. The follower system of claim 9 , wherein the time message from the leader device includes a current leader device time and wherein the follower device time is time jumped to the current leader device time.

11. The follower system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

unregister from the leader device in response to an indication from the leader device to unregister; and

provide a registration message to the leader device requesting registration.

12. A follower system for time synchronizing, comprising:

an interface configured to receive an indication for registering or unregistering from a leader device; and

a processor configured to:

unregister from the leader device in response to an indication from the leader device to unregister, wherein unregistering from the leader device comprises detecting when a network socket has been closed by the leader device;

provide a registration message to the leader device requesting registration;

receive a registration acknowledgement message sent by the leader device in response to the registration message;

determine whether a time jump is necessary in response to the registration acknowledgement message, wherein determining whether a time jump is necessary in response to the registration acknowledgement message comprises comparing a current leader device time obtained from the registration acknowledgement message to a current follower device time; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

cause pausing of a collection of sensor data;

time jump a follower device time.

13. The follower system of claim 12 :

wherein unregistering from the leader device comprises detecting when a network socket has been closed by the leader device; and

wherein determining whether a time jump is necessary in response to the registration acknowledgement message comprises:

comparing a current leader device time obtained from the registration acknowledgement message to a current follower device time;

determining a time difference between the current leader device time and the current follower device time; and

determining whether the time jump is necessary in response to the time difference exceeding a threshold value.

14. The follower system of claim 12 :

wherein in response to determining that the time jump is necessary, the processor is configured to:

cause overwriting a sensor data buffer;

time jump the current follower device time to the current leader device time; and

restart the collection of the sensor data.

15. A method for time synchronizing, comprising:

receiving an indication for registering or unregistering from a leader device, wherein unregistering from the leader device comprises detecting when a network socket has been closed by the leader device;

receiving a time message from the leader device;

determining whether a time jump is necessary in response to the time message, wherein determining whether a time jump is necessary in response to the registration acknowledgement message comprises:

comparing a current leader device time obtained from the registration acknowledgement message to a current follower device time;

determining a time difference between the current leader device time and the current follower device time; and

determining whether the time jump is necessary in response to the time difference exceeding a threshold value; and

in response to determining that the time jump is necessary:

causing pausing of a collection of sensor data; and

time jumping a follower device time.