TSGuard: A Real-Time Framework for Detecting and Imputing Missing Data in Streaming Time Series

Abstract

Streaming sensor applications routinely suffer from delayed or missing observations caused by faults, communication losses, or environmental interference. Although recent imputation methods exploit temporal and spatial dependencies effectively, most either assume offline access to future observations or prioritize throughput without enforcing domain plausibility. We present TSGuard, a real-time demonstration system for monitoring, validating, and imputing missing values in streaming time series. TSGuard combines a lightweight graph-aware temporal imputation model with constraint-aware validation, fallback estimation, and operator-facing explanations. Rather than treating imputation as an isolated prediction task, TSGuard integrates it into a broader data-quality loop: detect problematic observations, impute missing values, validate estimated against physical and spatial constraints, and either retain the original value as a plausible anomaly or replace it when it violates domain constraints. Using environmental sensing as a motivating setting, the demo enables users to inspect delayed sensors, compare imputers, define constraints, and validate flagged values in real time. The combination of lightweight online spatiotemporal imputation, domain-aware validation, and explicit retain-or-replace decisions is our central contribution, while interactive explanations make these decisions inspectable and actionable. for operators.