Multi-path Bitrate Evaluation via Acknowledgment Path Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring available bitrate over paths in multi-path communication systems often generate high overhead and fail to ensure that acknowledgment packets are sent through the same path as data packets, making it difficult to accurately evaluate path performance without disrupting data transfer.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a dedicated signaling flag in data packets to force acknowledgments to be sent through the same path, allowing for accurate measurement of bitrate by ensuring that both data packets and acknowledgments travel over the same path, without increasing packet size or overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If acknowledgment packets are sent through the fastest available path to speed up overall transmission, then transmission efficiency is improved, but the ability to accurately measure path bitrate is worsened because acknowledgments no longer return through the same path as data packets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the acknowledgment function into two types: regular acknowledgments that can use any path for speed, and measurement acknowledgments that must use the same path as the data packet. This is achieved by setting a measurement flag in specific data packets to distinguish them, allowing the system to maintain both fast transmission (through regular ACKs) and accurate measurement (through measurement ACKs that follow the same path as their corresponding data packets).
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement flag acts as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the conflicting requirements of fast transmission and accurate measurement. When this flag is set in a data packet, it triggers the acknowledgment to be sent back through the same path, thereby enabling path-specific bitrate measurement without affecting the overall transmission efficiency since only flagged packets use this mechanism.
2Measurement precision
If dedicated measurement packets are sent to measure bitrate on each path, then measurement accuracy is improved, but network overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the measurement function with the existing data transmission and acknowledgment mechanism. Instead of sending separate dedicated measurement packets, the system uses regular data packets with a measurement flag set, and reuses the existing acknowledgment packets for measurement purposes. This combination eliminates the need for additional measurement traffic while maintaining measurement accuracy, as the acknowledgment carries both data confirmation and measurement information.
Solution Approach 2:
The acknowledgment packet is given multi-functionality: it serves both as a regular acknowledgment for data receipt confirmation and as a measurement packet for bitrate evaluation. When a data packet has the measurement flag set, its corresponding acknowledgment is used for path bitrate measurement, allowing the same packet structure to fulfill multiple purposes without increasing overhead.
3Measurement precision
If measurement frequency is increased to get more accurate bitrate evaluation, then measurement precision is improved, but impact on data transfer performance worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic measurement by setting the measurement flag on specific data packets at defined intervals or under certain conditions, rather than on every packet. This periodic approach allows the system to perform bitrate measurements at sufficient frequency for accuracy while maintaining normal high-speed data transmission between measurements, thus balancing measurement precision with data transfer performance.
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
AI summary
The invention relates to the field of multi-path communication. More particularly the invention deals with a method for evaluating an available bitrate (BR11) over a path (P1) among one of at least two paths (P1, P2, P3) linking a first endpoint (1) and a second endpoint (2), said path (P1) being called an evaluation path, said first endpoint (1) being configured for sending data packets to said second endpoint (2), said second endpoint (2) being configured for sending at each data packet reception an acknowledgment message to said first endpoint (1) through one of the at least two path (P1, P2, P3) selected at each data packet reception. According to the invention, at the first endpoint (1), steps of: - inserting a flag (A) in a first data packet (DP1) out of said data packets to be transmitted to said second endpoint (2) through the evaluation path (P1); - sending said first data packet (DP1) through the evaluation path (P1); - measuring and recording a sending time (t1) of the first data packet (DP1) from said first endpoint (1); - receiving an acknowledgment message (Ack) sent by said second endpoint (2) through said evaluation path (P1) for acknowledging reception of said first data packet (DP1) at said second endpoint (2); - measuring and recording an arrival time (t2) of said acknowledgment message (Ack) at said first endpoint (1); - assessing the available bitrate (BR11) from an interval between the sending time (t1) and the arrival time (t2) and from the size of said first data packet (DP1).