Bridge Apparatus Middleware for Wireless LAN Frame Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bridge apparatuses fail to prioritize high-priority frames effectively when transmitting between networks with differing communication capabilities, leading to delayed transmission of high-priority frames from a higher-capability network to a lower-capability network.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a middleware unit with FIFO queues and cache tables to prioritize frame transmission based on session data extracted from headers, ensuring high-priority frames are relayed promptly without requiring additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no priority processing is implemented in conventional bridge apparatus, then the system structure remains simple, but high-priority frames are delayed when transmitted over networks with different capacities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a middleware unit as an intermediary component between the bridging unit and device driver units. This middleware unit implements priority processing by examining frame priorities and managing transmission queues, thereby guaranteeing QoS for high-priority frames without requiring fundamental changes to the overall bridge apparatus structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the transmission processing function by separating priority processing (handled by the middleware unit) from basic bridging functions (handled by the bridging unit). This segmentation allows priority processing to be implemented independently, improving QoS reliability while keeping the added complexity localized to the middleware component.
2Loss of time
If priority processing is implemented to improve high-priority frame transmission, then throughput time for high-priority frames is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The middleware unit acts as an intermediary that handles priority processing specifically, reducing throughput time for high-priority frames by examining their priority levels and placing them in appropriate transmission queues. This intermediary approach minimizes the time loss for critical frames while isolating the complexity increase to a dedicated component rather than the entire system.
3Productivity
If additional hardware is purchased to increase frame relay speed, then the frame relay speed increases, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the existing bridge apparatus by introducing software-based priority processing in the middleware unit. This parameter change (adding intelligent frame handling logic) increases frame relay speed for high-priority traffic without requiring additional physical hardware resources, thereby improving productivity while avoiding increased hardware quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes mechanical hardware expansion with a software-based solution. Instead of adding more physical processing units or hardware components to increase frame relay speed, the implementation uses software intelligence in the middleware unit to prioritize and expedite high-priority frame transmission through existing hardware resources.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a bridge apparatus for the relay of a frame between a wire LAN and a wireless LAN. When a frame transmitted by the wire LAN is a specific frame, a QoS middleware unit of the bridge apparatus adds a bridging request to an FIFO queue having a high priority. And when the frame received from the wire LAN is not a specific frame, the QoS middleware unit adds a bridging request to an FIFO queue having a low priority. A bridging unit performs the priority processing for the bridging request present in the FIFO queue having a high priority, and transmits the frame to the wireless LAN.