Cell-Based Link Retry Scheme for Efficient Data Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current link-layer protocols in communication networks lack mechanisms for efficient packet acknowledgment and retransmission, leading to inefficiencies in memory and bandwidth usage, as they often require retransmitting entire packets when errors occur.
Innovation Solution
A cell-based link-layer retransmission scheme where data packets are divided into smaller cells with sequence numbers, stored in buffers, and retransmitted only from the specific cell with errors, using error detection codes and acknowledgments to manage retransmissions efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional packet-based retransmission is used, then transmission reliability is improved, but memory and bandwidth usage increase due to retransmitting entire packets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides data packets into smaller cells with sequence numbers, allowing selective retransmission of only the specific cell that contains an error rather than retransmitting the entire packet. This segmentation enables precise error handling where only affected cells are retransmitted, significantly reducing bandwidth consumption compared to traditional packet-based retransmission.
2Reliability
If traditional packet-based retransmission is used, then transmission reliability is improved, but memory usage increases due to buffering entire packets
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting packets into smaller cells, the patent reduces the amount of memory required to buffer data for retransmission. Instead of buffering entire packets, the system only needs to buffer individual cells, which significantly reduces memory usage while maintaining the ability to perform reliable retransmission of only the necessary cells.
3Loss of energy
If cell-based retransmission is implemented, then bandwidth usage is reduced by retransmitting only affected cells, but device complexity increases due to cell management mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cell segmentation with sequence numbers, acknowledgment mechanisms, and selective retransmission logic. While this increases device complexity compared to simple packet forwarding, the complexity is justified by the significant bandwidth savings achieved through selective retransmission of only erroneous cells rather than entire packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements acknowledgment mechanisms where receiving nodes send feedback about which cells were successfully received and which need retransmission. This feedback system enables the transmitting node to selectively retransmit only the necessary cells, optimizing bandwidth usage while managing the complexity through structured feedback protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for communication includes receiving a packet at a first node for transmission over a link to a second node. The data in the packet is divided into a sequence of cells of a predetermined data size. The cells have respective sequence numbers. The cells are transmitted in sequence over the link, while storing the transmitted cells in a buffer at the first node. The first node receives acknowledgments indicating the respective sequence numbers of the transmitted cells that were received at the second node. Upon receiving an indication at the first node that a transmitted cell having a given sequence number was not properly received at the second node, the stored cells are retransmitted from the buffer starting from the cell with the given sequence number.