Central Unit Discards TCP Acknowledgments for Uplink Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Future wireless communications networks face challenges in efficiently handling asymmetric data traffic with significantly more uplink data than downlink data, requiring reliable and in-order data transmission while minimizing bandwidth usage for control information.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method at the central unit (CU) to identify and discard TCP control information, such as acknowledgments, and generate duplicate acknowledgments at the communications device to maintain data transmission efficiency and reliability, using timers to manage round-trip time estimation and discard criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP control information (acknowledgments) is transmitted in downlink data from infrastructure equipment to communications device, then reliable data transmission is ensured, but bandwidth is wasted on unnecessary control information when uplink data volume is much larger than downlink data volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes TCP control information (acknowledgments) from downlink data transmissions at the infrastructure equipment. By identifying and discarding these control packets before transmission over the radio interface, the system eliminates unnecessary bandwidth consumption while maintaining reliability through alternative acknowledgment mechanisms at the application layer
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary function at the infrastructure equipment that acts as a filter between the core network and the radio interface. This intermediary identifies TCP control information and selectively discards it, mediating between the need for reliable transmission and the need to conserve bandwidth by preventing unnecessary control packets from occupying radio resources
2Loss of information
If all downlink data including TCP control information is transmitted to communications device, then complete data delivery is achieved, but data transmission efficiency decreases due to limited radio bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by identifying and discarding TCP control information at the infrastructure equipment before transmission. This pre-filtering prevents unnecessary control packets from consuming radio bandwidth, thereby improving overall data transmission efficiency while maintaining complete delivery of user data through alternative acknowledgment paths
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of receiving downlink data associated with an end-to-end connection between a communications device and an endpoint by an access stratum infrastructure equipment in a wireless communications network, the wireless communications network comprising a core network, the access stratum infrastructure equipment and another access stratum infrastructure equipment, the access stratum infrastructure equipment connected to the core network and to the other access stratum infrastructure equipment, the other access stratum infrastructure equipment providing a wireless access interface, wherein the wireless access interface is for the transmission of data to and the reception of data from the communications device and the downlink data is for transmission to the communications device, the method comprising: receiving the downlink data from the core network, determining that the downlink data comprises a positive acknowledgement indication generated in accordance with an end-to-end protocol providing reliable, in-order delivery of data, the positive acknowledgement indication indicating that uplink data associated with the end-to-end connection transmitted by the communications device has been successfully received at the endpoint, and in response to determining that the downlink data comprises the positive acknowledgement indication, discarding the downlink data.