Data Unit Relay Device End-to-End ARQ Protocol
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data unit communication systems face challenges in ensuring reliable transmission across multi-hop connections, particularly when issues arise at relay devices, leading to potential data loss due to the complexity of ARQ mechanisms and sub-layering requirements.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a communication protocol with two types of receipt information to manage retransmissions and buffer management, allowing the sender to differentiate between correct receipt at a relay device and the final destination, enabling efficient end-to-end reliability without sub-layering and avoiding ARQ conflicts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If split connections with multiple ARQ mechanisms are used to ensure reliability at each hop, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and data loss may occur when relay devices fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ARQ mechanisms into a single end-to-end mechanism rather than having separate ARQ mechanisms at each hop. The relay device forwards ARQ packets through the network without processing them locally, combining multiple ARQ mechanisms into one unified system that spans the entire communication path from sender to receiver.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay device acts as an intermediary that forwards ARQ packets without processing them. Instead of implementing ARQ logic locally, the relay simply transmits ARQ packets through the network, allowing the sender and receiver to manage reliability collectively without increasing relay device complexity.
2Reliability
If sub-layering is implemented to prevent data loss at relay devices, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and ARQ conflict management increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ARQ processing functionality from intermediate relay devices and places it solely at the endpoints (sender and receiver). This removes the complexity of managing multiple ARQ mechanisms at relays while maintaining end-to-end reliability through a single coordinated ARQ system.
3Device complexity
If single ARQ mechanism per connection is used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates when relay devices fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the receiver sends ARQ packets back to the sender to indicate receipt status. This feedback loop allows the sender to understand which data units were successfully received and which need retransmission, enabling reliable communication even with a single ARQ mechanism per connection.
4Reliability
If end-to-end ARQ mechanism is used, then reliability is improved, but redundant transmissions may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by having the receiver acknowledge receipt of data units through ARQ packets before the sender completes its transmission. This allows the sender to prepare for potential retransmissions by knowing in advance which units were successfully received, avoiding redundant transmissions when relay devices fail.
Data Source
AI summary
A data unit sender and a data unit relay device are described herein which are arranged to provide a communication of data units from the data unit sender via the data unit relay device to a data unit receiver. Also, control methods are described herein for the data unit sender and the data unit relay device.