Deterministic Device Rank Selection for Fair Beacon Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless data communication systems, distributing functionality among multiple devices can lead to uneven burdens, with some devices being overly responsible for certain tasks, such as transmitting beacons, which can result in inefficiencies and unfair distribution of responsibilities.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where each wireless transceiver device generates a deterministic and fair device rank based on a synchronization value, ensuring that each device has a highest rank within a threshold amount of times over a given time range, thereby fairly selecting which device performs shared functionality like transmitting beacons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If functionality is distributed among multiple wireless transceiver devices, then system versatility and communication capability are improved, but the distribution of responsibilities becomes uneven causing some devices to be unduly burdened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and distributing device ranks to wireless transceiver devices before they need to perform shared functionality. Each device receives a predetermined rank that determines its selection probability, ensuring fair distribution of responsibilities in advance rather than making unfair assignments during operation. This pre-determined ranking system prevents any single device from being consistently burdened with tasks like beacon transmission.
2Reliability
If device ranks are generated deterministically based on synchronization values, then selection fairness is improved, but system complexity increases due to the need for synchronization mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using the synchronization value, which already exists for maintaining time synchronization among devices, for the additional purpose of generating device ranks. The same synchronization mechanism serves dual functions: keeping devices synchronized and providing the basis for fair rank generation. This eliminates the need for a separate complexity-heavy rank distribution system, as the existing synchronization infrastructure is repurposed to also handle fair selection.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes methods and apparatus for selecting a device to perform shared functionality in a deterministic and fair manner in a wireless data communication system. A wireless data communication system includes multiple wireless transceiver devices and certain functionality, such as the transmitting of a beacon used to synchronize the wireless transceiver devices, is distributed among the wireless transceiver devices. Each wireless transceiver device generates a device rank for a given time for itself as well as one or more other wireless transceiver devices in a deterministic and fair manner. Each wireless transceiver device determines the same device ranks for the wireless transceiver devices, and each wireless transceiver device selects the wireless transceiver device having a highest device rank at any given time as the wireless transceiver device that is to perform the functionality at that given time.