Dynamic Reservation Request Scheduling for MoCA Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional MoCA network scheduling methods consume significant bandwidth with reservation requests (RRs) allocated based on elapsed time rather than actual node activity, leading to inefficient bandwidth usage and increased latency.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic scheduling process that allocates RRs based on node activity, prioritizing nodes with recent communication activity and reducing allocations for inactive nodes, thereby optimizing bandwidth usage and latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If RRs are allocated based on elapsed time regardless of node activity, then all nodes receive equal scheduling opportunities, but bandwidth is wasted on inactive nodes and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic RR allocation where the network coordinator adjusts scheduling decisions based on real-time node activity detection. The system transitions from static time-based allocation to dynamic activity-based allocation, modifying the number of RRs allocated to each node according to their current communication needs. This resolves the contradiction by making bandwidth allocation adaptive rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The network coordinator monitors node activity and uses this feedback information to adjust RR allocation decisions. By detecting whether nodes are actively transmitting or receiving data, the system implements a closed-loop control mechanism that allocates RRs only when needed, eliminating waste on inactive nodes while maintaining responsiveness for active ones.
2Reliability
If RRs are allocated to all nodes periodically, then network fairness is maintained, but latency increases due to excessive RR processing
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allocating RRs to all nodes in every scheduling cycle, the patent applies partial action by allocating RRs only to nodes that have been detected as active. This reduces the total number of RR processing operations from N (all nodes) to k (active nodes only), where k < N, thereby reducing latency while maintaining fairness for actually communicating nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the allocation parameter from a fixed periodic schedule to a variable schedule based on node activity state. The number of RRs allocated to each node becomes a dynamic parameter that changes according to detected communication needs, allowing the system to reduce allocation for inactive nodes while maintaining adequate allocation for active nodes.
3Speed
If the number of RRs per macro-cycle is increased, then all nodes can communicate more frequently, but bandwidth consumption by RRs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating RR allocation among nodes based on their individual activity states. Instead of uniform allocation, each node receives a locally optimized number of RRs proportional to its actual communication needs. Active nodes receive more RRs for higher communication frequency, while inactive nodes receive fewer or zero RRs, eliminating unnecessary bandwidth consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A process for scheduling reservation requests among a plurality of nodes on a network, includes examining a level of network communication activity of a first node to determine whether the first node is active; allocating a reservation request to the first node, but only if the first node is determined to be active; and repeating the process of examining and allocating for one or more subsequent nodes on the network. In one embodiment, the process can utilize thresholds to determine whether a network device is active and the thresholds can be based on, for example, recent network activity for the node being evaluated.