Dynamic Tunnel Link Weighting for Latency Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current multi-channel VPN solutions face challenges in efficiently utilizing multiple communication channels due to static weighting of transmission links, leading to issues like bandwidth limitations, increased latency, and packet loss, which are problematic for applications like VoIP and websites with varied connection bandwidths.

Innovation Solution

A data transmission device that dynamically adjusts the weighting of transmission links based on feedback packets, allowing for time-dependent distribution of connections across available links to optimize tunnel utilization and minimize delays, while ensuring packet order and reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If pseudo-channel bonding is used to aggregate multiple communication channels, then the bonded bandwidth is increased, but latency increases and packet loss occurs due to varying channel latencies and the need for packet reordering

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonded bandwidthVSAvoidlatency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic link selection where the system continuously monitors channel conditions and adaptively switches between available communication channels based on current latency and bandwidth conditions, rather than statically assigning packets to fixed channels. This allows the system to optimize for low latency when needed while still utilizing multiple channels for increased bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters by adjusting weighting factors for different transmission links based on real-time channel conditions. By dynamically modifying these weighting parameters, the system can optimize the distribution of traffic across channels to minimize latency while maintaining high bonded bandwidth utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If TCP proxies are used to intercept connections and hide packet loss, then connection reliability is improved, but the system complexity increases and bandwidth is limited by the need to acknowledge packets at each endpoint

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a tunnel endpoint as an intermediary that performs encapsulation and decapsulation of packets. This intermediary handles the complexity of multi-channel management, packet reordering, and reliability mechanisms centrally, allowing end hosts to use simple TCP connections without requiring complex proxy infrastructure at each endpoint.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates encapsulated copies of original packets with additional metadata including channel identification and sequence information. These copied packets traverse multiple channels while maintaining the original connection semantics, allowing the tunnel to manage complexity internally while presenting a simple interface to endpoints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If load balancing is used to distribute connections across transmission links, then individual connections are protected from packet loss, but the bonded bandwidth cannot be fully utilized when multiple connections share the same context

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacket delivery reliabilityVSAvoidbonded bandwidth utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the tunnel traffic into multiple encapsulated packet streams that can be independently routed across different transmission links. Each packet is marked with metadata indicating its logical connection, allowing the system to distribute packets from the same connection across multiple channels while maintaining order, thereby utilizing bonded bandwidth without sacrificing reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds a new dimension to packet routing by introducing channel selection as an additional degree of freedom. Instead of assigning entire connections to fixed channels, packets within a connection can be dynamically assigned to different channels based on current conditions, enabling both high bandwidth utilization and reliable delivery through multi-dimensional packet distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3840303B1Data transmission device, data receiving device and transmitting method for transmitting data packets through a tunnel
Publication Date: 2023.05.17 HOTSPLOTS GMBH
  • EP3840303B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3840303B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A data transmission device (10) for transmitting data packets through a tunnel (20) comprising at least one communication channel to a data receiving device (60), wherein the data transmission device (10) is configured to receive a data stream in the form of data packets via at least one connection (51, 52, 53); wherein the data transmission device (10) is configured to encapsulate the received data packets into transmission packets and to transmit them to the data receiving device (60) via a transmission link (41, 42, 43) of a communication channel (31, 32) using a packet-based transmission protocol, wherein the communication channel (31, 32) comprises at least one transmission link (41, 42, 43);and wherein the data transmission device (10) is configured to assign the at least one connection (51, 52, 53) to a transmission link (41, 42, 43) according to a weight assigned to each transmission link (41, 42, 43), such that the data packets of the at least one connection (51, 52, 53) are encapsulated and transmitted via the respective assigned transmission link (41, 42, 43) to the data receiving device (60); and wherein the data transmission device (10) is configured to receive information about the transmission link (41, 42, 43) and/or the associated communication channel (31, 32) and to adjust the weight of the transmission link (41, 42, 43) based on the information received.