Communication Endpoint Network Impairment Management

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In communication networks, packet loss and jitter significantly impact real-time communications, particularly when packet numbers exceed Service Level Agreement (SLA) thresholds, leading to poor performance and underutilized bandwidth during peak traffic periods.

Innovation Solution

The system determines network conditions by sending test packets between communication endpoints to identify impairments and adjusts packet transmission processes, such as sending packets multiple times, using different priority values, or switching between connection-oriented and connectionless protocols, to mitigate packet loss and jitter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If packets are sent in excess of SLA threshold during peak traffic periods, then real-time communication performance deteriorates due to packet loss and jitter, but reducing packet transmission limits bandwidth utilization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereal-time communication performanceVSAvoidbandwidth utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts packet transmission strategies based on real-time network conditions. Communication endpoints monitor network impairment levels and adaptively change packet sending behavior, switching between different transmission modes (single packet, duplicate packets, retransmission requests) to optimize performance while utilizing available bandwidth effectively

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes transmission parameters such as packet priority values, protocol types (connection-oriented vs. connectionless), and retransmission counts based on detected network conditions. By modifying these parameters dynamically, the system maintains communication reliability while adapting to varying bandwidth availability during peak traffic periods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If service provider drops packets exceeding SLA threshold, then packet loss increases causing poor communication quality, but other bandwidth types remain underutilized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket delivery reliabilityVSAvoidbandwidth waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Communication endpoints implement feedback mechanisms by sending test packets and monitoring network conditions in real-time. Based on this feedback about packet loss and jitter, the system adjusts transmission strategies for different traffic types, ensuring reliable delivery for critical traffic while utilizing available bandwidth for non-critical traffic to avoid waste

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different transmission quality levels to different types of traffic. Critical real-time traffic receives enhanced protection through duplicate sending and retransmission requests, while non-critical traffic utilizes available bandwidth more aggressively, optimizing overall system efficiency without compromising essential communication quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If communication endpoint sends test packets to discover network problems, then network condition detection improves, but communication delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork condition detection accuracyVSAvoidcommunication delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs partial network testing by sending test packets at strategic intervals rather than continuously. This approach provides sufficient network condition detection accuracy to identify impairments while minimizing the time lost to testing, balancing measurement precision with communication delay concerns

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9591108B2Management of network impairment by communication endpoints

Publication Date: 2017.03.07 AVAYA INC

AI summary

A communication session is established between a first communication endpoint and a second communication endpoint. A determination of a network condition is made, such as determining a type of network impairment. In response to determining the network condition, a message is sent to the second communication endpoint that requests the second communication endpoint to change a process for sending packets in the communication session. The process for changing packets can include: having the second communication endpoint send the same packets in the communication session at least twice; having the second communication endpoint use a different packet priority value for the communication session; having the second communication endpoint switch from a connection oriented protocol to a connectionless protocol for the communication session; and having the second communication endpoint switch from the connectionless protocol to the connection oriented protocol for the communication session.