Access Point FastACK Agent Spoofed TCP Acknowledgments
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Solution Overview
Problem
The interaction between TCP and 802.11 wireless streams is inefficient due to high packet latency and irregular latency introduced by the acknowledgement process, which reduces the aggregation of packets into frames, leading to decreased system efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a 'fastACK agent' on an access point to store data frames and generate spoofed TCP acknowledgment signals, allowing for proactive transmission without waiting for true ACKs, thereby reducing perceived packet latency and improving aggregation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP uses standard acknowledgment process with medium access control, then reliability is maintained, but packet latency increases and aggregation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the access point generates spoofed ACKs on behalf of the sending device. This intermediary ACK generation resolves the contradiction by decoupling the reliability function from the time-consuming medium access process, allowing the sender to receive acknowledgment without waiting for the full TCP ACK cycle that requires channel contention.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point performs preliminary acknowledgment by generating spoofed ACKs before the actual TCP ACK is received. This preliminary action allows the sending device to proceed with transmission earlier, reducing packet latency while maintaining reliability through the subsequent real ACK that confirms actual data receipt.
2Reliability
If devices wait for TCP ACKs before transmitting, then data integrity is ensured, but aggregation of packets into frames is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The access point generates spoofed ACKs in advance before the sending device has finished aggregating packets. This preliminary acknowledgment allows the sender to continue aggregating packets into frames without being blocked by the need to wait for TCP ACKs, thereby improving packet aggregation efficiency while data integrity is maintained by the subsequent real ACK.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point creates a copy of the acknowledgment function by generating spoofed ACKs that mimic the behavior of real TCP ACKs. This copying allows the sending device to operate as if it has received genuine acknowledgments, enabling continuous packet aggregation while the actual data integrity check is performed separately by the real ACK mechanism.
3Reliability
If stations use random backoff to avoid collisions, then medium access reliability is improved, but irregular latency is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spoofed ACK mechanism acts as an intermediary that eliminates the need for the sending device to perform medium access and random backoff for acknowledgment transmission. The access point generates and sends the spoofed ACK without requiring channel contention, thereby removing the irregular latency introduced by random backoff while maintaining medium access reliability through the actual TCP ACK process.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method includes treating, at an access point, a data flow between a first station and a second station during a first period of time as a non-fast flow. After a condition is met, the method includes marking the data flow as a fastACK flow during a second period of time and during the second period of time, storing data frames in the data flow at the access point to yield stored data frames. Next, the method includes generating a spoofed TCP acknowledgment signal on behalf of the first station and associated with the stored data frames and transmitting the spoofed TCP acknowledge signal to the second station.