Group Acknowledgment in Wireless Communication Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks, such as LPWAN systems, face inefficiencies in bandwidth consumption and interference due to the limited opportunities for transmitting data to terminal devices within predetermined reception windows, especially when these windows are used for acknowledging uplink frames, leading to restricted communication capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where terminal devices are grouped and assigned to reception windows, allowing for group acknowledgments of uplink frames in point-to-multipoint mode, reducing unnecessary bandwidth usage and enabling more efficient communication by scheduling deterministic reception windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If predetermined reception windows are used to transmit downlink frames acknowledging uplink frames, then terminal devices can go into standby mode and preserve energy autonomy, but the bandwidth consumption is inefficient and communication opportunities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual acknowledgments into a single group acknowledgment transmitted in one downlink frame during the reception window. Instead of sending separate acknowledgment frames for each terminal device, the server consolidates acknowledgments for multiple terminals into one grouped frame, thereby reducing the number of transmissions and improving bandwidth efficiency while maintaining the reception window structure that enables terminal devices to enter standby mode.
2Productivity
If the quantity or duration of reception windows is increased to transmit more data to terminal devices, then communication opportunities increase, but the medium is occupied longer and interference towards other communications increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple communication opportunities are merged into a single reception window by transmitting multiple acknowledgments in one grouped downlink frame. This consolidation allows the system to provide multiple communication opportunities without extending the reception window duration or increasing the number of windows, thereby avoiding increased interference to other communications.
3Reliability
If individual acknowledgments are sent to each terminal device, then each device receives confirmation, but the bandwidth consumption increases and communication efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual acknowledgment transmissions into a single group acknowledgment frame. Each terminal device receives confirmation of its uplink frame transmission through the group acknowledgment, which contains identification information allowing each device to determine whether its specific transmission was successfully received. This approach maintains reliable acknowledgment delivery while significantly improving communication efficiency by reducing the total number of frames transmitted.
Data Source
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Figure 4~5B
AI summary
In a communication system comprising a server, a plurality of terminal devices and at least one aggregation gateway acting as a relay between the server and the terminal devices, the server: creates at least one group and assigns (601) terminal devices to each group created; defines, for each group created, instances of a group receive window separated by a period P, so as to occur at deterministic times; receives (604, 616) uplink frames from the terminal devices;for a said terminal device assigned to a group, acknowledge the uplink frames received in a downlink frame (611) transmitted in point-to-multipoint mode (612a, 612b) in a said instance of the group receive window defined for said group, said downlink frame including a group acknowledgment for all uplink frames transmitted by terminal devices of the group during the period P preceding said instance of the group receive window; and for a said terminal device not assigned to a group, acknowledge (605, 617) the uplink frames received in point-to-point mode.