Group Acknowledgement for Wireless Sensor Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless sensor networks face limitations in duty cycle constraints, which restrict the robustness and quality of service due to the need for individual acknowledgments from network nodes, often resulting in bandwidth inefficiencies and reduced communication reliability.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method to send a single acknowledgement message to a group of devices instead of each device individually, along with a protocol and addressing scheme to identify neighboring devices and manage message transfers efficiently within duty cycle constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual acknowledgement messages are sent to each device, then communication reliability is improved, but network bandwidth is consumed and duty cycle constraints are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual acknowledgement messages into a single group acknowledgement message that is sent to multiple devices simultaneously. This combining approach maintains reliability by confirming receipt to all devices in the group while significantly reducing the total number of messages transmitted, thereby conserving network bandwidth and adhering to duty cycle constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The group acknowledgement message serves multiple functions simultaneously - it acknowledges receipt of data from multiple different devices in a single transmission. This multi-functionality allows the network node to confirm successful communication with several devices without requiring separate individual ACK messages for each device, thus improving bandwidth efficiency while maintaining comprehensive acknowledgement coverage.
2Reliability
If individual acknowledgement messages are sent to each device, then communication robustness is improved, but duty cycle requirements are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual acknowledgement transmissions into a single group acknowledgement message that simultaneously serves multiple devices. This merging reduces the total active transmission time required for acknowledgements, allowing the network node to stay within duty cycle constraints while still providing robust communication confirmation to all devices in the group.
Solution Approach 2:
By sending a single group acknowledgement message that simultaneously acknowledges receipt from multiple devices, the system maintains continuous and efficient communication confirmation without requiring multiple separate transmission cycles. This approach ensures that all devices receive acknowledgement within the same time window, maintaining communication robustness while minimizing the duration of active duty cycle operations.
3Reliability
If multiple data transfers are performed, then communication completeness is improved, but network bandwidth is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual data transfer operations into a single group-based communication cycle. Instead of performing separate send-acknowledge cycles for each device, the system uses a single group acknowledgement message that confirms completion for all devices simultaneously, thereby reducing the total number of data transfer operations and conserving network bandwidth while maintaining communication completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The group acknowledgement message acts as a copy that can be simultaneously delivered to multiple devices, replacing the need for multiple separate acknowledgement messages. This copying approach allows the network node to confirm communication completeness to all devices in the group through a single message replication, reducing bandwidth consumption while ensuring all devices receive the confirmation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for controlling network communications between a plurality of devices and a network node. The plurality of devices includes one or more devices of a group. If the network node receives messages from devices of a group, the network node sends a group ACK to the group of devices.