Packet Header-Payload Coding for Fair Wireless Bandwidth
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Solution Overview
Problem
In noisy data networking environments, existing error correction codes often imbalance throughput and reliability, causing excessive re-transmissions and bandwidth overhead, particularly in shared channels with diverse quality of service requirements, where strong codes increase overhead unacceptably and weak codes result in too many re-transmissions.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves encoding data packet headers with a strong error correction code, such as a binary BCH code, and payloads with a variable-strength error correction code, like a Reed-Solomon code, and using the overhead as an input parameter for packet scheduling algorithms to ensure fair bandwidth allocation independent of error correcting code overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a strong error correction code is used to reduce bit error rate, then reliability is improved, but overhead increases unacceptably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different error correction code strengths to different parts of the data packet. Specifically, the header portion receives stronger error correction coding than the payload portion. This local differentiation allows the header (which contains critical routing and control information) to be protected with high reliability codes, while the payload can use weaker codes to minimize overhead, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and overhead.
2Productivity
If a weak error correction code is used to reduce overhead, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but re-transmissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements variable-strength error correction where the header is encoded with stronger codes and the payload with weaker codes. This local quality approach ensures that critical header information is protected against errors that would cause re-transmissions, while payload data uses weaker codes to maintain bandwidth efficiency. The result is reduced re-transmission rates without excessive overhead.
3Reliability
If error correction coding is applied to entire packet to protect header, then header integrity is improved, but overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data packet into header and payload portions, and applies different error correction codes to each segment. The header is protected with stronger error correction coding to ensure integrity, while the payload receives weaker coding. This segmentation allows targeted protection of critical information without applying excessive overhead to the entire packet, thus resolving the contradiction between header integrity and overhead.
4Ease of operation
If packet scheduling algorithm does not account for error correction overhead, then scheduling simplicity is maintained, but bandwidth allocation fairness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a feedback mechanism where the packet scheduling algorithm receives information about the overhead introduced by error correction coding. This feedback allows the scheduler to adjust bandwidth allocation decisions, compensating for the variable overhead from different error correction code strengths. As a result, bandwidth allocation remains fair across different users and applications, while the scheduling mechanism adapts to the actual overhead conditions without requiring complete redesign of the scheduling logic.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for encoding packetized data include applying different codings to the header and the payload. The header of a data packet is encoded for error correction separately from the payload of the data packet. The use of separate error correction techniques for the header and payload of a packet permits optimization of each for use in a data network, and more particularly, in a wireless data network.