ICE Connectivity Check Pruning for Bandwidth-Constrained Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ICE protocol for establishing media sessions in bandwidth-constrained networks often saturates the network, leading to call establishment failures and sub-optimal path selection, particularly in scenarios with limited bandwidth, such as cellular networks.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution reduces bandwidth consumption during media session establishment by pruning candidate pairs, limiting probe messages, and modifying the order of connectivity checks based on reduced connectivity check criteria, such as network topology and historical usage, to prioritize more viable candidate pairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the existing ICE protocol performs full connectivity checks with all candidate pairs, then path selection completeness is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases causing network saturation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the full set of candidate pairs into multiple groups based on network topology characteristics (e.g., host-host, host-reflexive, reflexive-host, relay-relay pairs). This segmentation allows the system to selectively perform connectivity checks on specific groups rather than exhaustively checking all possible pairs, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining reliable path selection by focusing checks on the most promising candidate groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by performing connectivity checks on only a subset of candidate pairs rather than all possible pairs. By using reduced connectivity check criteria to identify and prioritize specific candidate pairs based on network topology, the system achieves sufficient path selection reliability without the excessive bandwidth consumption of full connectivity checks, effectively implementing 'enough but not too much' action.
2Reliability
If probe messages are transmitted for all candidate pairs to ensure valid path selection, then media session establishment reliability is improved, but network bandwidth is saturated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by evaluating network topology characteristics and generating reduced connectivity check criteria before transmitting probe messages. This preliminary evaluation identifies which candidate pairs are worth checking, allowing the system to transmit probe messages only for selected pairs rather than all pairs, thus ensuring reliable media session establishment while avoiding bandwidth saturation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters by dynamically adjusting the connectivity check criteria based on network topology characteristics. Instead of using fixed criteria for all scenarios, the system modifies which candidate pairs undergo connectivity checks according to the specific network conditions, thereby maintaining session establishment reliability while optimizing bandwidth usage by excluding unlikely candidates from probe message transmission.
3Loss of energy
If reduced connectivity check criteria are applied to limit probe messages, then bandwidth consumption is reduced, but path selection accuracy may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the connectivity check criteria to specific network topology scenarios. Different candidate pair groups receive different levels of scrutiny based on their likelihood of being valid paths. For example, host-host pairs in certain topologies may be excluded from checks while other pairs receive full checking, ensuring that path selection accuracy is maintained for relevant candidates while bandwidth is saved by skipping checks on unlikely candidates.
Data Source
AI summary
A media session is established between a first endpoint and a second endpoint via a communication network based on connectivity checks performed by the endpoints. A set of candidate pairs, each comprising a first network address available to the first endpoint and a second network address available to the second endpoint, is generated. Depending on whether or not at least one of a set of one or more reduced connectivity check criteria is determined to be met, a probe threshold for at least one of the candidate pairs. Connectivity checks are performed for the at least one candidate pair by transmitting, by the first endpoint, a number of probe messages from the first network address of that pair to the second network address of that pair that is limited by the probe threshold.