Link-Specific Block Acknowledgment for Multi-Link Wireless
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of multiple links in wireless communication protocols, such as IEEE 802.11be, complicates acknowledgments for recipient electronic devices, leading to inefficient communication performance and user experience degradation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing link-specific block acknowledgments that allow electronic devices to transmit frames across multiple links and receive acknowledgments for subsets of frames, enabling selective reordering and traffic control based on these acknowledgments, thereby optimizing link performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple links are used for wireless communication, then communication capacity and reliability are improved, but acknowledgment complexity and management overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the acknowledgment mechanism by introducing link-specific block acknowledgments for each link rather than a single unified acknowledgment system. This allows independent management of acknowledgments per link, reducing overall complexity while maintaining multi-link communication capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a link-specific dimension to the acknowledgment system by incorporating link identifiers into block acknowledgment frames. This dimensional extension allows the system to track and manage acknowledgments across multiple links simultaneously, resolving the complexity issue
2Productivity
If multiple links are used for frame transmission, then data throughput is improved, but traffic management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where block acknowledgments provide information about received frames on each link. This feedback enables the transmitting device to adjust traffic distribution across links dynamically, simplifying traffic management while maintaining high throughput
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic traffic management by allowing the transmitting device to control the amount of traffic on each link based on received block acknowledgments. This dynamic adjustment capability simplifies operation while maintaining optimal throughput across multiple links
3Productivity
If block acknowledgments are implemented for each link, then communication efficiency is improved, but buffer requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing block acknowledgments for subsets of frames rather than requiring all frames to be acknowledged before proceeding. This allows the system to maintain communication efficiency while reducing buffer requirements by processing frames in manageable blocks
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device that communicates frames is described. During operation, the electronic device may transmit the frames addressed to a recipient electronic device and associated with multiple links between the electronic device and the recipient electronic device. Then, the electronic device may receive block acknowledgments for at least a subset of the frames, where a given block acknowledgment is associated with the recipient electronic device and indicates received frames on a given link in the links. Moreover, the electronic device may control an amount of traffic conveyed on the links based at least in part on the block acknowledgments. Next, the electronic device may store a remainder of the frames based at least in part on the block acknowledgments, where the frames include the subset of the frames and the remainder of the frames. Note that the frames may have a common traffic identifier.