LPP Reliable Transport via Implicit Acknowledgement

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Solution Overview

Problem

The LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) experiences reliability issues due to senders becoming stuck in a wait-for-acknowledgement state when non-piggybacked acknowledgments are lost, leading to unnecessary retransmissions and latency in location-based services, especially in latency-tolerant applications like E-911 emergency services.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a mechanism where mobile devices and location servers can accept a substitute/implicit acknowledgement, such as an LPP Provide Assistance Data or Error message, to exit the wait-for-acknowledgement state, allowing for continued uplink signaling and reducing unnecessary retransmissions by matching transaction IDs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the sender waits for a non-piggybacked acknowledgement before sending the next message, then message delivery reliability is improved, but system latency increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage delivery reliabilityVSAvoidsystem latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver sends the acknowledgement message in advance before the timeout period expires, allowing the sender to proceed with subsequent messages without waiting for the full timeout duration. This preliminary action reduces system latency while maintaining reliable message delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the wait time for acknowledgements by implementing a configurable timeout period that can be optimized based on network conditions and service requirements, balancing reliability and latency for different operating scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the sender retransmits unacknowledged messages multiple times, then message delivery reliability is improved, but signaling load increases and network resources are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage delivery reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork signaling load
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the receiver proactively sends acknowledgements to inform the sender about successful message reception. This feedback prevents unnecessary retransmissions by providing timely confirmation, thereby reducing network signaling load and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver autonomously manages the acknowledgement process by automatically sending confirmation messages when data is successfully received, eliminating the need for the sender to continuously retransmit and wait for confirmation, thus reducing overall network traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If the sender enters a wait-for-acknowledgement state, then message ordering is maintained, but device complexity increases and ease of operation decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage orderingVSAvoidprotocol state management
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of requiring the sender to wait for acknowledgements before sending any subsequent messages, the system allows partial progression by enabling the sender to transmit messages within the timeout period while maintaining ordering through sequence numbers and timeout-based flow control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2896254B1Enhanced LTE positioning protocol information transfer procedures for control plane LCS on LTE
Publication Date: 2017.05.17 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP2896254B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2896254B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2896254B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Techniques disclosed herein provide for enhanced LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) Reliable Transport where the receiver of an LPP message sends a non-piggybacked acknowledgement. An example method for executing on a mobile device a protocol session with a location server includes sending a first protocol session message associated with a first protocol session to the location server, entering a wait-for-acknowledgement state in which uplink transmissions from the mobile device to the location server are suspended while waiting for an acknowledgement from the location server in response to the first protocol session message, receiving a second protocol session message associated with a second protocol session which is not an acknowledgement to the first protocol session message but includes information requested in the first protocol session message; exiting the wait-for-acknowledgement state responsive to receiving the second protocol session message; and performing an action using the information received in the second protocol session message.