MAC Frame Aggregation with Priority Queues and Partial ACK
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional frame aggregation techniques in communication systems, such as HCCA, do not consider frame priorities, leading to potential degradation of Quality of Service (QoS) as frames with low priority may be transmitted before high-priority frames, and require acknowledgement mechanisms that are not optimized for efficient retransmission control.
Innovation Solution
A communication apparatus that generates physical frames containing multiple MAC frames with acknowledgement status information, allowing for prioritized frame aggregation and efficient retransmission control by using 'No_ACK' and 'Partial_ACK' policies, ensuring that high-priority frames are transmitted before low-priority ones and optimizing retransmission based on acknowledgement requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional frame aggregation technique is applied without considering frame priorities, then transmission efficiency is improved by aggregating multiple frames, but Quality of Service (QoS) is degraded because low-priority frames may be transmitted before high-priority frames
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission queue into multiple priority-based queues (e.g., high-priority queue and low-priority queue). Frames are classified into different priority levels and transmitted according to their priority, ensuring that high-priority frames are transmitted before low-priority frames while still allowing aggregation within each priority level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different transmission policies to different parts of the transmission queue based on frame priority. High-priority frames are handled with preferential treatment (transmitted first), while low-priority frames are transmitted after high-priority frames. This local differentiation ensures QoS requirements are met while maintaining aggregation efficiency.
2Device complexity
If conventional acknowledgement mechanism is used for aggregated frames, then retransmission control is simplified, but retransmission efficiency is reduced because all frames require full acknowledgement sequences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial acknowledgement mechanisms where not all frames in an aggregated transmission require full acknowledgement sequences. Instead, selective acknowledgements are used based on frame priority and reception status, reducing the overhead of acknowledgement processing while maintaining reliable retransmission control for critical frames.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication apparatus includes a frame generating device configured to generate a physical frame containing, of a plurality of MAC frames to be transmitted, a MAC frame which requires acknowledgement indicating that the frame is received by a receiving side, a MAC frame which does not require the acknowledgement, and identification information which indicates necessity/unnecessity of acknowledgement for each MAC frame depending on whether each MAC frame requires acknowledgement, and a transmitting device configured to transmit the physical frame generated by the frame generating device.