Master Device Radio Transmission Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In radio systems like Bluetooth Low Energy, master devices face challenges in scheduling radio transmissions across multiple connections to meet varying bandwidth and latency requirements, especially when some slaves demand low latency or when requirements fluctuate over time.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves dividing time into initial and extension periods, where every slave device has a guaranteed opportunity in the initial portion and additional time can be allocated in the extension portion, allowing for flexible scheduling to meet latency and throughput requirements. This is achieved by using subrating mechanisms to adjust connection events and allocate additional time slots dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the master device assigns connection events with fixed timing offsets and durations to multiple slave devices, then the scheduling is simple and stable, but it cannot meet varying bandwidth and latency requirements of slave devices
Solution Approach 1:
The time period is segmented into a first portion for guaranteed time slots and a second portion for additional time allocations. This segmentation allows the system to provide both stable baseline scheduling and flexible adaptive scheduling, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduling system transitions from static fixed timing offsets to dynamic time slot assignments. The master device can dynamically allocate additional time slots in the second portion based on real-time bandwidth and latency requirements, enabling adaptability while maintaining manageable complexity through structured resource allocation.
2Loss of time
If the master device provides frequent connection events to meet low latency requirements, then latency performance improves, but bandwidth availability for other connections decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the time period into first and second portions, the system guarantees minimum latency requirements through dedicated time slots in the first portion while preserving bandwidth for other connections. Low-latency connections receive additional time slots in the second portion without completely displacing other connections, thus balancing latency and bandwidth.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality levels of service are provided to different connections based on their requirements. Time-critical connections receive additional time slots in the second portion for enhanced latency performance, while other connections maintain their guaranteed slots in the first portion, ensuring overall system bandwidth efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the master device allocates equal time slots to all connections, then fairness is maintained, but it cannot respond to fluctuating bandwidth and latency requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The division into first and second portions creates a structured framework where the first portion maintains fair equal allocation while the second portion enables adaptive responses to fluctuating requirements. This segmentation simplifies the configuration process compared to fully dynamic scheduling while still providing necessary adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic scheduling within a structured framework. The master device can adjust time slot allocations in the second portion based on fluctuating requirements, while the first portion maintains stable fair allocation. This approach balances ease of operation with adaptability to changing conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A radio device is configured for radio communication as a master device over each of a plurality of connections between the master device and a respective plurality of slave devices. The radio device is configured to schedule radio transmissions over the connections. For each time period of a succession of time periods, it assigns to each of the connections a respective first time slot for radio transmissions between the radio device and the respective slave device, wherein the first time slots within the time period are non-overlapping and are all located within a first portion of the time period. In response to a request to provide additional time to a first connection, it assigns to the first connection an additional time allocation within a second portion of a time period of the succession of time periods, the second portion occurring after the first portion of the time period.