Modified Reliable Transport Protocol for Real-Time Data Relaying
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Firewalls often block certain communication protocols, such as UDP and RTP over UDP, which are necessary for real-time applications like video streaming, making it difficult for devices behind firewalls to establish direct communication paths, and existing solutions like TCP are inefficient due to added latency and reliability mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A modified reliable transport protocol that is compatible with TCP, allowing for the use of UDP or RTP over UDP by modifying reliability mechanisms such as sequencing, acknowledgement, and retransmission, enabling efficient data relaying through a TURN server, which can handle out-of-sequence packets and provide periodic acknowledgments to prevent retransmission of stale data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP protocol is used for reliable data transmission, then data reliability is improved, but communication latency increases and real-time performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial reliability by selectively applying reliability mechanisms only when needed. The system determines whether to request retransmission based on whether the received data belongs to a previously displayed frame, avoiding unnecessary retransmission delays for real-time video data where partial loss is acceptable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the reliability parameter dynamically by introducing a frame number comparison mechanism. The receiver compares the frame number in received packets with the last displayed frame number to dynamically adjust whether to request retransmission, balancing reliability and real-time performance based on current network conditions and data importance.
2Loss of time
If UDP protocol is used for real-time communication, then communication latency is reduced and real-time performance is improved, but data reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary reliability check mechanism at the application layer that works over UDP. The receiver acts as an intermediary by comparing frame numbers and selectively requesting retransmissions only for critical data, providing reliability where needed while maintaining UDP's low-latency characteristics for real-time video streaming.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If firewalls block certain protocols like UDP and RTP, then network security is improved, but protocol availability and communication flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the reliability mechanism from the transport layer protocol and implements it at the application layer instead. This allows the system to use UDP (which firewalls typically allow) while still providing TCP-like reliability through application-level frame number comparison and selective retransmission requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent copies the essential reliability functionality of TCP into the application layer by implementing frame number tracking and selective retransmission logic. This copied mechanism provides the necessary reliability for video streaming without requiring TCP protocol, which would be blocked by firewalls.
4Reliability
If traditional TCP reliability mechanisms are used, then data transmission reliability is improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential reliability checking functionality from TCP and implements it lightly at the application layer. Instead of implementing full TCP protocol stack, the system uses simple frame number comparison and selective retransmission requests, significantly reducing processing complexity while maintaining adequate reliability for video streaming.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system for relaying data based on a modified reliable transport protocol is provided. According to an aspect, a relay can receive a data packet sent in accordance with a reliable transport protocol. The relay processes the received packet in accordance with modified reliable protocol and relays the received packet. The modifications can be based on alterations to reliability mechanisms which improve communication characteristics of the protocol for real time communications and other time sensitive communications. The modified protocol is nevertheless compatible with the original reliable protocol so that relay can communicate, using the modified protocol with any network component using the unmodified protocol.