Multi-destination burst protocol for isochronous networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multimedia communication protocols, such as HomePlug AV, face inefficiencies in congested networks due to high packet latency and jitter, especially when communicating with multiple devices, as they do not support multicast transmissions and pseudo contention-free periods for acknowledgments in bidirectional bursts.
Innovation Solution
A multimedia communication protocol that enables multicast distribution and establishes pseudo contention-free periods within bidirectional bursts for acknowledgments from multiple receivers, allowing simultaneous communication without contention, using modified Start of Frame and Reverse Start of Frame delimiters to manage acknowledgments efficiently across multiple destinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional unicast communication is used in congested networks, then each device can receive acknowledgments individually, but packet latency and jitter increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast acknowledgment transmissions into a single multicast acknowledgment transmission. The transmitter sends one multicast data packet to multiple receivers, and all receivers respond with acknowledgments in a coordinated manner using a single reverse burst, consolidating what would otherwise be multiple separate acknowledgment exchanges into one efficient communication cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses multicast transmission to send identical data packets simultaneously to multiple receivers. Instead of creating and transmitting separate copies of the data packet to each receiver individually (which would multiply the latency), a single multicast packet is transmitted that all receivers can process simultaneously, reducing the overall acknowledgment cycle time.
2Reliability
If separate communications are initiated for each receiver, then individual acknowledgment status can be obtained, but communication efficiency decreases in congested networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual communication exchanges into a single multicast communication event. The transmitter initiates one multicast transmission that reaches all receivers simultaneously, and the receivers coordinate their acknowledgment responses in a single reverse burst, maintaining individual acknowledgment tracking while dramatically improving communication efficiency by eliminating repeated channel access overhead.
3Productivity
If bidirectional bursting is used to allow reverse transmission, then acknowledgment efficiency improves, but supporting multiple destinations simultaneously is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the bidirectional burst mechanism to serve multiple functions simultaneously. The reverse burst not only carries acknowledgments but also enables the transmitter to identify which receivers are active and need data, allowing the system to dynamically adapt to different network conditions and receiver states while maintaining efficient single-burst acknowledgment collection from multiple destinations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where receivers indicate their reception status and data needs through the reverse burst acknowledgment. The transmitter uses this feedback information to determine subsequent transmission actions, such as whether to retransmit data to specific receivers or proceed with new multicast transmissions, thereby optimizing communication efficiency based on actual receiver needs.
4Ease of operation
If standard CSMA protocols are used in highly congested networks, then devices can contend for network access, but packet latency and jitter increase due to repeated contention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the forward burst to preliminarily reserve the communication channel for the subsequent reverse burst acknowledgment transmission. By establishing this preliminary channel reservation during the forward data transmission phase, the system ensures that the acknowledgment phase can proceed without additional contention delays, effectively pre-coordinating the communication timeline between transmitter and receivers.
Data Source
AI summary
Multicast transmissions are efficient but do not allow for individual acknowledgement that the data was received by each receiver. This is not acceptable for isochronous systems that require specific levels of QoS for each device. A multimedia communications protocol is provided that uses a novel multi-destination burst transmission protocol in multimedia isochronous systems. The transmitter establishes a bi-directional burst mode for multicasting data to multiple devices and receiving Reverse Start of Frame (RSOF) delimiters from each multicast-destination receiver in response to multiple SOF delimiters, thus providing protocol-efficient multi-destination acknowledgements.