Multi-Link Wireless Operation for Low-Jitter Delay-Sensitive Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communications in noisy environments suffer from unpredictable latency and latency jitter, which negatively impact user experience in applications like gaming, especially in home game streaming scenarios where wireless communication links have variable latency due to environmental RF noise and collisions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dual-band simultaneous radios to transmit packets over different frequency channels and managing communication links through replicators and detectors that operate at a lower level than the application level, replicating packets and configuring multi-link operations based on jitter likelihood values to reduce latency and jitter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless communication is used to avoid wires, then ease of operation is improved, but latency and latency jitter increase due to shared spectrum and RF noise
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication system segments the transmission path by using multiple independent frequency channels (first channel and second channel) simultaneously. The replicator divides packets into first packets for the first channel and second packets for the second channel, allowing parallel transmission that reduces overall latency by avoiding sequential transmission delays in a shared medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from single-channel sequential transmission to multi-channel parallel transmission by adding the frequency dimension. Dual-band simultaneous radios operate on different frequency channels (e.g., 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz or 6 GHz), effectively using multiple dimensions of the electromagnetic spectrum to transmit data concurrently, thereby reducing latency and jitter.
2Device complexity
If single link transmission is used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to variable latency and collisions in shared medium
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different transmission strategies to different packets based on their characteristics. The replicator identifies delay-sensitive packets and applies multi-link transmission only to those packets, while other packets can use single-link transmission. This localized application of complexity only where needed maintains reliability for critical traffic without unnecessarily increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The replicator creates copies of packets for transmission over multiple channels simultaneously. By duplicating packets as first packets and second packets for different frequency channels, the system ensures that if one channel experiences collision or interference, the other channel may still deliver the data successfully, improving reliability without requiring complex retransmission mechanisms.
3Loss of time
If multi-link operation is implemented to reduce latency, then latency is reduced, but device complexity increases due to packet replication and link management
Solution Approach 1:
The replicator and detector operate autonomously at the network layer to manage packet replication and selection without requiring complex centralized control. The replicator automatically identifies delay-sensitive packets and replicates them for multi-link transmission, while the detector automatically selects received packets based on arrival timing. This self-service approach reduces latency by handling packet management locally and automatically, minimizing the complexity burden on higher-level protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for network management. In a first aspect, a method of managing communications links includes determining a latency sensitivity for first data for transmission between a first device and a second device and determining whether the latency sensitivity satisfies a criteria. When the criteria is met, the method includes determining a plurality of jitter likelihood values corresponding to a plurality of links between the first device and the second device; and configuring multi-link operation between the first device and the second device using a first link of the plurality of links and a second link of the plurality of links, wherein the first link and the second link are determined based on the plurality of jitter likelihood values. Other aspects and features are also claimed and described.