Multicast Feedback Timing via Predictive Erasure Models

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional multicast protocols face challenges with increasing recipient nodes, leading to unmanageable feedback traffic and delays due to communication overhead, which hinders efficient data transfer in networks.

Innovation Solution

A predictive model is used to optimize feedback timing in multicast networks, reducing unnecessary feedback by selecting time slots based on packet erasure probabilities and limiting feedback to only necessary nodes, allowing multiple nodes to transmit feedback in a compact form, and employing network coding to facilitate efficient message dissemination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional multicast protocols use feedback mechanisms to ensure reliable transmission, then transmission reliability is improved, but feedback traffic increases and consumes valuable channel resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission reliabilityVSAvoidfeedback traffic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by implementing selective feedback mechanisms where only certain nodes transmit feedback under specific conditions. Instead of all recipient nodes sending feedback continuously, the system activates feedback only when necessary (e.g., when packet loss is detected or at scheduled intervals), thereby maintaining transmission reliability while significantly reducing overall feedback traffic volume in the network

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements structured feedback mechanisms including packet acknowledgment (ACK/NACK) systems, selective repeat ARQ protocols, and scheduled feedback slots. These feedback structures enable the transmitter to receive targeted information about packet reception status from recipient nodes, allowing reliable transmission through controlled feedback rather than unmanaged traffic, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and traffic volume

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If traditional multicast protocols use feedback mechanisms for reliability, then transmission reliability is improved, but transmission delays increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission reliabilityVSAvoidtransmission delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs periodic feedback mechanisms where recipient nodes transmit acknowledgments at scheduled intervals rather than continuously or immediately for every packet. This periodic action allows the system to maintain reliability through regular status checks while reducing transmission delays by avoiding constant feedback exchanges, thus resolving the time-reliability contradiction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary actions such as pre-scheduling feedback slots and pre-configuring ARQ parameters before transmission begins. By establishing feedback mechanisms in advance and using predictive models to anticipate transmission needs, the system reduces reactive delays while maintaining reliability, as the framework is already in place to handle packet losses without ad-hoc negotiation overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If feedback is transmitted by all recipient nodes, then transmission reliability is improved, but channel resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission reliabilityVSAvoidchannel resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by implementing selective feedback where only a subset of recipient nodes transmit acknowledgments based on their reception status and system configuration. Instead of all nodes participating in feedback, the system activates only those nodes that have detected packet losses or are scheduled to provide feedback, thereby maintaining reliability through distributed monitoring while reducing channel resource consumption by limiting active feedback transmitters

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines feedback from multiple recipient nodes into aggregated acknowledgment signals or uses representative nodes to report group status. By merging individual feedback into consolidated signals, the system maintains comprehensive reliability monitoring across all nodes while reducing the total channel resource consumption through fewer individual transmission events

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9369255B2Method and apparatus for reducing feedback and enhancing message dissemination efficiency in a multicast network

Publication Date: 2016.06.14 MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH

AI summary

Message dissemination speed is increased during multicast operations in a network by intelligently selecting one or more feedback time slots for use by destination nodes. In at least one implementation, a feedback time slot is selected based upon probabilities that a plurality of data packets will be successfully distributed to a plurality of destination nodes by various future time slots. These probabilities may be estimated based on, for example, packet erasure probabilities in the network. In some implementations, only destination nodes that have not yet successfully received a plurality of data packets are permitted to transmit feedback during feedback time slots.