Multi-Hop Time Slot Coordination for Conflict-Free AP Scheduling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication networks lack mechanisms to efficiently establish and coordinate time slot schedules for multi-hop traffic flows across multiple access points, leading to potential conflicts and suboptimal network performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a coordinated scheduling-based protocol where access points and a network controller manage and coordinate time slot schedules across multiple hops, using a coordinated scheduling-based protocol to align and adjust schedules based on priority, ensuring non-conflicting time slots for different traffic flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wireless communication networks operate without coordinated scheduling mechanisms, then devices can independently manage their own time slots, but time slot conflicts occur between multiple access points leading to suboptimal network performance
Solution Approach 1:
A network controller is introduced as an intermediary entity that receives time slot schedules from multiple access points, performs conflict detection and resolution, and coordinates the schedules across the network. This centralized mediator eliminates time slot conflicts between APs while maintaining individual AP autonomy, directly resolving the contradiction between network reliability and operational simplicity.
2Loss of time
If access points independently manage time slots without coordination, then device complexity is reduced, but time slot conflicts lead to increased latency and reduced spectral efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The network controller acts as a centralized coordinator that receives time slot schedules from multiple access points, detects conflicts, and resolves them by adjusting schedules to eliminate overlaps. This coordination prevents retransmissions and delays caused by collisions, reducing overall network latency despite the added coordination overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where access points transmit their time slot schedules to the network controller, which then provides adjusted schedules back to the APs. This closed-loop feedback ensures that time slot allocations are optimized to minimize latency while maintaining coordination across the network.
3Productivity
If multiple access points operate without schedule coordination, then individual AP autonomy is maintained, but spectral efficiency and network throughput decrease due to conflicts
Solution Approach 1:
The network controller serves as a centralized mediator that collects time slot schedules from multiple access points, analyzes them for conflicts, and distributes optimized schedules back to the APs. This coordination eliminates throughput-reducing conflicts while maintaining individual AP functionality, achieving high network productivity with manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the schedule management functions of multiple independent access points into a centralized coordination process handled by the network controller. By combining individual AP schedules into a unified network-wide schedule, the system achieves optimal spectral efficiency and throughput while reducing the burden on individual devices.
4Reliability
If access points use independent time slot allocation, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but reliability of multi-hop traffic flows deteriorates due to uncoordinated schedules
Solution Approach 1:
The network controller acts as a centralized intermediary that receives and coordinates time slot schedules from multiple access points involved in multi-hop traffic flows. By ensuring that schedules across different hops are conflict-free and properly aligned, the controller guarantees reliable end-to-end multi-hop communication while keeping individual AP implementation relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides methods, components, devices and systems for coordinated scheduling-based protocols for multi-hop traffic flows in a controller-based network. Some aspects more specifically relate to a coordinated scheduling of time slots for multi-hop traffic flows across both fronthaul and backhaul links in controller-based networks. In some examples, an access point (AP) within the network may provide information indicative of one or more established schedules of time slots to a network controller and the network controller may use such information for conflict resolution between different schedules of time slots. In accordance with the propagation of schedules of time slots to the network controller, the network controller may obtain a complete view of traffic patterns within the network and leverage such a complete view for the conflict resolution. Additionally, or alternatively, an AP may rely on a configuration by the network controller of one or more coordinated schedules of time slots.