Network Apparatus Latency Feedback for QoS

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Wi-Fi systems, such as 802.11 Wi-Fi systems, fail to effectively prioritize real-time applications like video streaming and gaming, leading to adverse user experiences during network congestion due to the lack of DSCP marking and absence of mechanisms to analyze and regulate quality of experience.

Innovation Solution

A network apparatus and access point system that measures latency metrics, determines Quality of Service (QoS) performance, and adjusts packet priorities using a feedback loop to assign packets to higher priority queues, thereby improving user experience by reducing latency on a per-client basis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If WMM priority classes are used to prioritize traffic, then real-time applications can be given higher priority, but most real-time applications do not mark DSCP values so all packets are mapped to the default best effort queue and latency cannot be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovelatencyVSAvoidcomplexity of QoS mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the network device monitors latency metrics for each user equipment, compares them against thresholds, and dynamically adjusts packet priorities accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system automatically prioritizes traffic for applications experiencing high latency without requiring manual DSCP marking, resolving the contradiction by making the QoS mechanism both effective and autonomous.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service QoS by having the network device automatically detect which applications require prioritization through latency monitoring and autonomously assign appropriate priority levels. This eliminates the need for application-level DSCP marking while still achieving effective traffic prioritization, thereby reducing the complexity burden on applications while maintaining low latency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of time

If packet priority is increased for all user equipment to reduce latency, then real-time application performance improves, but network resources are wasted on non-critical traffic and overall network efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovelatencyVSAvoidnetwork throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different priority levels to different user equipment based on their specific latency requirements and application types. Instead of uniformly prioritizing all traffic, the system individually evaluates each user equipment's latency metrics and applies priority adjustments only where necessary, thereby reducing latency for critical applications while preserving network throughput for non-critical traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements partial action by selectively prioritizing only those packets from user equipment that are experiencing latency issues, rather than prioritizing all packets indiscriminately. The feedback mechanism ensures that priority adjustments are applied partially and dynamically only when and where needed, maintaining network efficiency while achieving latency reduction for affected applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If DSCP marking is implemented at the application level, then packet classification becomes possible, but there is no mechanism for analyzing performance and regulating quality of experience as required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacket classification accuracyVSAvoidease of QoS regulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary network device that acts as a mediator between the application layer and the network transport layer. This intermediary monitors latency metrics, performs packet classification based on observed traffic patterns, and automatically regulates QoS parameters. It bridges the gap by providing both accurate packet classification (like DSCP marking) and automated performance regulation without requiring application-level implementation complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4304151A1Regulating a quality of experience in a network
Publication Date: 2024.01.10 NOKIA SOLUTIONS & NETWORKS OY
  • EP4304151A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4304151A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4304151A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

In some examples, a network apparatus for a telecommunication network comprises communication circuitry configured to receive, from an access point, a latency metric of traffic associated with user equipment, and a processor configured to determine a quality of service, QoS, performance for the user equipment on the basis of the received latency metric, wherein, in response to the processor determining that the QoS performance is below a predetermined threshold value, the communication circuitry is configured to transmit, to the access point, a request to increase a priority of packets destined for the user equipment, whereby to reduce latency of traffic associated with the user equipment.