Network Node Availability Estimation Without Beacon Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication systems with network nodes that alternate between active and inactive periods lead to inefficient data transmission due to frequent retries and increased battery life consumption, as existing methods rely on special synchronization messages that generate additional air traffic and decrease node availability.
Innovation Solution
A network node system that estimates the availability of a second node by analyzing success statistics of data packet transmissions without using special synchronization messages, allowing data packets to be transmitted only when the node is determined to be available, thereby reducing unnecessary retries and air traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If beacon packets are used to synchronize networks, then network synchronization is achieved, but over-the-air traffic increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the synchronization function from dedicated beacon packets and integrates it into regular data packet transmissions. The sending node determines node availability based on transmission success statistics embedded in data packets, eliminating the need for separate synchronization messages and reducing overall air traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
Data packets serve multiple functions: they carry application data and simultaneously provide synchronization information. The success statistics of data packet transmissions are used to determine node availability, making the data packets universal carriers of both data and control information.
2Productivity
If data is sent when node availability is uncertain, then transmission attempts continue, but the number of failed transmissions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sending node uses feedback from transmission success statistics to dynamically determine node availability. By monitoring whether data packets are successfully received (through acknowledgments or lack of collision), the sending node adjusts its transmission timing to match the receiving node's availability pattern, improving both efficiency and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary determination of node availability by analyzing transmission success statistics before attempting new data transmissions. This preliminary action allows the sending node to predict when the receiving node will be available, preventing failed transmissions from the outset.
3Reliability
If retry transmissions are performed when data is not received, then data delivery is attempted, but over-the-air traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sending node performs preliminary determination of node availability using transmission success statistics before attempting data transmission. This preliminary action identifies the optimal transmission window, eliminating the need for multiple retry attempts and reducing overall air traffic while maintaining data delivery reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A first network node for communicating with a second network node over a first communication network is described. The second network node is arranged to communicate over the first communication network in a first part of a communication period and arranged to not communicate over the first communication network in a second part of the communication period. The first network node has a send unit for sending data formatted in data packets to the second network node, a statistics unit arranged for determining a success statistics, an availability estimator for deriving an availability estimation from the success statistics, and a send controller arranged to control the send unit in dependence on the availability estimation. Also described is a communication system, a method of estimating availability of a second network node, a method of communicating by a first network node, and an associated computer program product.