Preemptive Acknowledge Field for Network Buffer Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems face challenges in reducing latency and transmission overhead, particularly in real-time applications and synchronous streaming data, due to inefficiencies in frame handling and buffer management, which can lead to network congestion and frame loss.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a preemptive acknowledge field (PACK field) within the frame structure, allowing receiving ports to signal buffer status to transmitting ports, enabling immediate abortion of frame transmission upon buffer overflow and reducing latency by modifying the frame before retransmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If Ethernet protocol is used with collision detection and arbitration, then network nodes can communicate reliably, but latency and transmission overhead increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidlatency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by using preemptive acknowledge fields (PACK fields) in frame structures to signal buffer status before data transmission completes. This allows receiving nodes to inform transmitting nodes about buffer availability in advance, enabling transmitting nodes to abort transmissions proactively when buffers are full, thereby reducing latency without sacrificing reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If Ethernet jam signal is used to handle congestion, then frame loss is eliminated, but network determinism is lost and overall network performance decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveframe loss preventionVSAvoidnetwork throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of reacting to congestion with jam signals after frame loss occurs, the patent uses preemptive acknowledge fields to signal buffer status in advance. This allows transmitting nodes to abort transmissions before congestion causes frame loss, eliminating the need for reactive jam signals and maintaining network determinism while preventing frame loss

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback through preemptive acknowledge fields that continuously inform transmitting nodes about receiving node buffer status. This feedback mechanism enables dynamic transmission decisions based on real-time buffer availability, preventing congestion before it occurs and maintaining both reliability and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If slow nodes are allowed to transmit in Ethernet network, then all nodes can communicate, but the whole network speed is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenode compatibilityVSAvoidnetwork speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by using preemptive acknowledge fields to signal buffer status and transmission readiness in advance. This allows fast nodes to identify and abort transmissions to slow nodes before the slow nodes become bottlenecks, enabling fast nodes to maintain high speeds while still accommodating slow nodes in the network

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP1987637B1System and method for transferring data packets through a communication system
Publication Date: 2015.04.08 MICROCHIP TECH GERMANY II
  • EP1987637B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1987637B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A communication system, network, interface, and port architecture are provided for transporting of data across a network. The network can be arranged by connecting the ports in a daisy chain fashion to achieve a ring architecture or topology. The network forwards data according to a specific network protocol. A first port forwards frames having a preemptive acknowledge field before the payload. A second port receives these frames, stores them in a frame buffer and modifies the preemptive acknowledge field according to its available frame buffer capacity. Said first port controls its a data flow according to the modified preemptive acknowledge field.