Masked Packet Checksums to Cut Retransmissions in Packet Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer network communications face inefficiencies due to retransmissions caused by error detection schemes, which reduce throughput, especially when not all packet data requires error detection and correction.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a masked packet checksum that selectively applies error detection and correction to specific portions of packets using a bitmask, allowing for tunable error detection and correction based on communication needs, thereby avoiding unnecessary retransmissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If error detection codes are applied to all packet data, then data integrity is improved, but network throughput deteriorates due to retransmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies error detection selectively to specific portions of packet data rather than uniformly to all data. A bitmask identifies which portions require error detection, allowing critical data segments to be protected while non-critical segments are transmitted without error detection overhead, thereby reducing retransmissions and improving throughput while maintaining integrity where needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides packet data into multiple portions and applies error detection codes independently to selected portions identified by a bitmask. This segmentation allows the system to protect only the necessary segments, reducing the overall error detection overhead and minimizing retransmissions of entire packets when only non-critical portions contain errors
2Reliability
If error detection is applied to all packets, then reliability is improved, but communication efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial error detection by applying error detection codes to only a subset of packet portions rather than all portions. The bitmask determines which portions receive error detection protection, enabling the system to achieve sufficient reliability for critical data while avoiding the excessive action of protecting non-critical data, thus improving communication efficiency
3Reliability
If complete error detection and correction is implemented, then data integrity is improved, but network overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts error detection from the entire packet and applies it only to selected portions identified by a bitmask. This extraction removes unnecessary error detection overhead from non-critical packet portions while maintaining error detection capability for critical portions, thereby reducing network overhead while preserving data integrity where required
Data Source
AI summary
A masked packet checksum is utilized to provide error detection and/or error correction for only discrete portions of a packet, to the exclusion of other portions, thereby avoiding retransmission if transmission errors appear only in portions excluded by the masked packet checksum. A bitmask identifies packet portions whose data is to be protected with error detection and/or error correction schemes, packet portions whose data is to be excluded from such error detection and/or error correction schemes, or combinations thereof. A bitmask can be a per-packet specification, incorporated into one or more fields of individual packets, or a single bitmask can apply equally to multiple packets, which can be delineated in numerous ways, and can be separately transmitted or derived. Bitmasks can be generated at higher layers with lower layer mechanisms deactivated, or can be generated lower layers based upon data passed down.