Packet Forwarding with Delay Budgets to Eliminate Network Jitter

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packet scheduling mechanisms in deterministic networking fail to account for shaping delay caused by traffic policing at network ingress nodes, leading to varying packet delays and increased jitter that violate service requirements.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an edge shaping delay budget and egress damping delay budget at network nodes to standardize packet delivery times, ensuring packets arrive simultaneously by calculating and adhering to these budgets along predetermined paths.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traffic policing is performed at network ingress node, then service flow conforms to traffic specification, but shaping delay varies causing increased delay jitter

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice flow conformityVSAvoiddelay jitter
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating the shaping delay for each packet at the ingress node before forwarding to the egress node. This advance calculation allows the egress node to apply precise damping delay compensation, eliminating delay jitter while maintaining traffic specification conformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by transmitting the calculated shaping delay value from the ingress node to the egress node through packet metadata. This copied information enables the egress node to replicate the delay compensation action without requiring complex real-time analysis at the egress point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If packet scheduling mechanisms are used, then delay and jitter indicators are guaranteed, but shaping delay caused by traffic policing is not considered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedelay guaranteeVSAvoidscheduling mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the delay management function into two independent parts: the ingress node calculates shaping delay and the egress node applies damping delay compensation. This segmentation simplifies each node's functionality while maintaining overall delay guarantees, avoiding the need for complex centralized scheduling mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where packet metadata carries the shaping delay information from ingress to egress node. This intermediary data structure enables coordination between nodes without requiring complex scheduling algorithms at either endpoint.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If multiple packets are transmitted through network, then service flow is delivered, but packets experience different shaping delays resulting in larger delay jitter

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice flow deliveryVSAvoiddelay jitter
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by applying individualized damping delay compensation to each packet based on its specific shaping delay characteristics. Instead of uniform treatment, each packet receives precisely tailored delay adjustment at the egress node, eliminating jitter while maintaining high throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the damping delay parameter for each packet based on its measured shaping delay. This parameter adaptation allows the system to maintain deterministic delivery characteristics across varying traffic conditions and multiple packets.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4712550A1Packet forwarding method, network node, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 ZTE CORP
  • EP4712550A1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4712550A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP4712550A1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

Provided are a packet forwarding method, a network node, and a storage medium. The packet forwarding method applied to a first network node includes: configuring an edge shaping delay budget for a target service flow accessed from a source client (S110); determining an egress damping delay budget of a corresponding packet according to the edge shaping delay budget and an ingress shaping delay of each packet in the target service flow (S 120), where the target service flow includes one or more packets; and sending the each packet in the target service flow to a second network node according to a predetermined target path so that the second network node forwards the corresponding packet in the target service flow to a destination client according to the egress damping delay budget (S130).