Packet Transmission System Using Sequence Number Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packet transmission methods require complex buffer management and phase matching between active and backup devices to prevent packet loss during failures or congestion, which is inefficient and prone to interruptions.

Innovation Solution

Duplicating packets and transmitting them through multiple paths, with the receiver selecting the first arrival packet based on sequence numbers, eliminating the need for phase matching and failure detection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If packet transmission uses active and backup devices with phase matching control, then communication reliability is improved, but system complexity increases due to buffer management and phase matching requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transmits duplicate copies of the same packet through multiple paths (active and backup devices) simultaneously. The receiver selects the first arriving packet, eliminating the need for complex phase matching and buffer management while maintaining reliability through redundancy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the active and backup devices match their phases to each other (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by having the receiver adapt to the actual arrival times and select the first packet, thereby simplifying the transmitter side

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If packet transmission uses active and backup devices with failure detection mechanisms, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to detection functions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses self-service by having the receiver independently determine packet validity through sequence number checking without requiring active devices to perform complex failure detection. The receiver autonomously handles packet selection and error handling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If packet transmission uses sequence number-based selection at receiver, then packet loss prevention is improved, but processing complexity at receiver increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket loss preventionVSAvoidreceiver processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical buffer management and phase matching mechanisms with a simpler information-based system using sequence numbers. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining reliability through logical packet identification and selection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS7787451B2Packet transmission method and packet transmission system

Publication Date: 2010.08.31 NEC CORP

AI summary

If a stored sequence number stored in a sequence number storage unit of a receiver coincides with a sequence number of a first arrival packet among a plurality of packets each having a smallest sequence number out of a plurality of packets stored in a packet reception buffer, then the receiver outputs the first arrival packet and increments the stored sequence number, and abandons the packets having smaller sequence numbers than the stored sequence number stored in the sequence number storage unit out of the plurality of packets stored in the packet reception buffer.