Patch Download Acknowledge Mechanism for Buffer Overflow Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patch downloading systems face delays and inefficiencies due to the lack of effective acknowledgment mechanisms, particularly in noisy communication environments, leading to potential errors and the need for repeated downloads.
Innovation Solution
Implementing improved acknowledge mechanisms that include out-of-sequence and aggregate acknowledge modes, allowing for asynchronous ACK processing and dynamic switching between single and aggregate ACK modes, along with packet size and data transfer rate optimization to prevent buffer overflows and ensure efficient patch downloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If no acknowledgment mechanism is used, then the patch download process is simple and fast, but errors during download cannot be detected and the entire process must be restarted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an acknowledgment mechanism where the target device sends ACK signals back to the host to confirm successful packet reception. This feedback loop allows the host to detect transmission errors and selectively retransmit only the failed packets rather than the entire patch, thus maintaining high download speed while ensuring reliable delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the acknowledgment mechanism parameters based on transmission conditions. It can switch between different ACK modes (individual packet ACK, aggregate ACK for multiple packets) and adjust packet sizes to optimize the balance between download speed and error detection capability under varying noise conditions.
2Reliability
If an acknowledgment mechanism is implemented, then download reliability is improved, but the download process becomes slower due to waiting for ACK signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple packet acknowledgments into a single aggregate ACK signal when possible. Instead of waiting for individual ACKs after each packet, the host can send multiple packets and receive a single acknowledgment for the group, significantly reducing the overhead and maintaining higher download speeds while still ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic acknowledgment mechanism that can switch between different modes based on current transmission conditions. It can transition between individual packet ACK mode (for high reliability when errors are suspected) and aggregate ACK mode (for high speed when conditions are good), allowing the system to optimize the trade-off between speed and reliability in real-time.
3Productivity
If TCP style ACK mechanism is used, then bandwidth is optimized, but synchronization may be lost if ACK is lost in noisy conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements different acknowledgment strategies for different packets or packet groups based on local conditions. Each packet or packet group can have its own ACK handling tailored to the specific transmission conditions, allowing the system to maintain synchronization reliability even when some ACKs are lost in noisy conditions, while still optimizing bandwidth utilization overall.
Data Source
AI summary
Generally, this disclosure provides systems, devices, methods and computer readable media for patch downloading, from a host to a target, with improved acknowledge (ACK) mechanisms including combinations of out-of-sequence, single and aggregate acknowledge mechanisms. The method may include determining a packet size based on buffer capacity of the host; calculating the total number of packets (P) for transmission based on a size of the patch divided by the packet size; and calculating a packet storage capacity (N) of the target, based on buffer capacity of the target divided by the packet size. The method may also include transmitting the P packets to the target, including a sequence number and a portion of the patch, the transmission segmented into one or more cycles of up to N packets. The method may further include receiving ACKs from the target (asynchronously relative to the packet transmissions), the ACKS associated with the sequence numbers.