Relay Device Concealing Duplicate ACKs in Link Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In conventional cellular communication systems, the quality of communication is reduced in areas like boundary regions and indoors due to low radio wave strength, and link aggregation (LA) techniques struggle to maintain throughput, especially when data packets arrive in reversed order, leading to duplicate acknowledgments (ACKs) that can mislead the server into retransmitting packets unnecessarily.
Innovation Solution
A communication system where a femto base station executes link aggregation using both LTE and WiFi links, and a relay device conceals duplicate ACKs by determining the order of packet arrival and only transmitting corrected ACKs to the server, thereby preventing unnecessary retransmissions and maintaining throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If link aggregation is executed using multiple communication links (LTE and WiFi) to improve throughput, then data transmission rate is improved, but packet arrival order reversal occurs leading to duplicate ACKs and unnecessary retransmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (packet sequence management function) between the multiple communication links and the TCP protocol stack. This intermediary tracks packet transmission status across LTE and WiFi links, determines arrival order, and manages ACK generation to prevent duplicate ACKs caused by out-of-order packet arrival, thus resolving the contradiction between improved throughput and maintained reliability
2Productivity
If the base station executes link aggregation and measures wireless line utilization to distribute data packets, then communication efficiency is improved, but CPU utilization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by having the system automatically track and manage packet transmission status without requiring continuous complex measurements or calculations. The packet sequence management function autonomously monitors packet flow across multiple links and generates ACKs based on tracked arrival order, reducing the computational burden on the base station CPU while maintaining communication efficiency
3Productivity
If data packets are distributed to multiple links based on wireless line utilization measurement, then throughput is improved, but packet arrival order becomes reversed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors packet transmission status and arrival order across multiple links. Based on this feedback, the packet sequence management function adjusts ACK generation timing and sequence to compensate for out-of-order arrival, allowing the system to maintain both high throughput through multi-link distribution and stable packet delivery order through intelligent ACK management
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system includes: a server configured to transmit a series of data packets through a relay device and a transmitting device to receiving device; the receiving device configured to transmit a plurality of acknowledgement packets for the data packets; the transmitting device configured to provide, when executing link aggregation on a downlink flow including the data packets, a notification that represents that the downlink flow is subjected to the link aggregation; and the relay device configured to: execute a process of concealing a specific acknowledgement packet that is among the plurality of acknowledgement packets and included in an uplink flow corresponding to the downlink flow subjected to the link aggregation and represents that an order in which the data packets arrive at the receiving device is reversed, when receiving the notification from the transmitting device, and transmit the other acknowledgement packets remaining after the concealment process to the server.