Retransmitter Rule Aggregation for Storage-Limited Forwarding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Retransmitters in wireless networks face limitations in efficiently managing forwarding rules due to limited storage capacity, leading to inefficiencies in packet forwarding decisions based on sender and receiver signal strengths, especially in environments where device locations change infrequently.

Innovation Solution

A two-dimensional data structure is used to organize sender and destination addresses, allowing for the expansion of selected fields into rectangular areas to define address ranges, optimizing the number of rules and enhancing forwarding decisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If individual forwarding rules are created for each address pair based on signal strength measurements, then packet forwarding reliability is improved, but the number of rules exceeds the retransmitter's storage capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacket forwarding reliabilityVSAvoidnumber of forwarding rules
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual forwarding rules into aggregated rules that cover ranges of sender addresses and destination addresses. Instead of storing separate rules for each address pair, the system merges rules with overlapping or adjacent address ranges into broader coverage rules, reducing the total number of rules while maintaining forwarding reliability for all covered address combinations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates universal forwarding rules that apply to multiple address pairs simultaneously. A single rule can cover numerous sender-destination combinations by defining address ranges, making the rule system more versatile and reducing the overall rule count while maintaining comprehensive coverage for devices within those ranges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Quantity of substance

If the number of forwarding rules is reduced to fit storage capacity, then storage efficiency is improved, but packet forwarding accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of forwarding rulesVSAvoidforwarding decision accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges rules carefully to maintain accuracy by ensuring that aggregated rules precisely cover the intended address ranges without including unintended combinations. The merging process preserves the original forwarding decisions for all address pairs that were covered by individual rules, maintaining forwarding accuracy while reducing rule count.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a one-dimensional list of individual address pairs to a two-dimensional matrix representation of sender and destination addresses. This dimensional change enables more efficient aggregation and coverage of address ranges, allowing the system to maintain precise forwarding decisions while using fewer rules through range-based addressing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Manufacturing precision

If forwarding rules are configured manually for each device combination, then configuration precision is improved, but configuration complexity and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconfiguration precisionVSAvoidconfiguration time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary signal strength measurements and automatic rule generation before actual operation. By pre-measuring signal strengths between devices and automatically creating optimized forwarding rules based on these measurements, the system eliminates manual configuration while ensuring precise forwarding decisions are established in advance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The retransmitter automatically configures its own forwarding rules by measuring signal strengths and generating optimized rules without external intervention. This self-service capability reduces configuration time and complexity while maintaining high precision through automatic optimization based on actual signal conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4503524B1Configuring a retransmitter
Publication Date: 2025.10.01 ISE INDIVIDUELLE SOFTWARE & ELEKTRONIK GMBH
  • EP4503524B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4503524B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4503524B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for configuring a retransmitter using a two-dimensional data structure, wherein a first dimension of the data structure comprises sender addresses and a second dimension comprises destination addresses, and at least some fields of the data structure contain information about whether a data transmission directed from one of the addresses associated with the field in question to the other of the two addresses should be forwarded by the retransmitter or not, wherein the method comprises: selecting a number of fields for whose addresses data transmissions should be forwarded; extending a respective rectangular area around each of the selected fields in the first and the second dimension and in both directions, without the respective rectangular area including a field for whose addresses data transmissions should not be forwarded;Generating a rule from each rectangular area, wherein each rule defines a range of source addresses and a range of destination addresses, the range of source addresses of the rule being determined by the fields in the first dimension and the range of destination addresses of the rule being determined by the fields in the second dimension of the rectangular area; and configuring the retransmitter with the generated rules.