Wireless Access Point Bandwidth Allocation for Slowest-Link Throttling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network access points unfairly throttle data transfer rates of faster devices when total bandwidth is oversubscribed, leading to diminished user experience due to slower devices occupying a larger portion of the available bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
The system intelligently identifies the slowest wireless device and throttles its data transfer rate to manage oversubscription, ensuring fair bandwidth distribution based on maximum link speeds supported by each device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If similar data transfer rates are provided to all devices in an oversubscribed network, then all devices receive equal treatment, but faster devices are unnecessarily throttled down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating bandwidth allocation based on individual device characteristics (maximum link speed). Instead of uniform treatment, the system assigns different data transfer rates to different devices according to their capabilities, allowing faster devices to operate at higher speeds while still providing adequate service to slower devices. This resolves the contradiction by making bandwidth distribution both fair (based on capability) and productive (allowing faster devices to perform at optimal speed).
2Reliability
If data transfer rates are throttled to manage oversubscription, then total bandwidth is controlled, but overall network performance is diminished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting data transfer rates based on device maximum link speeds. The system changes the bandwidth allocation parameter according to individual device capabilities rather than applying a uniform throttle. This allows the network to maintain reliable oversubscription management while preserving overall productivity by optimizing the parameter (data transfer rate) for each device's specific characteristics.
3Ease of operation
If faster devices are throttled down to accommodate slower devices, then bandwidth distribution is balanced, but user experience is diminished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring bandwidth allocation to individual device capabilities. Each device receives a data transfer rate appropriate to its maximum link speed, preventing unnecessary throttling of faster devices. This resolves the contradiction by making bandwidth distribution both balanced (based on capability) and experience-preserving (maintaining high speeds for capable devices).
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of throttling faster devices to help slower devices, the patent inverts the approach by allowing faster devices to operate at their optimal speeds and using their bandwidth efficiency to benefit the network overall. The system recognizes that slower devices naturally occupy less bandwidth at their maximum speeds, so no active throttling is needed for fairness.
Data Source
AI summary
When an access point detects that the access point is to simultaneously transmit data to or receive data from a plurality of devices at respective data rates, the access point determines portions of a total available bandwidth occupied by each of the devices. When the access point determines that the a sum of the portions occupied by all the devices exceeds the total available bandwidth and that a maximum link speed supported by a first device of the plurality of devices is the slowest among all the devices, the access point throttles the data rate of the first device, and transmits data to or receives data from the first device at the throttled data rate and transmits data to or receives data from the remaining devices at their requested data rates.