SMS Overload Protection via Feedback-Driven Rate Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Overloaded network nodes in SMS communication systems discard messages without prioritization, leading to increased traffic and inefficient resource management, as they repeatedly resend unacknowledged SMSs, exacerbating the overload condition and failing to differentiate between message importance.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating an overload parameter to indicate the percentage of discarded SMSs and a priority parameter in SMS messages, allowing sending nodes to adjust transmission rates and prioritize messages based on importance, enabling receiving nodes to make informed decisions about which messages to deliver or discard.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the sending node repeatedly sends unacknowledged SMS to the overloaded node, then the SMS delivery reliability is improved, but the network traffic increases and the overload condition is exacerbated

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSMS delivery reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving node sends feedback information to the sending node about its overload status and the percentage of discarded SMS. The sending node uses this feedback to adjust its transmission rate, reducing the number of repeated send attempts to overloaded nodes while maintaining reliable delivery through selective retry strategies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic parameter changes in the transmission rate based on feedback information. The sending node modifies its send rate parameter according to the overload percentage received from the receiving node, transitioning from fixed-rate repeated sending to adaptive rate control that balances reliability with network throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If the overloaded node discards SMS without prioritization, then the device complexity is reduced, but the loss of important information increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage handling complexityVSAvoidimportant SMS loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary classification of SMS messages into different priority levels before the overload condition occurs. Priority information is attached to messages in advance, enabling the overloaded node to make informed discarding decisions based on pre-established priority criteria rather than treating all messages equally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality differentiation by assigning different handling characteristics to different message types. High-priority messages receive preferential treatment during overload conditions, while low-priority messages are more likely to be discarded. This creates non-uniform message handling that preserves important information during congestion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If the sending node sends SMS without priority information, then the ease of operation is improved, but the effectiveness of congestion management decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage sending simplicityVSAvoidcongestion management effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments SMS messages into different priority categories (e.g., high priority, normal priority, low priority) and handles each segment differently during congestion. This segmentation enables selective delivery and prioritization without requiring complete redesign of the SMS protocol, maintaining ease of operation while improving congestion management effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2394404B1Method and apparatus for SMS termination overload protection
Publication Date: 2021.04.28 APPLE INC
  • EP2394404B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2394404B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2394404B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In order to ameliorate the overload at an overloaded network node that is discarding some of the SMSs it is receiving, when a node is overloaded with received SMSs, it sends a message to the nodes from which it is receiving SMSs of that fact and includes a parameter indicating the extent to which it is overloaded. That parameter, for instance, may be the percentage of SMSs that it is receiving that are being discarded. With this information, the sending node can determine a percentage of the pending SMSs during such conditions that will help remove the overloaded node from the overload condition more quickly. Furthermore, the network protocol may be adapted to include a priority parameter in SMSs. The SMS receiving node can then make a more informed decision as to which SMSs to discard and which to deliver based on the priority parameter. Even further, when an SMS sending node knows that a node to which it is sending SMSs is overloaded, the sending node itself may decide which SMSs to send to the overloaded node based on such priority information.