Wireless Streaming Acknowledgement Relay for Fewer Retransmissions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy technologies face limitations in range, data capacity throughput, and are susceptible to interference, leading to unnecessary retransmissions and power consumption in wireless streaming applications due to asymmetry in transmit power levels between source and sink devices.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an assisted acknowledgement mode where sink devices or peripheral devices with better uplink positions or larger batteries assist the source device by transmitting acknowledgements for successfully received packets, reducing unnecessary retransmissions and conserving bandwidth and power.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If Bluetooth or BLE is used for WPAN communication, then wireless connectivity is established between devices, but power consumption becomes excessive for continuous streaming applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddata transfer capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the functions of multiple sink devices into a cooperative system where devices with better uplink positions assist devices with poorer positions. This merging allows the network to achieve higher overall productivity for streaming applications while managing power consumption through distributed acknowledgment responsibilities rather than requiring continuous high-power transmissions from all devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces assisting sink devices as intermediaries that relay acknowledgment information to the source device. These intermediary devices have better uplink positions and can transmit acknowledgments more efficiently, reducing the power consumption burden on sink devices that would otherwise need to maintain high transmit power for continuous acknowledgment transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If traditional Bluetooth or BLE acknowledgment mechanisms are used, then packet delivery is confirmed, but unnecessary retransmissions occur due to asymmetry in transmit power levels

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket delivery confirmationVSAvoidenergy wasted in retransmissions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements an enhanced feedback mechanism where assisting sink devices provide acknowledgment information to the source device based on packets received by any sink device in the group. This feedback system reduces unnecessary retransmissions by providing more accurate delivery confirmation, as the assisting device can detect packets even when the primary sink device cannot, thereby reducing energy waste from redundant retransmissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables assisting sink devices to pre-process and detect packets before the primary sink device attempts acknowledgment. By having the assisting device ready to provide acknowledgment information in advance, the system avoids unnecessary retransmissions that would occur if the primary device failed to receive acknowledgments, thus reducing energy loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If sink devices transmit acknowledgments with high power to ensure delivery to source device, then acknowledgment reliability is improved, but power consumption of sink devices increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveacknowledgment delivery reliabilityVSAvoidtransmit power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designates certain sink devices with better uplink positions as assisting devices that serve as intermediaries for acknowledgment transmission. These intermediary devices transmit acknowledgments to the source device, leveraging their superior transmit conditions to achieve reliable delivery without requiring all sink devices to consume excessive power. The assisting devices effectively bear the power consumption burden in exchange for their better positional characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different roles to different sink devices based on their individual characteristics. Sink devices with better uplink positions and larger batteries are designated as assisting devices with higher transmit power capabilities, while other sink devices can operate with lower power consumption. This differentiation allows the system to achieve reliable acknowledgment delivery overall while optimizing the power consumption of individual devices according to their local capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12489563B2Assisted acknowledgement for wireless streaming

Publication Date: 2025.12.02 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, an assisting wireless device may track a first retransmission metric that is based on a number of retransmitted packets that the assisting wireless device received from a source device. The assisting wireless device may receive, from a sink wireless device, an acknowledgement assistance request indicating a second retransmission metric for the sink wireless device. The assisting wireless device may transmit, to the sink wireless device, a response to the acknowledgement assistance request based on respective values of the first retransmission metric and the second retransmission metric. Numerous other aspects are described.