TCP ACK Queue Deduplication for Wireless Throughput and Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing TCP connections experience reduced throughput due to the transmission of duplicate ACK packets, which can cause congestion, increased latency, and stalled data packet sending, particularly in high-latency connections.
Innovation Solution
Client devices manage TCP ACK packet transmission by inspecting queues for redundant ACK packets and dropping them based on sequence numbers and generation counts, using baseband circuitry to optimize the uplink flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If duplicate ACK packets are transmitted to ensure reliable data delivery, then packet loss recovery is improved, but network congestion increases and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes duplicate ACK packets from the transmission stream by implementing a deduplication mechanism at the baseband circuitry level. The system identifies duplicate packets using sequence numbers and generation counters, then selectively drops them before transmission, thereby reducing network congestion while preserving the essential reliability function through the remaining unique ACK packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by inspecting and preparing ACK packets for transmission in advance. The baseband circuitry examines sequence numbers and generation counters of ACK packets queued for transmission, identifying duplicates before they are sent onto the network. This preliminary deduplication prevents redundant packets from contributing to congestion while ensuring that at least one valid ACK packet reaches the receiver for reliable data delivery.
2Reliability
If duplicate ACK packets are transmitted to trigger retransmission, then data reliability is improved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes duplicate ACK packets from the transmission queue using baseband circuitry that inspects sequence numbers and generation counters. By extracting only the necessary unique ACK packets for triggering retransmission, the system eliminates redundant transmissions that would increase latency while preserving the reliability function through the remaining essential ACK packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary inspection of ACK packets before transmission, using the baseband circuitry to identify and filter duplicates in advance. This preliminary action ensures that only necessary ACK packets are transmitted, reducing the time spent on redundant transmissions and thereby decreasing overall latency while maintaining data reliability through proper retransmission triggering.
3Reliability
If ACK packets are queued for transmission, then reliable delivery is ensured, but processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by using baseband circuitry to identify and remove duplicate ACK packets from the queued transmission list. The circuitry inspects sequence numbers and generation counters to distinguish between unique and duplicate packets, then selectively drops duplicates. This reduces the processing load on subsequent transmission stages while maintaining reliable delivery through the remaining unique ACK packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary deduplication action at the baseband circuitry level before ACK packets are transmitted. By inspecting sequence numbers and generation counters in advance and removing duplicates then, the system reduces the processing load on transmission and higher protocol layers. This preliminary action maintains reliable delivery by ensuring that unique ACK packets are transmitted while eliminating the processing burden of handling redundant packets.
Data Source
AI summary
A client device in a wireless network accesses a queue comprising Transmission Control Protocol Acknowledgement (TCP ACK) packets. At least some packets include packet descriptors with a flow identifier indicating a corresponding TCP flow, and a TCP ACK Generation Count. The device inspects a packet descriptor of a first TCP ACK packet, and identifies a first flow identifier and a first TCP ACK Generation Count. The device accesses entries in a data structure that each includes a first field and a second field respectively storing a flow identifier and a TCP ACK Generation Count. The device determines that a condition is satisfied. In response to the determination, the device marks the first TCP ACK packet to be dropped.