TCP ACK Shaping for Uplink Scheduling and Latency Balance

The patent applies periodic action by implementing transmission blanking patterns where the UE refrains from transmitting ACK messages during specific time intervals. These blanking periods are configured to align with scheduled uplink data transmissions, creating a periodic rhythm of ACK transmission that avoids conflicts with scheduled uplink traffic while maintaining overall acknowledgment functionality

The patent implements dynamics by making the ACK transmission behavior adaptive rather than static. The UE dynamically adjusts its ACK transmission timing based on received configurations including transmission blanking patterns, delay timers, and threshold ACK sizes. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize ACK transmission speed while accommodating varying uplink scheduling requirements

The patent applies parameter changes by introducing configurable delay timer values that can be adjusted based on network conditions and traffic patterns. The delay timer parameter is set to an optimal value that balances two competing requirements: delaying ACK transmission enough to avoid interfering with scheduled uplink data packets, but not so long that it creates excessive acknowledgment latency. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between scheduling efficiency and latency

The patent implements partial action by applying delay timers selectively rather than uniformly to all ACK messages. The system uses threshold ACK sizes to determine when delayed transmission is appropriate, applying the delay mechanism only to ACK messages that would otherwise create scheduling conflicts, while allowing other ACK messages to be transmitted more promptly

The patent applies parameter changes by introducing threshold ACK size configurations that control the maximum size of ACK messages. This parameter is optimized to balance two factors: making ACK messages large enough to acknowledge multiple downlink data packets (improving transmission efficiency), but not so large that they consume excessive uplink resources. The threshold parameter enables fine-tuned control over this trade-off

The patent implements segmentation by dividing large ACK messages into smaller segments when transmission blanking patterns or resource constraints are detected. Instead of transmitting one large ACK message that would consume excessive resources, the system segments the acknowledgment into multiple smaller messages transmitted at different times, reducing the resource burden of any single transmission while still acknowledging all received data packets

The patent applies preliminary action by proactively buffering ACK messages that need to be transmitted during blanking intervals. When the UE receives downlink data packets during transmission blanking periods, it prepares the corresponding ACK messages in advance and stores them in a buffer, rather than attempting immediate transmission. This preliminary buffering ensures that ACKs are not lost during blanking periods while still maintaining the scheduling efficiency benefits of refraining from transmissions during those intervals

The patent implements an intermediary mechanism in the form of an ACK buffer that mediates between the need to acknowledge received data packets and the constraint to refrain from transmissions during blanking intervals. This buffer acts as an intermediary storage location that temporarily holds ACK messages, allowing the system to maintain both uplink scheduling efficiency (by not transmitting during blanking) and ACK reliability (by preserving ACKs for later transmission when blanking ends)