Transport Protocol Gap Masking for Real-Time Packet Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport protocols like TCP and SCTP introduce delays and degrade user experience in networked interactive real-time applications due to retransmissions and congestion control mechanisms, while UDP lacks reliability and is not commonly supported by application platforms.
Innovation Solution
Implement a transport protocol with a complementary protocol portion that manages acknowledgments and congestion avoidance by masking gaps in data block sequences, allowing selective control over round-trip times and packet losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP is used for data transport, then reliable delivery of packets is achieved, but delays arise from retransmissions and congestion control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transport protocol into two independent portions: a first transport protocol portion that provides reliable delivery with retransmissions, and a second transport protocol portion that handles real-time data with timing guarantees. This segmentation allows each portion to optimize for its specific function without interfering with the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a intermediary mechanism (the second transport protocol portion) that sits between the reliable transport layer and the real-time application layer. This intermediary absorbs the timing requirements and protects the reliable transport portion from real-time constraints, while also protecting the real-time portion from retransmission delays.
2Productivity
If SCTP is used for real-time applications, then some performance improvements are achieved, but retransmissions still cause severe degradation in user-experienced service quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the transport protocol dynamic by allowing the second transport protocol portion to operate independently with its own timing parameters and retransmission policies. This dynamic structure enables the system to adapt to real-time requirements while maintaining reliability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality characteristics to different portions of the transport protocol. The first portion maintains strict reliability with retransmissions, while the second portion provides timing-guaranteed delivery with relaxed reliability requirements. This local differentiation optimizes overall system performance for real-time applications.
3Loss of time
If UDP is used for real-time applications, then delays from retransmissions are avoided, but reliability and flow control are left to higher layer protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of both TCP and UDP into a unified dual-portion transport protocol. The first portion provides TCP-like reliability, while the second portion provides UDP-like speed with timing guarantees. Together, they deliver both reliability and low latency that neither protocol achieves alone.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an apparatus for communication over a packet-switched network, including a transport protocol portion causing the apparatus to: transmit user data in a sequence of data blocks having respective sequence numbers; receive acknowledgements blocks acknowledging reception of at least some of the data blocks; retransmit those ones of the data blocks that are not acknowledged by the other apparatus, enter a congestion avoidance state in response to a predefined amount of the data blocks not being acknowledged by the other apparatus. The apparatus includes a complementary transport protocol portion to: provide the transport protocol portion with information indicating acknowledgement of all data blocks up to one having a first reference sequence number assigned thereto, and selectively cause the apparatus to transmit a control block instructing the other apparatus to ignore any unreceived data blocks having a sequence number that is smaller than a second reference sequence number.