Two-Level Look-Up Table for Single-Shot Timer Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently managing timer pools and single-shot timing events, balancing memory usage and search latency, especially in 5G and beyond networks that require fast and efficient timing-related functionalities.
Innovation Solution
A two-level look-up table data structure is implemented, with a first level table containing pointers to second level look-up tables, which in turn point to event lists with expiration times, allowing for efficient addition, cancellation, and processing of single-shot timing events, optimizing memory usage while maintaining low search latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If one-level look-up tables are used to manage timing events, then search latency is reduced, but memory usage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single large look-up table into multiple smaller second-level look-up tables organized in a tree structure. Each second-level table manages a subset of expiration times, reducing the memory footprint of each individual table while maintaining fast search capability through hierarchical navigation. This segmentation allows the system to handle large numbers of timing events without requiring a single massive memory structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the look-up table structure by creating first-level tables that point to multiple second-level tables. This transforms a flat one-dimensional search into a two-dimensional hierarchical search, where the first level provides coarse-grained routing and the second level provides fine-grained event lookup. This dimensional change enables efficient memory utilization while preserving O(1) search latency characteristics.
2Quantity of substance
If hierarchical two-level look-up tables are implemented, then memory usage is reduced, but search latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-organizes timing events into hierarchical groups during system initialization and configuration. First-level look-up tables are pre-populated with pointers to appropriate second-level tables based on expiration time ranges. This preliminary organization ensures that during runtime, the hierarchical search can proceed without dynamic computation overhead, maintaining fast search latency while benefiting from reduced memory usage.
3Quantity of substance
If binary tree structures are used for timing events, then memory usage is optimized, but search complexity increases to O(log n)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simplified copied version of the tree structure concept by using flat second-level look-up tables instead of recursive binary trees. Each second-level table is a straightforward array or hash structure that provides O(1) access, eliminating the need for recursive traversal. This copying approach retains the memory efficiency benefits of hierarchical organization while avoiding the increased search complexity of binary trees.
Data Source
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AI summary
Event lists for single-shot timing events in a timer pool are accessed by accessing a first level look-up table (123-1) having pointers (1-1) to second level look-up tables (123-2), which in turn have pointers (1-2) to event lists (123-2), an event list comprising timing events having the same expiration time.