User-Driven Network Traffic Shaping via Priority Selection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional traffic shaping techniques are complex for average users and may be restricted by net neutrality laws, failing to provide effective user control over network congestion management as the number of devices and users on networks increases, especially with the rise of IoT devices.
Innovation Solution
A user-driven traffic shaping system that detects congestion, identifies contributing traffic flows, and allows users to prioritize through a user interface, using a service computing device and traffic shaping device to manage both inbound and outbound traffic flows via tunneling communication protocols, incorporating user preferences and crowd-sourced decisions for dynamic priority adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional traffic shaping techniques are implemented, then network congestion management capability is improved, but user control and simplicity are worsened due to complexity and net neutrality restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to autonomously control traffic shaping by selecting priority traffic flows through a user interface. The traffic shaping device automatically detects congestion, identifies contributing traffic flows, and presents options to users who can then prioritize flows without requiring technical knowledge of network configuration. This self-service approach resolves the contradiction by making traffic shaping both effective and user-friendly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a traffic shaping device as an intermediary component between the network and end users. This device automatically monitors network conditions, identifies congestion-causing traffic flows, and presents simplified priority selection to users. The intermediary handles the technical complexity of traffic analysis while providing simple user controls, thus resolving the contradiction between effective congestion management and ease of operation.
2Productivity
If traffic shaping services are provided by ISPs, then network performance is improved, but legal compliance is worsened due to net neutrality laws
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the ISP provide traffic shaping services (which may violate net neutrality laws), the patent inverts the approach by enabling end users to control traffic shaping on their own networks. The system detects congestion and allows users to prioritize traffic flows locally, achieving network performance improvement without requiring ISPs to implement traffic shaping, thus maintaining legal compliance.
3Loss of time
If automated traffic prioritization is implemented, then response time to congestion is improved, but user preference accuracy is worsened without user input
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where users can review detected congestion conditions and selected traffic flows through a user interface. Users can confirm or adjust priority assignments based on their actual preferences and current needs. This feedback loop ensures that automated responses align with user preferences, resolving the contradiction between fast automated response and accurate user preference representation.
Data Source
AI summary
Some examples include performing traffic shaping for a network. For instance, a system may detect congestion in the network and may determine at least two traffic flows contributing to the congestion. The system may provide a user interface that includes information related to first and second traffic flows determined to be main contributors to the congestion from among the traffic flows contributing to the congestion. The system may receive, via the user interface, a selection of one of the first traffic flow or the second traffic flow as an indication of a user selection of one of the traffic flows as having a higher priority than at least another one of the traffic flows. Based on the indication, the system may send packets of the selected traffic flow according to the higher priority and send packets of the at least one other traffic flow according to a lower priority.