Vehicle Network Congestion Detection Using Buffer and ACK Feedback

Solution Overview

Problem

Real-time systems, such as vehicles operating remotely, face network congestion issues due to communication delays caused by data congestion, leading to latency and dropped packets, which can adversely impact mission duration and operational ability, especially in vehicles optimized for reduced size, weight, and power consumption.

Innovation Solution

Implementing methods to accurately detect network congestion by monitoring data buffers, analyzing acknowledgement messages, and adjusting transmission times or suspending transmissions to mitigate congestion without requiring hardware modifications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If higher-bandwidth transmitters or additional buffering memory are added to handle network congestion, then data throughput is improved, but weight and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata throughputVSAvoidvehicle weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts transmission parameters including bandwidth allocation, buffering memory allocation, and transmission power based on real-time network conditions. This allows the vehicle to optimize data throughput by using higher bandwidth only when network congestion is detected, rather than maintaining constant high bandwidth, thereby reducing average power consumption and enabling smaller hardware components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters such as transmission power, bandwidth allocation, and buffering size based on network congestion levels. By monitoring network conditions and adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system achieves high data throughput when needed while using minimal resources during normal conditions, avoiding the need for oversized hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If higher-bandwidth transmitters or additional buffering memory are added to handle network congestion, then data throughput is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata throughputVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts transmission parameters including bandwidth allocation, buffering memory allocation, and transmission power based on real-time network conditions. This allows the vehicle to optimize data throughput by using higher bandwidth only when network congestion is detected, rather than maintaining constant high bandwidth, thereby reducing average power consumption and enabling smaller hardware components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters such as transmission power, bandwidth allocation, and buffering size based on network congestion levels. By monitoring network conditions and adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system achieves high data throughput when needed while using minimal resources during normal conditions, avoiding the need for oversized hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If multiple vehicles are deployed to perform remote sensing operations, then area coverage speed is improved, but network congestion increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearea coverage speedVSAvoiddata transmission reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where each vehicle monitors network conditions and adjusts its transmission behavior accordingly. When network congestion is detected through feedback from acknowledgment messages or buffer status, vehicles automatically reduce transmission rates or delay non-critical data, ensuring that multiple vehicles can operate simultaneously without overwhelming the network and maintaining reliable data transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts transmission parameters including bandwidth allocation, buffering memory allocation, and transmission power based on real-time network conditions. This allows the vehicle to optimize data throughput by using higher bandwidth only when network congestion is detected, rather than maintaining constant high bandwidth, thereby reducing average power consumption and enabling smaller hardware components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12476920B2Network congestion detection and mitigation

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP

AI summary

Network congestion occurs when the volume of data to be sent from one node to another, in a given time, exceeds the network's capacity. While all networks are susceptible to congestion, a wireless network of vehicles/moving vehicles are particularly sensitive as any delays in offloading acquired data may cause the vehicles/moving vehicles to pause operations (e.g., hover or land and later return to a location) while waiting to send data. By monitoring data buffer size and/or other system attributes, a measure of how successful data transmission is a corresponding degree of network congestion. When network congestion is present congestion mitigating actions are taken.