Waveform Independent Protocol Congestion Control

The patent segments the congestion detection function from packet loss detection by introducing a separate capacity estimation mechanism. The source node estimates network capacity independently using timing information from packet transmissions and acknowledgments, rather than relying on packet loss signals. This segmentation allows the protocol to detect congestion through capacity utilization metrics while remaining resilient to channel losses.

The patent introduces timing information (transmission timestamps and acknowledgment timestamps) as an intermediary measurement mechanism. Instead of directly using packet loss as the congestion indicator, the system uses timing-based capacity estimation as an intermediate step that indirectly reflects network congestion state without being affected by channel losses.

The patent extracts the congestion detection function from the packet loss feedback mechanism. By removing dependency on packet loss as the congestion indicator and replacing it with timing-based capacity estimation, the system maintains congestion control effectiveness while eliminating the vulnerability to jamming attacks that exploit packet loss feedback.

The patent converts the harmful effect of packet loss (which can be manipulated by jammers) into a benign measurement mechanism. By using timing information from successfully transmitted packets and their acknowledgments, the system derives capacity estimates that are unaffected by malicious packet interruption, effectively converting the loss-based feedback into a resilient timing-based feedback.

The patent introduces dynamic capacity estimation that adapts to changing network paths. Instead of relying on static RTT measurements that assume stable paths, the system continuously estimates capacity based on timing information from each transmission round, allowing it to adapt to path changes in opportunistic routing while maintaining congestion detection accuracy.

The patent changes the measurement parameter from RTT (which is path-dependent) to capacity utilization (which is flow-dependent). By measuring the difference between transmission rate and acknowledged reception rate, the system obtains a congestion indicator that remains valid regardless of path changes, enabling effective congestion control in opportunistic routing scenarios.