Wireless Communication Device Asymmetric ACK Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional full-duplex communication techniques in wireless LANs face performance degradation due to unequal opportunities for terminals to acquire transmission rights, leading to interference and reduced system throughput.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication system that includes a communicator and controlling circuitry to manage the simultaneous transmission and reception of frames, with specific timing adjustments for acknowledgement frames to prevent simultaneous transmission and extend ACK timeout periods, ensuring fair access to the wireless medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If full-duplex communication is implemented using existing MAC protocols, then system throughput is improved through simultaneous transmission and reception, but transmission right acquisition opportunities become unequal among terminals leading to performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetric timing adjustments for ACK frame transmissions. Specifically, terminals that simultaneously transmit data and receive data apply different timing offsets for their ACK frame transmissions compared to terminals that only transmit or only receive. This asymmetric treatment equalizes the effective transmission opportunities among all terminals by compensating for the interference advantage that full-duplex terminals would otherwise have.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the ACK timeout period parameter and the timing offset parameters for ACK frame transmissions. By extending the ACK timeout period and adjusting the timing offsets based on transmission/reception states, the system reallocates transmission opportunities to ensure fairness while maintaining the throughput benefits of full-duplex communication.
2Productivity
If terminals transmit and receive frames simultaneously in full-duplex mode, then communication efficiency is improved, but frame interference occurs reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary timing adjustments to ACK frame transmissions based on the terminal's current transmission/reception state. Before actual ACK transmission occurs, the terminal calculates and applies an appropriate timing offset to prevent simultaneous transmission of multiple ACK frames. This preliminary action prevents interference before it occurs, maintaining both efficiency and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The timing offset mechanism acts as an intermediary that mediates between the desire for simultaneous transmission (efficiency) and the need to prevent interference (reliability). By introducing this intermediate timing adjustment layer, the system can allow full-duplex operation while preventing the specific interference condition where multiple ACK frames would collide at the receiver.
3Reliability
If multiple ACK frames are transmitted simultaneously in response to full-duplex communication, then acknowledgment of received frames is achieved, but transmission opportunities become unequal causing performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ACK frame transmission timing based on the terminal's state. Instead of all terminals transmitting ACK frames at the same time, the system divides terminals into different groups (simultaneous transmission/reception terminals versus single-mode terminals) and assigns different timing offsets to each group. This segmentation ensures that ACK frames from different terminals are transmitted at different times, preventing collision and ensuring fair transmission opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic timing adjustments where ACK frames are transmitted at staggered intervals rather than simultaneously. By introducing periodic delays based on terminal state, the system ensures that acknowledgments are delivered reliably while distributing transmission opportunities evenly across all terminals over time.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a wireless communication device includes: a communicator and controlling circuitry. The communicator is configured to simultaneously communicate a first frame and a second frame, and after the first frame and the second frame are communicated, communicate a third frame indicating acknowledgement of the first frame and a fourth frame indicating acknowledgement of the second frame. The controlling circuitry is configured to control to prevent the third frame and the fourth frame from being simultaneously communicated.