Wireless Key Activation Protocol With Selective Acknowledgement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional wireless communication protocols for peripheral devices experience significant latency and inefficiencies due to the need for acknowledgements, which consume bandwidth and power, especially in applications requiring fast response times like competitive gaming.
Innovation Solution
A method for wireless communication that transmits data packets without waiting for acknowledgements, using no-acknowledgement packets for key presses and displacement data, and reduced-size packets for displacement data, with thresholds and accumulation methods to ensure data integrity and reduce latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If acknowledgements are requested and sent for each packet, then data transfer reliability is improved, but latency increases and bandwidth is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the acknowledgement process by introducing different packet types (ACK packets and NACK packets) that handle different aspects of data transfer confirmation. ACK packets provide full reliability while NACK packets provide a lighter-weight alternative for scenarios where full acknowledgment is not necessary, thus reducing latency while maintaining appropriate reliability levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of acknowledgement behavior by introducing a configurable threshold value. When the number of packets since the last ACK exceeds this threshold, an ACK is sent; otherwise, transmission continues without waiting for acknowledgment. This dynamic parameter adjustment allows the system to balance reliability and latency based on actual transmission conditions.
2Reliability
If packets are sent multiple times to ensure reception, then data transfer reliability is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases and power is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by sending acknowledgments only when necessary (when the packet count exceeds the threshold) rather than for every single packet. This partial acknowledgment approach maintains data transfer reliability for critical packets while avoiding the excessive power consumption and bandwidth usage that would result from acknowledging every packet individually.
3Reliability
If acknowledgements are requested for each packet, then data integrity is ensured, but communication efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic acknowledgment where ACK packets are sent at intervals based on the threshold of packets transmitted since the last ACK, rather than after every packet. This periodic approach maintains data integrity by periodically confirming receipt while significantly improving communication efficiency by reducing the frequency of acknowledgment exchanges.
Data Source
AI summary
An input device detects a key press or release and when the same key has not been pressed or released since a last acknowledgement, a no-acknowledgement packet with key data for that period and any other key data since the last acknowledgement is wirelessly transmitted to the host. When the same key has been pressed or released since a last acknowledgement, an acknowledgement request in a packet with key data for that period and any other accumulated key data is wirelessly transmitted to the host. At a maximum delay time without requesting an acknowledgement, an acknowledgment request packet is transmitted. At a threshold number of key events, an acknowledgment request packet is transmitted.