Wireless Multi-Hop Network Channel Reservation for QoS

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless multihop networks, ensuring guaranteed quality of service (QoS) is challenging due to issues like the 'hidden node problem,' which can disrupt prioritized data transmission and reduce network performance when combined with non-prioritized data, and existing solutions like the IEEE 802.11e standard can bring non-prioritized data to a standstill.

Innovation Solution

A method that reserves separate transmission channels for control data and prioritized user data, using a network management system to set up connection paths and allocate distinct channels for prioritized and non-prioritized data, ensuring prioritized data is not disrupted and maintaining network performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate transmission channels are reserved for control data and prioritized user data, then prioritized data transmission reliability is improved, but network device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprioritized data transmission reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The transmission medium is segmented into separate channels: a control channel for control data and dedicated priority channels for prioritized user data. This segmentation isolates control functions from user data traffic, ensuring that prioritized data transmissions are not disrupted by control channel activities or non-prioritized data collisions, thus improving reliability while managing complexity through structured channel division.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A control channel acts as an intermediary that coordinates channel reservations and manages access between multiple network nodes. The control channel facilitates the reservation mechanism without directly carrying user data, mediating between control functions and data transmission to reduce conflicts and improve prioritized data reliability without requiring complex peer-to-peer coordination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If a single transmission channel is used for data transmission between several network nodes, then device complexity is reduced, but data throughput is significantly reduced due to hidden node problems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoiddata throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The network channels are segmented into control channel and multiple user data channels (including priority channels). This allows simultaneous control operations and data transmissions on different channels, eliminating the throughput bottleneck of single-channel systems while keeping individual channel management relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reservation mechanism performs preliminary actions by securing dedicated priority channels before prioritized data transmission begins. This advance reservation prevents hidden node collisions and ensures uninterrupted throughput for prioritized traffic, compensating for the added channel management complexity through proactive resource allocation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If IEEE 802.11e standard is implemented to prevent non-prioritized data from interfering with prioritized data, then prioritized data transmission reliability is improved, but non-prioritized data transmission is brought to a standstill

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprioritized data transmission reliabilityVSAvoidnon-prioritized data transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Different quality levels are applied to different channels: priority channels provide guaranteed service for prioritized data with strict QoS, while non-priority channels allow best-effort transmission for non-prioritized data. This local differentiation ensures reliable prioritized transmission without completely blocking non-prioritized traffic, maintaining overall network productivity through hierarchical quality management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The network traffic is segmented into prioritized and non-prioritized streams with separate channel allocations. Prioritized data receives dedicated priority channels with reservation guarantees, while non-prioritized data uses remaining channels without blocking them entirely, allowing both traffic types to coexist with appropriate service levels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Speed

If data transmission rate is increased to improve quality of service for prioritized data, then prioritized data transmission speed is improved, but technology implementation constraints prevent this from being possible in many cases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprioritized data transmission speedVSAvoidtechnology implementation feasibility
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of increasing transmission rate on a single channel (one dimension), the solution adds a spatial dimension by allocating separate dedicated priority channels. This dimensional approach achieves faster effective transmission for prioritized data through parallel channel usage rather than rate escalation, bypassing hardware speed limitations through resource multiplication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The reservation mechanism performs preliminary channel allocation before prioritized data transmission, securing dedicated bandwidth and channels in advance. This pre-arranged resource allocation guarantees transmission speed without requiring real-time rate increases, making the solution feasible within existing technology constraints by planning resource usage beforehand.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2269416B1Network node and method for data transmission in a wireless multi-hop network
Publication Date: 2011.10.12 SIEMENS AG
  • EP2269416B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2269416B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2269416B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a network node and a method for transmitting data in a wireless Multi-hop network having a plurality of network nodes between which data can be transmitted via at least three transmission channels. According to the method, a transmission channel is reserved as the control channel for transmitting control data, and control data are transmitted only via the control channel. At least one transmission channel different from the control channel can further be reserved as a priority channel for transmitting prioritized user data between network nodes of a connection path, and prioritized user data are transmitted only via the at least one priority channel. At least one transmission channel different from the control channel and the at least one priority channel can further be reserved as a non-priority channel for transmitting non-prioritized user data between any network node of the connection path and any neighboring network node adjacent thereto, and among the neighboring network nodes, and non-prioritized user data are transmitted only via the at least one non-priority channel.