Wireless USB Session Management via Symmetric Initiation and Exponential Backoff

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing certified wireless USB (CWUSB) technology faces limitations in adaptability due to reliance on a single wireless technology, requires navigation buttons on devices for association selection, increases battery consumption through retransmission of connection requests, and incurs user inconvenience from frequent reconnection operations due to wireless network characteristics.

Innovation Solution

A method for creating and managing sessions between wireless USB hosts and devices, where both hosts and devices can create sessions, with enhanced power management and user interface capabilities, using a block diagram of components like user interfaces, session information storage, and wireless transceiving units to handle session creation, maintenance, and status management, allowing for symmetric operation and reduced battery consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the wireless USB device uses a single wireless technology (CWUSB), then the connection management is simplified, but the adaptability to various wired/wireless networking technologies is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection management complexityVSAvoidadaptability to networking technologies
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the wireless USB device to support multiple wireless technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UWB) simultaneously, allowing it to adapt to different networking environments while maintaining unified session management. The device can select appropriate wireless technologies based on availability and requirements, achieving multi-functionality without increasing management complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If the wireless USB device initiates all session connections, then the connection control is centralized, but the usage scenarios are limited and devices without navigation buttons cannot select conceptual associations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection controlVSAvoidusage scenarios
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces asymmetric session initiation capabilities where either the host or the device can start a session depending on the scenario. The device can initiate sessions when it needs to connect to available hosts, while hosts can also initiate sessions when they need to connect to specific devices. This asymmetric design expands usage scenarios beyond the limitation of single-sided initiation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the traditional role assignment by allowing the device (previously only a responder) to actively initiate sessions and select hosts based on its needs. This role inversion enables devices without navigation buttons to autonomously manage connections and select conceptual associations, expanding accessibility and usage scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If the wireless USB device retransmits connection requests when no response is received, then the connection reliability is improved, but the battery consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidbattery consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic connection requests with exponentially increasing intervals (1ms, 2ms, 4ms, 8ms, etc.) when no response is received. This periodic action with growing intervals maintains connection reliability by ensuring eventual reconnection while significantly reducing battery consumption compared to continuous retransmission. The system balances reliability and energy efficiency through this time-based progression.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

4Stability of the object's composition

If reconnection operations are performed for every momentary loss of connection, then the connection stability is maintained, but the load on the wireless USB device increases and user convenience decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection stabilityVSAvoiddevice load
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains session information and connection context in memory during momentary disruptions, performing preliminary preparation so that when the connection is restored, the device can quickly resume without full reconnection procedures. This preliminary action reduces the load during reconnection events and improves user convenience by minimizing visible disruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a buffer mechanism that absorbs momentary connection losses without triggering reconnection operations. By anticipating and cushioning against brief disruptions, the system avoids unnecessary reconnection overhead while maintaining connection stability. Only sustained connection losses trigger reconnection, reducing device load and improving user experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentEP1940080B1Method of creating and managing session between wireless universal serial bus host and wireless universal serial bus device and providing wireless universal serial bus host and wireless universal serial bus device
Publication Date: 2019.05.15 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP1940080B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1940080B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1940080B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a session management method of managing a session created between a wireless universal serial bus (USB) host (100) and a wireless USB device (110) through a wireless network, the session management method including: receiving session status messages periodically transmitted for checking a status of the created session; counting a number of continuous reception failures representing a number of the session status messages that are not received; and if the number of the continuous reception failures of session status messages is greater than a reference number, changing the current status of the session to a suspended status if the current status of the session is a connected status, and closing the created session if the current status of the session is a suspended status.