Bit-Rate Estimation Using Congestion and Signal Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional WiFi technologies lack reliable means to determine the real achievable bit-rate between wireless terminals and access points, leading to inaccurate connection decisions due to incomplete information about signal quality and congestion levels, resulting in inefficiencies and increased latency.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that estimate the achievable bit-rate by combining congestion and signal quality information, allowing wireless stations to select the best access point for connection, thereby achieving congestion load balancing and improving bandwidth estimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional WiFi technology provides signal quality information to assist in determining estimated bit-rates, then connection decisions can be made, but the estimated bit-rates remain inaccurate and incomplete due to lack of congestion information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a congestion estimator as an intermediary component that bridges the gap between available signal quality information and the needed real bit-rate estimation. This estimator processes multiple input parameters (signal strength, packet loss, retransmission rates) to generate accurate congestion-level predictions without requiring full connection establishment, thus resolving the information loss problem while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary congestion assessment before actual data transmission begins. By estimating congestion levels and predicting achievable bit-rates in advance using probe packets and signal quality metrics, the system prepares accurate connection decisions beforehand, eliminating the need for post-connection probing and providing complete information prior to association.
2Measurement precision
If conventional methods use full connection establishment to probe bit-rate information, then accurate bit-rate data can be obtained, but substantial latency and overhead are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs bit-rate estimation preliminarily before full connection establishment by using probe packets to assess congestion levels and calculate predicted achievable bit-rates. This preliminary action provides accurate measurement data without requiring the substantial time and overhead of complete connection setup, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring full connection establishment (excessive action), the invention uses partial probe packets to gather sufficient congestion information for accurate bit-rate estimation. This partial action approach provides the needed measurement precision while significantly reducing the time and overhead required compared to complete connection probing.
3Productivity
If conventional WiFi technology lacks reliable bit-rate determination means, then device complexity remains low, but network efficiency and user experience deteriorate due to inaccurate connection decisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a congestion estimator as a modular intermediary component that enhances network efficiency without requiring fundamental changes to the core WiFi protocol. This mediator processes available signal quality information and generates accurate bit-rate predictions using standardized parameters, thus improving productivity while keeping device complexity manageable through a focused, additive approach rather than a comprehensive rewrite.
4Loss of time
If wireless stations use incomplete signal quality information for access point selection, then connection decisions can be made quickly, but network performance deteriorates due to suboptimal bit-rate allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary congestion assessment and bit-rate prediction quickly using probe packets and signal quality metrics before final connection decisions are made. This preliminary action provides sufficient information for optimal AP selection without requiring extensive measurement time, thus resolving the contradiction between quick decision-making and network performance optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for determining the bit-rate between a wireless station and one or more access points that takes into account the usage (congestion) of the access points. Each wireless station includes software and/or hardware for estimating the bit-rate between the wireless station and any available access points and provides automatic load balancing for the wireless network. Dual estimator and backpressure algorithms are utilized to better estimate the achievable bit-rate available to a wireless station associated with an access point and to provide congestion sensitive access point selection. Bandwidth estimation is provided while taking into account congestion information for building up associations to access points while automatically achieving load balancing of the traffic among available access points.