INCREASING RELIABLE DATA THROUGHPUT IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20160127876A1
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kish, William S., Chanak, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,794,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving data transmission rates in communication networks are disclosed. In an 802.11 wireless communication network, where a source node of the wireless network transmits TCP data to a destination node of the wireless network, the destination node does not transmit TCP acknowledgments (ACKs) for the TCP data if 802.11 ACKs indicate that the destination node received the TCP data. If a source outside the wireless network transmits TCP data to the destination node within the wireless network through an intermediate device, such as an access point, the destination node suppresses transmitting TCP ACKs. The intermediate device transmits TCP ACKs as proxy for the destination node to the source. The intermediate device also suppresses TCP ACKs where a source node within the wireless network sends the TCP data to a destination node outside of the wireless network.

Claims

1. A wireless local area network device, the device configured to:

transmit data, according to a higher layer protocol, from a source to a destination in a wireless local area network;

receive a first acknowledgment, according to a lower layer protocol, transmitted from the destination; and

transmit a second acknowledgment, according to the higher layer protocol, to the source based on the first acknowledgment, whereby the transmission of data is reliable and occurs without delaying acknowledgment transmissions to the source.

2. The wireless local area network device of claim 1, wherein the device is an access point.

3. The wireless local area network device of claim 2, wherein the access point includes an antenna apparatus and a RF communication apparatus.

4. The wireless local area network device of claim 3, wherein the RF communication apparatus operates utilizing the 802.11g protocol.

5. The wireless local area network device of claim 1, wherein the device is further configured to broadcast a beacon advertising a capability to generate transmission control protocol (TCP) acknowledgments based on 802.11 acknowledgments.

6. A wireless local area network device, the device configured to:

receive data, according to a higher layer protocol, from a source in a wireless local area network;

receive a first acknowledgement to the source, according to a lower layer protocol, transmitted from a destination to the intermediate device; and

not send a higher layer protocol acknowledgment to the source in response to receiving the data, wherein the delivery of data is reliable and occurs without delaying acknowledgment transmissions to the source.

7. The wireless local area network device of claim 6, wherein the device is a node in the wireless local area network.

8. The wireless local area network device of claim 6, wherein the source is an access point.

9. The wireless local area network device of claim 6, wherein the data includes transmission control protocol (TCP) data.

10. The wireless local area network device of claim 6, wherein the lower layer protocol includes an 802.11 protocol.