Throughput enhancement by acknowledgement suppression

• US 20060098616A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• 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 9,240,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 method, comprising:

transmitting data, according to a higher layer protocol, from a source to a destination through an intermediate device between the source and the destination;

transmitting a first acknowledgment, according to a lower layer protocol, from the destination to the intermediate device; and

transmitting a second acknowledgment, according to the higher layer protocol, to the source from the intermediate device based on the first acknowledgment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination comprises a node of a wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the higher layer protocol comprises TCP and the second acknowledgment comprises a TCP ACK.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the lower layer protocol comprises an 802.11 protocol and the first acknowledgment comprises an 802.11 ACK.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the intermediate device comprises an access point of a wireless network.

6. A method for reliable data transmission from a source to a destination, comprising:

transmitting data, according to a higher layer protocol, from the source to the destination;

transmitting a first acknowledgment to the source, according to a lower layer protocol, from an intermediate device between the source and the destination;

transmitting a second acknowledgment, according to the higher layer protocol, from the destination to the intermediate device; and

suppressing the second acknowledgment at the intermediate device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the source comprises a node of a wireless network.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the higher layer protocol comprises TCP and the second acknowledgment comprises a TCP ACK.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the lower layer protocol comprises an 802.11 protocol and the first acknowledgment comprises an 802.11 ACK.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the intermediate device comprises an access point of a wireless network.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein suppressing the second acknowledgment comprises not transmitting the second acknowledgment to the source.

12. A method for reliable data transmission from a source to a destination, comprising:

transmitting data, according to a higher layer protocol, from the source to the destination through an intermediate device between the source and the destination;

transmitting a first acknowledgment to the source, according to a lower layer protocol, from the intermediate device; and

transmitting a second acknowledgment, according to the lower layer protocol, to the intermediate device from the destination.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the source comprises a node of a wireless network.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the higher layer protocol comprises TCP and the second acknowledgment comprises a TCP ACK.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the lower layer protocol comprises an 802.11 protocol and the first acknowledgment comprises an 802.11 ACK.

16. A wireless local area network device comprising logic configured to

transmit data, according to a higher layer protocol, from a source to a destination,

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

transmit a second acknowledgment, according to the higher layer protocol, to the source based on the first acknowledgment.

17. The wireless local area network device of claim 16 wherein the device is an access point.

18. The wireless local area network device of claim 17 wherein the device comprises an antenna apparatus and a RF communication apparatus.

19. The wireless local area network device of claim 18 wherein the RF communication apparatus comprises an 802.11g RF communication apparatus.

20. The wireless local area network device of claim 16 wherein the device is further configured to broadcast a beacon advertising a capability to generate TCP acknowledgments based on 802.11 acknowledgments.

21. A wireless local area network device comprising logic configured to

receive data, according to a higher layer protocol, from a source,

transmit a first acknowledgment to the source, according to a lower layer protocol, and

not send a higher layer protocol acknowledgment to the source in response to receiving the data.

22. The wireless local area network device of claim 21 wherein the device comprises a node of the wireless local area network.

23. The wireless local area network device of claim 21 wherein the source comprises an access point.

24. The wireless local area network device of claim 21 wherein the data comprises TCP data.

25. The wireless local area network device of claim 21 wherein the lower layer protocol comprises an 802.11 protocol.