Managing pending acknowledgement packets in a communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016302197-A1
Application number	US-201315033062-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for managing pending acknowledgement (ACK) packets in a communication device is provided. The method can include the communication device monitoring a status of a transmit queue for packets to be sent over a network; detecting a queue condition indicative of congestion causing a delay in sending one or more ACK packets pending in the transmit queue; and discarding a set of one or more ACK packets from the transmit queue in response to the queue condition. The discarded set of one or more ACK packets can include one or more oldest ACK packets of the ACK packets pending in the transmit queue. A most recent ACK packet pending in the transmit queue can remain pending in the transmit queue after the set of one or more ACK packets has been discarded.

First claim

1 . A wireless communication device comprising:
a communication interface configured to send data on an uplink to a cellular network and to receive data on a downlink from the cellular network; and processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuitry configured to control the wireless communication device to at least:
monitor a status of a transmit queue for packets to be sent on the uplink;
detect a queue condition indicative of uplink congestion causing a delay in sending one or more transmission control protocol (TCP) acknowledgement (ACK) packets of a plurality of TCP ACK packets pending in the transmit queue; and
discard a set of one or more TCP ACK packets of the plurality of TCP ACK packets from the transmit queue in response to the queue condition;
wherein the discarded set of one or more TCP ACK packets comprises one or more oldest TCP ACK packets of the plurality of TCP ACK packets pending in the transmit queue, and wherein a most recent TCP ACK packet of the plurality of TCP ACK packets pending in the transmit queue remains pending in the transmit queue after the set of one or more TCP ACK packets has been discarded.

2 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the wireless communication device to:
monitor the status of the transmit queue at least in part by monitoring a number of TCP ACK packets pending in the transmit queue; and detect a queue condition indicative of uplink congestion in an instance in which the number of TCP ACK packets pending in the transmit queue reaches a predefined threshold limit.

3 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the wireless communication device to:
monitor the status of the transmit queue at least in part by setting a timer in response to one of the plurality of TCP ACK packets being added to the queue; and detect a queue condition indicative of uplink congestion in an instance in which the timer expires prior to the one of the plurality of TCP ACK packets being sent on the uplink.

4 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the most recent TCP ACK packet cumulatively acknowledges receipt of each packet acknowledged by the discarded set of one or more TCP ACK packets.

5 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein a bandwidth available on the downlink is greater than a bandwidth available on the uplink.

6 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the cellular network is a Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) network.

7 . The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the cellular network is an Enhanced Data rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network.

8 . A method for managing pending acknowledgement (ACK) packets in a communication device, the method comprising the communication device:
monitoring a status of a transmit queue for packets to be sent over a network; detecting a queue condition indicative of congestion causing a delay in sending one or more ACK packets of a plurality of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue; and discarding a set of one or more ACK packets of the plurality of ACK packets from the transmit queue in response to the queue condition; wherein the discarded set of one or more ACK packets comprises one or more oldest ACK packets of the plurality of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue, and wherein a most recent ACK packet of the plurality of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue remains pending in the transmit queue after the set of one or more ACK packets has been discarded.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
monitoring the status of the transmit queue comprises monitoring a number of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue; and detecting a queue condition indicative of congestion comprises detecting the queue condition in an instance in which the number of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue reaches a predefined threshold limit.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
monitoring the status of the transmit queue comprises setting a timer in response to one of the plurality of ACK packets being added to the queue; and detecting a queue condition indicative of congestion comprises detecting the queue condition in an instance in which the timer expires prior to the one of the plurality of ACK packets being sent.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the most recent ACK packet cumulatively acknowledges receipt of each packet acknowledged by the discarded set of one or more ACK packets.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of ACK packets are transmission control protocol (TCP) ACK packets.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the network is a wireless network.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a bandwidth available on a downlink connection between the communication device and the wireless network is greater than a bandwidth available on an uplink connection between the communication device and the wireless network.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the wireless network is a cellular network.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the cellular network is a Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) network.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the cellular network is an Enhanced Data rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network.

18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program code for managing pending acknowledgement (ACK) packets in a communication device stored thereon, the computer program code, when executed by one or more processors of the communication device, cause the communication device to:
monitor a status of a transmit queue for packets to be sent over a network; detect a queue condition indicative of congestion causing a delay in sending one or more ACK packets of a plurality of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue; and discard a set of one or more ACK packets of the plurality of ACK packets from the transmit queue in response to the queue condition; wherein the discarded set of one or more ACK packets comprises one or more oldest ACK packets of the plurality of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue, and wherein a most recent ACK packet of the plurality of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue remains pending in the transmit queue after the set of one or more ACK packets has been discarded.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein execution of the computer program code causes the communication device to:
monitor the status of the transmit queue by at least monitoring a number of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue; and detect the queue condition indicative of congestion by at least detecting the queue condition in an instance in which the number of ACK packets pending in the transmit queue reaches a predefined threshold limit.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein execution of the computer program code causes the communication device to:
monitor the status of the transmit queue by at least setting a timer in response to one of the plurality of ACK packets being added to the queue; and detect the queue condition indicative of congestion by at least detecting the queue condition in an instance in which the timer expires prior to the one of the plurality of ACK packets

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Xie Tao

Classifications

• H04W72/20

  Control channels or signalling for resource management · CPC title

• H04W72/1278

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W72/0446 Primary

  Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04L5/0055

  Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK (for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861) · CPC title