System and method for dynamically varying retry rates in UAV communications
Methods and apparatuses for enhancing vehicle range in a unmanned aircraft system is disclosed herein. An implementation of the method includes establishing a wireless communication channel between an unmanned aircraft and an end point and transmitting data from the unmanned aircraft to the end point over the wireless communication channel. This transmission is done in accordance with a transmission configuration, which defines a Forward Error Correction (FEC) value and a retry rate. The method further includes receiving transmission statistics related to transmitting the data and modifying the transmission configuration at least in part in response to the transmission statistics. The method also includes transmitting further data from the unmanned aircraft to the end point over the wireless communication channel in accordance with the modified transmission configuration.
1 . A method of enhancing vehicle range in an unmanned aircraft system, comprising:
establishing a wireless communication channel between an unmanned aircraft and an end point;
transmitting data between the unmanned aircraft and the end point over the wireless communication channel in accordance with a transmission configuration, wherein the transmission configuration defines a Forward Error Correction (FEC) value and a retry rate;
receiving, at a control node, transmission statistics related to transmitting the data;
modifying the transmission configuration to create a modified transmission configuration at least in part in response to the transmission statistics, wherein modifying the transmission configuration comprises:
adjusting the FEC value in response to a transmission success statistic of the transmission statistics, wherein the transmission success statistic is computed based on a packet success ratio; and
adjusting the retry rate in response to adjusting the FEC value and in response to a channel congestion statistic, wherein the channel congestion statistic is computed based on two or more of the packet success ratio, a packet reception value indicating a number of packets received, and an idle time value indicating a transmitter idle duration, and wherein adjusting the retry rate comprises reducing a maximum retry count responsive to the channel congestion statistic indicating channel congestion; and
transmitting further data between the unmanned aircraft and the end point over the wireless communication channel in accordance with the modified transmission configuration.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmission statistics comprise statistics related to the transmission of acknowledgements from the end point to the unmanned aircraft.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control node is located on the unmanned aircraft.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control node is located on the end point.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the modified transmission configuration to the unmanned aircraft.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmission configuration further comprises a bitrate setting, and wherein the method further comprises determining the bitrate setting at least in part based on the transmission statistics.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the retry rate further comprises reducing the maximum retry count responsive to the idle time value falling below a threshold idle time.
8 . A control node in an unmanned aircraft system, comprising:
a processor and tangible memory;
the tangible memory containing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to:
establish a wireless communication channel between an unmanned aircraft and an end point;
transmit data between the unmanned aircraft and the end point over the wireless communication channel in accordance with a transmission configuration, wherein the transmission configuration defines a Forward Error Correction (FEC) value and a retry rate;
receive transmission statistics related to transmitting the data;
modify the transmission configuration to create a modified transmission configuration at least in part in response to the transmission statistics, wherein to modify the transmission, the instructions instruct the processor to:
adjust the FEC value in response to a transmission success statistic of the transmission statistics, wherein the transmission success statistic is computed based on a packet success ratio; and
adjust the retry rate in response to adjusting the FEC value and in response to a channel congestion statistic, wherein the channel congestion statistic is computed based on two or more of the packet success ratio, a packet reception value indicating a number of packets received, and an idle time value indicating a transmitter idle duration, and wherein to adjust the retry rate, the instructions direct the processor to reduce a maximum retry count responsive to the channel congestion statistic indicating channel congestion; and
transmit further data between the unmanned aircraft and the end point over the wireless communication channel in accordance with the modified transmission configuration.
9 . The control node of claim 8 , wherein the transmission statistics comprise statistics related to the transmission of acknowledgements from the end point to the unmanned aircraft.
10 . The control node of claim 8 , wherein the control node is located on the unmanned aircraft.
11 . The control node of claim 8 , wherein the control node is located on the end point.
12 . The control node of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further instruct the processor to communicate the modified transmission configuration to the unmanned aircraft.
13 . The control node of claim 8 , wherein the transmission configuration further comprises a bitrate setting, and wherein the instructions further instruct the processor to determine the bitrate setting at least in part based on the transmission statistics.
14 . The control node of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further direct the processor to reduce the maximum retry count responsive to the idle time value falling below a threshold idle time.
15 . An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
a processor and tangible memory;
the tangible memory containing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to:
transmit video data;
receive transmission statistics related to the transmission of the video data from a recipient of the video data;
analyze the transmission statistics to determine an enhancement step, wherein the enhancement step comprises:
a first modification to a Forward Error Correction (FEC) setting of the transmission, wherein the first modification is computed based on a packet success ratio of the transmission statistics; and
a second modification to a retry rate setting of the transmission, wherein the second modification is computed based on the packet success ratio, a packet reception value, and an idle time value of the transmission statistics, and wherein the second modification comprises reducing a maximum retry count; and
transmit further video data utilizing the enhancement step.
16 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the packet success ratio comprises a probability of successful transmission of a packet based on acknowledgements of successful transmission.
17 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the enhancement step comprises an adjustment to a retry rate setting.
18 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the enhancement step comprises an adjustment to a bitrate setting.
19 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the transmission statistics comprise an idle time measurement.
20 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the transmission statistics comprise a duplicate packets measurement.