# US 10,484,286 B2 · Adaptive reliability protocol > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,484,286 B2 - Document ID: US10484286B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/012,891 - Filed: 2016-02-02 - Published: 2017-08-03 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-02 - Assignees: King Fadh University of Petroleum and Minerals - Applicants: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals - Inventors: Anas Abdulwahid Al-Roubaiey; Tarek R Sheltami; Ashraf S. Hasan Mahmoud - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484286B2 ## CPC - H04L 47/24: Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS - H04L 43/0829: Packet loss - H04L 43/0864: Round trip delays - H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring - H04L 47/25: with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - H04W 28/0242: {Determining whether packet losses are due to overload or to deterioration of radio communication conditions} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A device, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium that determine a reliability level for a communication network. A packet delivery ratio (PDR) is determined for a round period of the communication network operating at an adaptive reliability level based on a packet serial number (PSN). The communication network is controlled in a best effort mode, a reliable mode, or a switching mode based on the PDR. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: processing circuitry configured to determine a reliability level for a communication network, determine a packet delivery ratio (PDR) for a round period of the communication network operating at reliability level based on a packet serial number (PSN), the round period being a predetermined period for measuring the PDR of sensor data received from the communication network, control the communication network to operate in an adaptive reliability mode in response to the reliability level being within a predetermined range, the adaptive reliability mode including a best effort mode, a reliable mode, and a switching mode based on the PDR, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control operation of the communication network to operate in the best effort mode in response to the PDR being greater than an upper PDR threshold, control operation of the communication network to operate in the reliable mode in response to the PDR is less than a lower PDR threshold, and control operation of the communication network to operate in the switching mode when transitioning between the best effort mode and the reliable mode, the control including issuing a switch mode message including a modified mode bit in the message header, and detect an assurance time interval (ATI) corresponding to a termination of the round period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the communication network is a wireless sensor network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a time length for the round period based on data characteristics of the communication network, the data characteristics including reliability performance specifications. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an amount of time between successive round periods based on the data characteristics of the communication network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect a dropped packet when a current PSN is greater than a last PSN plus one. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the reliability level and an associated reliability percentage value for the communication network based on at rate of change of sensor values of one or more sensor devices associated with the communication network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an upper PDR threshold and lower PDR threshold based on the reliability percentage value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to dynamically update the upper PDR threshold and lower PDR threshold based on network conditions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to perform negative-acknowledgement (NACK) messaging in the reliable mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to operate in the switching mode when a current operation mode is the best effort mode and the PDR is less than a lower PDR threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to operate in the switching mode when a current operation mode is the reliable mode and the PDR is greater than an upper PDR threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to modify an operation mode of the communication network via a mode bit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to operate in an application layer independent from a media access control (MAC) layer. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: determining, via a server, a reliability level for a communication network; determining, via the server, a packet delivery ratio (PDR) for a round period of the communication network operating at reliability level based on a packet serial number (PSN), the round period being a predetermined period for measuring the PDR of sensor data received from the communication network; controlling, via the server, the communication network to operate in an adaptive reliability mode in response to the reliability level being within a predetermined range, the adaptive reliability mode including a best effort mode, a reliable mode, and a switching mode based on the PDR; the controlling further comprising: controlling operation of the communication network to operate in the best effort mode in response to the PDR being greater than an upper PDR threshold, controlling operation of the communication network to operate in the reliable mode in response to the PDR is less than a lower PDR threshold, and controlling operation of the communication network to operate in the switching mode when transitioning between the best effort mode and the reliable mode, the control including issuing a switch mode message including a modified mode bit in the message header, and detecting an assurance time interval (ATI) corresponding to a termination of the round period. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein that, when executed by one or more processor, cause the one or more processors to perform a method of adaptively controlling a reliability protocol, the method comprising: determining, via a server, a reliability level for a communication network; determining, via the server, a packet delivery ratio (PDR) for a round period of the communication network operating at reliability level based on a packet serial number (PSN), the round period being a predetermined period for measuring the PDR of sensor data received from the communication network; controlling, via the server, the communication network to operate in an adaptive reliability mode in response to the reliability level being within a predetermined range, the adaptive reliability anode including a best effort mode, a reliable mode, and a switching mode based on the PDR; the controlling further comprising: controlling operation of the communication network to operate in the best effort mode in response to the PDR being greater than an upper PDR threshold, controlling operation of the communication network to operate in the reliable mode in response to the PDR is less than a lower PDR threshold, and controlling operation of the communication network to operate in the switching mode when transitioning between the best effort mode and the reliable mode, the control including issuing a switch mode message including a modified mode bit in the message header, and detecting an assurance time interval (ATI) corresponding to a termination of the round period. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry detects the ATI by PSN to be a last packet serial number (LPSN).