Qualitative communication using adaptive network coding with a sliding window

A source node in a network, comprising:

• a memory storing instructions;
• at least one processor in communication with the memory, the at least one processor configured, upon execution of the instructions, to cause the source node to perform the following steps:
• divide a payload for a data transmission into a plurality of source chunks, each source chunk of the plurality of source chunks comprising a first significance level;
• perform, according to the first significance level of each of the plurality of source chunks, adaptive network coding on each of the plurality of source chunks to obtain a plurality of coded chunks in a plurality of coding groups, a second significance level of the plurality of coded chunks in at least two of the plurality of coding groups being different, and each coding group of the plurality of coding groups comprising at least one coded chunk having a same significance level;
• generate a first coded data packet comprising a header and a second payload comprising the plurality of coded chunks, the first coded data packet comprising a number of coded chunks in each significance level field that indicates a quantity of coded chunks in the payload having the same significance level;
• and
• transmit the first coded data packet to a destination node.

A system in a network, comprising:

• a first network node, comprising:
• a memory storing instructions;
• and
• at least one processor in communication with the memory, the at least one processor configured, upon execution of the instructions, to cause the first network node to perform the following steps:
• divide a payload for a data transmission into a plurality of source chunks, each source chunk of the plurality of source chunks comprising a first significance level;
• perform, according to the first significance level of each source chunk of the plurality of source chunks, adaptive network coding on each source chunk of the plurality of source chunks to obtain a plurality of coded chunks in a plurality of coding groups, a second significance level of the plurality of coded chunks in at least two of the plurality of coding groups being different, and each coding group of the plurality of coding groups comprising at least one coded chunk having a same significance level;
• generate a first coded data packet comprising a header and a second payload comprising the plurality of coded chunks, the first coded data packet comprising a number of coded chunks in each significance level field that indicates a quantity of coded chunks in the payload having the same significance level;
• and
• transmit the first coded data packet to a destination node;
• and
• a second network node communicatively coupled to the first network node and configured to receive the first coded data packet.