Patent · US Expired

Method of multicasting

US5905871A · kind A · utility

132Cited by
14References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 10, 1996
Grant dateMay 18, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 10, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L47/27
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multicasting method transmits data segments, including one or more data packets, over an established global multicast tree from a Sender S to a dynamically changing set of receivers, including at least one unknown Receiver R. In response to a data segment transmission, the Sender S receives a first status signal from the at least one unknown Receiver R (and/or any known Designated Receivers DRs) indicating the addition of and packet reception status of the unknown Receiver R (and/or any known Designated Receivers DRs) which has joined the multicast. In response to the status signals, the Sender S retransmits to the unknown Receiver R (and/or any known Designated Receivers DRs) those packets not received thereat. In this manner the unknown Receiver R (and/or any known Designated Receivers DRs) is added to the multicast session and retransmissions thereto are handled in the same manner as other receivers connected to the multicast session.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.