Patent · US Expired

Dynamic assignment of multicast network addresses

US6018771A · kind A · utility

70Cited by
2References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 25, 1992
Grant dateJan 25, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 25, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2101/604
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Multicast addresses on a computer network are dynamically assigned to a temporary node task. In particular, a server dynamically assigns a multicast address to a data stream in response to a request for the data stream from a client. The server assigns the multicast address in cooperation with other servers from a pool of network-allocated but unassigned multicast addresses. Once the data stream is terminated, the assigned multicast address is deassigned and returned to the pool of unassigned multicast addresses for possible reuse by the nodes.

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