Physically scoped multicast in multi-access networks
US6798773B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 2001 |
| Grant date | Sep 28, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 26, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/16
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus and method is provided for forwarding multicast packets in a communication network using a physically scoped routing protocol. Each of a plurality of access routers maintains information concerning the addresses of physically neighboring access routers. Multicast packets received by each access router are evaluated to determine whether they should be routed using a conventional administratively scoped routing rule or using a physically scoped routing rule. Administratively scoped packets are routed to the multicast address using conventional administrative scoping rules. Physically scoped packets are “tunneled” by encapsulating them in a unicast packet, which is then transmitted to one or more physically neighboring access routers. An optional time-to-live parameter allows multiple levels of neighboring proximity to be specified.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.