Network address translation for multicast virtual sourcing
US6831917B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 10, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 10, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2101/677
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for using network address translation in switches and routers to define a virtual host as the source of a multicast channel within a single-source multicast model and to translate packet addresses from different multicast sources so that the packets appear to be originating from the virtual host. Address-translated packets are thus forwarded through a single-source multicast channel and received by the subscribing host(s)/clients as though the packets came from a single “virtual” source. This methodology can be used to map two or more sources simultaneously onto the same multicast channel. Such a mapping is useful, for example, to present multiple views of a sporting event video broadcast, provide advertisement insertion capability, or to support transparent fail-over to a backup video source in a critical multicast application. Subscribing client hosts in the multicast reception group simply subscribe to the single virtual host as the source of a multicast channel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.