System and method for sending packets over a computer network
US6873627B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 30, 1999 |
| Grant date | Mar 29, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 30, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W4/06
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The benefits of a multicast-enabled network are realized by a flexible, easy to deploy, software-based solution that does not require reconfiguring of network routers. Systems and methods that implement this solution can perform as follows. A packet is received that was sent by a sender to at least one receiver, and the packet includes a parameter relating to a multicast announce address. A forwarding rules set is associated with the packet if the parameter has a defined value. This forwarding rules set is used to determine whether any of the at least one destination addresses included in the packet corresponds to one of the receivers that has a receiver format that must be converted. In addition, the forwarding rules set defines when a packet should be converted from a sender format to a receiver format before forwarding the packet. The packet is converted from the sender format to the receiver format for each destination address identified as requiring conversion, and forwarded in accordance with the forwarding rules set.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.