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EP0579567A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Methods and apparatus for routing packets in packet transmission networks

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1993-05-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-05-19
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Abstract

Abstract A packet communications system provides for point-to-point packet routing and broadcast packet routing to limited subsets of nodes in the network, using a routing field in the packet header which is processed according to two different protocols. A third protocol is provided in which a packet can be broadcast to the limited subset even when launched from a node which is not a member of the subset. The routing field includes a first portion which contains the route labels necessary to deliver the packet to the broadcast subset. A second portion of the routing field contains the broadcast subset identifier which can then be used to deliver the packet to all of the members of the broadcast subset. Provision is made to backtrack deliver the packet to the last node identified before the broadcast subset if that last node is itself a member of the subset.

Inventors

  • 👤 Israel Cidon
  • 👤 David William Davenport
  • 👤 Jeffrey Haskell Derby
  • 👤 John Gary Dudley
  • 👤 Inder Sarat Gopal
  • 👤 James Patrick Janniello
  • 👤 Marc Adam Kaplan
  • 👤 Frank Richard Koperda
  • 👤 Kenneth Harvey Potter, Jr.
  • 👤 Shay Kutten

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 23:32
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L45/00; H04L45/48; H04L12/00; H04L12/02; H04L12/16; H04L12/18; H04L45/16; H04L45/484; H04L49/00; H04L49/20; H04L49/201; H04L49/203; H04L69/00; H04L69/14; H04L69/22; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5601; H04L2012/5638; H04L2012/5646

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 73 words
A packet switching point (11) for a packet transmission system (10) transmitting data packets with headers containing routing labels (32), said packet switching point (11) characterized in that it comprises : means responsive to a first portion of said header (60-63) for forwarding each said packet to a single destination, and means responsive to a second portion of said header (64-66) for simultaneously forwarding each said packet to a plurality of different destinations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 40 words
The packet switching point (11) according to claim 1 further comprising means responsive to a flag (63) in said header for changing the mode of forwarding said packet from a single destination mode to a plurality of different destinations mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
The packet switching point (11) according to claim 2 further comprising means for transmitting said packet on the entry transmission link over which it is received.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
The packet switching point (11) according to claim 3 further comprising means for stripping the label of said entry transmission link from header prior to launching said packet on said entry transmission link.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 44 words
A packet transmission system (10) for digital data packets including a header, said system (10) comprising a plurality of packet switching points (11) according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, and a plurality of transmission links (A-L) interconnecting said packet switching points (11).
Claim 6
Independent Claim 64 words
A method for routing data packets with headers containing routing labels (32) in a packet transmission system (10), said method comprising the steps of forwarding each said packet to a single destination in response to a first portion of said header (60-63), and simultaneously forwarding each said packet to a plurality of different destinations in response to a second portion of said header (64-66).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 44 words
The method for routing data packets according to claim 6 further comprising the step (77) of changing the mode of forwarding said packet from a single destination mode to a plurality of different destinations mode in response to a flag (63) in said header.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method for routing data packets according to claim 7 further comprising the step of transmitting said packet on the entry transmission link over which it is received.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method for routing data packets according to claim 8 further comprising the step (82) of stripping the label of said entry transmission link from header prior to launching said packet on said entry transmission link.

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