Method of multicasting

Claim 1

A method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information from a source to a set of destinations, wherein each destination is assigned to one local exchange in a set of local exchanges receiving at said source a first status signal from each local exchange, said first status signal indicating a reception status for one or more destinations assigned to that local exchange relative to the transmitted blocks, wherein each destination has an associated set of buffers and wherein said first status signal from each local exchange indicates the space available in the buffers of at least one destination in that local exchange; and transmitting, from said source to destinations assigned to said local exchanges in response to said first status signals, those blocks of information not received by one or more destinations assigned to said local exchanges.

Claim 2

A method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information from a source to a set of destinations, wherein each destination is assigned to one local exchange in a set of local exchanges receiving at said source a first status signal from each local exchange, said first status signal indicating a reception status for one or more destinations assigned to that local exchange relative to the transmitted blocks, wherein each destination has an associated set of buffers and wherein said first status signal from each local exchange indicates the space available in the buffers of at least one destination in that local exchange; and transmitting, from said source to destinations assigned to said local exchanges in response to said first status signals, those blocks of information not received by one or more destinations assigned to said local exchanges.

Claim 3

A method comprising the steps of: transmitting block of information from a source to a set of destinations, wherein each destination is assigned to one local exchange in a set of local exchanges; receiving at said source a first status signal from each local exchange, said first status signal indicating a reception status for that local exchange relative to the transmitted blocks, wherein said first status signal from each local exchange is sent by a representative destination in each local exchange and wherein said first status signal indicates a set of particular blocks of information not received by said designated representative; and transmitting, from said source to said local exchanges in response to said first status signals, those blocks of information not received by the representative in said local exchanges.

Claim 4

A method comprising the steps of: transmitting block of information from a source to a set of destinations, wherein each destination is assigned to one local exchange in a set of local exchanges; receiving at said source a first status signal from each local exchange, said first status signal indicating a reception status for that local exchange relative to the transmitted blocks, wherein said first status signal from each local exchange is sent by a representative destination in each local exchange and wherein said first status signal indicates a set of particular blocks of information not received by said designated representative; and transmitting, from said source to said local exchanges in response to said first status signals, those blocks of information not received by the representative in said local exchanges.

Claim 7

A method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information from a source to a set of destinations, wherein each destination is assigned to one local exchange in a set of local exchanges; receiving at said source a first status signal from each local exchange, said first status signal indicating a reception status for that local exchange relative to the transmitted blocks, wherein the respective first status signal from each local exchange is based on a respective second status signal from each destination in that local exchange, wherein the respective second status signal from each destination indicates a set of blocks of information not received by that destination; and transmitting, from said source to said local exchanges in response to said first status signals, those blocks of information not received by one or more destinations assigned to said local exchanges.

Claim 8

A method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information from a source to a set of destinations, wherein each destination is assigned to one local exchange in a set of local exchanges; receiving at said source a first status signal from each local exchange, said first status signal indicating a reception status for that local exchange relative to the transmitted blocks, wherein the respective first status signal from each local exchange is based on a respective second status signal from each destination in that local exchange, wherein the respective second status signal from each destination indicates a set of blocks of information not received by that destination; and transmitting, from said source to said local exchanges in response to said first status signals, those blocks of information not received by one or more destinations assigned to said local exchanges.

Claim 9

A method of transmitting information from a source to each destination in a set of destinations along a global multicast tree, wherein each destination in said set of destinations is assigned to a local exchange in a set of local exchanges and wherein a particular destination in each local exchange is a representative for that local exchange, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information to each destination in said set of destinations along said global multicast tree; sending a respective first status signal to said source from each representative, wherein the respective first status signal from each representative indicates a set of particular blocks of information have not been received by that representative; retransmitting from said source along said global multicast tree the sets of particular blocks of information not received by one or more representatives; sending a respective second status signal from each destination in each local exchange to the representative for that local exchange, wherein the respective second status signal from each destination indicates a set of blocks of information have not been received by that destination; and retransmitting from each representative in a local exchange to the destinations in that local exchange the sets of blocks of information not received by one or more destinations in that local exchange.

Claim 10

A method of transmitting information from a source to each destination in a set of destinations along a global multicast tree, wherein each destination in said set of destinations is assigned to a local exchange in a set of local exchanges and wherein a particular destination in each local exchange is a representative for that local exchange, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information to each destination in said set of destinations along said global multicast tree; sending a respective first status signal to said source from each representative, wherein the respective first status signal from each representative indicates a set of particular blocks of information have not been received by that representative; retransmitting from said source along said global multicast tree the sets of particular blocks of information not received by one or more representatives; sending a respective second status signal from each destination in each local exchange to the representative for that local exchange, wherein the respective second status signal from each destination indicates a set of blocks of information have not been received by that destination; and retransmitting from each representative in a local exchange to the destinations in that local exchange the sets of blocks of information not received by one or more destinations in that local exchange.

Claim 14

A method of transmitting information from a source to each destination in a set of destinations along a global multicast tree, wherein each destination in said set of destinations is assigned to a local exchange in a set of local exchanges, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information to each destination in said set of destinations along said global multicast tree; sending a respective first status signal from each destination in a local exchange to that local exchange, wherein the respective first status signal from each destination indicates a set of blocks of information not received by that destination in that local exchange; and sending a respective consolidated status signal from each local exchange to said source, wherein the respective consolidated status signal from each local exchange is based on first status signals received from destinations in that local exchange and wherein the consolidated status signal from each local exchange indicates the sets of blocks of information not been received by destinations in that local exchange.

Claim 15

A method of transmitting information from a source to each destination in a set of destinations along a global multicast tree, wherein each destination in said set of destinations is assigned to a local exchange in a set of local exchanges, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information to each destination in said set of destinations along said global multicast tree; sending a respective first status signal from each destination in a local exchange to that local exchange, wherein the respective first status signal from each destination indicates a set of blocks of information not received by that destination in that local exchange; and sending a respective consolidated status signal from each local exchange to said source, wherein the respective consolidated status signal from each local exchange is based on first status signals received from destinations in that local exchange and wherein the consolidated status signal from each local exchange indicates the sets of blocks of information not been received by destinations in that local exchange.

Claim 18

A method of transmitting information from a source to each destination in a set of destinations along a global multicast tree, wherein each destination in said set of destinations is assigned to a local exchange in a set of local exchanges, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information to each destination in said set of destinations along said global multicast tree; sending a respective first status signal from each destination in a local exchange to that local exchange, wherein each respective first status signal indicates a set of blocks of information not received by that destination in that local exchange; and sending a respective consolidated status signal from each local exchange to said source wherein each respective consolidated status signal is based on the respective first status signals received from destinations in that local exchange; if said respective consolidated status signal indicates that no destinations within a local exchange have received a given block of information, then retransmitting from said source said given block along said multicast tree; and in each local exchange: generating, based on the respective first status signals received from destinations in the local exchange, a local multicast tree rooted at a destination in the local exchange which has received a particular block of information not received by every destination in the local exchange, and transmitting said particular block of information along said local multicast tree until said respective first status signals indicate said particular block has been received by every destination in the local exchange.

Claim 19

A method of transmitting information from a source to each destination in a set of destinations along a global multicast tree, wherein each destination in said set of destinations is assigned to a local exchange in a set of local exchanges, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting blocks of information to each destination in said set of destinations along said global multicast tree; sending a respective first status signal from each destination in a local exchange to that local exchange, wherein each respective first status signal indicates a set of blocks of information not received by that destination in that local exchange; and sending a respective consolidated status signal from each local exchange to said source wherein each respective consolidated status signal is based on the respective first status signals received from destinations in that local exchange; if said respective consolidated status signal indicates that no destinations within a local exchange have received a given block of information, then retransmitting from said source said given block along said multicast tree; and in each local exchange: generating, based on the respective first status signals received from destinations in the local exchange, a local multicast tree rooted at a destination in the local exchange which has received a particular block of information not received by every destination in the local exchange, and transmitting said particular block of information along said local multicast tree until said respective first status signals indicate said particular block has been received by every destination in the local exchange.