US6181697B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for a unicast endpoint client to access a multicast internet protocol (IP) session and to serve as a redistributor of such session
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP
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Filing: 1998-03-31
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Granted: 2001-01-30
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Expires: 2018-03-31
Abstract
Abstract A endpoint client ( 111 - 1 ) on an IP Unicast network ( 107 ) that is provided access to a Multicast session on an IP Multicast network ( 101 ) through a Multicast-Unicast gateway server (MUS) ( 120 ) is enabled to re-Multicast that session to other endpoint clients ( 111 - 2 ) on the network to which it is connected or to endpoint clients ( 134, 135 ) on any Multicast-capable sub-network ( 132 ) to which it is directly connected. To act as a re-Multicaster, the endpoint client receiving Unicast-addressed packets from the session from the MUS, re-translates these Unicast-addressed packets to Multicast-addressed packets by translating the Unicast address in the distribution field of each packet's header into a Multicast address and overwriting the Unicast address in each header with the Multicast address. When an endpoint client on the same or connected sub-network as the re-Multicaster desires to join a session that is being re-Multicast, it needs only connect to that Multicast address. A endpoint client on a Unicast network can elect to be a re-Multicaster of packets from a session as long as that same session is not being re-Multicast by another endpoint client on any sub-network on which the electing re-Multicaster is connected or a Multicast router is not forwarding packets from the session onto the sub-network.
Inventors
- 👤 Steven Howard Nurenberg
- 👤 David Hilton Shur
- 👤 Aleksandr Zelezniak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 06:36
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/02; H04L12/16; H04L12/18; H04L12/1836; H04L61/00; H04L61/09; H04L61/25; H04L61/2503; H04L67/00; H04L67/14; H04L67/50; H04L67/56; H04L69/00; H04L69/22; H04L12/1854; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of providing access to a Multicast session on a Multicast network to a requesting client connected to the same sub-network as a client on a Unicast network or to a Multicast-capable sub-network directly connected to the client on the Unicast network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at a gateway server packets from the Multicast session on a Multicast address; re-addressing at the gateway server the Multicast address of the packets from the session to a Unicast address of the client on the Unicast network; sending the re-addressed packets to the client on the Unicast network; re-re-addressing the packets received by the client on the Unicast network with a Multicast address; and re-Multicasting the re-re-addressed packets to the requesting client.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of providing access to a Multicast session on a Multicast network to a requesting client connected to the same sub-network as a client on a Unicast network or to a Multicast-capable sub-network directly connected to the client on the Unicast network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at a gateway server packets from the Multicast session on a Multicast address; re-addressing at the gateway server the Multicast address of the packets from the session to a Unicast address of the client on the Unicast network; sending the re-addressed packets to the client on the Unicast network; re-re-addressing the packets received by the client on the Unicast network with a Multicast address; and re-Multicasting the re-re-addressed packets to the requesting client.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the re-re-addressed packets are addressed with the same Multicast address on which they were received at the gateway server.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for a first client on a Unicast network, which is receiving Unicast-addressed packets from a Multicast session on a Multicast network from a gateway server, to provide the packets to another client on a same sub-network as the first client is connected on the Unicast network or to another client on a Multicast-capable sub-network directly connected to the first, the method comprising the steps of: re-addressing the received packets with a Multicast address; and re-Multicasting the re-addressed packets on the same sub-network and/or on the directly connected Multicast-capable sub-network.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for a first client on a Unicast network, which is receiving Unicast-addressed packets from a Multicast session on a Multicast network from a gateway server, to provide the packets to another client on a same sub-network as the first client is connected on the Unicast network or to another client on a Multicast-capable sub-network directly connected to the first, the method comprising the steps of: re-addressing the received packets with a Multicast address; and re-Multicasting the re-addressed packets on the same sub-network and/or on the directly connected Multicast-capable sub-network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the received packets are re-addressed with a Multicast address that is a Multicast address for the session on the Multicast network.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of: determining whether a second client connected on the same sub-network as the first client or on the directly Multicast-capable sub-network is re-Multicasting packets from the session; and if the second client is re-Multicasting packets from the session, determining whether the first or the second client is to re-Multicast the packets from the session.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of: if the step of determining whether the first or second client is to re-Multicast determines that the first client will re-Multicast, halting re-Multicasting of the packets by the second client.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of: if the step of determining whether the first or second client is to re-Multicast determines that the second client will re-Multicast, inhibiting the step by the first client of re-Multicasting the packets.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the step of determining whether the first or second client is to re-Multicast comprises the step of determining which client has a lower IP address.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of: determining whether a router is distributing packets from the session on the locally connected sub-network; and if it is determined that a router is distributing packets, inhibiting the first client from re-Multicasting packets from the session.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the step of determining whether a router is distributing packets comprises listening for packets on a Multicast address on which the session is Multicast.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the first client is inhibited from re-Multicasting packets only when the router is distributing packets from the session and the first client resumes re-Multicasting packets when it is determined that the router is not distributing packets from the session.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
66 words
A method for a first client on a Unicast network, which is receiving Unicast-addressed packets from a Multicast session on a Multicast network from a gateway server, the method comprising the step of: re-Multicasting the received packets to another client on a same sub-network on the Unicast network on which the first client is connected or on a Multicast-capable sub-network directly connect to the first client.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
66 words
A method for a first client on a Unicast network, which is receiving Unicast-addressed packets from a Multicast session on a Multicast network from a gateway server, the method comprising the step of: re-Multicasting the received packets to another client on a same sub-network on the Unicast network on which the first client is connected or on a Multicast-capable sub-network directly connect to the first client.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 12 wherein these step of re-Multicasting comprises the step of: re-addressing the received packets with a Multicast address.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the received packets are re-addressed with a Multicast address that is a Multicast address for the session on the Multicast network.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of: determining whether a second client connected on the same sub-network as the first client or on the directly Multicast-capable sub-network is re-Multicasting packets from the session; and if the second client is re-Multicasting packets from the session, determining whether the first or the second client is to re-Multicast the packets from the session.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of: if the step of determining whether the first or second client is to re-Multicast determines that the first client will re-Multicast, halting re-Multicasting of the packets by the second client.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of: if the step of determining whether the first or second client is to re-Multicast determines that the second client will re-Multicast, inhibiting the step by the first client of re-Multicasting the packets.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining whether the first or second client is to re-Multicast comprises the step of determining which client has a lower IP address.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of: determining whether a router is distributing packets from the session on the locally connected sub-network; and if it is determined that a router is distributing packets, inhibiting the first client from re-Multicasting packets from the session.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 19 wherein the step of determining whether a router is distributing packets comprises listening for packets on a Multicast address on which the session is Multicast.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 19 wherein the first client is inhibited from re-Multicasting packets only when the router is distributing packets from the session and the first client resumes re-Multicasting packets when it is determined that the router is not distributing packets from the session.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-01-30 | 2004-07-31 | 2005-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-01-30 | 2008-07-31 | 2009-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-07-31 | 2013-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |