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US6314093B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Traffic route finder in communications network

Assignee: Apple Inc
•
Filing: 1998-06-02
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Granted: 2001-11-06
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Expires: 2018-06-02
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Abstract

Abstract A route finder means and method for finding routes to satisfy a plurality of connection requests in a communications network comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of links. A cost is assigned to each network link. Arrays of eight shortest paths of links between each pair of nodes in the network are created. Bit strings comprising for example a 3 bit binary number for each point-to-point connection request are generated. Each 3 bit number is an index to one element of the shortest path array for each connection request's source and destination nodes. The bit strings are assembled into population members which are manipulated by genetic algorithms. The fitness of the population members is evaluated by calculating the cost of traversing the routes represented by the bit strings. The route finder means and method has an ability to split traffic over multiple routes, and to handle different traffic types, eg different bit rate traffic types. The route finder means and method is generic to a plurality of different communications network types.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jason Warren Mann
  • 👤 John Ian Turner
  • 👤 Anthony Richard Phillip White

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 02:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04Q11/0478; H04L; H04L45/00; H04L45/12; H04L45/24; H04J; H04J2203/00; H04J2203/0001; H04J2203/0051; H04J2203/0053; H04J2203/0064; H04J2203/0067; H04J2203/0069; H04L12/00; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5601; H04L2012/5619; H04L2012/562; H04L2012/5638; H04L2012/564; H04L2012/5642; H04L2012/5646; H04L2012/5651

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 152 words
In a network comprising a plurality of nodes and links, a method of simultaneously assigning a plurality of routes to a plurality of connections so as to optimize the links for said plurality of connections comprising the steps: for each connection, generating data describing a plurality of routes for said connections, each said route represented as a bit representation; assembling a plurality of said bit representations into a bit string representing a respective route for each of said plurality of connections; creating a population comprising a plurality of said bit strings; modifying said population of bit strings to rearrange order of bits within individual bit strings of said population; for each bit string of said population, determining a utilization of each link in said network; and selecting said bit string having a relatively more even distribution of utilization across all said links so as to optimize the links for all said connections.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 152 words
In a network comprising a plurality of nodes and links, a method of simultaneously assigning a plurality of routes to a plurality of connections so as to optimize the links for said plurality of connections comprising the steps: for each connection, generating data describing a plurality of routes for said connections, each said route represented as a bit representation; assembling a plurality of said bit representations into a bit string representing a respective route for each of said plurality of connections; creating a population comprising a plurality of said bit strings; modifying said population of bit strings to rearrange order of bits within individual bit strings of said population; for each bit string of said population, determining a utilization of each link in said network; and selecting said bit string having a relatively more even distribution of utilization across all said links so as to optimize the links for all said connections.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 48 words
The method according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of: for each connection to be routed, generating a binary number representing an index to a list of routes between the source node and destination node of each connection; and forming a bit string from said binary numbers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein said bit strings are manipulated using genetic algorithm operations, including the process of reproduction, mutation, crossover and merging.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of evaluating a total cost comprises the step of: adding costs of traversing each link in a selected routes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method according to claim 4 , comprising the step of: outputting said routes with minimum said total cost.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of routes are found for each said connection to be routed, a route cost of each of said plurality of routes not exceeding a connection cost of said connection to be routed.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

WO1987003763A1 Cited
JPH07245626A Cited
US5754543A Cited
US5881243A Cited
US6151304A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2004-11-05 2005-05-07 2005-11-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2008-11-05 2009-05-07 2009-11-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2012-11-05 2013-05-07 2013-11-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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