Patent US6618761B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6618761B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Agile network protocol for secure communications with assured system availability
Assignee: Virnetx Inc
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Filing: 2002-02-26
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Granted: 2003-09-09
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Expires: 2022-02-26
Abstract
Abstract Methods and systems allowing a plurality of computer nodes to communicate using weighted transmission paths are provided. A load balancer distributes packets across weighted transmission paths according to transmission path quality, which is monitored and updated from time to time. As transmission quality on a specific transmission path decreases, the weight assigned to that transmission path is reduced. Similarly, weights may be increased if transmission quality improves. The weights assigned to various transmission paths may correspond to a relative number of packets to be transmitted on each respective transmission path. The transmission path for each packet can be selected based on the weights of the various transmission paths. Using weights based on transmission quality, transmission paths with higher transmission quality are used more often than transmission paths with lower transmission quality, resulting in more efficient communications.
Inventors
- 👤 Edmund Colby Munger
- 👤 Douglas Charles Schmidt
- 👤 Robert Dunham Short
- 👤 Victor Larson
- 👤 Michael Williamson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 17:16
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L45/00; H04L45/24; H04L45/243; H04L45/28; H04L61/00; H04L61/35; H04L61/45; H04L61/4505; H04L61/4511; H04L61/50; H04L61/5007; H04L61/5076; H04L61/5092; H04L63/00; H04L63/02; H04L63/0272; H04L63/04; H04L63/0407; H04L63/0414; H04L63/0428; H04L63/08; H04L63/14; H04L63/1441; H04L63/1458; H04L63/1466; H04L63/1491; H04L65/00; H04L65/40; H04L65/403; H04L2101/00; H04L2101/60; H04L2101/604; H04L63/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of transmitting data packets, the method comprising the steps of: (1) assigning a weight value to each of a plurality of transmission paths, wherein each respective weight value represents the relative number of packets that a respective transmission path will transmit; (2) for each data packet that is to be transmitted from a first computer to a second computer, selecting one of the plurality of transmission paths on the basis of each respective transmission path's assigned weight value; (3) measuring a transmission quality for each of the plurality of transmission paths; and (4) adjusting downwardly to a non-zero value the assigned weight value for a transmission path for which the transmission quality has declined.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of transmitting data packets, the method comprising the steps of: (1) assigning a weight value to each of a plurality of transmission paths, wherein each respective weight value represents the relative number of packets that a respective transmission path will transmit; (2) for each data packet that is to be transmitted from a first computer to a second computer, selecting one of the plurality of transmission paths on the basis of each respective transmission path's assigned weight value; (3) measuring a transmission quality for each of the plurality of transmission paths; and (4) adjusting downwardly to a non-zero value the assigned weight value for a transmission path for which the transmission quality has declined.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (4) comprises the step of gradually decreasing over time the assigned weight value in relation to weight values assigned to the remaining transmission paths.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein step (4) comprises the step of gradually decreasing the assigned weight value according to an incrementally decreasing function.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein step (4) comprises the step of gradually decreasing the assigned weight value according to an exponentially decaying function.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (3) comprises the step of determining that one or more packets transmitted to the second computer was not acknowledged by the second computer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (3) comprises the step of evaluating the contents of a synchronization packet that maintains synchronization with a moving window of valid values.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of inserting into each data packet a source and destination IP address pair that is selected according to a pseudo-random sequence.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (4) comprises the step of adjusting downwardly the assigned weight value for a transmission path only if the transmission quality has declined below a predetermined threshold.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting upwardly the assigned weight value that was adjusted in step (4) if it is later determined that the transmission quality has improved.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting upwardly the weight values of the remaining transmission links in an amount that compensates for the downwardly adjusted weight value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of adjusting upwardly comprises the step of equally distributing the amount that was downwardly adjusted across the remaining transmission links.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting downwardly to zero the assigned weight value for any transmission link whose quality has degraded below a preset threshold.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (2) through (4) are repeated periodically.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
126 words
A first computer that transmits data packets to a second computer over a plurality of separate transmission paths, wherein the first computer performs the steps of: (1) assigning a weight value to each of the plurality of transmission paths, wherein each respective weight value represents the relative number of packets that a respective transmission path will transmit; (2) for each data packet that is to be transmitted to the second computer, selecting one of the plurality of transmission paths on the basis of each respective transmission path's assigned weight value; (3) measuring the transmission quality for each of the plurality of transmission paths; and (4) adjusting downwardly to a non-zero value the assigned weight value for a transmission path for which the transmission quality has declined.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
126 words
A first computer that transmits data packets to a second computer over a plurality of separate transmission paths, wherein the first computer performs the steps of: (1) assigning a weight value to each of the plurality of transmission paths, wherein each respective weight value represents the relative number of packets that a respective transmission path will transmit; (2) for each data packet that is to be transmitted to the second computer, selecting one of the plurality of transmission paths on the basis of each respective transmission path's assigned weight value; (3) measuring the transmission quality for each of the plurality of transmission paths; and (4) adjusting downwardly to a non-zero value the assigned weight value for a transmission path for which the transmission quality has declined.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer gradually decreases over time the assigned weight value in relation to weight values assigned to the remaining transmission paths.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The first computer of claim 15 , wherein the first computer gradually decreases the assigned weight value according to an incrementally decreasing function.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The first computer of claim 15 , wherein the first computer gradually decreases the assigned weight value according to an exponentially decaying function.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer measures the transmission quality by determining that one or more packets transmitted to the second computer was not acknowledged by the second computer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer measures the transmission quality by evaluating the contents of a synchronization packet that maintains synchronization with a moving window of valid values.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer inserts into each data packet a source and destination IP address pair that is selected according to a pseudo-random sequence.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer adjusts downwardly the assigned weight value for any transmission path only if the transmission quality has declined below a predetermined threshold.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer adjusts upwardly the assigned weight value that was adjusted in step (4) if it is later determined that the transmission quality has improved.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer adjusts upwardly the weight values of the remaining transmission links in an amount that compensates for the downwardly adjusted weight value.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
The first computer of claim 23 , wherein the first computer upwardly adjusts probabilities across the remaining transmission links in an amount equal to the downwardly adjusted weight value.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer adjusts downwardly to zero the assigned weight value for any transmission link whose quality has degraded below a preset threshold.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
The first computer of claim 14 , wherein the first computer repeats steps (2) through (4) periodically.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system comprising the first computer of claim 14 and a second computer constructed in accordance with the first computer of claim 14 .
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-09-08 | 2007-03-10 | 2007-09-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-09-08 | 2011-03-10 | 2011-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-09-08 | 2015-03-10 | 2015-09-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |