Communication method and apparatus using multicast address

• US 20050135364A1
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Byoung-yue
• Application Number:
  US10/937,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135364A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for one-to-one communication between network devices using a multicast address generated from a media access control address by the network devices. The communication method uses a first multicast address and a second multicast address by generating the first multicast address using a first media access control address unique to a first network device connected to a network and the second multicast address using a second media access control address unique to a second network device connected to the network. The method includes generating the first multicast address from the first media access control address unique to the first network device, generating the second multicast address from the second media access control address unique to the second network device, generating a packet by the first network device and transmitting the packet to the second network device with the second multicast address, and generating a response packet by the second network device that receives the packet and transmitting the response packet to the first network device with the first multicast address.

Claims

1. A communication method using a first multicast address and a second multicast address by generating the first multicast address using a first media access control address unique to a first network device connected to a network and the second multicast address using a second media access control address unique to a second network device connected to the network, the method comprising:

generating the first multicast address from the first media access control address unique to the first network device;

generating the second multicast address from the second media access control address unique to the second network device;

generating a packet by the first network device and transmitting the packet to the second network device with the second multicast address; and

generating a response packet by the second network device that receives the packet and transmitting the response packet to the first network device with the first multicast address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet comprises at least the first media access control address, the second media access control address, and the second multicast address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the response packet comprises at least the first media access control address, the second media access control address, and the first multicast address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generation of a response packet by the second network device that receives the packet and the transmission of the response packet by the second network device to the first network device with the first multicast address comprises:

determining whether the second media access control address included in the received packet matches the second media access control address unique to the second network device;

processing the received packet when the second media access control address included in the received packet matches the second media access control address unique to the second network device; and

generating the response packet and transmitting the response packet to the first network device with the first multicast address.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determination of whether the second media access control address included in the received packet matches the second media access control address unique to the second network device comprises:

extracting the second media access control address from the received packet; and

determining whether the extracted second media access control address matches the second media access control address unique to the second network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generation of a packet by the first network device and transmission of the packet to the second network device with the second multicast address comprises:

generating the packet by the first network device and transmitting the packet to the second network device with the second multicast address;

determining whether the first media access control address included in the response packet received from the second network device matches the first media access control address unique to the first network device; and

processing the response packet when the first media access control address included in the received response packet matches the first media access control address unique to the first network device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determination of whether the first media access control address included in the response packet received from the second network device matches the first media access control address unique to the first network device comprises:

extracting the first media access control address from the received response packet; and

determining whether the extracted first media access control address matches the first media access control address unique to the first network device.

8. A communication apparatus using a first multicast address and a second multicast address by generating the first multicast address using a first media access control address unique to a first network device connected to a network and the second multicast address using a second media access control address unique to a second network device connected to the network, the method comprising:

the first network device generating a packet and transmitting the packet to the second network device with the second multicast address; and

the second network device receiving the packet and transmitting the response packet to the first network device with the first multicast address.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first network device comprises:

a media access control address designator designating the second media access control address unique to the second network device;

a multicast address generator generating the second multicast address of the second network device that receives the packet;

a packet generator comprising at least the first media access control address, the second media access control address, and the second multicast address;

a packet transceiver transmitting the packet generated by the packet generator to the second network device with the second multicast address and receiving the response packet transmitted from the second network device; and

a media access control comparator extracting the first media access control address from the received response packet and comparing the extracted first media access control address with the first media access control address unique to the first network device to determine whether they match.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the multicast address generator generates the second multicast address from the second media access control address.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second network device comprises:

a media access control address designator designating a first media access address unique to the first network device;

a multicast address generator generating the first multicast address of the first network device receiving the response packet;

a packet generator comprising at least the first media access control address, the second media access control address, and the first multicast address;

a packet transceiver transmitting the packet generated by the packet generator to the second network device with the second multicast address and receiving the response packet transmitted from the second network device; and

a media access control comparator extracting the second media access control address from the received packet and comparing the extracted second media access control address with the second media access control address unique to the second network device to determine whether they match.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the multicast address generator generates the second multicast address from the second media access control address.