METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING A MULTICAST SESSION TO A UNICAST SESSION

• US 20130128889A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Mathur, Saurabh, Mandrekar, Ishan Uday, Li, Dekai
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1877 Measures taken prior to transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described including receiving a data Packet having a data packet header, storing the received data packet as shared payload, determining if the received data packet is a first data packet, initializing a sequence starting number responsive to the determination, generating a new data packet header, calculating a sequence number for the received data packet using the sequence starting number, inserting the new sequence number into the new data packet header, unicasting the new data packet header and the shared payload to a plurality of client devices.

Claims

1. A method for multicast to unicast conversion at a home gateway, said method comprising:

receiving a data packet having a first data packet header at a proxy on said home gateway;

intercepting, by said proxy, said data packet;

storing, by said proxy, said received data packet as shared payload in kernel space;

determining, by said proxy, if said received data packet is a first data packet;

initializing, by said proxy, a sequence starting number if said received data packet is said first data packet;

generating, by said proxy, a second data packet header;

calculating, by said proxy, a sequence number for said received data packet using said sequence starting number;

inserting, by said proxy, said sequence number into said second data packet header; and

unicasting, by said proxy, said second data packet header and said shared payload excluding said first data packet header to a plurality of client devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising releasing, by said proxy, said kernel space allocated to said second data packet header.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, by said proxy, if forwarding of data packets has ended.

4. An apparatus for multicast to unicast conversion, comprising:

means for receiving a data packet having a first data packet header;

means for intercepting, by said proxy, said data packet;

means for storing said received data packet as shared payload in kernel space;

means for determining if said received data packet is a first data packet;

means for initializing a sequence starting number if said received data packet is said first data packet;

means for generating a new second data packet header;

means for calculating a sequence number for said received data packet using said sequence starting number;

means for inserting said sequence number into said second data packet header; and

means for unicasting said second data packet header and said shared payload excluding said first data packet header to a plurality of client devices, wherein said apparatus is a home gateway having a proxy executed thereon.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for releasing said kernel space allocated to said second data packet header.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for determining if forwarding of data packets has ended.