Dynamic Multi-Destination Addressing

• US 20140334373A1
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Eastlake, Donald E. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,473,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06

Abstract

A network component that processes or sends multi-destination frame via a wireless radio link. In one example embodiment, the network component may receive the multi-destination frame that comprises a control block type, a receiver list, and one or more data packets in a wireless radio network. The network component may determine the control block type and the receiver list from the multi-destination frame. The receiver list may reference a plurality of receivers and the control block type may indicate a type of receiver list. The network component may receive one or more data frames. In another example embodiment, the network component may generate a multi-destination frame that comprises the control block type, a receiver list associated with the control block type, a header, and the one or more data frames and send the multi-destination frame to a plurality of receivers.

Claims

1. In a network component, a method for processing a multi-destination frame, the method comprising:

receiving the multi-destination frame that comprises a control block type, a receiver list, and one or more data packets in a wireless radio network;

obtaining the control block type and the receiver list from the multi-destination frame; and

processing the multi-destination frame using the control block type and the receiver list,

wherein the receiver list references a plurality of receivers, and

wherein the control block type indicates a type of receiver list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control block type is an include list and the receiver list references the network component, and wherein the method further comprises processing the multi-destination frame without discarding the multi-destination frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the control block type is an include list and the receiver list does not reference the network component, and wherein the method further comprises processing the multi-destination frame by discarding the multi-destination frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control block type is an exclude list and the receiver list references the network component, and wherein the method further comprises processing the multi-destination frame by discarding the multi-destination frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control block type is an exclude list and the receiver list does not reference the network component, and wherein the method further comprises processing the multi-destination frame without discarding the multi-destination frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-destination frame further comprises a header that indicates the multi-destination is an aggregate frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-destination frame further comprises a header that indicates the multi-destination frame is not an aggregate frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control block type is indicated by setting one or more flag bits in a control block header within the multi-destination frame.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-destination frame further comprises tagging information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the tagging information is a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier (VID).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a data packet comprising the tagging information, a destination address (DA), source address (SA) header, and one or more of the data frames.

12. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by a processor causes a network device to perform the following:

obtain a multi-destination frame that comprises a header, a control block, and a data payload using a wireless radio network connection;

determine a control block type and a receiver list from the multi-destination frame; and

process the multi-destination frame based on the control block type and the receiver list,

wherein the control block type indicates that the receiver list is an include list or an exclude list, and

wherein the receiver list references a plurality of receivers.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer executable instructions when executed by the processor cause the network device to:

process the data payload within the multi-destination frame in response to the control block type indicating the receiver list is an include list and the receiver list comprises the network device; and

drop the multi-destination frame in response to the control block type indicating the receiver list is an include list and the receiver list does not comprise the network device.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer executable instructions when executed by the processor cause the network device to:

drop the multi-destination frame in response to the control block type indicating the receiver list is an exclude list and the receiver list comprises the network device; and

process the data payload in response to the control block type indicating the receiver list is an exclude list and to the receiver list does not comprise the network device.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the header indicates the multi-destination frame is an aggregate frame that comprises one or more data packets for the receivers.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer executable instructions when executed by the processor cause the network device to process the control block to obtain tagging information.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the tagging information may be attached as a prefix to the one or more data frames.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein further configured to attach tagging information associated with one or more receivers to the multi-destination frame, and wherein the tagging information is a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier (VID).

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control block type is indicated by setting one or more flag bits in a control header within the multi-destination frame.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a data payload using a wireless radio link;

a processor coupled to a memory device and the receiver, wherein the memory comprises computer executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by the processor causes the processor to;

generate a multi-destination frame that comprises a control block type, a receiver list associated with the control block type, a header, and the data payload; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor, wherein the transmitter is configured to send the multi-destination frame,

wherein the control block type indicates that the receiver list is an include list or an exclude list, and

wherein the receiver list references a plurality of receivers.