Method for managing multicast addresses for transmitting and receiving multimedia conferencing information on an internet protocol (IP) network
First Claim
1. In a multicast capable Internet Protocol network in which during a conference at least one of a plurality of clients transmits packets on a socket "of a plurality of sockets" for multicast transmission of those packets to at least some of the plurality of clients in the conference, each "of the sockets" comprising a multicast Internet Protocol address, a method comprising:
- assigning to each client in the conference a socket having a different unique multicast Internet Protocol address on which to transmit packets.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a multicast capable IP network, each client terminal on a multimedia conference, for each media type it transmits, is assigned a multicast IP address and a port number (together known as a socket) on which to transmit packets, wherein each assigned multicast IP address is unique and different than the multicast IP address assigned to any other client for any media type. Each client terminal then selects, for each media type, which clients on the conference it wants to receive packets from. Only packets that are in fact requested by a client are routed over the multicast IP network to the requesting client. When a conference originator establishes the conference, a number of multicast IP addresses are allocated for later assignment to the clients during the conference. As each client joins the conference, it is assigned a multicast IP address from the allocated group for each media type it will transmit. Those assigned addresses are then marked as unavailable for assignment to any other client that subsequently joins the conference. When the original client later exits the conference, its assigned multicast IP address(es) is (are) marked as available for assignment to a later joining client. At the conclusion of the conference, all multicast IP addresses allocated to the conference are marked as available for use in another conference.
208 Citations
26 Claims
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1. In a multicast capable Internet Protocol network in which during a conference at least one of a plurality of clients transmits packets on a socket "of a plurality of sockets" for multicast transmission of those packets to at least some of the plurality of clients in the conference, each "of the sockets" comprising a multicast Internet Protocol address, a method comprising:
assigning to each client in the conference a socket having a different unique multicast Internet Protocol address on which to transmit packets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method on a multicast capable Internet Protocol network for a client to join a conference with at least one other client comprising the steps of:
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assigning to the client as it joins the conference a socket on which to transmit packets, the socket comprising a multicast Internet Protocol address, the multicast Internet Protocol address of the assigned socket being different than the multicast Internet Protocol address of a socket assigned to any other client on the conference, the multicast Internet Protocol address of the socket assigned to each one of the any other clients on the conference being different than the multicast Internet Protocol address of any other assigned socket; receiving from the joining client an indication of which clients on the conference it selects to receive transmitted packets from; and routing to the joining client packets transmitted on those sockets associated with the selected clients. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of establishing a conference on a multicast capable IP network comprising the steps of:
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receiving from an originating client a request to establish the conference; allocating a plurality of separate and unique multicast Internet Protocol addresses for each of a plurality of clients for a maximum number of clients that will be participants in the conference, the maximum number of clients being provided by the originating client. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. Apparatus associated with a multicast capable Internet Protocol network for establishing and running a conference on which at least one of a plurality of clients connected to the network transmits packets for multicast transmission to at least some of the plurality of clients on the conference on a socket that comprises a multicast Internet Protocol address, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving a request to join the conference from one of the clients; and means for assigning to the one of the clients a socket with a unique multicast Internet Protocol address on which to transmit packets which is different than a multicast Internet Protocol address of a socket assigned to any other client on the conference, the multicast Internet Protocol address of the socket assigned to each one of the any other clients on the confrence being different than the multicast Internet Protocol address of any other assigned socket. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification