Method for multicast delivery with designated acknowledgment

• US 7,013,157 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Douglas, Norman, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/161,334
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 455/503, 455/90.2, 455/575.1, 455/550, 455/556, 455/502, 455/18, 455/7, 455/518, 455/517, 455/519, 455/500, 713/178, 370/350, 370/503, 370/465, 709/231, 709/230
• US Class Current: 455/503
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1896 ARQ related signaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays

Abstract

A packet format for multicast messages which designates a single receiver to send an acknowledgment to the multicast message. The designated receiver responds to the multicast message with an acknowledgment. If the designated receiver does not respond to the multicast message, the message is resent. The resent message may designate a different receiver for acknowledging the message.

Claims

1. A method for sending a group message, comprising:

sending a packet, the packet having a multidestination address associated with a plurality of stations on a network, and a single destination address associated with a single station of the plurality of stations and designating the single station as a designated acknowledger;

waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger;

receiving an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger;

creating a second version of the group packet, the second version of the group packet formatted in a legacy format that does not contain the single station address to designate a station to respond; and

sending the second version of the group packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the waiting step waits for a preset time, and upon expiration of the preset time, the method further comprising:

re-sending the packet; and

waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the re-sending step further comprises, changing the designated acknowledger to another one of the plurality of stations on the network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet is a multicast packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet is a broadcast packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the single station address is appended to the packet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet comprises a header section and the single station address is appended to the header section of the packet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet comprises a header section and the single station address is inserted into an unused portion of the header section.

9. The method of claim 1, the sending step further comprising reserving the channel prior to sending the packet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the multidestination address is one of the group consisting of a broadcast address and a multicast address and the single destination address is an unicast address.

11. A method for sending a group message, comprising:

creating a packet, the packet having a multidestination address associated a plurality of stations on a network and a single station address associated with a single station of the plurality of stations, the multidestination address selected from the group consisting of a multicast address and a broadcast address, and the single station address designating the single station as a designated acknowledger station to send an acknowledgment upon the designated acknowledger'"'"'s receipt of the packet;

sending the packet;

waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger; and

re-sending the packet when an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger is not received after waiting a predetermined time interval.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the single station address is appended to the packet.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the packet comprises a header section and the single station address is inserted into an unused portion of the header section.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the re-sending step further comprises, changing the single station address of the designated acknowledger to another one of the plurality of stations on the network.

15. A method of claim 11, further comprising,

creating a second version of the group packet, the second version of the group packet formatted in a legacy format and that does not designate a station to respond;

and

sending the second version of the group packet.

16. The method of claim 11 the sending step further comprising reserving the channel prior to sending the packet.

17. A computer readable medium of instructions, comprising

means for creating a packet, the packet having a multidestination address associated with a plurality of stations on a network, and a single station address designating a one of the plurality of stations as a designated acknowledger station responsive to send an acknowledgment upon receipt of the packet;

means for sending the packet;

means for waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger; and

means for receiving an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger;

wherein the multidestination address is one of the group consisting of a broadcast address and a multicast address and the since destination address is an unicast address.

18. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 17, wherein the waiting step waits for a preset time, and upon expiration of the preset time, the method further comprising:

means for re-sending the packet; and

means for waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger.

19. A computer system comprising:

A computer software product that includes a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon;

a first sequence of instructions which, when executed by said processor causes said processor to create a packet, the packet having a multidestination address associated with at a plurality of stations and a single station address designating a one of the plurality of stations as a designated acknowledger for the packet, the designated acknowledger responsive to send an acknowledgment upon the designated acknowledger'"'"'s receipt of the packet;

a second sequence of instructions which, when executed by said processor causes said processor to send the packet;

a third sequence of instructions which, when executed by said processor causes said processor to wait for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger; and

a fourth sequence of instructions which, when executed by said processor causes said processor to receive an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the third sequence of instructions waits for a preset time, and upon expiration of the preset time, the third sequence of instructions comprising:

instructions which, when executed by said processor causes said processor to re-send the packet; and

instructions which, when executed by said processor causes said processor to wait for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger.

21. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for sending a group packet comprising:

means for creating a packet, the packet having a multidestination address associated with a plurality of stations on a network and a single station address associated with a selected one of the plurality of stations, designating the selected one of the plurality of stations as a designated acknowledger, responsive to send an acknowledgment upon the designated station'"'"'s receipt of the packet;

means for sending the packet;

means for waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger; and

means for receiving an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger;

wherein the multidestination address is one of the group consisting of a broadcast address and a multicast address and the single destination address is an unicast address.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the means for waiting for an acknowledgment waits for a preset time, and upon expiration of the preset time, the means further comprising:

means for re-sending the packet; and

means for waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger.

23. A method for sending a group message, comprising:

creating a frame, the frame having a multidestination address associated with a plurality of stations on a network and a single station address associated with a one of the plurality of stations, the single station address designating the one of the plurality of stations a designated acknowledger station, the designated acknowledger station responsive to send an acknowledgment upon the designated acknowledger'"'"'s receipt of the frame;

sending the frame;

waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger; and

receiving an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger;

re-sending the frame; and

waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger;

wherein the re-sending step four comprises, changing the single station address of the designated acknowledger to another of the plurality of stations on the network; and

wherein the frame has four address fields and the address of the designated acknowledger station isolated in the fourth address field.

24. A method for sending a group message, comprising:

sending a packet, the packet having a multidestination address associated with a plurality of stations on a network, and a single destination address associated with a single station of the plurality of stations and designating the single station as a designated acknowledger;

waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger; and

receiving an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledger;

wherein the multidestination address is one of the group consisting of a broadcast address and a multicast address and the single destination address is an unicast address.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the waiting step waits for a preset time, and upon expiration of the preset time, the method further comprising:

re-sending the packet; and

waiting for an acknowledgment from the designated acknowledge.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the re-sending step further comprises, changing the designated acknowledger to another one of the plurality of stations on the network.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the single station address is appended to the packet.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the packet comprises a header section and the single station address is appended to the header section of the packet.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the packet comprises a header section and the single station address is inserted into an unused portion of the header section.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising,

creating a second version of the group packet, the second version of the group packet formatted in a legacy format that does not contain the single station address to designate a station to respond;

and

sending the second version of the group packet.

31. The method of claim 24, the sending step further comprising reserving the channel prior to sending the packet.