System, device, and method for receiver access control in a multicast communication network
First Claim
1. A multicast communication system comprising a plurality of subscriber locations, each subscriber location having an access device through which a plurality of subscriber devices access multicast information sent by a multicast distribution device, wherein each access device acts as a sole multicast receiver for its respective subscriber location and distributes multicast information received from the multicast distribution device to the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, wherein each said access device operates by joining and leaving at least one multicast group as a substitute for the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, and wherein each said access device processes a first join request received from one of said subscriber devices by determining whether said access device is already joined to a multicast group indicated by said first join request, and, in the event that said access device is not already joined to said multicast group indicated by said first join request, sending a second join request to said multicast distribution device, wherein said second join request is a request for said access device to join said multicast group, wherein said access device does not forward said first join request to said multicast distribution service, wherein said joining said multicast group by said access device on behalf of said first subscriber device includes authenticating, in response to said second join request, said access device by said multicast distribution device, and wherein said multicast distribution device does not authenticate said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device prior to said access device distributing to each of said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device multicast information sent to said access device by said multicast distribution device over multicast routes established to said access device from said multicast distribution device in response to said multicast distribution device successfully authenticating said access device and said access device having joined said multicast group as a result of said successful authentication.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, device, and method for receiver access control in a multicast communication network treats each subscriber location as a separate subnetwork having one and only one multicast receiver. An access device is situated at each subscriber location. Each access device connects to a separate port of a multicast distribution device. Each subscriber device accesses the multicast network through the access device that is situated at its subscriber location. Each access device acts as a proxy for its respective subscriber devices by joining and leaving multicast groups on behalf of the subscriber devices and acting as the sole multicast receiver for the subscriber location. The access devices run a multicast group management protocol for joining and leaving various multicast groups, and therefore the access devices appear to the multicast distribution device as the ultimate multicast receivers for multicast information. The access devices maintain group membership information their respective subscriber devices and distribute multicast information to their respective subscriber devices accordingly.
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Citations
53 Claims
- 1. A multicast communication system comprising a plurality of subscriber locations, each subscriber location having an access device through which a plurality of subscriber devices access multicast information sent by a multicast distribution device, wherein each access device acts as a sole multicast receiver for its respective subscriber location and distributes multicast information received from the multicast distribution device to the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, wherein each said access device operates by joining and leaving at least one multicast group as a substitute for the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, and wherein each said access device processes a first join request received from one of said subscriber devices by determining whether said access device is already joined to a multicast group indicated by said first join request, and, in the event that said access device is not already joined to said multicast group indicated by said first join request, sending a second join request to said multicast distribution device, wherein said second join request is a request for said access device to join said multicast group, wherein said access device does not forward said first join request to said multicast distribution service, wherein said joining said multicast group by said access device on behalf of said first subscriber device includes authenticating, in response to said second join request, said access device by said multicast distribution device, and wherein said multicast distribution device does not authenticate said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device prior to said access device distributing to each of said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device multicast information sent to said access device by said multicast distribution device over multicast routes established to said access device from said multicast distribution device in response to said multicast distribution device successfully authenticating said access device and said access device having joined said multicast group as a result of said successful authentication.
- 4. A multicast communication system comprising a multicast distribution device coupled to a plurality of subscriber locations, wherein each subscriber location is a separate subnetwork of the multicast distribution device, wherein each subscriber location comprises one and only one access device through which a plurality of subscriber devices at the subscriber location access multicast information distributed by the multicast distribution device, wherein each access device acts as a sole multicast receiver for its respective subscriber location and distributes multicast information received from the multicast distribution device to the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, and wherein each said access device operates by joining and leaving at least one multicast group as a substitute for the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, and wherein said access device processes a first join request received from one of said subscriber devices by determining whether said access device is already joined to a multicast group indicated by said join request, and, in the event that said access device is not already joined to said multicast group indicated by said join request, sending a second join request to said multicast distribution device, wherein said second join request is a request for said access device to join said multicast group, wherein said access device does not forward said first join request to said multicast distribution service, wherein said joining said multicast group by said access device as a substitute for the subscriber devices includes authenticating, in response to said second join request, said access device by said multicast distribution device, and wherein said multicast distribution device does not authenticate said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device prior to said access device distributing to each of said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device multicast information sent to said access device by said multicast distribution device over multicast routes established to said access device from said multicast distribution device in response to said multicast distribution device successfully authenticating said access device and said access device having joined said multicast group as a result of said successful authentication.
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14. In a communication system having a multicast distribution device coupled to a plurality of subscriber locations, each subscriber location having an access device and a plurality of subscriber devices, wherein each access device acts as a sole multicast receiver for its respective subscriber location and distributes multicast information received from the multicast distribution device to the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, and wherein each said access device acts to join and leave at least one multicast group on behalf of the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, an access control method comprising:
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maintaining a number of multicast groups by the multicast distribution device; and joining one of said number of multicast groups by a first subscriber device, wherein joining one of said number of multicast groups by the first subscriber device comprises; sending a first join request by the first subscriber device to an access device using a first multicast group management protocol; determining, by said access device, whether said access device is already joined to a multicast group indicated by said join request;
in the event that said access device is not already joined to said multicast group indicated by said join request, joining the multicast group by the access device as a substitute for the first subscriber device by sending a second join request to said multicast distribution device, wherein said second join request is a request for said access device to join said multicast group, wherein said access device does not forward said first join request to said multicast distribution service, and authenticating, in response to said second join request, said access device by said multicast distribution device, and wherein said multicast distribution device does not authenticate said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device prior to said access device distributing to each of said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device multicast information sent to said access device by said multicast distribution device over multicast routes established to said access device from said multicast distribution device in response to said multicast distribution device successfully authenticating said access device and said access device having joined said multicast group as a result of said successful authentication; andassociating, in response to said first join request, the first subscriber device with the multicast group by the access device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for operating as a sole multicast receiver on behalf of a plurality of subscriber devices at a subscriber location in a multicast communication network, the apparatus comprising:
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a network interface couplable to a multicast distribution device; a subscriber interface couplable to the number of subscriber devices at the subscriber location; and switching logic interposed between the network interface and the subscriber interface, wherein the switching logic is operably coupled to join and leave multicast groups maintained by the multicast distribution device as a substitute for the plurality of subscriber devices at the subscriber location and forward multicast information to the subscriber devices at the subscriber location, and wherein said switching logic processes a first join request received from a first one of said subscriber devices by determining whether said apparatus is already joined to a multicast group indicated by said join request, and, in the event that said apparatus is not already joined to said multicast group indicated by said join request, sending a second join request to said multicast distribution device, wherein said second join request is a request for said apparatus to join said multicast group, wherein said switching logic does not forward said first join request to said multicast distribution device, and wherein said joining said multicast group by said access device as a substitute for the subscriber devices includes authenticating, in response to said second join request, said access device by said multicast distribution device, and wherein said multicast distribution device does not authenticate said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device prior to said access device distributing to each of said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device multicast information sent to said access device by said multicast distribution device over multicast routes established to said access device from said multicast distribution device in response to said multicast distribution device successfully authenticating said access device and said access device having joined said multicast group as a result of said successful authentication. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for, when executed on a microprocessor, controlling a computer system, the computer program comprising:
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network interface logic for communicating with a multicast distribution device; subscriber interface logic for communicating with a plurality of subscriber devices at a subscriber location; and switching logic logically interposed between the network interface logic and the subscriber interface logic, wherein the switching logic is programmed to join and leave multicast groups maintained by the multicast distribution device as a substitute for the plurality of subscriber devices and forward multicast information to the plurality of subscriber devices, and wherein said switching logic processes a first join request received from one of said subscriber devices by determining whether said switching logic is already joined to a multicast group indicated by said first join request, and, in the event that said switching logic is not already joined to said multicast group indicated by said first join request, sending a second join request to said multicast distribution device, wherein said second join request is a request for an access device including said switching logic to join said multicast group, wherein said switching logic does not forward said first join request to said multicast distribution device, and wherein said joining said multicast group as a substitute for the subscriber devices includes authenticating, in response to said second join request, an access device including said switching logic, said network interface logic, and said subscriber interface logic, by said multicast distribution device, and wherein said multicast distribution device does not authenticate said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device prior to said access device distributing to each of said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device multicast information sent to said access device by said multicast distribution device over multicast routes established to said access device from said multicast distribution device in response to said multicast distribution device successfully authenticating said access device and said access device having joined said multicast group as a result of said successful authentication. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification