Multicast architecture for wireless mesh networks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for supporting multicast communication in a communication network, the method comprising:
- forming a multicast group comprising a plurality of client devices, wherein the client devices comprise one or more mesh network devices operating in a wireless mesh network domain and one or more non-routable devices proxied by at least one mesh network device, arranged in a multi-hop multicast tree, and communicating using a wireless multicast routing protocol, wherein the wireless multicast group includes an internet access point (IAP);
communicating with the internet access point by at least one remotely located client device via one or more mesh network devices along the multi-hop multicast tree within the multicast group;
operating the internet access point as a multicast group forwarding node for the plurality of client devices of the multicast group;
running a group management protocol between the internet access point and an internet edge router to register the plurality of client devices of the multicast group with the internet edge router; and
running a wired multicast routing protocol to join the internet edge router to a global internet multicast group, thereby providing access to the global internet multicast group to the plurality of client devices of the multicast group.
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Abstract
A multicast architecture and method of operation for multi-hop wireless mesh networks is provided. The multicast architecture is above the network infrastructure to identify a group of clients. These clients share the same application and communicate to each other by using a common multicast address.
21 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for supporting multicast communication in a communication network, the method comprising:
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forming a multicast group comprising a plurality of client devices, wherein the client devices comprise one or more mesh network devices operating in a wireless mesh network domain and one or more non-routable devices proxied by at least one mesh network device, arranged in a multi-hop multicast tree, and communicating using a wireless multicast routing protocol, wherein the wireless multicast group includes an internet access point (IAP); communicating with the internet access point by at least one remotely located client device via one or more mesh network devices along the multi-hop multicast tree within the multicast group; operating the internet access point as a multicast group forwarding node for the plurality of client devices of the multicast group; running a group management protocol between the internet access point and an internet edge router to register the plurality of client devices of the multicast group with the internet edge router; and running a wired multicast routing protocol to join the internet edge router to a global internet multicast group, thereby providing access to the global internet multicast group to the plurality of client devices of the multicast group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A communications network, comprising:
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a plurality of client devices forming a multicast group, wherein the client devices comprise one or more mesh network devices operating in a wireless mesh network domain and one or more non-routable devices proxied by at least one mesh network device, wherein the client devices are arranged in a multi-hop multicast tree and communicate using a wireless multicast routing protocol, wherein the plurality of client devices includes; at least one remotely located client device; at least one internet access point, operating within the multicast group as a multicast group forwarding node for the plurality of client devices of the multicast group, wherein the at least one remotely located client device communicates with the internet access point via one or more mesh network devices along the multi-hop multicast tree within the multicast group; and at least one internet edge router, wherein the internet access point runs a group management protocol with the internet edge router to register the plurality of client devices of the multicast group with the internet edge router, and wherein the internet edge router runs a wired multicast routing protocol to join the internet edge router to a global internet multicast group, thereby providing access to the global internet multicast group to the plurality of client devices of the multicast group. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification