Method and apparatus for selecting a responder to enable reliable multicast
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of selecting a proxy station to respond to a multicast message sent from a first station in a shared medium network, the method comprising:
- maintaining, by the first station, availability information about other stations that are identified to the first station in transmissions over the shared medium;
selecting, by the first station, one of the other stations to serve as a multicast proxy to respond to the multicast message sent from the first station using the availability information and predetermined selection criteria; and
updating, by the first station, the availability information associated with the selected station if the selected station fails to respond to the multicast message within a predefined time limit, where the updating comprises updating the availability information associated with the selected station to indicate that the selected station should not be used as a multicast proxy until a subsequent transmission over the shared medium provides physical layer feedback which indicates that the selected station can be used as a multicast proxy;
wherein updating the availability information if the selected station fails to respond to the multicast message reduces a probability that the selected station that failed to respond to the multicast message will be selected to serve as the multicast proxy in a subsequent proxy selection procedure.
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Abstract
A station to serve as a proxy for responding to a multicast message is selected using dynamically maintained information about other stations communicatively coupled to a shared communications network. The dynamically maintained information is used to select a station having a high probability of replying to the multicast message. Network performance may be further improved by re-selecting proxies when a multicast frame fails to acknowledged.
30 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of selecting a proxy station to respond to a multicast message sent from a first station in a shared medium network, the method comprising:
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maintaining, by the first station, availability information about other stations that are identified to the first station in transmissions over the shared medium; selecting, by the first station, one of the other stations to serve as a multicast proxy to respond to the multicast message sent from the first station using the availability information and predetermined selection criteria; and updating, by the first station, the availability information associated with the selected station if the selected station fails to respond to the multicast message within a predefined time limit, where the updating comprises updating the availability information associated with the selected station to indicate that the selected station should not be used as a multicast proxy until a subsequent transmission over the shared medium provides physical layer feedback which indicates that the selected station can be used as a multicast proxy; wherein updating the availability information if the selected station fails to respond to the multicast message reduces a probability that the selected station that failed to respond to the multicast message will be selected to serve as the multicast proxy in a subsequent proxy selection procedure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A station communicatively coupled with a plurality of other stations by a shared communications medium, the station being configured perform a proxy selection procedure, the station being configured to:
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maintain availability information about the other stations that are communicatively coupled to the shared communications medium; use the availability information to select one of the other stations to serve as a multicast proxy to respond to a multicast message sent by the station; and update the availability information associated with the station selected to serve as the multicast proxy, if the station selected to serve as the multicast proxy fails to respond to the multicast message within a predefined period of time, where the updating comprises updating the availability information associated with the station selected to serve as the multicast proxy to indicate that the station should not be selected again unless a subsequent transmission indicates that the station can be used as a multicast proxy; wherein updating the availability information if the selected station fails to respond to the multicast message reduces a probability that the selected station that failed to respond to the multicast message will be selected to serve as the multicast proxy in a subsequent proxy selection procedure. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An article comprising:
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a computer readable medium; and means for selecting a proxy station to respond to a multicast message sent from a first station in a shared medium network, wherein selecting the proxy station includes; maintaining availability information about other stations that are identified to the first station in transmissions over the shared medium; selecting, by the first station, one of the other stations to serve as a multicast proxy to respond to the multicast message sent from the first station using the availability information and predetermined selection criteria; and updating the availability information associated with the selected station if the selected station fails to respond to the multicast message within a predefined time limit, where the updating comprises updating the availability information associated with the selected station to indicate that the selected station should not be used as a multicast proxy until a subsequent transmission over the shared medium provides new physical layer feedback which indicates that the selected station can be used as a multicast proxy; wherein updating the availability information if the selected station fails to respond to the multicast message reduces a probability that the selected station that failed to respond to the multicast message will be selected to serve as the multicast proxy in a subsequent proxy selection procedure.
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26. An article comprising:
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a computer readable medium; and means for establishing a station communicatively coupled with a plurality of other stations by a shared communications medium, the station including a proxy selection procedure configured to maintain availability information about the other stations that are communicatively coupled to the shared communications medium, use the availability information to select one of the other stations to serve as a multicast proxy to respond to a multicast message sent from the station, and update the availability information associated with the station selected to serve as the multicast proxy, if the station selected to serve as the multicast proxy fails to respond to the multicast message within a predefined period of time, where the updating comprises updating the availability information associated with the station selected to serve as the multicast proxy to indicate that the station should not be selected again unless a subsequent transmission indicates that the station can be used as a multicast proxy; wherein updating the availability information if the selected station fails to respond to the multicast message reduces a probability that the selected station that failed to respond to the multicast message will be selected to serve as the multicast proxy in a subsequent proxy selection procedure.
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Specification