Method and apparatus for reliably delivering multicast data

• US 8,451,762 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Liu, Hang, Ramaswamy, Kumar, Boyce, Jill MacDonald
• Primary Examiner(s): Oveissi, David
• Application Number:
  US12/227,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20090147718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,527 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1863 comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described including mapping a multicast connection to a unicast uniform resource identifier, establishing a state for a multicast-to-unicast conversion, allocating ports, receiving multicast addressed data packets and converting the multicast addressed data packets to unicast addressed data the packets.

Claims

1. A method for reliable delivery of multicast data by a media gateway employing application layer multicast to unicast conversion, said method comprising:

establishing a session with a receiver;

mapping a multicast connection to a unicast resource identifier;

transmitting to the receiver, information regarding available programs from a server, said available programs comprising a plurality of multicast addressed data packets, wherein said information has been modified by removing multicast connection information from at least one of said available programs;

receiving a request from said receiver to receive one of said available programs, said request including a receiver port address;

joining, by said media gateway, a multicast group in order to request said one of said available programs from said server as a proxy for said receiver, said receiver having no knowledge of multicast;

allocating server ports;

receiving multicast addressed data packets from an external network;

converting said multicast addressed data packets to unicast addressed data packets, said conversion being performed above a transport layer of a communications protocol; and

transmitting said converted data packets to said receiver port address.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a response to said received request to said receiver.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from an external network, an announcement containing information regarding said available programs, said available programs comprising a plurality of said multicast addressed data packets;

storing said information;

modifying said information; and

transmitting a response to said request to receive one of said available programs, said response including a server port address.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said modifying step further comprises removing multicast connection information from said one of said available programs.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a request to cease receiving said one of said available programs;

releasing resources associated with receiving said one of said available program;

responding to said request to cease receiving said one of said available programs; and

transmitting an internet group management protocol message if no other requests for said one of said available programs is outstanding.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, via an external interface, an unsolicited internet group management protocol report;

receiving, via said external interface, an internet group management protocol query; and

transmitting, via said external interface, an internet group management protocol query response.

7. A media gateway for reliable delivery of multicast data employing application layer multicast to unicast conversion, comprising:

means for establishing a session with a receiver;

means for mapping a multicast connection to a unicast resource identifier;

means for transmitting to the receiver, information regarding available programs from a server, said available programs comprising a plurality of multicast addressed data packets, wherein said information has been modified by removing multicast connection information from at least one of said available programs;

means for receiving a request, from a receiver, to receive one of said available programs, said request including a receiver port address;

means for joining, by said media gateway, a multicast group in order to request said one of said available programs from said server as a proxy for said receiver, said receiver having no knowledge of multicast;

means for allocating server ports;

means for requesting said one of said available programs from said server as a proxy for said receiver, said receiver having no knowledge of multicast;

means for receiving said multicast addressed data packets from an external network;

means for converting said multicast addressed data packets to unicast data packets, said conversion being performed above a transport layer of a communications protocol; and

means for transmitting said converted data packets to said receiver port address.

8. The apparatus media gateway according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for transmitting a response to said received request to said receiver.

9. The media gateway according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving, from the external network, an announcement containing information regarding said available programs, said available programs comprising a plurality of said multicast addressed data packets;

means for storing said information;

means for modifying said information; and

means for transmitting a response to said request to receive one of said available programs, said response including a server port address.

10. The media gateway according to claim 9, wherein a communications protocol is used between the apparatus, which is a media gateway, and said receiver to establish a multicast-to-unicast mapping and to deliver said converted data packets to said receiver, further wherein said communications protocol being a real-time streaming protocol.

11. The media gateway according to claim 9, wherein said means for modifying further comprises means for removing multicast connection information from said one of said available programs.

12. The media gateway according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving a request to cease receiving said one of said available programs;

means for releasing resources associated with receiving said one of said available program;

means for responding to said request to cease receiving said one of said available programs; and

means for transmitting an internet group management protocol message if no other requests for said one of said available programs is outstanding.

13. The media gateway according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for transmitting, via an external network, an unsolicited internet group management protocol report;

means for receiving, via said external network, an internet group management protocol query; and

means for transmitting, via said external network, an internet group management protocol query response.