Patent ID: 8179891
Filing Date: 2012-05-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for bridging a plurality of domains and for routing a multicast content datastream among them comprising: a receiver receiving a unicast request signal formatted for requesting multicast distributed content and transmitted using a multicast access protocol, said unicast request signal is received from a user connected within a first domain administered by a first administrative entity according to a first set of administrative routing parameters, said first domain including a unicast communication network for transmitting said unicast request signal, said multicast access protocol enables the unicast request signal to traverse said unicast communication network, the unicast communications network using a unicast transmission protocol; a transmitter requests the multicast distributed content using a multicast transmission protocol from a provider within a second domain in response to receiving said unicast request signal, said second domain being administered by a second different administrative entity according to a second different set of administrative routing parameters; and a processor processes the multicast distributed content received from the provider and conditions the transmitter to transmit the multicast distributed content via multicast forwarding over a multicast communication network within the first domain for access by the user.