Patent ID: 6233248
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
In a communication network including a plurality of communication nodes, wherein messages transmitted between certain nodes are routed through other nodes in the network, an improved method of communicating in the network using multi-address messaging comprising the steps of:(a) constructing at a source node a multi-address message containing a network header that separately identifies network addresses of a plurality of destination nodes, wherein communication paths between the source node and the destination nodes traverse a common path routed through common intervening nodes; and(b) transmitting the multi-address message from the source node to the destination nodes in accordance with the network addresses by transmitting a single copy of the multi-address message along the common path from each common intervening node to a next common intervening node, such that additional copies of the multi-address message are generated within the network only when the communication paths between the source node and the destination nodes diverge.