Patent ID: 9160687
Filing Date: 2015-10-13
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A machine implemented method for operating a network node in a memory efficient manner in a network having a plurality of nodes that does not use pre-established routing to direct packets through the network, the method comprising: receiving a new packet at the network node from an arbitrary direction; modifying contents of a coding buffer of the network node using the new packet, the coding buffer for use in performing network coding for the network node, the coding buffer to store no more than S packets for use in network coding, where S is a positive integer greater than 1, wherein modifying the contents of the coding buffer includes linearly combining the new packet with packets already stored in the coding buffer to generate modified packets and storing the modified packets in the coding buffer; generating a coded packet to be transmitted from the network node after modifying contents of the coding buffer, wherein generating a coded packet includes linearly combining packets stored in the coding buffer using network coding; and transmitting the coded packet to one or more possibly unknown other nodes; wherein modifying the contents of the coding buffer includes: linearly combining the new packet with the first packet to generate a first modified packet; and storing the first modified packet in the coding buffer in a memory location associated with the first packet.