Patent ID: 7489684
Filing Date: 2009-02-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for providing multicasted data streams from multicast sources connected to a broadband network to end user systems connected to the broadband network by a digital subscriber line (xDSL) access system having a network termination (NT) module connected to the broadband network, a bus and a plurality of line termination (LT) modules connected to the NT module through the bus, each of said LT modules having a DSL line connected to at least one of the end user systems and having a controller, comprising steps of: storing a multicast source table in each of the LT modules, each of the multicast source tables storing a plurality of IP source addresses; transmitting an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join message from an end user system to one of the LT modules, the transmitting including terminating the IGMP join message at the LT module; retrieving an IP source address from the multicast source table of said LT module, based on the received IGMP join message; initiating, at the controller of said LT module, a cross-connection from the LT module to the NT module, through said bus, in accordance with the retrieved IP source address; and multicasting said data streams at said ATM network level, through the cross-connection, using point-to-multipoint connection wherein said multicasting includes controlling the multicast at the controller of the LT module in accordance with the IGMP control messages terminated at the LT module.