Patent ID: 6336129
Filing Date: 2002-01-01
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for transferring packets from a sender to a plurality of receivers via a network of nodes having a network layer processing function, the method comprising the steps of:setting up at each node one or a plurality of virtual channels for a specific flow toward all of said plurality of receivers regardless of whether each receiver requested a communication quality for the specific flow or not, upon receiving a message used in a procedure for reserving the communication quality for the specific flow that is transmitted from an upstream side to a downstream side on a route of the specific flow toward said plurality of receivers; storing at each intermediate node a correspondence between an upstream side virtual channel for the specific flow and one or a plurality of downstream side virtual channels for the specific flow; and transferring packets at each intermediate node by carrying out a transfer processing at a layer lower than a network layer according to the correspondence.