Patent ID: 7164683
Filing Date: 2007-01-16
Classification: H04B,H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
1. In a processing satellite communications system including at least one processing satellite having a receiver and a transmitter for respectively receiving and transmitting a data cell, a method for virtual path switching of said data cell, the method comprising: receiving a data cell at one of a plurality of input ports of said processing satellite; examining an assigned virtual path identifier (VPI) in said data cell to determine a destination output port associated with said assigned VPI; transferring said data cell to said destination output port; providing at least one multicast module on said processing satellite wherein said multicast module is associated with one multicast output port; providing at least one multicast routing table having memory locations storing addressing information; establishing a set of VPIs wherein each VPI is uniquely associated with a single output port on said processing satellite, and wherein at least one of said VPIs is a multicast VPI uniquely associated with said multicast output port; establishing a set of VCIs; assigning said multicast VPI to said data cell, wherein said transferring step comprises transferring said data cell to said multicast output port uniquely associated with said assigned multicast VPI; assigning a VCI from said set of VCIs to said data cell; receiving said data cell by said multicast module associated with said multicast output port; examining said assigned VCI to determine a multicast group of VPIs from said set of VPIs; reproducing said data cell to create a predetermined number of reproduced data cells; and reassigning each of said reproduced data cells with a new VPI from said multicast group of VPIs.