Patent ID: 8848590

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program of computer readable instructions, the memory and the computer readable instructions configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: advertise a multicast data stream by sending a generic advertisement addressed to no specific destination device without previously sending an invitation to join a multicast group, said generic advertisement announcing the multicast data stream to potential destination devices; receive from a destination device a connection setup request message to initiate entry of the destination device into a multicast network to receive the multicast data stream; add the destination device to a list of destination devices for the multicast data stream, said list being stored in the memory; sending a connection setup response message to the destination device to acknowledge the destination device; and sending the multicast data stream to the destination device, wherein the apparatus is a source device for the multicast data stream, said source device being a distributed device and not a wireless network access point.