The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 15, 1994
Filed:
Apr. 02, 1992
Simon P Davis, Romsey, GB;
Ian B Stewart, North Baddesley, GB;
Roke Manor Research Limited, Romsey, GB;
Abstract
A multicast server apparatus operative to effect the onward transmission of data cells to a plurality of different addresses includes a switch function unit having an input port, an output port and a transfer port, data cells for multicasting being routed from the input port and to the transfer port, first and second header translation units each having an input terminal and an output terminal. The translation units serve respectively as a chainer and as a distributor, the input terminals of the chainer and the distributor being coupled to the transfer port of the switch function unit to receive data for multicasting. The chainer is effective to change address data associated with each data cell fed thereto to a form recognizable by the distributor and to feed back such data cell together with its changed address data to the transfer port. The distributor is effective to convert recognizable address data associated with data cells fed thereto to corresponding route address tags and to feed cells having such address tags to the output port of the switch function unit. Thus, a data cell for multicasting is distributed by the multicasting server apparatus separately to the plurality of different addresses as identified by the address tags.