Relay Apparatus Multicast to Unicast Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless LAN and communication systems face challenges in efficiently forwarding large volumes of multicast data, such as IPTV streams, due to limitations in communication rates and the conversion of multicast frames to unicast frames, which can reduce user convenience by making incompatible applications unable to utilize the received data.
Innovation Solution
A relay apparatus that converts multicast frames to unicast frames and sets a higher communication rate for forwarding, while determining the availability of the converted frames for the receiving application and prohibiting conversion when unavailability is detected, ensuring that only compatible devices receive the unicast frames, thus maintaining user convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If multicast frames are converted to unicast frames and transmitted at higher communication rates, then data transmission speed is improved, but user convenience deteriorates because applications designed for multicast frames cannot utilize the converted unicast frames
Solution Approach 1:
The relay apparatus performs preliminary determination of application compatibility before converting multicast frames to unicast frames. By checking whether the receiving device's application can handle unicast frames in advance, the system avoids unnecessary conversions that would degrade user convenience, while still enabling high-speed transmission for compatible devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the frame transmission mode based on real-time compatibility assessment. When compatibility is confirmed, unicast conversion is applied for high-speed transmission; when incompatibility is detected, the system maintains multicast frame format. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between speed improvement and user convenience preservation.
2Ease of operation
If multicast frames are transmitted at the specified communication rate, then user convenience is maintained for multicast-compatible applications, but data transmission speed is limited and cannot handle large volume data efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the multicast transmission stream based on receiving device compatibility. Compatible devices receive converted unicast frames at high speed, while incompatible devices receive original multicast frames. This segmentation allows the system to optimize transmission speed for capable devices without compromising compatibility for others.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission parameter (frame type and communication rate) based on the receiving device's capability. When the application is determined to be compatible with unicast frames, the system changes from multicast mode with specified communication rate to unicast mode with higher communication rate, thereby improving speed while maintaining convenience for compatible devices.
3Productivity
If unicast conversion is performed without checking application compatibility, then high-speed data transmission is achieved, but data loss occurs for incompatible applications
Solution Approach 1:
The relay apparatus performs preliminary determination of application compatibility before executing unicast conversion. This preliminary check ensures that only compatible devices receive converted unicast frames, preventing data loss and maintaining reliability while still achieving high transmission efficiency for capable devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from compatibility determination to control the unicast conversion process. The determiner provides feedback about application compatibility, and the prohibiter uses this feedback to prevent conversion when incompatibility is detected. This feedback mechanism ensures data reliability while maintaining high transmission efficiency for compatible devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a relay apparatus for forwarding a received multicast frame to a communication apparatus at a specified communication rate. The relay apparatus converts the received multicast frame to the corresponding unicast frame, sets a relatively higher communication rate than the specified communication rate, and forwards the converted unicast frame to the communication apparatus at the relatively higher communication rate. The relay apparatus determines whether or not the availability of the converted and forwarded unicast frame by an application is ascertained based on a condition, and prohibits conversion to the unicast frame when the availability is negated. This configuration enhances the user's convenience in the relay technique of converting multicast frames to unicast frames and forwarding the converted unicast frames.