Multicast flow optimizations in a multi-level backhaul mesh of a wireless network

Inventors: Alessandro Erta (Licciana Nardi, IT); Loris Gazzarrini (Lausanne, CH); Salvatore Valenza (Pomy, CH); Pascal Thubert (Roquefort les Pins, FR); Luca Bisti (Grosseto, IT); Domenico Ficara (Essertines-sur-Yverdon, CH)

Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.

H04W28/06 H04W4/06 H04W40/023 H04W60/00 H04L12/189

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12707326
App. No.: 18/133,348
Granted: Aug 11, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

In one embodiment, an intermediate device in a backhaul mesh for a wireless network receives a registration from an access point of the wireless network in communication with a mobile system. The intermediate device receives a packet that is multicast by a gateway into the backhaul mesh and destined for the mobile system. The intermediate device makes, based on the registration, a determination that the packet should be sent to the access point. The intermediate device sends the packet to the access point for transmittal to the mobile system.

Claims (37)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, at an intermediate device in a multi-level backhaul mesh for a wireless network, a registration from an access point of the wireless network in communication with a mobile system, wherein the intermediate device and the access point are already part of a multicast tree for the multi-level backhaul mesh, wherein the multi-level backhaul mesh comprises a gateway, a flood level of nodes connected to the gateway, and a prune level of nodes between the flood level and the access point, wherein the intermediate device is located at the prune level, and wherein the registration establishes a local multicast state at the intermediate device associating the access point with a multicast destination corresponding to the mobile system;

receiving, at the intermediate device, a packet that is multicast by the gateway into the multi-level backhaul mesh and destined for the mobile system on the multicast tree, wherein the gateway floods the packet to the flood level and the packet is forwarded from the flood level to the intermediate device at the prune level;

making, by the intermediate device and based on the registration, a local determination whether the packet should be sent on the multicast tree according to the local multicast state, wherein the local determination is made at the prune level without requiring state information from the gateway; and

sending, by the intermediate device, the packet on the multicast tree to the access point for transmittal to the mobile system only in response to the local multicast state having received the registration from the access point.

2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the intermediate device is a network router.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein a node of the mobile system serves as a single multicast destination for multiple nodes onboard the mobile system to which it sends the packet upon receipt from the access point.

4 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the intermediate device sends the packet to the access point via a tunnel in the multi-level backhaul mesh.

5 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

dropping, by the intermediate device, a particular packet sent by the gateway based on a determination that the intermediate device does not have a registration associated with a destination of the particular packet.

6 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the gateway floods the packet into the multi-level backhaul mesh based on a predicted location of the mobile system.

7 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the access point broadcasts the packet to the mobile system and to one or more other mobile systems.

8 . The method as in claim 7 , wherein access point broadcasts the packet to the mobile system and to the one or more other mobile systems as a singular wireless packet.

9 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the mobile system travels along a fixed path.

10 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the mobile system comprises a vehicle or autonomous robot.

11 . An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate in a multi-level backhaul mesh for a wireless network;

a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process that is executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:

receive a registration from an access point of the wireless network in communication with a mobile system, wherein the apparatus and the access point are already part of a multicast tree for the multi-level backhaul mesh, wherein the multi-level backhaul mesh comprises a gateway, a flood level of nodes connected to the gateway, and a prune level of nodes between the flood level and the access point, wherein the apparatus is located at the prune level, and wherein the registration establishes a local multicast state at the apparatus associating the access point with a multicast destination corresponding to the mobile system;

receive a packet that is multicast by the gateway into the multi-level backhaul mesh and destined for the mobile system on the multicast tree, wherein the gateway floods the packet to the flood level and the packet is forwarded from the flood level to the apparatus at the prune level;

make, based on the registration, a local determination whether the packet should be sent on the multicast tree according to the local multicast state, wherein the local determination is made at the prune level without requiring state information from the gateway; and

send the packet on the multicast tree to the access point for transmittal to the mobile system only in response to the local multicast state having received the registration from the access point.

12 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is a network router.

13 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein a node of the mobile system serves as a single multicast destination for multiple nodes onboard the mobile system to which it sends the packet upon receipt from the access point.

14 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the apparatus sends the packet to the access point via a tunnel in the multi-level backhaul mesh.

15 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the process when executed is further configured to:

drop a particular packet sent by the gateway based on a determination that the apparatus does not have a registration associated with a destination of the particular packet.

16 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the gateway floods the packet into the multi-level backhaul mesh based on a predicted location of the mobile system.

17 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the access point broadcasts the packet to the mobile system and to one or more other mobile systems.

18 . The apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein access point broadcasts the packet to the mobile system and to the one or more other mobile systems as a singular wireless packet.

19 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the mobile system travels along a fixed path.

20 . A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause an intermediate device in a multi-level backhaul mesh for a wireless network to execute a process comprising:

receiving, at the intermediate device, a registration from an access point of the wireless network in communication with a mobile system, wherein the intermediate device and the access point are already part of a multicast tree for the multi-level backhaul mesh, wherein the multi-level backhaul mesh comprises a gateway, a flood level of nodes connected to the gateway, and a prune level of nodes between the flood level and the access point, wherein the intermediate device is located at the prune level, and wherein the registration establishes a local multicast state at the intermediate device associating the access point with a multicast destination corresponding to the mobile system;