Routing methods, systems, and computer program products using a region scoped outside-scope identifier
Patent No. US10397100 (titled "Routing methods, systems, and computer program products using a region scoped outside-scope identifier") on Oct 5, 2018. The application was issued on Aug 27, 2019.
What is this patent about?
’100 is related to the field of network routing and packet forwarding, specifically addressing the limitations of traditional Internet Protocol (IP) addressing. It background context involves the exhaustion of global IP address spaces and the increasing latency in large-scale networks, proposing a shift from standard interface-based addressing to a more flexible, path-oriented approach.
The underlying idea behind ’100 is the use of a region scoped outside-scope identifier that allows a node to route data toward an entire network region rather than a specific terminal interface. By decoupling the routing information from fixed IP interface identifiers, the system can navigate data through complex, multi-hop path segments based on localized policies and metrics, effectively treating a distant network region as a single reachable entity from the perspective of the current node.
The claims of ’100 focus on a method and apparatus for identifying network path information within an IP packet header that utilizes these specialized identifiers. The independent claims specifically cover the mechanism where a node in a first region identifies a second region via an identifier that lacks a standard IP network interface portion, subsequently selecting a multi-hop path segment to reach a border node that bridges the two regions.
In practice, the invention functions by having a current node evaluate a packet's header to extract path information governed by a specific policy. Instead of looking up a specific destination host, the node identifies a target region and selects the best available path segment—which may span multiple intermediate hops—to deliver the data to a border node. This selection process is dynamic, utilizing routing metrics or lookup tables to choose between various potential path segments that connect the current node's region to the target region.
This approach differs from prior art by moving away from the rigid distinction between names, addresses, and routes defined in early IP specifications. By using path-based protocol addresses and region-scoped identifiers, the system reduces the reliance on massive global routing tables. It allows for more efficient data transmission across regional boundaries by enabling nodes to make forwarding decisions based on the topological relationship between network zones rather than individual device endpoints.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the early 2010s when ’100 was filed, global networking was characterized by a reliance on the Internet Protocol (IP) as the primary mechanism for both addressing and routing. At a time when network architectures were typically implemented using 32-bit or 128-bit fixed-length address spaces, systems commonly relied on a strict functional separation where names identified entities, addresses identified locations, and routing tables determined the path between them. Hardware and software constraints of this era made the dynamic integration of path-specific information directly into protocol addresses non-trivial, as standard routing logic was optimized for hierarchical, interface-based prefix matching rather than variable-scope or path-based identifiers.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention represents a meaningful technical advancement through an architectural shift from interface-centric addressing to path-based and scope-specific routing. By integrating region-scoped outside-scope identifiers into a packet header—identifiers that lack a standard IP network interface portion—the system enables a node to identify and route data to a second network region based on a specific policy, table, or metric. This integration allows for the selection of multi-hop path segments that are decoupled from traditional global IP address constraints. The technical effect achieved is a more flexible routing capability that overcomes the limitations of fixed address spaces and rigid name-address-route distinctions, allowing for path selection and network traversal based on localized or policy-driven regional identifiers.
Claims
This patent contains 58 claims, with independent claims 1, 28, 29, 30, and 31 focusing on a system and method for routing data through a network using region-scoped identifiers that specify path segments and regions without relying on standard Internet Protocol network interface identifiers. These independent claims describe receiving packets, identifying path information based on specific policies, and selecting multi-hop path segments to transmit data to border nodes of subsequent network regions. The dependent claims further refine these operations by specifying the use of topology nodes for path customization, defining the scope and location of transmitting and receiving nodes across different network domains, and detailing the selection criteria for path segments based on metrics, tables, or network states.
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US10397100
- Application Number
- US16153196A
- Filing Date
- Oct 5, 2018
- Publication Date
- Aug 27, 2019
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents