Multicast feedback control using loss-pattern matching

We propose a multicast feedback control mechanism that dynamically groups the receivers into several areas according to their loss patterns. Each area has an area representative (AR) that provides quick feedback messages and suppresses other receivers in the area. When the AR cannot correctly represent other receivers, deterministic suppression is executed among the non-representative receivers. The scheme is stable and robust. It does not need special network support, but can be optimized if available. Simulation results show that this scheme is suppressive, responsive and scalable.