Support for network routing selection

摘要

An address for controlling transmission of routing through a network is obtained by means of input from a combination of network terminals. Initially, address describing data is received from a user via a source terminal. A control circuit determines whether the address describing data is sufficient to define an address of a destination. If not, the control circuit uses the address describing data to extract information must be met by the destination, but for which it is not known for specific destinations whether it is met. The information may define a desired property of the destination for example, or a mutual relation between the user and the destination. The control circuit then transmits a confirmation request to one or more possible destinations, to ask whether information relates to the possible destination. If a positive confirmation is received back from a possible destination, the address of this possible destination is used. Information that the information relates to the possible destination may be stored to resolve future address describing information.

主权项

1. A method of supplying a destination address to control of routing of data through a network, the method comprising
receiving address describing data from a first user via a source terminal that is coupled to the network; determining in a control circuit whether the address describing data is sufficient to resolve an address of a destination; if it has been determined that the address describing data is sufficient to resolve the address, routing data through the network from the source terminal directed at the address resolved from the address describing data; and if not transmitting a confirmation request from the control circuit to at least one further terminal over the network, the confirmation request requesting confirmation whether information derived from the address describing data relates to the further terminal and/or confirmation whether the information relates to a second user of the further terminal, receiving a response to the confirmation request from the further terminal to the control circuit; routing data through the network from the source terminal directed at the address of the further terminal or the second user dependent on whether the response confirms that the information from the address describing data relates to the further terminal or the second user.