US 10020961

US Patent 10,020,961, titled "Method and apparatus for network virtualization," was issued on July 10, 2018. The patent was filed on December 26, 2014, by inventor Sung Hyuk BYUN. The current assignee is Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute ETRI.

The abstract describes a network virtualization apparatus and method. The apparatus includes a tunnel manager that collects tunnel end point information and connects each tunnel end point with a tunnel. It also has a tunnel packet end point that receives and processes tunnel packets for L2 switching, transmitting them to a domain VSI (virtual switching instance). The domain VSI performs the L2 switching and sends the packet to a tunnel packet generator. Finally, the tunnel packet generator adds a tunnel header to the L2-switched packet to create and transmit a new tunnel packet.

Here's a plain-language overview of each independent claim:

• Claim 1 (Apparatus Claim): This claim describes a physical device for network virtualization. It includes four main components:

  1. A "tunnel manager" that gathers information about tunnel endpoints in a network and sets up connections (tunnels) between them.
  2. A "tunnel packet end point" that receives incoming "tunnel packets," prepares them for Layer 2 (L2) switching, and then sends them to a "domain VSI."
  3. A "domain VSI" (Virtual Switching Instance) that performs the actual L2 switching on the prepared packets and forwards them to a "tunnel packet generator."
  4. A "tunnel packet generator" that adds a new tunnel header to the L2-switched packet, creating a new tunnel packet, and then transmits it.

• Claim 7 (Method Claim): This claim outlines a series of steps for operating a network virtualization apparatus:

  1. Collecting information about tunnel endpoints within a network virtualization domain and establishing tunnels between these endpoints.
  2. Receiving a tunnel packet and preparing it for Layer 2 (L2) switching.
  3. Performing the L2 switching on the prepared packet.
  4. Adding a tunnel header to the L2-switched packet to generate a new tunnel packet, and then sending this new packet.
  5. Using this new tunnel packet to connect tunnel endpoints within the current network virtualization domain to other tunnel endpoints in a different network virtualization domain via a unicast tunnel.

• Claim 13 (Apparatus Claim): This claim is very similar to Claim 1, also describing a network virtualization apparatus with the same four components: a tunnel manager, a tunnel packet end point, a domain VSI, and a tunnel packet generator. The key difference is in the last step of the "tunnel packet generator," which is specified to generate a "new unicast tunnel packet" and transmit it, whereas Claim 1 simply states "a new tunnel packet."

Regarding CAFC 2026 dockets, a search for patent number 10020961 specifically did not yield any direct results in the provided CAFC docket snippets. The snippets show general intellectual property cases, patent infringement cases, and updates from the Federal Circuit for April and May 2026, but no specific mention of patent 10020961. Therefore, I cannot authoritatively state the current litigation status in the CAFC for this specific patent based on the provided information.## US Patent 10,020,961: Method and Apparatus for Network Virtualization

Title: Method and apparatus for network virtualization
Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute ETRI
Inventor: Sung Hyuk BYUN
Filing Date: December 26, 2014
Issue Date: July 10, 2018

Abstract:
The patent describes a network virtualization apparatus and a corresponding method. The apparatus includes a tunnel manager that collects information on tunnel endpoints within a network and establishes tunnels between them. It also features a tunnel packet end point that receives tunnel packets, processes them for L2 switching, and transmits them to a domain VSI (virtual switching instance). The domain VSI then performs the L2 switching on these packets and sends them to a tunnel packet generator. Finally, the tunnel packet generator adds a new tunnel header to the L2-switched packet to create and transmit a new tunnel packet.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Network Virtualization Apparatus): This claim outlines a hardware system designed for network virtualization. It comprises four main components:

  1. A tunnel manager responsible for gathering information about network tunnel endpoints and setting up tunnel connections based on this data.
  2. A tunnel packet end point that receives incoming tunnel packets, prepares them for Layer 2 (L2) switching, and then forwards these prepared packets to a domain VSI.
  3. A domain VSI (Virtual Switching Instance) that executes the L2 switching on the processed packets and subsequently sends them to a tunnel packet generator.
  4. A tunnel packet generator which adds a new tunnel header to the L2-switched packet, creating a new tunnel packet, and then transmits this new packet.

• Claim 7 (Operating Method of a Network Virtualization Apparatus): This claim describes a series of operational steps for a network virtualization system:

  1. Gathering tunnel endpoint information within a network virtualization domain and establishing tunnels to connect these endpoints.
  2. Receiving a tunnel packet and processing it in a way that allows for Layer 2 (L2) switching.
  3. Performing the L2 switching on the processed packet.
  4. Adding a tunnel header to the L2-switched packet to generate a new tunnel packet, and then transmitting this newly formed packet.
  5. Using the new tunnel packet to establish a unicast tunnel connection between tunnel endpoints in the current network virtualization domain and other tunnel endpoints located in a different network virtualization domain.

• Claim 13 (Network Virtualization Apparatus): This claim describes a network virtualization apparatus with the same initial components as Claim 1: a tunnel manager, a tunnel packet end point, and a domain VSI. The distinction lies in the final component, the tunnel packet generator, which is specifically configured to generate a new unicast tunnel packet (as opposed to simply a "new tunnel packet" in Claim 1) and transmit it.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search of CAFC 2026 dockets for the specific patent number 10020961 did not yield any direct results within the provided information. Therefore, I cannot definitively state the current litigation status of this patent in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit based on the provided search snippets.