# US 12,003,404 B2 · Information centric network protocol for federated learning

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- Number: US 12,003,404 B2
- Document ID: US12003404B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/133,314
- Filed: 2020-12-23
- Published: 2021-04-22
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-12-23
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: Ravikumar Balakrishnan; Srikathyayani Srikanteswara; Nageen Himayat
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003404B2

## CPC

- H04L 45/08: {Learning-based routing, e.g. using neural networks or artificial intelligence}
- H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
- H04L 47/283: in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
- H04L 47/32: by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
- H04L 67/289: Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
- H04L 67/563: Data redirection of data network streams
- H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals}
- H04L 49/25: Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
- H04W 24/10: Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

System and techniques for information centric network (ICN) protocol for federated learning are described herein. An interest packet may be received on a first interface to start a federated learning round. Here, the interest packet includes a participant criterion and a federated learning round expiration. An entry, that includes the federated learning round expiration, is created in a pending interest table (PIT) for the interest packet. The interest packet is forwarded, in accordance with a forwarding information base (FIB), to a set of interfaces before the federated learning round expiration. When a data packet from a node, that meeting the participant criterion, is received in response to the interest packet, the data packet is forwarded on the first interface in accordance with the PIT entry.

## Claims

### Claim 1

At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
receiving, on a first interface, an interest packet to start a federated learning round, the interest packet including a participant criterion and a federated learning round expiration;
creating an entry in a pending interest table (PIT) for the interest packet, the entry including the federated learning round expiration;
forwarding, in accordance with a forwarding information base (FIB), the interest packet to a set of interfaces before the federated learning round expiration;
receiving, from a second interface in the set of interfaces, a data packet from a node in response to the interest packet, the node meeting the participant criterion; and
forwarding the data packet on the first interface in accordance with the PIT entry.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein forwarding the data packet on the first interface in accordance with the PIT entry includes discarding the interest packet when the interest packet is received after the federated learning round expiration.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:
receiving, on the second interface, a second data packet in response to the interest packet; and
discarding the second data packet when the second data packet is received after the federated learning round expiration.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the participant criterion is a time to complete the federated learning round.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the participant criterion is a round-trip communication time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise updating the FIB with the participant criterion, wherein the set of interfaces are selected based on the participant criterion in the FIB.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the interest packet is one of a set of interest packets, the set of interest packets including:
a common indication of the federated learning round; and
a unique indication that is different between each of the set of interest packets.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the unique indication uniquely identifies a participant.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the interest packet follows a second interest packet, the second interest packet solicitating data packets of participants that can participate in the federated learning round.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein a device provides a second data packet in response to the second interest packet responsive to:
meeting the participant criterion; and
having available resources to participate in the federated learning round.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein creating the entry in the PIT includes establishing a criterion for removal of the PIT entry, the criterion preventing removal of the PIT entry by a matching data packet before the criterion is met.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the criterion is the federated learning round expiration.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the criterion is a count of data packets received in response to the interest packet.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a name of the interest packet includes a computation indication, the computation indication being one of a defined set of computation indications.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data packet includes an update to a model, the update computed from data locally at a computation node, and the update being absent of the data used to calculate the update.

### Claim 16

An information centric network (ICN) node with a protocol for federated learning, the ICN node comprising:
a plurality of hardware interfaces including a first interface and a set of interfaces;
a memory including instructions; and
processing circuitry that, when in operation, is configured by the instructions to:
receive, on the first interface, an interest packet to start a federated learning round, the interest packet including a participant criterion and a federated learning round expiration;
create an entry in a pending interest table (PIT) for the interest packet, the entry including the federated learning round expiration;
forward, in accordance with a forwarding information base (FIB), the interest packet to the set of interfaces before the federated learning round expiration;
receive, from a second interface in the set of interfaces, a data packet from a node in response to the interest packet, the node meeting the participant criterion; and
forward the data packet on the first interface in accordance with the PIT entry.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The ICN node of claim 16, wherein, to forward the data packet on the first interface in accordance with the PIT entry, the processing circuitry is configured to discard the interest packet when the interest packet is received after the federated learning round expiration.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The ICN node of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
receive, on the second interface, a second data packet in response to the interest packet; and
discard the second data packet when the second data packet is received after the federated learning round expiration.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The ICN node of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to update the FIB with the participant criterion, wherein the set of interfaces are selected based on the participant criterion in the FIB.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The ICN node of claim 16, wherein, to create the entry in the PIT, the processing circuitry is configured to establish a criterion for removal of the PIT entry, the criterion preventing removal of the PIT entry by a matching data packet before the criterion is met.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The ICN node of claim 20, wherein the criterion is the federated learning round expiration.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The ICN node of claim 16, wherein a name of the interest packet includes a computation indication, the computation indication being one of a defined set of computation indications.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The ICN node of claim 16, wherein the data packet includes an update to a model, the update computed from data locally at a computation node, and the update being absent of the data used to calculate the update.