Patent ID: 9344368
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method of determining a measure indicative of downstream path congestion in respect of a communication network intermediate node, including a digital data processor, via which a plurality of data units are traversing an end-to-end path from a communication network sender node to a communication network receiver node, each said data unit having: a first indication settable in dependence on information from the communication network receiver node to each of at least two states, whereby to indicate different levels of congestion experienced on the end-to-end path by data units previously received by the communication network receiver node; and a second indication settable to an initial state, and to at least one updated state indicative of congestion experienced by data units on their path from the communication network sender node to said communication network intermediate node; the method comprising: receiving a plurality of said data units at said communication network intermediate node; monitoring said first and second indications in at least some of said received data units; and using said digital data processor to determine said downstream path congestion measure in dependence on said first and second indications and on an inflation factor, the inflation factor itself being dependent on the proportion of a set of said data units whose second indication on receipt at said communication network intermediate node is in said initial state.