Patent ID: 9270616
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: assigning one or more data packets to a respective one of a plurality of data flows, wherein each data flow is associated with a subscriber accessing a transmission medium; determining a latency treatment associated with each of the one or more data packets; modifying a single header bit of each respective one of the one or more data packets, wherein the modified header bit provides an indication of the latency treatment associated with the respective data packet; assigning each respective one of the one or more data packets assigned to the respective data flow to a respective one sub-flow of one or more sub-flows, wherein the assignment of each respective one data packet of the one or more data packets to the respective one sub-flow is based upon the latency treatment indicated by the modified header bit associated with the respective data packet such that each of the one or more data packets assigned to the respective sub-flow are associated with the same one or more modified header bit; associating each sub-flow with a priority level, wherein the priority level associated with each respective sub-flow is based upon the latency treatment indicated by the modified header bit associated with each of the one or more data packets that are assigned to the respective sub-flow; apportioning resources associated with the transmission medium between subscribers accessing the transmission medium; and when the respective one data flow requires consumption of more resources than are apportioned to the subscriber associated with the respective one data flow, dedicating resources apportioned to the subscriber to transmit, to the subscriber, one or more data packets assigned to a first sub-flow comprising one or more data packets associated with a first latency treatment and delaying a transmission, to the subscriber, of one or more data packets assigned to a second sub-flow comprising one or more data packets associated with a second latency treatment, wherein the first sub-flow is associated with a higher priority level than the second sub-flow when the first latency treatment comprises a lower latency level than the second latency treatment.