Patent ID: 6597660
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for deriving information related to characteristics of transmissions in a packet network comprising:providing a packet network for carrying a plurality of transmissions from at least one source in which the transmissions from the or each source are divided into a plurality of sequential packets each packet having address data defining an intended address, information data defining information to be transmitted and id data defining a source identity; the network defining a train of sequential packet transport locations into which packets are loaded for transmission, such that some packet transport locations in a train contain packets and some packet transport locations are empty and such that, when there is more than one different source, the train contains packets from the different sources in a sequential arrangement as determined by the network; monitoring a train of packet transport locations to determine which packet transport locations are empty and which contain a packet; generating a series of data elements each corresponding to a respective one of the packet transport locations and each identifying whether the respective packet transport location is empty or whether the respective packet transport location contains a packet; and carrying out simultaneously at a plurality of different time scales statistical analyses on the series of data elements to determine the characteristics of the transmissions.