Patent ID: 6680949
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A method of transmitting message cells allocated to virtual connections which have different priorities and which are transmitted via at least one transmission line of an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) system, said method comprising:passing message cells transmitted via a transmission line through a buffer memory which is allocated to said transmission line and which has a specific message cell capacity; receiving a message cell for a high-priority virtual connection on said transmission line; selecting a queue allocated to a low-priority virtual connection of message cells stored in said buffer memory in response to receiving said message cell for the high-priority virtual connection and in response to said buffer memory reaching said specific message cell capacity, wherein selection of the queue is based on a number of message cells stored in said buffer memory for said low-priority virtual connection; and discarding message cells in said queue.