Patent ID: 8908520
Filing Date: 2014-12-09
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. A method of regulating traffic flow to a plurality of customer premises devices (CPDs), each of the CPDs being reachable via a corresponding one of a plurality of outside plant units (OPUs), the method comprising: receiving traffic in a first traffic category via a first interface dedicated to the first traffic category, the traffic in the first traffic category comprising first packets, each of said first packets being destined for a respective CPD that is among said plurality of CPDs; receiving traffic in a second traffic category via a second interface dedicated to the second traffic category, the traffic in the second traffic category comprising second packets, each of said second packets being destined for a respective CPD that is among said plurality of CPDs; determining a destination OPU for each of the first and second packets and, for each particular OPU that is the destination OPU for one or more packets, buffering the one or more packets and transmitting the buffered packets via an OPU interface uniquely associated with the particular OPU, the destination OPU for a particular packet being determined by identifying the OPU via which the CPD for which the particular packet is destined is reachable; regulating packet flow via the OPU interface by prioritizing transmission of those of the buffered packets that are first packets destined for a particular OPU and received via the first interface dedicated to the first traffic category over transmission of those of the buffered packets that are second packets destined for that same OPU and received via the second interface dedicated to the second traffic category; and determining whether prioritization is required, wherein said prioritizing is carried out as a function of whether it is determined that prioritization is required, wherein said prioritizing is carried out only if it is determined that prioritization is required.