Patent ID: 6359895
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling communications used in a system in which a plurality of monitoring target units are connected with each other in a tree-shape on a network, each monitoring target unit comprising:receiving unit for receiving data from a monitoring target unit in a lower order on a tree-shaped network; a buffering unit for temporarily storing the received data; a transmitting unit transmitting the data stored in the buffering means to a monitoring target unit in a higher order on a tree-shaped network; and a monitoring unit for monitoring the volume of data stored in said buffering unit and instructing a monitoring target unit in a lower order not to transmit the data if the data volume exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein loss priority representing priority in elimination is attached to said data, and said monitoring unit monitors the volume of data stored in said buffering unit, instructs the monitoring unit not to transmit the data when the relevant data volume exceeds the predetermined threshold and the monitoring target unit in a higher order compares loss priority attached to data transmitted from the monitoring target unit in a lower order with a threshold of loss priority set in advance, and if the threshold of the relevant loss priority is greater than the loss priority attached to data, eliminates the received data.