Patent ID: 6052379
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
A priority scheme for assigning priority to a port assigned to a channel unit in a channel bank, the channel bank communicating packetized data over a communications link, the priority scheme comprising:a first bucket having a first water level tracking an amount of preallocated bandwidth unused by the port;a second bucket having a second water level tracking an amount of preallocated bandwidth for the port exceeding an overflow level for the first bucket; andthe priority scheme using the water level of the first bucket to assign priority values in a first high priority band to the port and using the water level of the second bucket to assign priority values in a second low priority band to the port, wherein the first bucket includes a zero midpoint value, the priority value from the high priority band used when the water level of the first bucket is above zero and the priority value from the low priority band used when the water level of the first bucket is below or equal to zero.