Patent ID: 7430172
Filing Date: 2008-09-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for allocating a transmission bandwidth in a packet-oriented communications facility having a token-bucket unit comprising a time-bucket unit and a byte-credit unit, wherein a data volume token representing a defined data volume is stored in the byte-credit unit, the method comprising: assigning a token generation time interval and a token generation point of time to the time-bucket unit; assigning a processing point of time to each data packet before a subsequent processing of the data packets; determining a transmission time interval available in the time-bucket unit for the subsequent processing of each data packet; if the token generation time interval is exceeded by the by one of available transmission time intervals: Adding a defined number of data volume tokens to the number of data volume tokens in the byte-credit unit and updating the token generation point of time only; and if the available transmission time interval is exceeded by the token generation time interval and if the available number of data volume tokens exceeds a required number of data volume tokens for a subsequent processing of a current data packet: Reducing the number of data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit by the required number of data volume tokens corresponding to a data volume of said current data packet or if the number of data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit is below the data volume required for subsequent processing of said current data packet: Said data packet is not subsequently processed or is processed in a different way or discarded.