Patent ID: 6167050
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) traffic streams that a plurality of traffic sources (TS1, TS2, . . . , and TSn) send into a UPC (Usage Parameter Control) unit of an ATM network the apparatus, comprising:a plurality of leaky bucket buffers (LB1, LB2, . . . , and LBn) each being filled with incoming ATM cells from a corresponding traffic source (TSi) (where, i=1, 2, . . . , or n) but, at the same time, draining an average number of cells per a given time slot, wherein said each leaky bucket (LBi) has a bucket level L.sub.i (t) (where, t represents an arbitrary time) proportional to the number of the ATM cells filled therein;a plurality of virtual bucket buffers (VB1, VB2, . . . , and VBn) corresponding to said leaky buckets (LB1, LB2, . . . , and LBn), respectively, wherein said each virtual bucket (VBi) has a bucket level R.sub.i (t) of a maximum value while a corresponding leaky bucket (LBi) is filled with at least one ATM cell and has the bucket level R.sub.i (t) of a value less than the maximum value thereof and inversely proportional to a time having been elapsed since said corresponding leaky bucket (LBi) has been empty;detection means for detecting whether the cells drained from said leaky buckets are the conforming cells and for providing information regarding traffic streams where there exist conforming cells;calculation means for calculating a value of priority function .eta..sub.i (t) corresponding to the traffic streams having the conforming cells by .eta..sub.i (t)=L.sub.i (t)-R.sub.i (t);priority determination means for determining a top priority traffic stream by comparing the priority function values .eta..sub.i (t); andATM multiplexing means for sending the top priority traffic stream to said UPC unit in preference to the other streams.