Patent ID: 7430169
Filing Date: 2008-09-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling data packets in a communications device including the steps of: a) enqueuing all arriving traffic into a queue formed within a buffer; b) at each service event of the queue of arriving traffic recognizing the packet at the front of the queue for membership in exactly one of two sets, namely, the set of all Best Effort traffic packets and the set of all Premium traffic packets; c) sending all Premium packets forward into a next processor; d) sending Best Effort packets forward into the next processor with probability equal to a number called transmit probability T(t); e) sending Best Effort packets forward into a discard processor with probability equal to one minus the transmit probability T(t), that is, 1 -T(t); and periodically updating the transmit probability T(t), wherein periodically updating the transmit probability T(t) includes: f) calculating a period Dt to refresh the transmit probability T(t); g) determining queue occupancy Q(t) periodically at certain time values; h) comparing queue occupancy Q(t) with a preselected constant threshold called Th having the relation 0<Th<Qmax where Qmax is the maximum storage capacity of the buffer; and i) including comparisons in h) Q(t) and T(t) as inputs into an algorithm to compute a subsequent transmit probability T(t+Dt) in accordance with the following equations: