Patent ID: 6144639
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A traffic congestion control apparatus for use in a network having a plurality of types of data traffic, said data traffic comprising high priority traffic and low priority traffic, said network having a plurality of links through which said data traffic flows, each of said links being susceptible to data traffic congestion, said apparatus comprising:a processor comprising a filter through which the data traffic flows;a sampler which periodically measures a characteristic of said data traffic filtered by said filter, said measured characteristic indicating a present link capacity requirement of the filtered traffic;a flow control system for adjusting a transmission flow rate of at least the low priority traffic of said data traffic; anda comparator which compares the measured characteristic with a predetermined threshold, said comparator sending a first signal to said flow control system when the measured characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold to thereby indicate link congestion, said comparator further sending a second signal to said flow control system when the measured characteristic is below the predetermined threshold to thereby indicate unused link capacity;said flow control system reducing the transmission rate of the low priority traffic in response to receipt of the first signal and increasing the transmission rate of the low priority traffic in response to receipt of the second signal.