Patent ID: 8085657

Claim:
A base station for a cellular communication system, the base station comprising: a receiver for receiving data packets from a Radio Network Controller, RNC; a transmitter for transmitting the data packets over air interface channels; a buffer memory configured to buffer the data packets by storing the data packets prior to transmission; a scheduler for scheduling the data packets for transmission over the air interface channels; a memory allocator configured to: determine a buffer memory size of the buffer memory; receive an RNC buffer usage indication for data packets associated with a first air interface communication; determine a current buffer usage, which is an amount of memory of the buffer memory being used, and a buffer memory usage requirement associated with the RNC buffer usage indication; determine a first memory allocation, which is an amount of memory of the buffer memory allocated to support the first air interface communication with a first user equipment; set a maximum first memory allocation threshold, which is a threshold amount of memory of the buffer memory, dependent upon at least one from a group consisting of: a maximum scheduling capacity of the scheduler in one scheduling interval, and a latency characteristic of a communication between the RNC and the base station; and increase the first memory allocation up to the maximum first memory allocation threshold when a sum of the current buffer usage and a buffer memory usage requirement associated with the RNC buffer usage indication exceeds the first memory allocation; a flow controller for determining a transfer allowance for transferring of data from the RNC to the base station based on the buffer memory size, the first memory allocation of the buffer memory and a current buffer memory usage of the first air interface communication; and communication logic for transmitting the transfer allowance to the RNC to indicate the amount of data associated with the first air interface communication that may be transmitted from the RNC to the base station.