Patent ID: 6847612

Claim:
A method for removal of ATM cells from an ATM communications device, comprising: assigning a plurality of ATM cells to a common frame; storing said plurality of ATM cells in connection-specific queues; removing all newly arriving cells with the exception of a first and a last ATM cell in a frame, with a first algorithm; removing all of the ATM cells in a frame, from a first to a last cell, on arrival in a queue from said ATM communications device; defining a plurality of ATM cells as not being assigned to a frame; indicating, by a user, at a start of a transmission process, a maximum number of ATM cells per frame; transmitting ATM cells, according to said maximum number of ATM cells per frame; ensuring that said cells which are not assigned to a frame are still included in said queue so that they are not discarded; discarding an associated frame when said maximum number of ATM cells per frame is exceeded, or, if said discarding is not possible, utilizing said first algorithm.