Patent ID: 8068423

Claim:
A method for scheduling input flows in a scheduling multiplexer, comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of input flows at a first input buffer and a second input buffer associated with the scheduling multiplexer; receiving an actual symbol consumption value from a framer transmitting a first plurality of packets previously multiplexed by the scheduling multiplexer and provided to a packetizer which in turn provides the first plurality of packets to the framer; determining a present estimated symbol quota value in the scheduling multiplexer based on comparing the actual symbol consumption value with a previous estimated symbol quota, wherein said present estimated symbol quota value is reduced relative to the previous estimated symbol quota if the actual symbol consumption value was greater than the previous estimated symbol quota, and wherein said present estimated symbol quota value is increased relative to the previous estimated symbol quota if the actual symbol consumption was less than then previous estimated symbol quota; and multiplexing a first number of bits from the first input buffer with a second number of bits from the second input buffer based on the present estimated symbol quota value.