Patent ID: 7433311

Claim:
A method for adjusting usage of a resource of a communications channel, the method comprising the steps of: negotiating a current resource setting for usage of the resource of the communications channel; performing communications on the communications channel using the resource; and periodically renegotiating a new value for the current resource setting upon detecting a negotiation event during performance of communications on the communications channel using the resource, the negotiation event indicating that an accrued usage cost of the resource of the communications channel is at least one of i) substantially equals to a cost to renegotiate the current resource setting; and ii) exceeds a cost to renegotiate the current resource setting, wherein the step of periodically renegotiating a new value for the current resource setting upon detecting a negotiation event comprises the steps of: detecting a negotiation event related to the resource; in response to the step of detecting, calculating a new value for the current resource setting that more closely approximates a value of an actual resource usage of the resource of the communications channel; and negotiating with a resource allocator to establish the new value for the current resource setting, and wherein if a value of the actual resource usage setting is lower than a former value of the actual resource usage setting, the new value of the current resource setting is calculated to be lower than a former value of the current resource setting.