Patent ID: 7069342

Claim:
A method for forwarding data across a communications network, the method comprising: associating a first data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods with a first data content type, the first data compression method having an associated first amount of compression; associating a second data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods with a second data content type, the second data compression method having an associated second amount of compression; determining when a level of congestion associated with the communications network has increased; raising the first amount of compression when it is determined that the first amount of compression is not at a maximum level associated with the first data compression method; determining whether the second amount of compression is at a maximum level associated with the second data compression method when it is determined that the first amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the first data compression method; and raising the second amount of compression when it is determined that the second amount of compression is not at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method.