Patent ID: 7898956

Claim:
Apparatus comprising: a transmitter; and a rate limiter coupled to the transmitter for limiting an actual transmit data rate at which data are transmitted by the transmitter, wherein the rate limiter constrains transmission of the data in accordance with credits accumulated in proportion to a reference clock rate and expended upon transmission of the data, wherein the rate limiter comprises: a rate register for storing at least one value corresponding to an accumulation rate at which the credits are accumulated; and a credit counter for maintaining the credits, wherein the at least one value comprises: an upper value corresponding to an upper accumulation rate; and a lower value corresponding to a lower accumulation rate, wherein the rate limiter operates at the upper accumulation rate for a first period of time and at the lower accumulation rate for a second period time such that, over the first and second periods of time, the rate limiter operates at an average rate adapted to conform to a maximum average receive rate at which the data may be received.