Patent ID: 8917599

Claim:
In a node that is configured to receive both high priority packets and low priority packets and to transmit those packets, a method for adapting the rate at which the packets are transmitted, the method comprising: (a) initializing a counter, wherein the counter represents the number of high priority packets and/or bits that have been received since a point in time; (b) setting a transmission rate value to a first predetermined value, wherein the transmission rate value defines a maximum transmission rate or maximum average transmission rate for the low priority packets; (c) receiving a packet; (d) examining the packet to determine whether the packet is a high priority packet or a low priority packet; (e) if the packet is a high priority packet, then incrementing the counter; (f) determining whether the transmission rate value should be adjusted, wherein the determining step comprises comparing said counter to a threshold value; (g) adjusting the transmission rate value if it is determined in step (f) that the transmission rate value should be adjusted; and (h) using a transmitter to transmit a set of low priority packets, wherein a rate at which the set of low priority packets is transmitted is a function of the transmission rate value, wherein: the step of determining whether the transmission rate value should be adjusted comprises determining that the transmission rate value should be increased if the counter is less than the threshold value and if the transmission rate value can be increased by a first predetermined amount without violating a restriction; the step of adjusting the transmission rate value comprises increasing the transmission rate value by the first predetermined amount in response to the determination that the transmission rate value should be increased; the threshold value is a function of a guaranteed rate, associated with the high priority packets, and a margin value or a margin factor value; and the threshold value is equal to (a) the guaranteed rate minus the margin value, (b) the guaranteed rate divided by the margin factor value, or (c) the guaranteed rate multiplied by the margin factor value.