Patent ID: 6965566

Claim:
A packet flow control apparatus performing flow control of packets each having variable length, comprising: a buffer memory for temporarily accumulating arrived packets until a sending time for each packet; a counter updated based on the length of an input packet and a rate determined by a limited flow of packets; a sending time determining means for determining the sending time of each packet based on the counter value and a present time; and a sending order control means for managing a sending order of each packet accumulated in the buffer memory, and for sending a read instruction of each packet to the buffer memory, based on the sending time determined by the sending time determining means; wherein the sending time determining means includes a memory means storing parameters for each of a plurality of control units to independently control packet flow, the parameters determining a state of change of the counter; when an input packet is written into the buffer memory, the sending time determining means obtains the sending time of the input packet based on the parameters read out from the memory means, the parameters corresponding to the control unit controlling the input packet; and the sending time determining means updates the parameters based on a newly obtained sending time of the input packet, and transfers the newly obtained sending time of the input packet to the sending order control means.