Patent ID: 6891856

Claim:
A timeslot assignment method for a communication system in which a plurality of end-user systems are connected to a timeslot assignment unit via a common transmission medium, each of said end-user systems comprising a buffer for storing packets of either variable or constant length- and forwarding packets from said buffer on assigned timeslots, the method comprising the steps of: a) determining a first count number of said packets in the buffer of each of said end-user systems; b) determining a second, total count number of timeslots previously assigned to each end-user system during a delay time period of said timeslot assignment unit; c) using said first and second count numbers for determining a third count number of packets in said buffer to which timeslots are still not assigned; and d) assigning timeslots to packets of each end-user system based on an order of rank of third count numbers of respective ones of said plurality of end-user systems.