Patent ID: 7920478

Claim:
The method of adapting a data stream before said data stream proceeds to a media access control (MAC) layer, said method comprising: said MAC layer having been adapted to receive a QoS Policy setting; receiving a packet, where said packet is associated with a data stream; determining a distinguishing factor associated with said data stream; selecting, based on said distinguishing factor, a QoS Policy setting for said data stream; and signaling said QoS Policy setting to said MAC layer in association with said packet, said signaling including: making a clone of said packet; modifying said clone to form a modified clone, where said modified clone incorporates a signal representative of said QoS Policy setting; and injecting said clone into said media access control (MAC) layer; wherein said distinguishing factor comprises an identification of an application associated with said data stream; wherein said application is associated with a priority level and said selecting said QoS Policy setting for said data stream comprises basing said selecting on an association between said priority level and said QoS Policy setting.