Patent ID: 6920109

Claim:
A packet shaper ensuring that packets falling within minimum bandwidth are transmitted to their destinations comprising: one buffer to store packets; a buffer output control means to output packets in order in which the packets have been stored into said buffer; a priority decision means to decide what queuing priority of a packet when storing packets into said buffer; and a discard control means to judge whether a packet is stored into said buffer or discarded, based on said queuing priority, wherein: said priority decision means comprising: a flow detection unit to detect a flow consisting of a series of packets and determine what flow identifier of said flow by referring to the information contained in the packet header; a bandwidth check table to hold one entry or a plurality of entries comprising bandwidth check control information which is control information for supervising packet arrival within bandwidth; a bandwidth check table control means to read an entry at address associated with said flow identifier from said bandwidth check table; and a check result decision means to determine queuing priority, based on the bandwidth check control information in the entry read by said bandwidth check table control means, the value of a timer indicating current time, and packet length in the packet header, wherein: said flow detection unit determines importance of packets of said flow in addition to said flow identifier and said check result decision means determines queuing priority, based on said importance besides said bandwidth check control information, said value of a timer indicating current time, and said packet length in the packet header.