Patent ID: 7916642

Claim:
A system comprising: a first node for providing a data flow including packets of data; a plurality of second nodes in communication with the first node and for receiving the data flow, the second nodes for communicating with mobile terminals; and the first node receiving control messages from the second nodes indicating congestion information regarding congestion at the second nodes, and in response to the congestion information, setting the first node in one of a plurality of congestion control states; wherein the congestion control state regulates the data flow from the first node to the second nodes such that the data flow from the first node to the second nodes in a congestion control state is different from the data flow in the absence of a control message from the second nodes to the first node indicating congestion at from the second nodes; wherein the first node includes a first state of congestion control, a second state of congestion control, and an open-state, the open-state allowing data flow, the first and second congestion states being different, with each providing at least that some types of packets are stopped and some types of packets are rate-limited; wherein the first node regulates data flow to each of the plurality of second nodes independently of the data flow to other second nodes, such that the first node is capable of being in an open state with respect to one second node and in the first state with respect to a different second node.