Patent ID: 7508831

Claim:
A device, comprising: a first buffer to: receive data from a plurality of streams of data, store the data from the plurality of streams of data as first stored data, determine when an amount of the first stored data exceeds a first threshold, generate a forward flow control signal to increase a rate at which the first stored data is read from the first buffer when the amount of the first stored data exceeds the first threshold, and output the forward flow control signal to at least one downstream component; and a plurality of second buffers connected downstream from the first buffer, each of the second buffers corresponding to one of the plurality of streams of data, each of the second buffers being configured to: receive data from the corresponding stream of data, store the data from the corresponding stream of data as second stored data, determine when an amount of the second stored data exceeds a second threshold, generate a backward flow control signal to decrease a rate at which the data from the plurality of streams of data is written to the first buffer when the amount of the second stored data exceeds the second threshold, and output the backward flow control signal to at least one upstream component.