Patent ID: 7310480

Claim:
A system comprising: a burst assembler to form data bursts from data received from a data source to be transmitted over an optical network; and an adaptive monitor to selectively cause the burst assembler to form statistically multiplexed data bursts for transmission over the optical network in response to detecting that losses incurred in previous transmissions of data over the optical network fall into a first preselected category and to selectively cause the burst assembler to form data bursts for transmission over the optical network according to another format in response to detecting that losses incurred in previous transmissions of data over the optical network fall into a second preselected category, wherein the adaptive monitor is further to selectively cause the burst assembler to form data bursts that each have less data than previously transmitted data bursts that were lost during transmission in response to detecting that losses incurred in previous transmissions of data over the optical network fall into the second preselected category.