Patent ID: 7113517

Claim:
A method to select a queue from which a packet is to be transmitted within a communications device said method including: providing at least one calendar with n locations, n greater than 1, wherein each location includes id for a queue and an indicia to be set in one of two states; partitioning the n locations into a plurality of segments; searching each segment with a search engine to detect a first location having an associated indicia set to a predefined state; for each segment search, setting assumptions for a starting point CP whereat said searching begins wherein said assumptions cause multiple searches to be executed on at least one of said plurality of segment and the assumptions include no current pointer CP is within a segment being searched wherein searching begins at a first location of the segment and ends at the last location of said segment and a current pointer CP is in the segment being searched wherein searching begins at current pointer location in said segment being searched ending at the last location of said segment and searching begins at the first location of the segment ending at a location preceding the current pointer location; using outputs from the search engine to select one of the locations; and transferring a packet from the queue whose id is recorded at the one of the location.