Patent ID: 7130269

Claim:
A method for timing an output of data packets from a network node, which comprises, in one cycle: determining a current buffer memory fill level of a queue of a network node and thereby obtaining a determined current buffer memory fill level; comparing the determined current buffer memory fill level with a predetermined lower limit for a buffer memory fill level; and assigning an output time at which a data packet that is located in the queue will be output from the network node, in dependence on a result of the comparing step; in an nth cycle, in the assigning step, determining the output time Ta(n) in accordance with Ta(n)=Ts(n)+L/R, where: Ts(n) is a reference time allocated to the nth cycle, L is a packet length of the data packet to be assigned, R is a bit rate at an output of the network node, and a value of R depends on the result of the comparing step.