Patent ID: 7835282

Claim:
A method of providing priority service in a telecommunications network, comprising: (a) monitoring a rate at which priority service requests are received at a node of the telecommunications network; (b) comparing the rate to a threshold; (c) disabling a gapping function for priority service traffic at the node when the rate is less than the threshold; (d) enabling the gapping function for priority service traffic at the node when the rate is not less than the threshold, and, (e) dynamically regulating a parameter of the gapping function when the gapping function is enabled based at least in part on whether a select priority service request received at the node is accompanied by valid or invalid credentials, wherein the regulated parameter is a duration of a gap defined by the gapping function, the regulating comprising: comparing a current value of the parameter to a maximum limit and if the maximum limit has not yet been reached, then incrementing the duration of the gap by an amount when it is determined that the select priority service request is invalid.