Patent ID: 7630303

Claim:
A communication control method in a network said method comprising the steps of: transmitting said first traffic and second traffic to a first node, wherein the first traffic comprise a priority tag; determining whether a combined traffic flow exceeds a predetermined bandwidth level indicating congestion; executing a first type of flow control on said second traffic when the combined traffic flow is determined to exceed the predetermined bandwidth level; and executing a second type of flow control when the combined traffic flow is determined not to exceed the predetermined bandwidth level, wherein the first type of flow control comprises: distinguishing said first traffic from said second traffic as a function of the priority tag; assigning first traffic a predetermined speed portion of the predetermined bandwidth level; assigning the second traffic to a remaining speed portion of the predetermined bandwidth level; limiting second traffic flowing through a second node to the first node from one or more third nodes to a limited speed portion, wherein the limited speed portion is calculated as a function of (1) the remaining speed portion, (2) second traffic from a fourth node flowing to the first node, and (3) second traffic flowing through second node from one or more third nodes; and wherein the second type of flowing control, which is executed when the combined traffic flow is determined not to exceed the predetermined bandwidth level, comprises: setting a maximum speed portion for second traffic; preventing a burst of speed traffic from disrupting transmission of first traffic.