Patent ID: 6970426

Claim:
A method comprising: incrementing a value of a first indicator by one at a first rate if the value of the first indicator is less than a first value; incrementing a value of a second indicator by one at the first rate if the value of the first indicator equals the first value and the value of the second indicator is less than a second value; incrementing the value of the second indicator by one at a second rate if the value of the second indicator is less than the second value; receiving a packet, hereafter â€œthe received packetâ€, marked according to a level of assurance; and decrementing the value of the first indicator by a value indicating the length of the received packet if 1) the received packet marked according to a level of assurance has been marked according to a first level of assurance and 2) the value of the first indicator less the value indicating the length of the received packet is greater than or equal to zero, else decrementing the value of the second indicator by the value indicating the length of the received packet and marking the received packet according to a second level of assurance if 1) the received packet marked according to a level of assurance has been marked according to the first level of assurance or the second level of assurance, and 2) the value of the second indicator less the value indicating the length of the received packet is greater than or equal to zero, else marking the received packet according to a third level of assurance.