Patent ID: 7675916

Claim:
A method for dynamically adjusting QoS parameters associated with a virtual circuit, the virtual circuit comprising a first end connected to a first router and a second end connected to a second router, the method comprising: sending an offer message to the second router from the first router, wherein sending the offer message includes sending at least a first set of QoS parameters, an offer ID, wherein the offer ID identifies the offer containing the first set of QoS parameters, a keep alive interval for the offer, a maximum transmit unit size for the virtual circuit; and a transmission overhead incurred by the first router; receiving an offer rejection message at the first router from the second router, wherein the offer rejection message comprises a cause code indicating which QoS parameters in the first set of QoS parameters are unacceptable to the second router and further comprises the offer ID; sending a new offer message to the second router, wherein sending the new offer message includes at least sending a second set of QoS parameters and a new offer ID, the new offer ID being different from the offer ID, wherein the new offer ID identifies the new offer containing the second set of QoS parameters; if the second set of QoS parameters is acceptable to the second router then receiving an offer confirmation message at the first router from the second router, the offer confirmation message including at least the new offer ID; if the second set of QoS parameters is not acceptable to the second router then iteratively repeating at the first router the process of receiving an offer rejection message, sending a new offer message, and receiving an offer confirmation message until an acceptable second set of QoS parameter is offered by the first router and accepted by the second router; and receiving information compliant with the second set of QoS parameter at the first router.