Patent · US Expired

Methods and apparatus for maintaining queues

US6876952B1 · kind B1 · utility

67Cited by
12References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 30, 2003
Grant dateApr 5, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 25, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L69/28
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

One or more queues store data information such as packets or data flows for later transmission to downstream communication devices. A real-time clock tracks current time and an advancement of a moving time reference, which is displaced with respect to the current time of the clock by an offset value. Thus, as current time advances, the moving time reference also advances in time. Upon servicing a queue, a time stamp associated with the serviced queue is also advanced in time. To monitor a rate of outputting data from the one or more queues, a processor device at least occasionally adjusts the offset value so that the moving time reference and values of the time stamps advance in relation to each other. Consequently, by tracking a relative time difference between current time of the real-time clock and a relative advancement of time stamps, a rate of outputting data information from the queue is monitored over time.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.