Patent · US Active

Random early packet discard (RED)

US7636307B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
10References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 13, 2003
Grant dateDec 22, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 8, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L47/326
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

At telecommunications switches and routers, RED (random early packet discard) uses the queue depth to determine whether to keep or discard each packet as it arrives at a queue. This is done by determining a discard probability (P), which is dependent on the average depth of the queue, and comparing the discard probability to a random number. One way of performing the invention uses the summed discard probabilities, instead of counting the number of packets (count) and multiplying that by the current discard probability, as in the prior art. The resulting sum is compared to the random number for discard operation. The disclosure further describes a more accurate way of calculating average depth of a queue, especially when the queue encounters periods of idleness.

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