Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
A method for transmitting data units in a communications network comprising the steps of: transmitting said data units along a forward communications path in a network from source nodes via one or more intermediary nodes to destination nodes, at said intermediary nodes, receiving said data units in buffers and transmitting said data units stored in said buffers along said forward communications path according to a transmission schedule, in the presence of congestion at one of said intermediary nodes, providing an indication of said congestion to said destination nodes of first data units being transmitted according to said schedule, and providing an indication of said congestion at said one intermediary node by said destination nodes of said first data units to source nodes of said first data units.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
127 words
A method for transmitting data units in a communications network comprising the steps of: transmitting said data units along a forward communications path in a network from source nodes via one or more intermediary nodes to destination nodes, at said intermediary nodes, receiving said data units in buffers and transmitting said data units stored in said buffers along said forward communications path according to a transmission schedule, in the presence of congestion at one of said intermediary nodes, providing an indication of said congestion to said destination nodes of first data units being transmitted according to said schedule, and providing an indication of said congestion at said one intermediary node by said destination nodes of said first data units to source nodes of said first data units.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said data units are packets.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said data units are cells.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing an indication of congestion to said destination nodes further comprises the step of: dropping said first data units.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: receiving one of said indications of congestion from one of said destination nodes of said first data units at one of said source nodes of said first data units, and in response to said one indication, reducing the transmission of data units from said one source node into said communications network.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing an indication of congestion to said destination nodes further comprises the step of: setting a congestion bit in at least one of said data units.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said steps of transmitting and providing are performed according to Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said steps of transmitting and receiving and said steps of providing are performed according to Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) over asychronous transfer mode (ATM).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, in the presence of congestion at one of said intermediary nodes, dropping said first data units to be transmitted according to said schedule.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of providing to said destination nodes of said first data units an indication that said first data units have been dropped.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of providing from said destination nodes of said first data units to said source nodes of said first data units an indication that said first data units have been dropped.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
172 words
A method for transmitting packets in a communications network comprising the steps of: transmitting said packets along a forward communications path in a network from a source node via a sequence of two or more intermediary nodes to a destination node, at a first intermediary node of said sequence, dividing each packet into a plurality of cells and transmitting said cells of said packet along said forward communications path, at a second one of said intermediary nodes, receiving said cells in a buffer and transmitting said cells stored in said buffer along said forward communications path according to a transmission schedule, in the presence of congestion at said second intermediary node, dropping the first cells to be transmitted according to said schedule, if a cell into which a particular packet is divided is dropped, dropping each later cell into which said particular packet is divided, and providing an indication of said congestion for said particular packet by the destination nodes of said particular packet to the source node of said particular packet.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
172 words
A method for transmitting packets in a communications network comprising the steps of: transmitting said packets along a forward communications path in a network from a source node via a sequence of two or more intermediary nodes to a destination node, at a first intermediary node of said sequence, dividing each packet into a plurality of cells and transmitting said cells of said packet along said forward communications path, at a second one of said intermediary nodes, receiving said cells in a buffer and transmitting said cells stored in said buffer along said forward communications path according to a transmission schedule, in the presence of congestion at said second intermediary node, dropping the first cells to be transmitted according to said schedule, if a cell into which a particular packet is divided is dropped, dropping each later cell into which said particular packet is divided, and providing an indication of said congestion for said particular packet by the destination nodes of said particular packet to the source node of said particular packet.