# US 10,771,872 B2 · Traffic management with limited-buffer switches > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,872 B2 - Document ID: US10771872B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/653,731 - Filed: 2019-10-15 - Published: 2020-04-16 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-16 - Assignees: Tibit Communications, Inc. - Applicants: Tibit Communications, Inc. - Inventors: Edward W. Boyd - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771872B2 ## CPC - H04Q 11/0066: {Provisions for optical burst or packet networks} - H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)} - H04L 12/4645: {Details on frame tagging (routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354)} - H04L 47/22: Traffic shaping - H04L 47/32: by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames - H04Q 11/0067: {Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring} - H04Q 2011/0084: {Quality of service aspects} - H04Q 2213/13522: traffic management - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract One embodiment provides a system and method for managing traffic in a network that includes at least a passive optical network (PON). During operation, the system obtains traffic status associated with the PON, generates a traffic-shaping factor for the PON based on the traffic status, and applies traffic shaping for each optical network unit (ONU) within the PON using the generated traffic-shaping factor. The traffic-shaping factor determines a portion of a best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-executable method for managing traffic in a network comprising at least a passive optical network (PON), comprising: obtaining traffic status associated with the PON, wherein the traffic status comprises one or more of: bandwidth utilization and a packet-dropping rate; generating a traffic-shaping factor for the PON based on the traffic status; and applying traffic shaping for each optical network unit (ONU) within the PON using the generated traffic-shaping factor, wherein the traffic-shaping factor determines a portion of a best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU, and wherein generating the traffic-shaping factor comprises: in response to determining that the bandwidth utilization or the packet-dropping rate exceeds a predetermined threshold, reducing the traffic-shaping factor to reduce the portion of the best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic shaping is applied by a service-provider bridge to reduce a transmission rate of packets destined to the PON. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic shaping is applied by a respective ONU to reduce a request rate of packets destined to the ONU. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the traffic-shaping factor comprises: in response to determining that the bandwidth utilization or the packet-dropping rate is below a second predetermined threshold, increasing the traffic-shaping factor to increase the portion of the best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a packet destined to a first ONU; in response to determining that an amount of bandwidth used by the first ONU exceeds a guaranteed data rate provided to the first ONU, marking the packet as eligible for dropping. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: in response to determining that congestion occurs at the PON, dropping a packet destined to the PON marked as eligible for dropping. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein marking the packet as eligible for dropping comprises setting a predetermined bit in a service virtual local-area network (VLAN) tag. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic-shaping factor is generated by one of: a network functions virtualization (NFV) switch; an optical line terminal (OLT) associated with the PON; and an access switch coupled to the PON. ### Claim 9 An apparatus for managing traffic in a network comprising at least a passive optical network (PON), comprising: a PON status module configured to obtain traffic status associated with the PON, wherein the traffic status corn rises one or more of: bandwidth utilization and a packet-dropping rate; a traffic-shaping-factor-generation module configured to generate a traffic-shaping factor for the PON based on the traffic status; and a traffic-shaping module configured to apply traffic shaping for each optical network unit (ONU) within the PON using the generated traffic-shaping factor, wherein the traffic-shaping factor determines a portion of a best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU, and wherein, while generating the traffic-shaping factor, the traffic-shaping-factor-generation module is configured to: in response to determining that the bandwidth utilization or the packet-dropping rate exceeds a predetermined threshold, reduce the traffic-shaping factor to reduce the portion of the best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the traffic-shaping module is located at a service-provider bridge and configured to reduce a transmission rate of packets destined to the PON. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the traffic-shaping module is located at a respective ONU and configured to reduce a request rate of packets destined to the ONU. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, while generating the traffic-shaping factor, the traffic-shaping-factor-generation module is configured to: in response to determining that the bandwidth utilization or the packet-dropping rate is below a second predetermined threshold, increase the traffic-shaping factor to increase the portion of the best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a packet-marking module configured to: in response to determining that an amount of bandwidth used by a first ONU exceeds a guaranteed data rate provided to the first ONU, mark a packet destined to the first ONU as eligible for dropping. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a packet-processing module configured to: in response to determining that congestion occurs at the PON, drop a packet destined to the PON marked as eligible for dropping. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, while marking the packet, the packet-marking module is configured to set a predetermined bit in a service virtual local-area network (VLAN) tag. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the traffic-shaping-2 factor-generation module R located on one of: a network virtualization functions (NFV) switch; an optical line terminal (OLT) associated with the PON; and an access switch coupled to the PON.