Packet switching apparatus adapted to control allowed transmission rate in packet switching network, and method of controlling allowed transmission rate

A packet switching apparatus adapted to determine and control an allowed transmission rate for a transmitting terminal connected in an ATM network being a packet switching network in which a band is controlled by a feedback control, and in which an ABR service is done in which a band control by a resource management cell is effected, comprising:

• means for monitoring the interval of cell reception for each virtual path or channel of a reception cell, and judging, based on the interval of cell reception, whether the transmitting terminal having sent the cell is in pause of transmission and determining a first ER value for the transmitting terminal correspondingly to a result of the judgment, the interval of cell reception being monitored with respect to intervals between reception times of cells received from the transmitting terminal over said each virtual path or channel, irrespective as to whether or not the received cell is a resource management cell or a non-resource management cell;
• means for calculating a second ER value based on a predetermined algorithm;
• and
• means for selecting a smaller one among the first ER value determined by said rate discriminating means and the second ER value calculated by said rate calculating means, and writing it into a backward resource management cell returned to the transmitting terminal.

A method of determining and controlling an allowed transmission rate for a transmitting terminal connected to a packet switching network in which a band is controlled by a feedback control, comprising the steps of:

• monitoring the interval of packet reception for each connection, the interval of cell reception being monitored with respect to intervals between reception times of cells received from the transmitting terminal over said each connection, irrespective as to whether or not the received cell is a resource management cell or a non-resource management cell;
• judging, based on the interval of packet reception, whether the transmitting terminal having sent the packet is in pause of transmission and determining a first allowed transmission rate for the transmitting terminal correspondingly to a result of the judgment;
• calculating a second allowed transmission rate based on a predetermined algorithm;
• and
• selecting a smaller one among the first allowed transmission rate and the second allowed transmission rate, and writing it into a packet returned to the transmitting terminal.