Packet communication system and a method related to such a system

A packet communication system comprising:

• a first interface for receiving a stream of information from a first communications network and transforming said stream of information into a corresponding stream of information packets,
• a packet control unit that has a second interface for receiving a data frame from a second communications network and for segmenting said data frame into a sequence of data segments,
• a first node,
• a first packet data link connecting said first interface and said packet control unit to said first node,
• means for transmitting said stream of information packets and said sequence of data segments on said first packet data link with a first priority given to a first few of the data segments of said sequence of data segments and to all of the information packets of said stream of information packets wherein a second priority is given to a rest of the data segments of said sequence of data segments;
• and
• wherein said means for transmitting shares transmission resources on said first packet data link by transmitting said stream of information packets and said sequence of data segments on a time multiplexed basis.

A method relating to a packet data communication system to improve the transmission efficiency when transmitting information packets, which are sensitive to delay and data segments, which are sensitive to loss of data, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a data frame;
• dividing said data frame into a sequence of data segments;
• transmitting said sequence of data segments over a first packet data link to a first node for further transmission over a second packet data link, wherein information packets are also transmitted over the first packet data link with a first priority;
• buffering the received data segments in said first node until transmission over a second packet data link at defined times for each data segment;
• and
• signaling from said first node in the event of the number of data segments decreases a threshold number whereupon a few of the data segments of said sequence of data segments are transmitted with said first priority over said first packet data link.