# US 8,570,867 B2 · Method and apparatus for reshaping cell-based traffic > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,570,867 B2 - Document ID: US8570867B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/642,364 - Filed: 2009-12-18 - Published: 2010-04-22 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-20 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: Mark A. Elias - Inventors: Mark A. Elias - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8570867B2 ## CPC - H04L 49/606: {Hybrid ATM switches, e.g. ATM&STM, ATM&Frame Relay or ATM&IP} - H04L 12/5602: {Bandwidth control in ATM Networks, e.g. leaky bucket} - H04L 47/22: Traffic shaping - H04L 2012/5618: {Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A cell-based router comprising a controller to receive provisioning information including a transport rate of at least one frame-based router among a group of frame-based routers in a communication network, adjust cell transmission rate to avoid packet losses at the frame-based routers, where cell-based traffic is routed to a bidirectional cell and frame based switch according to updated bandwidth comprising the adjusted cell transmission rate, where the bidirectional cell and frame based switch is coupled to the cell-based router and the frame-based routers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A network cluster comprising: a plurality of cell-based routers in a communication network, each of the cell-based routers comprising: a memory storing computer instructions; and a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising: receiving provisioning information including an initial provisioned transport rate based on a number of sessions of traffic that can be accommodated within a non-congested operating range of a frame-based router among a plurality of frame-based routers in the communication network; and adjusting a cell transmission rate, resulting in an adjusted cell transmission rate, according to the initial provisioned transport rate prior to an occurrence of congestion of downstream traffic at the plurality of frame-based routers, wherein cell-based traffic is routed to a bidirectional cell and frame based switch according to updated bandwidth comprising the adjusted cell transmission rate, and wherein the bidirectional cell and frame based switch is coupled between the plurality of cell-based routers and the plurality of frame-based routers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The network cluster of claim 1, wherein the cell transmission rate is adjusted by buffering data cells. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The network cluster of claim 2, wherein provisioning is statically determined. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The network cluster of claim 2, wherein provisioning is dynamically determined according to adjustments made to the initial provisioned transport rate of the frame-based router. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The network cluster of claim 2, wherein the cell transmission rate is adjusted so that a frame relay rate sourced by the switch remains within the non-congested operating range of the frame-based router. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The network cluster of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional cell and frame based switch comprises: an asynchronous transfer mode switch; and a frame relay switch, wherein the asynchronous transfer mode switch and the frame relay switch are coupled, and wherein the asynchronous transfer mode switch and the frame relay switch exchange the cell-based traffic and frame-based traffic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The network cluster of claim 1, wherein the cell-based traffic comprises fixed-sized frames, and wherein frame-based traffic comprises variable-sized frames. ### Claim 8 A switch operably coupled to a plurality of cell-based routers and a plurality of frame-based routers, the switch comprising: a memory storing computer instructions; and a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising: providing provisioning information to each cell-based router of the plurality of cell-based routers, the provisioning information including an initial provisioned transport rate of a frame-based router among the plurality of frame-based routers in a communication network, wherein the initial provisioned transport rate is based on a number of sessions of traffic that can be accommodated within a non-congested operating range of the frame-based router; receiving cell-based traffic from the plurality of cell-based routers according to a cell transmission rate adjusted according to the initial provisioned transport rate prior to an occurrence of congestion of downstream traffic at the plurality of frame-based routers; and transmitting the cell-based traffic to a frame-based router of the plurality of frame-based routers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The switch of claim 8, wherein the cell transmission rate is adjusted by buffering of data cells so that a frame relay rate sourced by the switch remains within the non-congested operating range of the frame-based router. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The switch of claim 9, wherein provisioning of the initial provisioned transport rate is statically determined. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The switch of claim 9, wherein provisioning of the initial provisioned transport rate is dynamically determined according to adjustments made to the initial provisioned transport rate of the frame-based router. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The switch of claim 9, comprising: an asynchronous transfer mode switch; and a frame relay switch, wherein the asynchronous transfer mode switch and the frame relay switch are coupled, and wherein the asynchronous transfer mode switch and the frame relay switch are configured to exchange cell-based and frame-based traffic. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The switch of claim 12, wherein the cell-based traffic comprises fixed-sized frames, and wherein frame-based traffic comprises variable-sized frames. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: provisioning a cell-based router of a plurality of cell-based routers with an initial provisioned transport rate of a frame-based router of a plurality of frame-based routers, wherein the initial provisioned transport rate is based on a number of sessions that can be accommodated within non-congested operating ranges of the plurality of frame-based routers; and buffering data cells of each cell-based router of the plurality of cell-based routers according to the initial provisioned transport rate of the frame-based router prior to an occurrence of congestion of downstream traffic at the plurality of frame-based routers, wherein the plurality of cell-based routers and the plurality of frame-based routers are coupled to a cell and frame based switch; and routing cell-based traffic to the cell and frame based switch. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein provisioning the cell-based router of the plurality of cell-based routers with the initial provisioned transport rate of the frame-based router of the plurality of frame-based routers is by the cell and frame based switch. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein provisioning is statically determined. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein provisioning is dynamically determined according to adjustments made to the initial provisioned transport rate of the frame-based routers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising adjusting a cell transmission rate by the buffering of the data cells so that a frame relay rate sourced by the cell and frame based switch remains within the non-congested operating ranges of the frame-based router. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, comprising adjusting a cell transmission rate by the buffering of the data cells so that a frame relay rate sourced by the cell and frame based switch remains within the non-congested operating ranges of the frame-based router. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the cell-based traffic comprises fixed-sized frames, and wherein frame-based traffic comprises variable-sized frames.