Abstract: A packet-relay unit 100 including a first interface unit (110), a second interface unit (120), and a function-setting switch (130). The second interface unit (120) includes a classifying unit (121), a priority control unit (122), and a transceiving unit (123). When the function-setting switch (130) sets a “QoS function” as “operative”, the classifying unit (121) transfers packets transferred from the first interface unit (110) to the priority control unit (122). The priority control unit (122) provides priority control over the transferred packets such that the transferred packets are preferentially treated at a wireless zone connected to the second interface unit (120), whereby the priority-controlled packets are transferred to a transceiving unit (123) from the priority control unit (122). When the function-setting switch (130) sets “the QoS function” as “inoperative”, the classifying unit (121) transfers the transferred packets directly to the transceiving unit (123).

Abstract: The present invention provides a base station including a resource request-receiving unit operable to receive a resource request from a communication apparatus, and a resource-reserving unit operable to make a resource reservation in response to the resource request, in which the resource reservation is required by communication between the base station and the communication apparatus. The resource-reserving unit reserves resources required by data packets, and resources required by acknowledgment packets paired with the data packets. The above structure of the base station transmits the acknowledgment packets without delay, and provides improved communication throughput.

Abstract: A packet shaper includes: a TCP packet queue for storing TCP packets; a UDP packet queue for storing UDP packets; a scheduler for outputting a packet from one of the queues into a rate-setting control unit. Control based on a total queue length is performed to deterioration of image quality or tone quality in the audio/visual communications according to a connection-oriented protocol like TCP.

Abstract: Every entry of a flow table has the following fields: a source IP address; a destination IP address; a protocol number; an identification; a source port number; a destination port number; a payload type; and SSRC information. An RTP-judging unit judges, when IP packets having a characteristic of a RTP header have been inputted continuously for predetermined time, that each of the IP packets includes an RTP packet. A packet-classifying unit classifies an inputted IP packet according to a judgment result by the RTP-judging unit and a pre-defined packet-classifying-rule.

Abstract: A packet transmission method wherein, when the sum of the bands of a plurality of flows including packets having the same priority exceeds the guaranteed band shared by these flows, a packet belongs to a flow having an earlier transmission start time is given a higher priority than a packet belongs to a flow having a later transmission start time on the in order of arrival basis based on the transmission start time. A classifier controls the token thresholds and a priority control mechanism controls the discard thresholds based on each flow to use for deciding the conditions.

Abstract: Multicast packets are provided to a multicast queue and packets besides multicast packets are provided to queues, each of which is provided according to each user terminal. The transmittable band of a queue corresponding to a user terminal that uses multicast is reduced in accordance with the number of multicast traffic used and the number of group members and thereby handled as if the queue has consumed the guaranteed band to thereby guarantee the guaranteed band of each user.