Abstract: A system and method for controlling the cell priority of cells transmitted from a cell source to network destinations across a network connection is provided. Each of the cells transmitted is registered in a measurement buffer upon being output from the cell source. The registered cells in the measurement buffer are discharged at a discharge rate corresponding to the current occupancy level of the measurement buffer. Cell priority values are generated by correlating the current buffer occupancy level to one of a plurality of predetermined buffer occupancy ranges to determine which occupancy range coincides with the current occupancy level. The generated cell priority values are loaded into cells transmitted from the cell source for use by the network connection.

Abstract: A system and method for regulating the cell transfer rate over a network in response to priority level feedback. The feedback feature provides network connection availability information corresponding to a level of bandwidth available on the network connection to the cell source. The connection availability information is converted into a buffer occupancy level accessible at the cell source. The cell transfer rate is regulated at the network source unit in accordance with the buffer occupancy level, including decreasing the cell transfer rate when the buffer occupancy level rises above a high occupancy threshold of the buffer, and increasing the cell transfer rate when the buffer occupancy level drops below a low occupancy threshold of the buffer.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling cell transmission from a network source unit to network destination units across a network connection is provided. A timer is initiated upon transmission of a cell from the network source unit. A timer output value, provided at the timer output, is adjusted to reflect a time lapse measured from the time of initiation of the timer. The timer output value is compared to an expected cell time interval upon transmission of a subsequent cell, to establish a rate variation indicator. The rate variation indicator generally indicates whether the cell transmission rate is increasing or decreasing at a particular time. A cell priority value, derived from the rate variation indicator, is loaded into the subsequent cell for use by the network connection.