Abstract: A traffic shaping control device for an ATM communication network which permits downscaling of hardware and eliminates a delay of cells that is caused by performing a delay process on cells which need not be subjected to the delay process. The flow rate of cells of each of connections is checked with the use of flow rate calculating unit, and a cell exceeding a predetermined reference flow rate is circulated through a delay loop, which is constituted by delay-controlled cell detecting unit, delay-passed cell detecting unit, number-of-repetitions monitoring unit and delay unit, a number of times corresponding to an initial number of repetitions determined for each connection. Such a cell is therefore delayed so that the flow rate may eventually become lower than or equal to the predetermined reference flow rate. The cell flow rate is thereafter again checked by the flow rate calculating unit, and the above operation is repeated until the flow rate is reduced to the predetermined reference flow rate or below.

Abstract: A traffic shaping control device for an ATM communication network which permits downscaling of hardware and eliminates a delay of cells that is caused by performing a delay process on cells which need not be subjected to the delay process. The flow rate of cells of each of connections is checked with the use of flow rate calculating unit, and a cell exceeding a predetermined reference flow rate is circulated through a delay loop, which is constituted by delay-controlled cell detecting unit, delay-passed cell detecting unit, number-of-repetitions monitoring unit and delay unit, a number of times corresponding to an initial number of repetitions determined for each connection. Such a cell is therefore delayed so that the flow rate may eventually become lower than or equal to the predetermined reference flow rate. The cell flow rate is thereafter again checked by the flow rate calculating unit, and the above operation is repeated until the flow rate is reduced to the predetermined reference flow rate or below.