Allocating bandwidth between users in a telecommunications system using classification into priority classes queuing users and allocating bandwidth in order

摘要

In a multi-user communications system in which users contend for limited total bandwidth, a bandwidth allocation method operates as follows. Each user is classified into one of a plurality of ranked classes. Each class contains an active pool (2), containing users which are queued to receive an allocated amount of bandwidth to transmit and/or receive a quantity of data, and an inactive pool, containing users which are not currently seeking to transmit and/or receive. In each class, the user at the head of the active pool queue uses its allocated bandwidth and then moves to the back of the queue if it has more data to transmit and/or receive; otherwise it moves to the inactive pool. In each class, if a user in the inactive pool contends for a bandwidth allocation, it is moved into the active pool queue. Preferably, different bandwidth access priorities are provided in different classes, so that users seeking bandwidth-critical communications, such as voice channels, may be placed in a high-priority class.