Method for allocating transmission bandwidth in a packet-oriented communications facility

1. A method for allocating a transmission bandwidth in a packet-oriented communications facility having a token-bucket unit comprising a time-bucket unit and a byte-credit unit, wherein a data volume token representing a defined data volume is stored in the byte-credit unit, the method comprising:

assigning a token generation time interval and a token generation point of time to the time-bucket unit;

assigning a processing point of time to each data packet before a subsequent processing of the data packets;

determining a transmission time interval available in the time-bucket unit for the subsequent processing of each data packet;

if the token generation time interval is exceeded by the by one of available transmission time intervals: Adding a defined number of data volume tokens to the number of data volume tokens in the byte-credit unit and updating the token generation point of time only; and

if the available transmission time interval is exceeded by the token generation time interval and if the available number of data volume tokens exceeds a required number of data volume tokens for a subsequent processing of a current data packet: Reducing the number of data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit by the required number of data volume tokens corresponding to a data volume of said current data packet

or if the number of data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit is below the data volume required for subsequent processing of said current data packet: Said data packet is not subsequently processed or is processed in a different way or discarded.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the available transmission time interval is determined from a time difference between the processing point of time and an associated token generation point of time.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a currently allocatable data volume is determined from the number of data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein a currently allocatable data volume is determined from the number of data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an updating the number of data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit by adding the defined number includes updating the token generation point of time by adding the token generation time interval to the token generation point of time.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein an updating of the data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit by adding the defined number includes updating the token generation point of time by adding the token generation time interval to the token generation point of time.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein an updating of the data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit by adding the defined number includes updating the token generation point of time by adding the token generation time interval to the token generation point of time.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein for updating the Byte-credit unit for subsequent processing of each data packet a corresponding number of data volume tokens is assigned to a part of the available transmission time interval and added to the number of tokens stored in the Byte-credit unit.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the updating of the data volume tokens is performed a number of times.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the token generation time interval is selected such that the length of the token generation time interval corresponds to the length of the transmission time interval required for processing a data packet having a maximum allocatable data volume.

11. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the length of the token generation time interval is selected such that the length of the token generation time interval corresponds to the length of the transmission time interval required for processing a data packet having a maximum allocatable data volume.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit does not exceed a defined maximum value and does not fall below a defined minimum value.

13. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the number of the data volume tokens stored in the byte-credit unit does not exceed a defined maximum value and does not fall below a defined minimum value.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum transmission time interval defines the average maximum number of data packets arriving immediately after one another in the communication facility.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the packet-oriented communications facility comprises a number of token-bucket units, and an individual transmission bandwidth token generation time interval is assigned to each of the time bucket units.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, if the number of tokens stored in the byte-credit unit falls below the token generation time interval, the defined number of data volume tokens is created and added to that number.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the defined number of data volume tokens is a fixed number.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the fixed number of data volume tokens is defined by the data volume required for the subsequent processing of data packets having a maximum processable packet length.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the N-multiple of the token generation time interval is added to the token generation point of time if the token generation time interval exceeds N times the available transmission time, wherein N is the maximum data volume D max that can be allocated by the byte-credit unit.