Methods, systems and computer program products for packet prioritization based on delivery time expectation

1. In a network router having a queue, a packet prioritization method based on delivery time expectation, the method consisting of:

receiving a packet for routing, wherein the packet is prioritized based on respective delivery requirements and relative distance to the packet's destination, and wherein the packet has an Internet Protocol header;

estimating a TimeToDestination for the packet, the estimating performed by an Internet Control Message Protocol;

reading a TimeToDeliver field from the Internet Protocol Header of the packet to extract data on when the packet needs to be at the destination;

determining a MaxQueueDelay for the packet, the MaxQueueDelay calculated by subtracting the TimeToDeliver from the TimeToDestination;

in response to the MaxQueueDelay of the packet being longer than the packet would take in a current queue length, based on the packet priority, passing a lower priority packet if the lower priority packet has a lower MaxQueueDelay; and

decrementing the TimeToDeliver by an amount of time the network router has had the packet in the queue before passing the packet to a next router, thereby communicating to the next router how much time is left before the packet must be delivered.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower priority packet is allowed to pass a higher priority packet if the higher priority packet does not sit in the queue longer than the MaxQueueDelay of the higher priority packet.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower priority packet is not allowed to pass a higher priority packet if the higher priority packet has a MaxQueueDelay less than the MaxQueueDelay of the lower priority packet.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the lower priority packet is not allowed to pass a higher priority packet if the higher priority packet has a MaxQueueDelay equal to the MaxQueueDelay of the lower priority packet.