UNITE DE COMMUTATION D'UN RESEAU DE TRANSMISSION PAR PAQUETS DESTINEE A COMMUTER DES PAQUETS D'UNE CONNEXION PRESENTS SUR UNE ENTREE D'UN DE SES PORTS VERS AU MOINS UNE SORTIE D'UN DE SES PORTS

摘要

A packet network switching unit switches "upper layer packets" at an input port thereof toward a selected output port. Lower layer packets transport the "upper layer packets." A receiving termination module of the unit (1) retrieves upper layers from lower layer packets at its input, (2) inserts each retrieved upper layer into a lower layer packet, ("intermediate packet") and (3) delivers the intermediate packet. A transmitting termination module retrieves the upper layer packet from the intermediate packet, optionally inserts it with other packets into a lower layer packet and delivers the lower layer packets. A switch routes lower layer packets to an input of a receiving termination module that routes (1) intermediate packets transmitted by the receiving module toward one of its output ports, connected to a transmitting termination module input and (2) packets transmitted from the lower layer through each transmitting module toward the unit desired output port.