Shaping arrangement.

摘要

The shaping arrangement includes a time parameter assignment unit (TAU) coupled between an input terminal (IN1/16) of an information packet switching system and a corresponding input (SIN1/16) of a switching unit (SU) of that switching system and, a filter circuit (FC) and a buffer circuit (FC) coupled in cascade between an output (SOUT1/16) of the switching unit (SU) and an output terminal (OUT1/16) of the switching system. The time assignment unit (TAU) calculates, according to a predetermined algorithm and for each information packet applied to it, the value of a time parameter as a function of the instant in time at which that information packet is applied to the input terminal of the system and inserts the calculated value in the information packet. Thereafter the information packet is switched by the switching unit (SU) to the above mentioned output (SOUT1/16) and thus to the filtering circuit (FC). The latter circuit applies the information packet to the buffer circuit (BC) or not depending on the result of the application of a filtering algorithm to that information packet. The filtering algorithm uses the value of the time parameter inserted in the information packet. The buffer circuit buffers the information packet before providing it to the output terminal during a time interval which is such that the total time interval indicated by the difference between the instant in time at which the information packet is supplied to the output terminal and the value of the time parameter included in the packet has a predetermined constant value.