Patent ID: 7373412
Filing Date: 2008-05-13
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A device linked to a data packet transmission network, the device comprising means for selecting and sorting data packets made available by at least one packet data transmission network having a packet format configured to comply with three levels of protocols, the three levels of protocols including: a first level protocol corresponding to a network transmission physical layer, the first level protocol imposing a general format of a packet including a first level payload-data field and first level service information fields, including a first physical layer destination address, assigned to a first destination address and a second physical layer destination address assigned to a second level protocol identifier, a second level protocol imposing the format of the first level payload-data field with a partitioning of the first level payload-data field into a second level payload-data field and second level service information fields, of which one is a second level destination address assigned to a second destination address, and another second level destination address is assigned to a third level protocol identifier, and a third level protocol imposing the format of the second level payload-data field with a partition of the second level payload-data field into a third level payload-data field and into third level service data fields, said means for selecting and sorting data packets comprising: means for constructing a lower level address directory mustering, in a form of a list of elements, the various values taken by the addressing information appearing in the service information fields of the protocols of the first two levels when they relate to the device, means for constructing a higher address directory mustering, in the form of a list of elements, the various values taken by the addressing information appearing in the service information fields of the protocols of levels higher than the second level when they relate to the device, means for establishing compatibility links that link each element of the list of the lower address directory with one or more elements of the list of the higher level address directory, these compatibility links signaling, in respect of two linked elements, of simultaneously being in the service information fields of the same packet, means for establishing assignment links that link each element of the list of the higher level address directory with at least one reception port of the device, and logic means for sorting each packet made available to the device by the data transmission networks by: in the absence of any matching element, in the presence of a matching element, when addressing information containing the service information fields of the protocols of levels higher than the second are present, in the absence of matching elements, in the presence of a matching element, when addressing information contained in the service information fields of the protocols of levels higher than the second are not present, in the absence of matching elements, in the presence of a matching element,