Patent ID: 7603496
Filing Date: 2009-10-13
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A buffer for storing data being transferred using a plurality of control channels, a data item of said data being transferred between a data source and a data destination using one of said plurality of control channels, said buffer comprising: a data input port for receiving said data being transferred using said plurality of control channels; a data output port for outputting said data being transferred using said plurality of control channels; and a data store for storing data received from said data input port prior to it being output by said data output port as a plurality of groups of data items, wherein each group comprises data items received from a same one of said plurality of channels, and each data item within said group being stored in a storage location, said data store comprising free storage locations being storage locations not currently storing data and not currently allocated to one of said plurality of groups, wherein said data store is responsive to a data item received at said data input to store said data item in one of said free storage locations and then to allocate said one of said free storage locations to a respective group in dependence on said channel said data item was received from.