Patent ID: 6789176
Filing Date: 2004-09-07
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for releasing an address in a common buffering device, said method comprising the steps of:setting for an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell to be transmitted to a specific line, a write address in the common buffering device; writing the ATM cell at the write address in the common buffering device; reading-out the ATM cell from an address position in the common buffering device, corresponding to the write address; transmitting the read-out ATM cell to the specific line; and releasing the write address in the common buffering device; wherein when the ATM cell is multicast to a plurality of lines, in the step of setting, the plurality of lines are set in a write control table; in the reading-out step, each time the ATM cell is read-out from the write address in the common buffering device, a designation line for transmission of the read-out ATM cell, indicated in a read control table is compared with the plurality of lines set in the write control table; and in the releasing step, the write address is released when all designation lines for transmission of the read-out ATM cell coincide with the plurality of lines for multicast.