Patent ID: 7693421
Filing Date: 2010-04-06
Classification: H04Q

Abstract:
1. An optical packet buffering device that accepts input of asynchronously-arriving variable-length optical packets transmitted via N light paths, wherein N denotes an integer of 2 or more, and outputs the asynchronously-arriving variable-length optical packets to a single light path, comprising: means for reading optical packet lengths of the variable-length optical packets on the individual light paths; means for reading an arrival gap time between a start time of a clock signal prepared in advance and an arrival time of the subsequent most recent variable-length optical packet; a queue consisting of a plurality of delay elements that temporarily store said plurality of optical packets and give each of said optical packets one of B different delay times, wherein B denotes an integer of 2 or more; an optical switch that allots said optical packets individually to one of said plurality of delay elements; an optical multiplexer that is connected by light paths to said plurality of delay elements and enabled to multiplex the optical packet signals delayed by the delay elements; an output light path connected to the multiplexer; a controller which, by using the delay times of the delay elements and the lengths of the optical packets and the arrival gap time read by the means for reading the arrival gap time, selects the delay element used for temporary storage from said plurality of delay elements in order to prevent the accepted optical packets from overlapping in the output light path, wherein the controller gives sequential numbers n from 1 to N individually to said N light paths, and the means for reading the optical packet lengths of variable-length optical packets and the means for reading the arrival gap time respectively read with a period T, a length l an arrangement of a first stage, which has disposed therein processors P(1,n) that calculate the optical packet length l an arrangement of an m an arrangement of a (log in the arrangement of the (log