Patent ID: 8594130

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising: arranging a group of K data units received consecutively at an input of the computing device in a time period of K units, wherein K is a positive integer, and wherein a time period of one unit is a period of time necessary for receiving one data unit at the input of the computing device; and sending the arranged K data units to the inputs of M devices, wherein M is a positive integer, wherein a group of H j data units of the arranged K data units are transferred by a device j of the M devices from its inputs to its outputs within a time period T x , wherein the time period T x is less than or equal to one unit, and wherein H j is a positive integer and the sum of H j for j=1 . . . M is equal to K, where H j ≦K; and arranging the data units sent to the devices of the M devices transferring during the time period T x such that no two inputs of the devices of the M devices transferring during the time period T x receive the same data unit at any moment, wherein a second device combines and arranges the K data units from the outputs of the M devices such that the K data units appear at the output of the second device consecutively, and a length of time gap between data units in a data switching network is shortened.