Patent ID: 7636359

Claim:
A received packet processing method comprising: a packet receiving step of sequentially receiving packets each including a sequence number and a time stamp; a linear expression calculating step of calculating a linear expression representing a correspondence between the sequence number and the time stamp based on the packets received at the packet receiving step; a determining step of, if a packet including a sequence number discontinuous to sequence numbers of the previously received packets is received, determining whether or not the currently received packet satisfies the correspondence represented by the linear expression by checking the sequence number and the time stamp of the currently received packet; a rearranging and outputting step of, if it is determined at the determining step that the currently received packet including the sequence number discontinuous to the sequence numbers of the previously received packets satisfies the correspondence represented by the linear expression, changing an output order of the currently received packet according to the sequence number of the currently received packet; and a continuously outputting step of, if it is determined at the determining step that the currently received packet including the sequence number discontinuous to the sequence numbers of the previously received packets does not satisfy the correspondence represented by the linear expression, outputting the currently received packet without abandoning the packet.