Patent ID: 7983283

Claim:
A packet routing apparatus for relaying a packet, received from one of a plurality of ports to which the packet routing apparatus is connected, to another port, the packet routing apparatus comprising: at least one routing unit; a plurality of coupling mechanisms, each connected to the routing unit; a plurality of port controllers, each connected to at least one port and one of the coupling mechanisms, each port controller receiving a packet from one of the ports and transmitting the packet to the coupling mechanism, and receiving a packet from the coupling mechanism and transmitting the packet to one of the ports; at least one extended function processing unit, connected to one of the coupling mechanisms, the extended function processing unit receiving the packet from the coupling mechanism, executing a predetermined append function to the packet, and transmitting the packet to the coupling mechanism, wherein, when the routing unit has received a packet from the coupling mechanism, the routing unit transmits the packet to the port controller or the extended function processing unit through one of the plurality of coupling mechanisms.