Patent ID: 8401034

Claim:
A transport apparatus, comprising: a switching frame generator that generates a General-Communication-Channels (GCC)-mode-switching special frame for instructing a corresponding apparatus to switch a GCC mode, the switched GCC mode being applied to a data frame received after the GCC-mode-switching special frame is received; a GCC overhead insertion unit that inserts the GCC-mode-switching special frame generated by the switching frame generator into a GCC overhead and transmits the GCC overhead to the corresponding apparatus; a transmission-mode controller that performs a control operation to switch the GCC mode of its own apparatus after the transmission of the GCC-mode-switching special frame is completed by the GCC overhead insertion unit, the switched GCC mode being applied to a data frame sent after the GCC-mode-switching special frame is sent; a switching-frame determination unit that determines, upon receiving the GCC overhead from the corresponding apparatus, whether the GCC-mode-switching special frame is inserted into the GCC overhead; and a reception-mode controller that performs a control operation to switch the GCC mode of its own apparatus when the switching-frame determination unit determines that the GCC-mode-switching special frame is inserted into the GCC overhead, the changed GCC mode being applied to a data frame received after the GCC overhead is received.