Patent ID: 6862290

Claim:
A line switching unit for switching data received on an input line to a plurality of output lines based on line delay times of the plurality of output lines, said line switching unit comprising: means for measuring the line delay times of the plurality of output lines; means for allocating the received data from the input line to said plurality of output lines based on the measured delay times; a plurality of storing means, each corresponding to one of the plurality of output lines, for storing data allocated to the corresponding one of the plurality of output lines; and means, responsive to the measured line delay times, for controlling said allocation means to allocate the received data from the input line across the plurality of storing means based on the measured line delay times, wherein said means for controlling allocates to a first one of the output lines an amount of the received data from the input line, said amount corresponding to the measured line delay time of the first one of the output lines, and allocates subsequently received data from the input line to another of the output lines.