Patent ID: 7366165

Claim:
An input line interface device for exercising interface control over packets on the input line side, the device comprising: a packet allotting section for dividing a variable-length packet into fixed-length packets, adding fixed-length header information to the fixed-length packets, allotting the fixed-length packets to parallel lines, and outputting the respective fixed-length packets in a time slot; a flow group classifying section for classifying the fixed-length packets into flow groups on each of the parallel lines; a sequence number giving section for giving the fixed-length packets sequence numbers corresponding to or independent of the flow groups; a buffering section for buffering the fixed-length packets to which the sequence numbers have been given to exercise sequence control over the fixed-length packets in the flow groups; and a flow separating switch for separating the fixed-length packets according to the flow groups and outputting the fixed-length packets; wherein the packet allotting section divides the variable-length packet into (A×B) bytes and divides again a divided packet of (A×B) bytes into ID bytes and allots the fixed-length packets which are divided packets of B bytes to the parallel lines when the variable-length packet arrives, fills an empty area with padding when there is the empty area in the time slot, and stops allotting when the variable-length packet does not arrive, where A is the number of parallel lines and B is a time slot.